Holland & Belgium in Springtime (2012)

This is a must-do trip for spring. The flowers are breath-taking, even to a non-gardener. Sun shone on my group at Keukenhof and at the Floriade, every flower almost begging to be photographed. I have just completed my largest digital album to date because of the huge number of photos I took. It’s a busy, go-go trip with up to three locations in a day. Grass will not grow underfoot if you take advantage of the options and opportunities offered. Rain or shine, approach every village and port with the wonder it deserves, and you will love every minute of this trip.
But, it was not just the flowers. This trip is also for art lovers—that is, if you allow yourself to get caught up in the Dutch Masters and in the museums. I assure you, I am not an artist, nor have I ever studied art, but this can be a gripping study in art appreciation. I took both pre- and post-trips, so the wonder of art began in medieval Bruges: its architecture and its marvelous Groeninge Museum filled with Flemish Primitives. The detail of the paintings still astounds me. I love Europe’s awe-inspiring cathedrals. Oh, my, wait till you see what the Antwerp and Ghent cathedrals have in store: Antwerp’s is an art gallery in itself: five original Rubens! Then walk a couple blocks to Antwerp’s St. Charles Borromeo to be further awed. In Ghent, it’s Van Eyck’s famous room-size altarpiece, “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.” I recommend paying the fee to see the original; the audio phone that comes with it will quadruple your appreciation of this work. In The Hague we visited the small Prince William V gallery: art from floor to ceiling! In Delft, it was Vermeer’s gallery—it’s a jewel! Then the crème de la crème: Amsterdam’s Rijks and Van Gogh. Gain a first-hand appreciation of the Protestant-Catholic wars the Netherlands suffered when you see the hidden art now being uncovered in St. Pancras Church in Enkhuizen. Or visit the Lord in the Attic hidden church in Amsterdam. It’s a history lesson I never learned in school!
An extra to fit in, even if you skip lunch aboard the boat, is the Zuider Zee open-air museum in Enkhuizen—an absolutely delightful picture of old Holland. Keep an open mind and also visit Amsterdam’s Red Light District; surely your PD will offer an evening walk (after a lecture, so you know what you are in for). On our trip, PD Steven provided one of the best learning and discovery talks I have heard anywhere.
This is not one of GCT’s longest trips, but it provides infinite opportunities for learning and discovery.
(Link to my photo album: http:www.blurb.combookstoredetail3230227)

Traveler: Jane Lehr from Shingle Springs, CA traveled on April 07, 2012

This is my second riverboat cruise, loved the first one and this time, exeeded my expectations.On my first there was no live entertainment yet I enjoyed it but this time I was pleasantly surprised to have on board entertainment. One of the highlights was that guests were able to participate in some of the activities.
So much to enjoy but my favorites included participating in the vegetable auction at Broek Veiling Museum, ability to tour a wind mill in Kinderdijk and the Home visit with the Wallerts in Enkhuizen. The home visit was another learning and discovery experience both for us and our host- do not be apprenhensive about home visits if you are new to GCT. Driving through the country side viewing the colorful tulip fields and some old windmills WOW!!. Keukenhof flower park awesome you can see a lot in the time allotted.
When travelling with GCT nothing is forced on you there are choices. The included port tours are mostly walking (a good way to see and appreciate the quaint towns) if you do not want to return to the boat with the group after the included tour, your Program Directors are extremely helpful in suggesting alternatives. Ron, Dorthea and Motti worked as a team and showed genuine interest and enthusiasm. Peter our local guide in Antwerp was the best. Take one of the city tour buss gives you anice snapshot if you are not having an extended stay.
This is a trip that I would highly recommend. One thing to remember if you want to see the bulbs in its glory, April seems to be the right time. Please be prepared for the weather it might not be cold in temperature but it can be very windy and rainy. Remember to bring layers or a few sweaters include a scarf, hat and gloves particularly if you are from a warm area. IT DOES NOT RAIN ALL DAY, but could be overcast most of the day.
Captain Schork and his crew on the Harmony were the best. They were always smilling, there to wish you farewell and again to welcome you on your return. I wish I had more time to see more of the exhibits at the Floriade but our P.D. guided us to the exhibits that would offer most in our allotted time. My favorite was the Villa Flora. Happy discoveries.

Traveler: Lorna Chin from Brooklyn, NY traveled on April 19, 2012

The Keukenhof garden was worth the entire trip, it was spectacular. The Floriade, which is one of the reasons we went was very disappointing. The weather in April is quite cold, we needed 4 layers of clothing so go prepared. The ship and crew were wonderful, meals very good.

Traveler: Doris Greenspan from West Palm Beach, FL traveled on April 12, 2012

The Delft “factory” was a store with a back room set up for tourists.

Cultural Zeeland was interesting but not enough time was spent there.

Neither trip was scenic and the biggest complaint I heard on the trip was that we saw very little countryside.

These trips should have been included as there was very little to do most days.

Traveler: Roxanne Gray from Voluntown, CT traveled on April 05, 2012

This was the first river cruise with GCT that I have ever done and it was great. I will do many others. Unpacking once with all the space in the cabin to stash belongings was a plus, Our cabin steward was a very gracious young man and even got ice for us in the evenings. The whole crew on the boat (The Melody) was helpful and friendly. I was disappointed that the Floriade day was to be only half a day which would have made it about 3 hours. We asked our PDs to please arrange for a whole day at Floriade and with a little persuasion IT WAS ARRANGED and we spent the whole day at Floriade. Hooray for GCT. Excellent problem-solving. Would have liked more time at Keukenhof too but it was beautiful and we arranged our time appropriately. Thanks GCT for a really good trip.

Traveler: Barbara Troxell from Fort Collins, CO traveled on April 15, 2012

This was our first time to travel with GCT and our first small ship experience. I highly recommend GCT. The attention to detail was such a nice touch. When have we ever had a Captain to welcome us "home" at the door as we arrived back after a rainy excursion (with hot chocolate and a warm towel)? We loved the small villages and the local guides who really gave us local history from experience. The PDs went out of their way to make our trip pleasant and seemed to always be available. They must have worked 20 hrs. day! I highly recommend this trip in the Spring because the flowers are incredible.

Traveler: Brenda Edwards from Wise, VA traveled on April 19, 2012

This was an excellent vacation. Unpacking only once was a welcome change from our normal trips. The ship's Captain, crew, Hotel and restaurant staff were fantastic as were the meals. (By day two, they knew to pour decaf for me, before I asked.)

Since the Flower Auction is closed on Sunday, the tour directors were able to change the day of our visit to Monday - the same day as our visit to the Keukenhof Gardens. Doing both in one day was a wonderful change and was worth 50% of the trip.

We agree with the comments on the Floriade but they should not be considered for the next 9 years - until the next one.

We had visited Delft and Kinderdijk on a previous trip but there were plenty of alternative activities. We were able to visit the Van Gogh museum, via the Amsterdam tram system, as one of our alternates - so easy and a highlight. The visits to the Delta Works and "Unique Holland" were excellent and the small village visits were great.

The time spent in bus travel to some venues was the time required. But I will say that having every lunch on board did use up a good bit of visit time. But, if you think of feeding 3 groups of 40-45 people in some of those small towns, or even some of the larger venues... just not possible.

Finally - we have been on many guided walking tours in Europe but this was our first experience with the radio headsets and it was great! I would advise you to use "over the ear" earphones if you don't like the "ear-bud" type.

This was our first trip with GCT - 10 European trips were self planned and guided - but we will definitely use GCT next year for our Russia - Moscow to St Petersburg trip.

Traveler: Andy and Emily Moon from Lilburn, GA traveled on April 15, 2012

After 15+ GCT Tours, I can only say that I always had a fantastic, social, educational
experience. The Best! This was my first
Rivercruise and hopefully not my last.
The tulips,flowers were so very beautiful-
even in the rain.The ship, crew, Captain,
waitstaff,Chef and director Steven. were
tops. I am so glad that I got to "Tip Toe
Through the Tulips"----before I push up
daisies!!! I urge you to do the same.

Traveler: Evelyn Dennis from Ballwin, MO traveled on April 20, 2012

I was very disappointed in the Floriade - with all the hype, every 10 years, I thought it would far exceed Keukenhof - what a disappointment. the Aria, crew and staff were excellent but the tour directors were below par. not enough communication, where to go for the boat ride at the Kinderdijk -- at the airport going home - we were told to go to level 2 -- in reality it was level 3. local tour guides, when they showed up, were excellent

Traveler: Ann Beluardo from Commack, NY traveled on April 12, 2012

Never will travel a big ship again. This was a terrific chance to see the small towns and villages. Just the right pace. Food was wonderful. River Aria a great ship with GREAT Crew.

Traveler: Mary traveled on April 02, 2012

The whole tour was poorly ORGANIZED. The 4 tour directors were NOT equal in their presentations, advice or directions.
The Keukenhof Gardens were glorious but would have been glorious on any adventure at that time. The home hosted visit was a plus, the food was wonderful, the motor coach rides too and from were WAY too long and going back each day to the ship for lunch was a time constraint. That made us unable to explore or do more museums.
I think the price of this trip was NOT of good value.

Traveler: Dianne Adams from Derby, KS traveled on April 12, 2012

This was a great trip, staff, crew and other guests were just great. All the stop were most enlightening, but one of the only disappointments on this cruise was all the hype concerning the Floriade and it was the low point on the cruise for both my husband and I. This should have been an optional tour on the cruise. The small towns and meeting the town people were just so quant. We thoroughtly enjoyed it,.
And we can't say enough about GiGi and Allen the program directors. They were just so much fun and you just waited to get back on bus at end of each day to hear GiGi's joke of the day. Food was outstanding. Nighttime entertainment on board ship was lacking, compared to other ships.Thanks for offering this cruise

Traveler: John Bzik from Slidell, LA traveled on April 10, 2012

The trip exceeded my expectations. The cabins are set up for easy use and plenty of clothes and other storage space, even with the small size it all felt roomy. Despite cold weather in general and a rainy day at Keukenhoff - it didn't matter. Each stop was something new and different and the flower venues did not disappoint. I am not a morning person but it was worth getting up at 5:30 for the flower auction. The 1000 Islands Museum (Unique Holland) was delightful, esp. participating in the vegetable auction. Having the opporturnity to be in someone's home for conversation was also a highlight. The best thing overall that really made the trip was the crew - all of them - who seemed to make a point of knowing the passengers by name within a few days. I was especially surprised and pleased by the Restaurant Manager's , and servers attention to my needs for gluten free dining. The personalized service included the surprise of a delicious gluten free birthday cake. I look forward to more trips with GCT.

Traveler: Ellen Berkowitz from Tallahassee, FL traveled on April 02, 2012

We had a great trip. We love the pace of the river crusies GCT puts on and the tours (most) are almost all very good. I love the fact that they added the headsets. It makes it so much easier to hear and enjoy the trip.

When we were in Amsterdam we went to the Anne Frank house. It was well worth it, but be there right before it opens to avoid the lines. Cost is about 9 euros.

We went to the Hague and because the main museum was not open (closed for renovation I think) they took us to a smaller museum. It was small and had the famous Veemeer, Girl with a Peal earring and that was the main show piece. My friend and I did get off the bus tour early that day when we were near Madurodam (the minature city) and that was very cool. It made our trip to the Hague worth while (cost 14.5 euros), while may others felt the Hague extra tour was not worth the price.

Finally we extended in Bruges. It is a wonderful small city that was very walkable and our hotel the Grand Casselberg was right in the middle of the town. Great hotel. If you like history make sure you take the Scenic Beglium tour that takes you to the Atlantikwall. That was quite a sight, under ground bunkers the Germans built during WWII with tunnels and accommodations underground that were quite fascinating.

Couple of very good and relatively inexpensive restaurants right next to the hotel. One was the Diligence, family owned and run and their food was very good. Best Belgiums fries we had in town, plus their main courses and bread, excellent. There is also a simple place to the right of the hotel on the same side of the street that served chicken and fish and chips that was very good and inexpensive. This place was not fancey at all but the food was good and very reasonably price for means in Belgium.

Don't forget to taste the chocolates while in Belguim and if you like beer this is one of the places to taste over 1,100 types of beer.

Of course I cannot say enough about the beautiful flowers at the flower auction (don't miss any of these places), Keukenhof Gardens and if you are there when the Floriade is in town (once a decade) you won't want to miss that either.

Food on the ship was very good and we just had a great time, regardless of the cold, rain and or wind, which we had all at one time while on this trip. We took the March 31, 2012 trip and loved it.

Traveler: Bruce Leman from Corona, CA traveled on March 31, 2012

Based on previous reviews I'd read on the GCT site, I was a little hesitant to sign up for the Delft optional tour. I'm so glad I took the trip anyway. Of all the optional tours, it was the best on this trip. The city is charming, the guide was very knowledgeable, the visit to see the Delft ware shop was great (good history of REAL Delft Blue china, friendly, great demo by one of the painters), enjoyed the Vermeer center. Don't miss the cheese shop on the main square - yummy samples! Watch out for the shops on the main square that say "geniune Delft blue." Once you visit the real store, you'll be able to turn over the stuff at the souvenir shops and see it's not "real."

Traveler: Katherine from Columbus, OH traveled on April 10, 2012

This was a wonderful and very active trip. One of the best that we have taken with GCT or any other tour company. The only caution that I would give is to heed the advice in the brochure that this is NOT a trip for people who need assistance walking or use a cane or walker. The trip is a great combination of big cities and small villages. So if you like to walk, enjoy learning new things, love beautiful scenery, would like to taste chocolate, beer and other treats and enjoy meeting new people then this is the trip for you. Be sure to take the Brugge extension as it is an exquisite city and was a highlight of the trip.

Traveler: Susan Shook from Supply, NC traveled on April 09, 2012

Problems started on Day 1 with having to fly a turboprop plane. No notification of same until arrival at airport. Unforgivable!!...Came down with bursitis and tendonitis shortly after boarding boat. No wheelchair or alternate trips available. Very boring to sit on a boat and do nothing for 8 out of 10 days.....Way way too much paper wasted in sending surveys, itineraries, etc. All could have been emailed or at least a choice offered.....Food was excellent in most cases. When it was good it was very very good. When it was bad it was horrid.

Traveler: Jill Langford from Columbus, OH traveled on April 10, 2012

We traveled to Amsterdam on KLMDELTA from New York's JFK. Our flights to and from Europe were most convenient for us. Then, onto the MS River Melody on April 5th, from Amsterdam to Antwerp.

The accommodations, the crew, the tour directors, local guides, and the food were all excellent, and in some cases, beyond our expectations. We never had a bad experience throughout our whole trip. As a whole, it was both educational and enlightening.

We took advantage of all the scheduled city tours and the optional trips to: The Hague, The Deltaworks, Delft, and Ghent.

Our only disappointments were: the rainy and foggy weather in Holland (which Grand Circle Travel had NO responsibility for), and parts of the Floriade which were either flooded or still under construction (which again, GCT had no responsibility for), which contributed to our inability to see all that we wanted to at that expo.

In Enkhuizen, we were given the opportunity to visit with a family in their home. This was an exceptionally warm family and an exciting opportunity to be able to communicate directly with local
people on their level. This visit alone, made our overall travel worth the effort.

Every part of the ship's crew, from the Captain, the Office Manager, the Head Chef, the Restaurant Manager and servers, and the Housing staff, to the deck crew, and the entertainer, with whom we interacted, did everything they within their power to aid and assist each passenger with whatever their needs were, at all times.

Our rating of this cruise: "A+"

Well worth the time and effort...exactly as advertised. Most of our fellow travelers were repeat GCT travelers, who enjoyed themselves again, on this trip. We will be
return GCT travelers in the future, possibly many times, based on our experience on this trip.

Traveler: Robert Lincoln from Hartford, CT traveled on April 05, 2012

The flowers were beautiful; FloraHolland flower auction and canal trips were memorable. Every day was action packed with exciting activities and optional trips. Coming back to the riverboat for a gourmet lunch refueled us for the afternoon's outing! Steven, our trip leader, told many humorous stories and presented lots of info on Dutch life, laws, philosophy, history.

We learned so much more than if we had gone by ourselves and tried to travel to all the places we visited on this Grand Circle tour.

Traveler: Richard and Shela Seals from Hereford, AZ traveled on March 21, 2012

We recently participated in the spring time cruise through the Netherlands. Although it was early in the season, the flowers did not disappoint us. Not only did we love only unpacking once....but with all of our meals provided on board, we spent very little money on this vacation. Wow...the food on the Rhapsody was incredible. We agree that all of our menu choices were the best we have ever had on any ship in the world. The entire crew was not only efficient but friendly. They greeted you by name and with a smile. This trip was special for us because we met and had our first date 39 years ago in Amsterdam....on a walk with our program director one evening....we discovered the hotel we were both staying when we met long ago! River cruising is relaxing and as we grow older... seems to be comfortable for all ages. I ordered a "zilion" tulip bulbs and can hardly wait to see a reminder of this incredible vacation in our California yard. Linda and Larry Rowe

Traveler: Linda Rowe from Hanford, CA traveled on March 21, 2012

There was so much to see and do on this trip....we felt totally immersed in their cultures. There wasn't a boring moment. And our wonderful program director , Katy, brought so much information with her terrific sense of humor. I can still hear "wakey, wakey" as we reached our destinations. Thankyou Katy for a great trip. And weather was great.

Traveler: Leanne Wheatman from Mount Vernon, WA traveled on March 24, 2011

This was our first River Cruise and it was even better then we expected. The MS Harmony was very nice and the crew WONDERFUL. Our Program Director was knowledgeable and very helpful. The only down side on the land tours was that sometimes the headsets didn't work very well. The food was always good with a lot of choices at every meal.

We only took a couple of the optional tours. My husband really enjoyed the Delta Works, but I thought it was just OK. The Hague tour was a dissapointment to me. I thought we were going to get to go inside, but being a holiday weekend it was closed. We hadn't thought of that when we signed up for it.

We both enjoyed Flora Holland the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, and we LOVED the Keukenhof Flower Park. We enjoyed all the stops the ship made. We also really enjoyed our visit with the local family. We went on our own to Zuiderzee in before our host visit. It is well worth the time and money. It was close to the ship so no problem walking to it. I had read about it on line and so knew I wanted to see it.

I picked this time of the year to go because I had always wanted to see the Tulips in bloom and they were BEAUTIFUL.

Traveler: Patricia Nusekabel from Tampa, FL traveled on April 17, 2011

GRAND CIRCLE TRIP—HOLLAND AND BELGIUM IN SPRINGTIME
- APR 20 THRU MAY 4, 2010
The trip to Belgium and Netherlands (Holland) is a delight. Bruges was our pre-trip and it is not to be missed and it gives us time to acclimate to the time change before enjoying the riverboat part of the trip. Our trip almost did not happen because of the Iceland volcano as we were the first Delta flight from New York to Brussels. Our pre-trip to Bruges had only a dozen people and was scheduled for forty four. The climate is rather unpredictable this time of year. Living in Florida, we expected rather cool temperatures and it was very warm except for the last three days when it turned off very cold, very windy and some slight rain.
Bruges is a delightful city to visit for a few days. Lieven was our trip leader all the way through and was very professional, sometimes funny and did an excellent job as tour director. Bruges is a city of many places to see. The main (Market) square has a bell tower that you should climb (if open) with a great view of the city. Near the main square is The Burg, a small square with the City Hall museum and the Chapel of the Holy Blood. If you can work the time, visit the Half Moon “Strong Henry” Brewery (Huisbrouwerij de Halve Maan “Straffe Hendrik”), which is more of a museum than a full-scale brewery. It is a short walk from the hotel (NH Bruges). They still do some of the preliminary processing before the brew is taken to their facility outside of town. The tour was well worthwhile, but you must be prepared to walk up several flights of steep stairs to access all the upper several floors and even out on the roof. At the end of the tour we all received a full glass of their “blond” beer which was very good. One of the optional tours not to be missed is the trip to the town of Ypres, We saw many things including a very interesting World War I Museum, cemeteries and bunkers but the highlight was observing the daily ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial. This ceremony occurs each night at 8 PM and is a moving memorial to 55,000 British forces who have no known burial places. The main street under this memorial is closed off and four buglers play the Last Post, a bugle call that has been sounded here in their memory every evening since 1928. Amazing that this has taken place every night since 1928!

The riverboat we boarded in Antwerp was the River Melody. We were familiar with this ship as we were on it with the Great Rivers of Europe trip previously. The ship was very nice, the Captain was the most visible (and funny) we have every had and the hotel manager was always around to talk with the passengers and was very good in his job. My wife and I were caught up in the marathon road race in Antwerp just to get across the road to get to the ship before it sailed.
The optional to the Delta Works was very informative. All the city tours were very enjoyable with great local guides. We were in Amsterdam on the Queen’s birthday and that was a concern as we were scheduled to go to the flower auction on that day and it was closed for the birthday celebration. The staff and Captain re-arranged the schedule so that we would go to the highlight of the trip Keukenhof Flower Gardens on that day and do the flower auction a different day. Everything worked out wonderfully and kudos to the staff for giving us the opportunity to see the two major highlights of the trip. Keukenhof Flower gardens were absolutely beautiful and we were there at the peak time. The flower auction was just amazing to see. Everyday was just another new experience and the trip was just a wonderful discovery and the wonderful weather surely added to the comfort and enjoyment of the trip.
There were too many highlights to mention here as my regular trip report is fourteen pages long but suffice to say the Springtime trip to Belgium and Holland is well worth while.

Traveler: Joel Carpenter from Orlando, FL traveled on April 20, 2010

Day 12 was D-day (departure day) and our British Airways flights home were cancelled. Grand Circle announced that all of us would remain on the ship, keeping us safe from harm. GCT fed us three wonderful meals a day, allowed us to remain in our balcony room and continued serving wine at dinner and nightly entertainment for dancing.

I honestly could not say we were “stranded” because of the volcano; we were merely delayed.

Our 12-day river cruise from Brussels to Amsterdam was close to perfect. The weather was great with blue or partly cloudy skies, though lots of wind. The local towns were quaint with interesting architecture, cobblestone streets and tiny shops.

Our meals and accommodations on board the River Harmony were scrumptious and superb. And not to be forgotten, the fields of flowers were fragrant, colorful and breathtakingly beautiful. These fields cannot be seen from the ship as several of the passengers had assumed.

I would recommend the Brussels to Amsterdam route so that the best is toward the end of the trip rather than at the beginning. Large portions of flowers are mostly in the Amsterdam area. The other scenery is nice but not as spectacular as the flowers.

Even though the itinerary had us visiting Aalsmeer on a Saturday (when it was closed and unavailable), the Program Directors arranged for us to make the visit early Monday morning. Very interesting. Don't worry about crowding up to the viewing windows at the first of the walk as there are similar windows toward the end of the walk where you can get great photos of the auction area.

Also, included as unwritten options in Amsterdam, we could choose between an afternoon at the Rijks or Van Gogh museums. I have now seen both and prefer Van Gogh, maybe because I recognized more of the paintings and Van Gogh's personal history was interestingly troubled.

There is lots of walking on cobblestone and uneven streets (as mentioned in the brochure's fine print) so be sure that you can easily walk for over an hour. Several of our travelers were really not prepared for this and on the first day two folks in our group fell.

Money can be exchanged easily at the ship's reception in small portions so don't bother exchanging at the airport.

The optional tour to Delft was interesting; however, you do not tour a factory but see a demonstration at the back of a store.

The ship was immaculately clean and well maintained. The crew was helpful and all were very conversant in English.

This is our 7th trip with GCTOAT and we have not been disappointed.

Traveler: Ellen Greeney from Georgetown, TX traveled on April 10, 2010

What a wonderful trip. Starting out in Bruges, which is a charming town with so many museums to visit. Our hotel was situated on the edge of town so it was convenient to everything.

The River Harmony's Captain and crew made us feel very special.

Our Program Director Martin Kummer was an absolute delight. He was very knowledgable and his humor made each and every day a wonderful experience.

We were very lucky with the weather. It was sunny, but a cold wind from the North Sea made the hot coffee and chocolate even more appreciated upon returning to the ship.

The flowers at Keukenhof were magnificent and the day was warm, so our time there was all I had dreamt it would be.

Due to the Vulcano eruption we were delayed 2 days before returning home. Grand Circle was great in allowing us to remain on the River Harmony until new flight arrangements could be made. This is just another reason why I travel with Grand Circle and spread the word about what a great company they are and the wonderful the trips we have taken

Traveler: Valerie Miller from Colorado Springs, CO traveled on April 07, 2010

This was our second GCT River Cruise in less than a year. Both trips were excellent. The ship (MS Rhapsody) and the crews were outstanding. We were home a week when the Icelandic volcano erupted and wondered how we would have handled the delay returning home. It was gratifying to read another travellers review who was affected by the flight delays. It is apparent that GCT bent over backwards to accomodate their travellers during this situation. We have already signed up for another GCT River Cruise on the Danube in 2011.

Traveler: William Howard from Oxnard, CA traveled on March 28, 2010

We recently traveled with Grand Circle during the Iceland volcano eruption. We were unable to fly home at the scheduled time. Grand Circle went above and beyond to help us and make us comfortable at no extra cost. We were able to remain on the ship for six extra days. The Program Directors were working night and day to schedule flights for us and even made arrangements to have a doctor come on board to attend to passengers who were running out of medication and then Dewi, one of our Program Directors, accompanied us to a pharmacy and stood guard at the door so no one could "cut" the line. The trip itself was very nice and the flowers were outstanding. We highly recommend this to all travelers.

Traveler: Mckee Jack from Laconia, NH traveled on April 06, 2010

This was our 4th GCT trip, and we knew how well we would be treated by GCT. We had a terrific time with my brother and his wife (first-timers). We should have gone a bit later for better weather, but who knew? Our guide, Johan, treated us to the finest telling of history and architecture every where we went.
The big cities had a bit more graffitti than we would like to have seen, but the small towns were like postcards. Keukenhof was just beginning to bud outdoors, but the indoor display was wonderful. On our Rhein and Mosel trip we visited Kinderdike, The Delta Works and Antwerp; It was a special treat to see these places again. We love Antwerp! The staff onboard treated us like kings; their service was excellent and the food was exquisite. We can hardly wait for our next European river cruise with GCT!

Traveler: Malcolm Mackenzie Jr from Guilford, CT traveled on March 27, 2010

My trip to Belgium and Holland was all I hoped it would be. Other than the cold. rainy, and yes even hail=it was great.

Seeing the windmills at Kinderdijk was awsome. To think they have been working for hundreds of years !!!

The crew on the River Rhapsody was the Best!!!! They always had a smile on their face and was willing to do whatever was needed.

We only went on one optional tour-to see the windmill at Axel. It was nice but the museum tour wasn't the greatest. Our head pieces didn't work so could not get any info on what we were seeing..(Need new headpieces).

The flowers at Keukenhof and Aalsamer were Heavenly. What beauty in these places. I even got to meet Red Ha' sisters from the Netherlands--that was neat.

This was my second trip with GCT and definatly won't be my last. Can't wait il the next adventure.

See you on the next adventure!!!!!!

Traveler: Sandra Bush from Rolla, MO traveled on March 28, 2010

I knew I was booking a trip early in the season--and this spring (2010) was apparently 2 weeks late because the of cold winter. Fortunately, I brought warm clothes, although other travelers had to buy theirs abroad to deal with the wind, rain, and hail (!). Nonetheless, the flowers were in early bloom, and the gardens and flower auction were splendid.
This was my first GCT river cruise, but because of the half-dozen OAT tours I had taken, I was ushered into the Inner Circle: many perks included 2 continental breakfasts served to my cabin, fresh fruit plate, a cocktail hour with other members, and best of all, farewell dinner at the Captain's table. On the (very) plus side: the MS River Rhapsody's cuisine was fantastic and always beautifully presented. Our itinerary was all that I hoped, and appropriate adjustments were made for our being there over the Easter holidays.
On the negative side, the Euro doesn't buy you much (not GCT's fault), the Delft trip was a disappointment as we visited only a tiny ceramics studio--not the world famous De Porcelyne Fles (despite the fact our bus driver first took us there by mistake). The Hague optional tour was too expensive for long bus rides, a mediocre lunch, with the real highlight simply the Mauritshuis museum. Another small disappointment was the lack of a map for our tour--the print order was delayed--and as a result, travelers had to reference one taped to the reception area wall. But overall, GCT really delivered on this trip, although it clearly caters to an older clientele than OAT. I presume the headsets and receivers supplied are their effort to make the program directors' comments more audible, but my equipment frequently failed to work.

Traveler: Janet Sawyer from Concord, MA traveled on March 25, 2010

This was my 8th GCTOAT trip, and once again I was not disappointed. The River Aria (my second trip on her) and her crew were absolutley the best and the itinerary was just about perfect: great weather & perfect timing for the maximum in flower bloom. I only wish that we had had more time in Keukenhoef. Our program director-Weuter-along with Katy and Peter from two other groups were just about the best I have had on any trip. I would suggest GCT dump the 12 day trip to Axel (Cultural Zeeland). It seemed to b e a bit forced and really did nothing to add to our perceptionknowledge of this beautiful country. (One event-a serendipity, if you will-involved meeting a young woman and her friends, dressed in "pig" costumes, going about the main street of Axel selling roses to get for money to have an engagement party. Our group bought all of her remaining roses; we had a delightful experience, but who's to say this would happen again?
The extension to Bruges (my second visit to that lovely city) is not to be missed either.

Traveler: H from PA traveled on April 16, 2009

The Holland - Belgium in the Springtime trip was an very enjoyable trip, especially since we hit the peak of the flowers in bloom.

Our ship (the River Harmony), the crew, the food and service, the program directors, and the activities were excellent and made for a most pleasant experience. Cruising with Grand Circle is a good way to travel.

Part of the strength of the Grand Circle trips is the Program Director and ours, Robert, was again exceptional and really contributed with his experience, his knowledge, his insite, his humor, and his theatrical ability.

Each new town that we visited seemed more interesting and picturesque than the last - and I'm sure that if we went back to the first town again, it too would have seemed better than the last. The variety of different villages, cities and towns that we visited made the trip.

Many on our trip were disappointed, however, with the time alloted to the Keukenhof Flower Park, expecially since we had to take a bus back to the park after cruising away from the park all morning. We could have taken a short bus ride in the morning to the park and then taken the bus to meet up with the boat that night. The feeling was that we lost a half day and did not have sufficient time in this exceptional park.

For optional trips, we found Delft and The Hague as trips not to be missed. The Cultural Zeeland tour was weak and could easily be skipped, expecially since much was duplicated later in Kinderdijk with it's 19 windmills.

Again, a good trip that could have been better with an adjustment in itinerary.

Traveler: William from Prior Lake, MN traveled on April 05, 2009

We just returned from this trip in April 2009. It was our 2nd GCT river cruise and it most definitely did not disappoint. We were on the River Concerto and cannot say enough about the crew and our tour directors. The itinerary was very good. The only suggestion we have is to give travelers 2 options for Kuekenhof Gardens: Spend the whole day or spend half a day. We personally felt a whole day should be alloted since this is the primary focus for this trip.

We have traveled with other river cruise providers and we know just how much better GCT is when it comes to providing the best ships, crews and tour directors. The level of proficiency is unparalled, but more importantly, you are treated like honored guests. No other company provides the talented, hardworking and creative tour directors like GCT. We were fortunate to have Chef Milan provide again food that is not only great, with imaginative menu selections, and wonderful presentation. Here again, we have found that no other provider can match the food quality of GCT.

We took the pretrip extension in Brugge and had a wonderful time. The NH Brugge Hotel is beautiful and situated just far enough away from the city center to provide quiet and beautiful surroundings, but close enough to easily walk back into town. The hotel staff was more than accommodating, the rooms beautifully decorated and the comfort level top notch. Our room had 2 large wing chairs, plus a desk and desk chair, ottman and a large bathroom that was immaculately clean. Here again, GCT provided the best pre or post trip hotel that we have ever experienced.

We are looking forward to another river cruise with GCT, as well as their land tours. We were so pleased with our tour director that we might actually try to coincide our next trip with his schedule.

Traveler: Gary from Pottstown, PA traveled on April 11, 2009

This was our 15th river cruise with Grand Circle Travel. And like most of the others the experience of travelling on the waterways of Europe is a wonderful one to have. The River Harmony was an excellent ship. The crew from Captain Richard Schork, Hotel Manager Gabriel Nagy, Maitre d' Zeljko Tesic, to the Executive Chef Mircea Iacob all contributed to an absolutely enjoyable trip. We could not have asked for more. After many trips we still believe that river cruising is as good a way to travel and relax at the same time as can be.

The sights along the way were indeed interesting and enjoyable. Visits to the small towns of Veere, Schoonhaven, Hoorn and Enkhuizen were especially worthwhile. The visit to the 19 windmills along the canals of Kinderdijk certainly was a sight to behold.

The two optional tours we took to the towns of Axel and Broek op Langedijk gave you the added opportunity to see life in the country away from the larger cities.

The visit to Delft was somewhat of a disappointment. Due mainly to the fact that we were there when the Dutch were celebrating the Queen's Birthday on April 30. A combination of New Year's Eve and Carnaval rolled into one. The town was jammed packed solid with celebrating locals and it was hard just to move about. In the crowds. Our local guide lost half of her charges and we had many lost people wandering around. Too bad, since the town is really a wonderful place to see - in more quiet times, of course.

However, the itinerary for this trip had two major flaws.

First: On Day 9 we started the day docked in Amsterdam. The morning was spent sailing across the wide open Marker Meer (the former Zuiderzee) to the town of Hoorn. After an early lunch, we spent an hour and a quarter on a bus driving BACK through Amsterdam to Lisse and the Keukenhof Flower Park. Thus we actually only had a little over three hours to explore the wonders of this magnificant display of over 7 million tulips and other bulb flowers. Now, you certainly can rush through the park in that amount of time, but there is no time left to stroll slowly or stop and just enjoy the sight of so many magnificant flowers on display in one place. We could not understand why GCT could not have taken us directly to Kuekenhof Gardens from Amsterdam - a distance of only 16 kms, provided lunch at the park, and then at the end of the day driven us up to Hoorn to meet the ship which could have sailed there while we were enjoying our visit to Keukenhof. After Grand Circle Travel had promoted the visit to Keukenhof Flower Park as the highlight of the entire trip, we were disappointed that Grand Circle Travel did not give us more time to enjoy this highlight.

Second: When we visited the town of Enkhuizen, the day's itinereary made no mention of one of the most outstanding outdoor museums in all of The Netherlands: The Zuiderzee Museum. This is a unique collection of houses and shops from all around the area reconstructed to characterize a typical Zuiderzee village. It is indeed an actual small town with houses from various places such as Urk and Zoutkamp. Families still live in these homes and carry on their daily activities. There are many different furnished homes to give you a good idea how people lived in the olden days. Also there are working craftsmen in the villiage: a sailmaker, basketmaker, fish smoker, and a working windmill. Many shops also are open so you can buy many different Dutch cheeses, handicrafts, and other souveneirs. An entire day can be spent exploring the many attractions in this unique setting. But Grand Circle Travel completely ignores this museum, and just takes you on another walking tour looking at the outside of some more medieval buildings. We, however, and several others, did not take the guided tour, but rather spent most of our time at the Zuiderzee Museum - an opportunity not to be missed.

Although the cruise was a good trip, we could not rate it as one of Grand Circle's better trips due to the weakness of its itinereary.

Traveler: Hugh from Reston, VA traveled on April 25, 2009

My wife, Elaine, and I could not be happier with our river cruise experience to Holland in the springtime. The ship and all crew members were very gracious; each meal was a marvelous feast; touring the towns at each stop was a picture taking marathon. We were particularly overwhelmed with the highlight of our trip...the flower market and Keukenhof Park. I was afraid we would run out of space on our camera memory sticks trying to capture the scenic row upon row of flowers along the highway and then to be presented with the largest warehouse of flowers being routed all over the world, was quite a sight. But most of all, we fell in love with Kuekenhof Park. From the moment we walked into the park we tried to capture the beauty with the camera. Everywhere we looked, every step we took was a sight to behold and cherrish. We may not have captured every part of the garden in pictures, but we sure tried.

This was a wonderful trip I would recommend to everyone. Our family and friends are reliving it with us on DVD's we had made for them. Grand Circle made this trip a memorable one with the perfect crew, guides, ship, scenic beauty and most of all....the unpredictable but sunny weather.

Kenneth and Elaine Trousdell

Traveler: Kenneth from Pawleys Island, SC traveled on April 14, 2009

This was our first time on a river cruise and we are so glad we chose Grand Circle. The River Aria is a beautiful ship. Clean and modern with all the ameneties. The staff was amazing. So friendly and helpful. And the food was the best we have ever had on a cruise, large or small ship. My husband has special dietary needs and our waiter, Egis, took personal care of him and made sure he got just what he needed. The itinerary is so interesting on this trip. Our weather was beautiful and the small towns like Hoorne and Veere were fascinating.

Traveler: Carole from Poinciana, FL traveled on April 16, 2009

This was our first of many trips in the future!! It was such a good mix of great tours and a relaxing, restful vacation. The food, wonderful accomodations and very friendly and helpful staff helped make it a vacation to remember. As Captain Galic saw us off each morning on our tours...and then was standing there to welcome us "home" (and told us how they had missed us) when we came back....we felt like teenagers again with "Dad" watching out for us!!

Traveler: Danielle from Albuquerque, NM traveled on March 25, 2009

This was my first trip with GCT. I couldn't have asked for anything better. From the crew, the ship, meals, to all the incredible places we visited, everthing was top-notch. I appreciated the program directors, and especially Arjan, (I was assigned to his group) who did all they could to make our experience one we will never forget. My grandparents are all of Dutch heritage and having the opportunity to experience The Netherlands in such an personal way has made an imprint on my life. Fabulous!

Traveler: Karen from Albany, OR traveled on March 25, 2009

The Holland and Belgium trip was everything I had imagined and more. This was my first cruise with GCT and will be taking many more trips with this company. The Captain, staff and crew were delightful. I always felt like I was well taken care of and a special member of their "family". My PD was Arjan. He was well prepared with wonderful info on all the places we visited. If he didn't have an answer to a question, he found it. He also took some of his personal time to make sure that we experienced extra things. I loved the idea of stopping at so many towns and cities and having time to explore on our own. Enkhuizen was one of my favorite places made even more special by the visit to our host family. The other two PDs, Nico and Carla, also made the trip very special. All three PDs always had smiles on their faces and were ready to help us out when we needed that extra special attention. Great Job!!!, GCT

Traveler: Susan from Lakebay, WA traveled on March 25, 2009

I have been considering taking a tour with GCT for at least the last 3 years and finally decided to take this cruise as I am originally from Holland, lived in The Hague as a child, but migrated to Australia 53 years ago and have never been back to Holland since so this was a great opportunity. I absolutely loved it. I travelled on the Concerto, what a great ship and absolutely wonderful staff from the captain down to all the domestic staff. Food was 1st class and could not get any better in any top restaurant. Holland was beautiful , the weather was sunny but chilly. Keukenhof was a sight to see even though it was a little early for tulips. I cannot think of any negative things to say about this cruise and recommend it. Everything, including flights to and from the USA were well organised and the program directors were very knowledgeable and approachable with a great sense of fun I will definitely take another tour with GCT in the near future. A special mention goes to my PD Katy Huyskens, she made the tours and all optionals especially interesting and fun.

Traveler: Roberta from West Palm Beach, FL traveled on March 15, 2009