Amsterdam to Bruges. Sixth time with boat bike tours, not the best one but still enjoyable

This was our 6th boat bike tour, the second time we had done this particular route. It’s sad to say that it was the least enjoyable. We were on the “Fluviois” ship, the second time we had been aboard this ship. It’s now unfortunately looking tired and in need of updating. The staff were lovely but the evening meals were not great and not a lot of them! After cycling all day it would have been nice to have a hearty meal but alas what we got was minimal. Most people on board felt the same. Obviously cooking for 40+ people in a small kitchen is a challenge but we have had much nicer food in the past. Breakfast however was plentiful (except things kept running out, such as fresh fruit, muesli etc and weren’t replaced for days) and there was ample food available to make up a packed lunch. We were all given a plastic bottle to fill with water from our bathrooms in the cabin. The cabins are small but functional, if you are organised and don’t take too much they are fine. However we only had 3 hangers in our wardrobe, not great when 2 women sharing a cabin wanting to hang clothes so they weren’t too creased in the evening. No entertainment in the evenings, which again is different to previous tours we have been on with this company. Cycling – we opted for the guided tour. Every day you are given a briefing of where we are going, places of interest and a list of numbers to follow and maps. Cycling in the Netherlands and Belgium is very easy following the number system. We had two guides. Jack & Stella. Jack could have been friendlier, but he was a good guide & knew his stuff. Unfortunately on the first day someone got left behind & no one realised, luckily she was able to make her own way by asking passers by & using great initiative caught us up. The routes were good, interesting and about the right sort of length. The hire bikes were ok, although there was a bit of a disaster on the last day when the handlebars broke on one of the bikes when we were still some distance from the ship. One of the guides then had to swap and negotiate cycling back with the dodgy handlebars. Well done to her. The bar bill needs to be paid at the end of the week. We were surprised to be told it was cash only. We also all needed to pay €30 cash extra for fuel supplements. Again, this has never happened on previous cruises. All in all though, it was an enjoyable week, if you enjoy exploring new places and are happy on a bike it’s a great way of seeing the country. Would I do this tour again? No, but I would do other tours with this company.