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Day 1:
(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic
flight.
Day 2:
Amsterdam, Holland (Embarkation). (Sun.)
Welcome to Amsterdam! Holland’s capital is
sophisticated and modern, with a rich and
fascinating history. The works of famous Dutch
masters can be seen in world-renowned museums
such as the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh. This
afternoon, the crew of your vessel awaits to
welcome you aboard. (D)
Day 3:
Amsterdam. (Mon.) There is no better way to
see the city than by CANAL BOAT, cruising
through the elegant grachten lined with stately
homes dating back to Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”
There is plenty of free time to explore on your
own. Your Cruise Director will have suggestions
of how to make the most of your stay. (B,L,D)
Day 4:
Gouda–Dordrecht. (Tue.) The Netherlands and
cheese—a winning combination. Gouda, located at
the confluence of the Ijssel and Gouwe Rivers,
is famous not only for its cheese but also for
the 70 stained-glass windows in ST. JOHN’S
CHURCH. After visiting the town with a local
expert, time to stroll through the little lanes
or to have a cup of coffee alongside one of its
canals. After lunch we cruise through the busy
HARBOR of Rotterdam. Sitting between two
branches of the Rhine, charming Dordrecht
inspired many painters in the 17th and 18th
centuries. Nearby is KINDERDIJK with its
picturesque row of windmills. (B,L,D)
Day 5:
Antwerp, Belgium. (Wed.) Antwerp is
Belgium’s second-largest city and one of the
world’s most important ancient seaports.
Included sightseeing shows you its superb
architecture, the GROTE MARKT with its beautiful
city hall, and the Church of Our Lady. (B,L,D)
Day 6:
Maastricht, Holland. (Thu.) Once prized for
its strategic location at the confines of
Belgium and Germany, Maastricht is now the
bustling cosmopolitan capital of the province of
Limburg. The town is quite distinct from the
rest of the country with its bustling pedestrian
precincts, squares with sprawling café terraces,
almost Mediterranean atmosphere, Mosan-type
stone houses, and its rolling hinterland. A
university town since 1976, Maastricht has five
faculties and boasts a student population of
around 7,000. As we start sailing down the Maas
River this afternoon, you might want to join an
optional excursion across the border to Germany
for a visit of Aachen, ancient seat of Charles
the Great. (B,L,D)
Day 7:
Arnhem. (Fri.). One of the major tragedies
of World War II was the Battle of Arnhem,
featured vividly in the AIRBORNE MUSEUM
HARTENSTEIN and the inspiration for the movie A
Bridge Too Far. A visit to the American War
Cemetery near Nijmegen is available after lunch.
Tonight, sail into Germany. (B,L,D)
Day 8:
Cologne, Germany. (Sat.) Cologne is the
capital of the Rhineland and one of Germany’s
largest cities. The soaring twin steeples of the
magnificent gothic cathedral dominate the river
skyline, and the Germano-Roman Museum next to
the cathedral is a must for history buffs! The
OLD TOWN abounds with taverns, cafés, and shops.
Try a Kölsch, the favorite local beer, and shop
for a bottle of 4711, the original “eau de
cologne.” (B,L,D)
Day 9:
Koblenz–Rhine Gorge–Rüdesheim. (Sun.)
Situated at the confluence of the Rhine and
Moselle Rivers, 2,000-year-old Koblenz is the
cultural and business center of the Middle Rhine
region. The DEUTSCHES ECK, located on a tongue
of land where the two rivers converge, holds an
impressive equestrian statue of Wilhelm I. The
dramatic RHINE GORGE is the most beautiful
stretch of river. Pass the legendary rock of the
Lorelei, where sweet songs of local beauties
lured enchanted sailors to their doom. Rüdesheim
is the perfect example of a Rhine Valley wine
town and SIEGFRIED’S MECHANICAL MUSICAL
INSTRUMENT MUSEUM is a real surprise! A SPECIAL
TREAT is planned, then time to explore the
Drosselgasse and pick up some souvenirs. (B,L,D)
Day 10:
Cochem. (Mon.) Today we sail up the Moselle
River, which rises in the Vosges Mountains of
northeastern France and enters Germany at Trier.
Visit Cochem’s REICHSBURG CASTLE, which sits
atop a conical hill covered in vines. From here
the views of the little town nestled down below
and of the river valley are splendid. Cruising
the wide, peaceful curves of the river, it
quickly becomes obvious that the Moselle is an
important wine-growing region. Most notably, the
Riesling grape is cultivated, producing a dry to
sweet, floral white wine. (B,L,D)
Day 11:
Bernkastel. (Tue.) In the middle of the
Moselle region is the charming wine village of
Bernkastel with its well-preserved half-timbered
houses surrounding the beautiful MARKET PLACE.
Wine growers in this area look after Germany’s
largest expanse of vineyards, the most
celebrated of the vintages being the Bernkastel
Doktor. Before dinner, visit a local WINE CELLAR
and taste several of this region’s varietals. (B,L,D)
Day 12:
Trier–Remich, Luxembourg. (Wed.) The
venerable Episcopal city of Trier is the oldest
in Germany and, some claim, even older than
Rome! A house on the marketplace bears the
inscription, “Trier was standing 1,300 years
before Rome.” The famous PORTA NIGRA is the only
surviving fortified gate from the original Roman
settlement and it still gives access to the town
center. Trier’s most famous son was socialist
revolutionary Karl Marx. This afternoon, cruise
to Remich in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. (B,L,D)
Day 13:
Remich (Disembarkation)–Paris, France.
(Thu.) After breakfast, transfer to Metz to
board the TGV HIGH-SPEED TRAIN for a swift and
comfortable journey to Paris. (B)
Day 14:
Paris. (Fri.) Paris’ famous sights are
living history: your included city sightseeing
shows you magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, the
unique Louvre Museum with its glass pyramid as a
contrast to its ancient architecture, the
commemorative Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine,
Champs Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower, a
structural miracle of its age. The city is well
known for its colorful nightlife including some
of the world’s most famous cabarets. (B)
Day 15:
Paris. (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives
the same day. (B) |
Affinity
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