MagnifiqueIII – Bruges to Amsterdam

A large group of us, 10, took this wonderful boat bike tour and it was truly a great experience. We started in Bruges and biked our way to Amsterdam. First I want to start by giving a big shout out to our wonderful bike leaders, Michael and Peter who led us through some of the most beautiful, calming scenery I have ever seen. Safety was their number 1 motto and all of us appreciated that. They were also very informative along the way. The paths were straight with very little hills. In our group, some of us had e-bikes and some did not. I appreciated having the e-bike especially as the week went by, it was great to have. Also a big shout out to Michel, our executive chef, who presented us with wonderful, tasty meals every night. Not only, delicious, visually appealing, but enough food to keep even the hungriest man happy. He even accommodated our friend’s meal – she is gluten free. The other staff, Ingabord, Xander, Marjite and Damaris were great. They worked tirelessly to keep everyone happy. Rooms cleaned, dining room clean and set up every day. They also served as our bartenders, food servers and any special requests answered. They were extremely organized and very good at their jobs. And of course our captain Paul, who was not only our captain, but a jack of all trades. He always seemed to be pitching in to help the other crew members. All in all, the crew seemed to be a family of their own and made everyone feel at home. We were very lucky and got very cool weather for the week of July 13th which made the biking very enjoyable. On some nights we needed a light sweater if we wished to sit outside on the deck. For all the women out there who don’t know what to pack – it is a very casual setting. The dressiest I got was what they called “formal night” which I wore a simple sundress, some of the men were wearing shorts and they did not seem out of place. I would just pack what you would wear for your biking days and very simple stuff for dinner. A bathing suit if you want to use the hot tub (we did – it was super clean). A rain cover up for biking is a must because rain can come on quickly and go out just as quick. Something to wear at night if it’s chilly. I definitely over packed. Of course you will check the weather before leaving for you trip so you will most likely know if it will be hot or cold. But clothes wise, it is super simple. If there is any downside to this trip, it would be not spending enough time in the lovely cities that we got to see each day. But that is always the downfall of cruising. This was a wonderful trip, even my husband who is not a fan of biking, enjoyed it. I would recommend this trip to anyone. We had as young as 16 and an average age, I would venture to say 60ish. Some way younger, and some a bit older. I understand the crew works 2 weeks on and have 1 week off, so you might not get the same crew but I’m sure all crew members are all very professional. Highly recommend this trip.