River Life along the Waterways of Holland and Belgium - TRIP CURRENTLY FULL/WAITLISTED

Apr 17 2012 - Apr 25 2012

TRIP CURRENTLY FULL - WAITLIST ONLY

Download the River Life along the Waterways of Holland and Belgium Brochure!

From $2,795 per person based on double occupancy, air and VAT not included
Operated by Thomas P. Gohagan & Company

Overview
Join us for this marvelous nine-day travel program, cruising for seven nights along the waterways of Holland and Belgium aboard a state-of-the-art AMA WATERWAYS vessel during the best time of year! A special highlight is FLORIADE 2012: LIVING NATURE, the world’s largest horticultural festival, held only once every 10 years, showcasing unique international flora and never-before-seen green architecture. Meet local residents during the exclusive VILLAGE FORUM™ for a personal perspective of the Low Countries’ modern life and cultural heritage. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage sites of well-preserved medieval Bruges—featuring a private canal cruise—and the legendary 18th-century windmills of Kinderdijk. Also enjoy a private cruise along Amsterdam’s canals, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Expert-led excursions include the prestigious Rijksmuseum, famous Keukenhof Gardens, medieval Antwerp, the traditional fishing village of Volendam and the fast-paced Aalsmeer Daily Flower Auction. A Pre-Cruise Option in Amsterdam is offered. This comprehensive, all-inclusive itinerary—an exceptional value—is continually praised by our past travelers as the ideal Holland and Belgium experience and sells out quickly year after year.

ITINERARY
Day 1:     Depart from the U.S. or Canada
Day 2:    Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Embark the ship
Day 3:    Amsterdam/Volendam
Day 4:    Arnhem/Venlo (Floriade)/Nijmegen
Day 5:    Antwerp, Belgium
Day 6:    Ghent (Bruges)
Day 7:    Willemstad, The Netherlands/Kinderdijk
Day 8:    Utrecht (Keukenhof Gardens)/Aalsmeer/Amsterdam
Day 9:    Amsterdam/Disembark/Return to the U.S. or Canada

Activity Level
Active

HIGHLIGHTS

Join us in Holland and Belgium for nine days, featuring a seven-night cruise aboard one of Europe’s most state-of-the-art river vessels, one the deluxe AMA WATERWAYS FLEET.
Experience the world’s largest and most extraordinary horticultural exhibition, held only once every ten years, FLORIADE 2012: LIVING NATURE!
Celebrate the beauty and spirit of the Low Countries in springtime—the optimal time to see rippling fields of more than 1,000 varieties of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths stretching as far as the eye can see.
Meet local residents during the exclusive VILLAGE FORUM™ for a personal perspective of the Low Countries’ modern life and cultural heritage.
Learn about Amsterdam’s fascinating architecture from a unique perspective during private cruise along its historic canals, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Tour the well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage site of Bruges, including a private canal cruise.
See firsthand the internal workings of Kinderdijk’s 18th-century windmills, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Grasp the breadth of the region’s rich traditions and artistic legacy with guided excursions to the fast-paced Aalsmeer Daily Flower Auction, the extraordinary gardens of Keukenhof and the world-renowned Rijksmuseum.
Extend your sojourn in the Low Countries with the two-night Pre-Cruise Option in Amsterdam.
Enjoy complimentary house wine included with dinners on board the ship.
Enjoy a comprehensive itinerary, deluxe accommodations and all meals and excursions included at an exceptional value.

AMA WATERWAYS FLEET
     AMA WATERWAYS’ small deluxe river ships are state-of-the-art, set a new standard in European river cruising and offer grand comfort and style while providing superior personal service by a friendly, professional crew.
     All Staterooms are outside and most feature French Balconies (floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with iron railings). Each Stateroom has a private bathroom and provides the fine amenities of a deluxe hotel including individually controlled air conditioning, stylish plush bedding, Infotainment System, Internet access, hair dryer, safe and bathrobes.
     Each ship’s dining room accommodates all guests in a single, unassigned seating. Regional cuisine is prepared with fresh local produce. Early risers’ coffee, buffet breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and a four-course dinner are served daily. Complimentary house wines from local vintners are included with dinner.
     Public areas include a tastefully appointed, spacious Main Lounge with full-length windows, a Bar, a quieter Aft Lounge, an expansive Sun Deck with lower Sun Deck and teak Front Deck, a whirlpool, a beauty salon and a spa and fitness area. Nightly local entertainment showcases the traditions of the region in live music or performance. Headsets are provided for group touring. Bicycles are available on board free of charge when the ship is in port for passengers to bike ride along riverside paths.

INCLUDED FEATURES ON BOARD THE DELUXE M.S. AMALYRA

Seven-night cruise round trip from Amsterdam, with port calls at Volendam, Arnhem (for Venlo and FLORIADE), Nijmegen, Willemstad, Kinderdijk and Utrecht, The Netherlands; and Antwerp and Ghent (for Bruges), Belgium.
Spacious, deluxe accommodations in an outside stateroom with private bathroom facilities.
Captain’s welcome and farewell receptions.
All meals—breakfast, lunch and dinner—featuring regional cuisine served at single seatings, as well as early risers’ coffee, afternoon tea and late-evening snack.
Complimentary house wine served with dinner.

TOURS AND EXCURSIONS LED BY EXPERT LOCAL GUIDES

Private cruise along Amsterdam’s canals, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Walking tour of the charming fishing village of Volendam, where traditional Dutch attire is still worn.
Antwerp city tour, featuring a visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady.
Full-day excursion to Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a private canal cruise.
Walking tour of Willemstad.
Tour of the legendary windmills at Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Visit to the Aalsmeer Daily Flower Auction to observe the nearly 19 million flowers and plants that are sold and shipped around the world each day.
Excursion to the Keukenhof Gardens, one of the world’s greatest floral exhibitions.

EXCLUSIVE CULTURAL ENRICHMENTS

Excursion to the FLORIADE 2012 World Horticultural Expo to enjoy the never-seen-before sustainable architecture and exquisite floral and plant displays.
Guided tour of the prestigious Rijksmuseum.
VILLAGE FORUM™ with local citizens who will discuss life in Holland and Belgium.

COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL SERVICES

All transfers and luggage handling abroad for all participants who have purchased their international air tickets through Gohagan & Company and whose arrival(s)/departure(s) coincide with the scheduled group transfer(s).
All excursions and visits as indicated above, led by experienced, English-speaking local guides.
Gratuities for local guides and drivers on included excursions and transfers.
Experienced Program Director to accompany you throughout the travel program.
Hospitality desk aboard the ship.
Travel document wallet, name badge and pre-departure information.
Automatic $250,000 flight insurance policy for each participant ticketed on flights by Gohagan & Company.

FLORIADE 2012 WORLD HORTICULTURAL EXPO
Immerse yourself in this stunning and largest horticultural exhibition in the world, held only once a decade—FLORIADE 2012: LIVING NATURE. Inspired by Holland’s singular reputation for dazzling, immense tulip fields, FLORIADE 2012 is unequaled anywhere on the globe. It will be held in Venlo, near The Netherlands/Germany border, in one of the regions that form the driving force of the entire Dutch horticultural industry. Nations from around the world will gather to create an idyllic horticultural universe of never-seen-before sustainable architecture and exquisite flowers, plants, trees, fruits and vegetables characteristic of the flora unique to each country. The festival becomes a living, breathing explanation of how horticulture benefits and influences the economy, education, environment, art, architecture, entertainment, relaxation and healing. FLORIADE 2012 defines the interconnection between nature and culture. Venlo is rich in historical and archaeological elements, including a medieval fortification system and artifacts dating from the Mesolithic Period and the Bronze and Iron Ages. FLORIADE 2012 considers these cultural assets inseparable from the celebration and showcases them throughout the park. The expo will add to Venlo’s cultural legacy, as the site will remain a sustainable entity known as Venlo Greenport, dedicated to innovation, sustainability, logistics, knowledge transfer and market orientation. “Be part of the theater in nature, get closer to the quality of life!”

AMSTERDAM PRE-CRUISE OPTION
Join us on this exclusive two-night stay in Amsterdam featuring deluxe, centrally located hotel accommodations. See Amsterdam’s most important monuments on a specially arranged walking tour. Explore the poignant exhibits in the Anne Frank House. And, visit the colorful maritime town of Hoorn.
Option available at additional cost. Complete details will be provided with your reservation confirmation.

Your Northwestern Host

Claudia Swan (PhD 1997; Columbia University) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art History. She teaches courses on northern European visual culture 1400-1700, art and science, the history of collecting, and the history of the imagination. She is the author of Art, Science, and Witchcraft in Early Modern Holland: Jacques de Gheyn II (1565-1629) (Cambridge University Press 2005), which studies the intersection of empiricism and witchcraft in Holland in the early seventeenth century through the work of the Dutch artist. She is also co-editor (with Londa Schiebinger) of Colonial Botany: Science, Commerce, Politics (University of Pennsylvania Press 2004); and the author of The Clutius Botanical Watercolors (Harry N. Abrams 1998). Swan has held fellowships and grants from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, and the NEH. Professor Swan is currently working on two books. One is a brief history of the imagination, and a second on the first Dutch diplomatic or state gift to the Ottoman court (1613) and, more generally, on the trade in and collection and representation of exotic or curious or foreign objects in early modern Holland and related locales. The working title of this book is “Birds of Paradise for the Sultan and other ‘Rareiteyten van dese Landen’: The Dutch Gift of 1613 and the Exchange of Exotica in Early Modern Europe.” She has published several articles on Dutch visual culture, and was a founding director of Northwestern's Program in the Study of Imagination.