Tulip Cruise - Description

This five days mini cruise in this beautiful season leads you through the most attractive areas in the “Garden of Amsterdam”. The tulips blossom heralds the spring awakening. These short journeys in spring offer you an excellent opportunity to visit the most beautiful highlights in and around the capital of the Netherlands, in a very relaxed way, on board of a comfortable ship. Numerous museums and shops entice you in Amsterdam, the smallest metropolis of Europe“, and the canals, which quite recently came onto the UNESCO world heritage list are famous all over the world. You can also visit the flower market in the centre and explore the open-air museum Zaanse Schans with windmills, a wooden clogs maker and a cheese farm. More highlights are for sure the historical city Haarlem, the world-famous flower exhibition “Keukenhof” near Lisse and the world largest flower auction near Aalsmeer.

Highlights:
Amsterdam – open-air museum Zaanse Schans – Haarlem – Keukenhof – Flower auction Aalsmeer

The 50 meter long MS Magnifique for only 22-28 guests, has a beautiful salon with a huge bar. Meals are served daily in the restaurant area. Both sun decks are particularly attractive with chairs and a small whirlpool from which you can enjoy the river landscapes which are slowly passing by. The multilingual crew takes care of everything: a number of excursions on land & guided tours in the towns are included. Bicycles are available on board for short excursions to the Zaanse Schans, Keukenhof and flower auction.

Tulip Cruise - Programme

Day 1

Arrival and embarkation in Amsterdam | afternoon: Amsterdam - Zaandam

In the afternoon between 2 and 4 pm embarkation in Amsterdam, Veemkade. Docking place in city center. From about 5 pm a short „dinner cruise“ to Zaandam. Docking place in city center. In the evening a short stroll through Zaandam.

Day 2

Zaandam – Zaanse Schans | in the afternoon: Zaandam – Haarlem

By bike approx. 4 km (2,4 miles) tot he open-air museum „Zaanse Schans“ (incl.) with its beautiful windmills, an old-Dutch village, a cheese farm and a traditional wooden clogs maker. By bike back to the barge. In the early afternoon you will cruise in ca. 2½ hr to Haarlem, where you can visit the historical old city with a.o. the St.-Bavo Cathedral, the Grote Markt, the Teylersmuseum and the Frans-Hals-Museum. Docking place in the centre. In the afternoon or evening a short stroll through Haarlem.

Day 3

Haarlem – Keukenhof – Kudelstaart

After breakfast you will have the choice between a cycle tour or go by public transport to the „Keukenhof“, world famous flower exhibition, where you will see millions of tulips, narcissuses, hyacinths and other flowers in bloom. In the afternoon, after an extensive visit, you will go by bike or by taxi from the Keukenhof to Kudelstaart, where the barge is waiting for you on the bank of the Westeinder lake. Today’s bike tours: Haarlem – Keukenhof approx. 16 km (9,6 miles); Keukenhof – Kudelstaart approx. 21 km (12,6 miles). Entrance Keukenhof incl. bus trip: approx. € 22,00; Taxi bus Keukenhof-Kudelstraat (max. 7 Pers.): approx. € 50,00

Day 4

Kudelstaart – Aalsmeer – Amsterdam

After a small breakfast you will cycle a short bike tour from Kudelstaart to the flower auction Aalsmeer. On this world largest auction there will be flowers sold by auction early in the morning, and immediately transported all over the world. Around 10 am you will return on the ship in Aalsmeer and enjoy the brunch the crew prepared for you. After that you can choose between a bike tour or a cruise with the ship (approx. 3 hours) back to Amsterdam. Docking place in city center. In the afternoon and evening you will have the opportunity to visit a museum, go shopping or take a trip together on the canals. Today’s bike tours: Kudelstaart-Flower auction approx. 6 km (3,6 miles); Flower auction - Aalsmeer approx. 3 km (1,8 miles); Aalsmeer-Amsterdam (Veemkade) approx. 25 km (15 miles). Entrance Flower auction: approx. € 5,00

Day 5

Amsterdam

After breakfast you will have the time till 9:30 am to vacate your cabin. If you like you can store your luggage on board till approx. 4:30 pm, so that you will have the opportunity to spend the whole day to visit the Amsterdam city center

Tulip Cruise - Details

Departure dates 2012 (dd.mm):

on 29.03.-02.04.; 02.-06.04.; 06.-10.04.; 10.-14.04.; 14.-18.04.; 18.-22.04. and 22.-26.04.2012
06.-10.04.: Easter weekend (supplement)

Min. number of passengers: 12 pers.

Included:

- Tour and accommodation on board 5 days / 4 nights from/to Amsterdam, cabin in the booked category;
- Meals on board (Full board: breakfast, lunch and three course dinner);
- Use of bed linen and towels (change of towels daily possible), daily short cleaning of the cabin;
- Use of bicycle with 7-gears, hand- and/or backpedal brake, pannier bag;
- Board tour guide by the crew (multilingual) with daily briefing of the program and Bike tours and some short city tours according to program;
- Board- and land program according to program.

Not included:

- Transfers to/from docking place Veemkade in Amsterdam;
- Reservation fee, other transfers, parking fee (5 days on P+R ca. € 55,00), entrance fees & excursions (others then mentioned in program);
- Drinks on board; personal insurances; gratuities (at your discretion).

Please note:

During Easter the Flower auction is closed – in stead canal tour Amsterdam inclusive in the price!

The shipping line reserves the right to change the program or the order of the destinations slightly due to weather conditions or for nautical reasons.

Background information:

The General Conditions (travel conditions) of CCH Tours B.V. and Boat Bike Tours apply to cycling cruises, as well as to confirmation and cancellation of such tours.
In principle, children are very welcome on board. In some cabins (incl. Suites) there is a third bunk bed available. Children’s bikes, E-bikes etc. or child’s saddles are available on request and at additional costs. Of course you may stay one or more days longer on board (children under the age of18 years must be under supervision).
The interior of the ship is a no-smoking zone: smoking is only allowed on the sun deck. As a safety measure, a statutory smoking ban applies in all cabins; this means that all cabins and rooms on board are no-smoking zones.

Magnifique | Luxury ship

In February, the very well-equipped canal barge MAGNIFIQUE has been launched after having been refurbished and restyled. The 49 meters (161 ft.) long vessel offers 22 to max. 32 guests very comfortable accommodation in 12 cabins. Until 2008, the barge was operated under her former name "PRINCESS ROYAL" for river and canal cruises with guests from the USA.
In the period May through September, the MAGNIFIQUE will be offering various tours, for which you can book on an individual basis (per cabin): several "active cruises - highlights of Holland", various cycling cruises between Bruges an Brussels (Belgium) and between Bruges and Amsterdam. Click the link CYCLING CRUISES on top of this page for tour descriptions, departure dates and rates.
The MAGNIFIQUE is also available in full charter for groups and tour operators in periods throughout the year for shorter and longer tours in Holland and belgium, for events and as accommodation on location; tour programme, itinerary and catering can be offered customized, according to the wishes of the group.

On the main deck you wil find the spacious salon with large windows all around, accommodating a restaurant area, a bar, a lounge with cosy seats, as well as the partially roofed sun deck with tables, chairs, deckchairs and a whirlpool / jacuzzi. Bicycles can also be stored on deck. On the lower deck you will find 8 twin cabins (approx. 11 M² - 118 sq.ft. -, 2 single beds next to eachother), 2 suites (approx. 14 M² - 150 sq.ft. -, 2 single beds) and 2 single cabins (approx. 9 M² - 97 sq.ft.). All cabins have beds 90x200 cm, a flat screen TV, portholes (all windows can be opened), private facilities (bathroom with shower + toilet) and air conditioning. In some twin and both single cabins an additional bed as a bunk bed can be provided on request.