Holland & Belgium in Springtime (2012)

Antwerp • Ghent • Veere • Rotterdam • Kinderdijk • Nijmegen • The Floriade • Amsterdam • Keukenhof • Hoorn • Enkhuizen
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Video: Travelers' experiences of Holland & Belgium in Springtime
The Floriade Horticultural Exposition
It's Included
Hotel & Ship Accommodations
Pre- & Post-Trip Extensions
Bruges, Belgium
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Optional Tours
Local Team & Insider Tips
Know Before You Go
Your Travel Handbook
Air information
LearnMore
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Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your River Cruise, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

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Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two vacations to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the Grand Circle Cruise Line River Cruise that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • International airport transfers to and from your ship or hotel are available for purchase
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your vacation
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your vacation with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of Grand Circle Cruise Line vacations to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

(Brussels)

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta

9hrs

Baltimore, Houston, Minneapolis

12hrs

Boston, Detroit

10hrs

Chicago, Newark, Philadelphia, Washington, DC (Dulles)

11hrs

Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Tampa

13hrs

Los Angeles, San Francisco

16hrs

New York (JFK)

8hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Brussels, Belgium. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

(Amsterdam)

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta, Minneapolis

9hrs

Boston, Dallas, Houston

10hrs

Baltimore, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, DC (Dulles)

11hrs

Chicago, Orlando, Tampa

12hrs

Denver

14hrs

Detroit, Newark, New York (JFK)

8hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the Grand Circle Cruise Line family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on a Grand Circle Cruise Line trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-221-2610
or click here.

ALSO SEE:
2012 Itinerary and Prices
Photo Gallery
View all River Cruises in Europe
Solo Friendly Travel
Frequently Asked Questions
See all Program Directors, read Insider Tips, and more
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Post-Trip: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

3 nights from only $695

Extend your time in Amsterdam to experience the many delights of this fascinating city. Included tours introduce you to the historic neighborhood known as Zaanse Schans—an old hamlet on the River Zaan—as well as culturally-rich Haarlem. Then spend time exploring on your own, with expert suggestions from your Grand Circle Program Director—or join an optional tour of charming Volendam. Whether you choose to admire Van Gogh originals, browse an amazing variety of markets (from a floating flower market to elegant antique shops), or simply stroll along narrow canals, you'll find something to suit every traveler.

Single Supplement: FREE.

Please note: Availability and price may vary by departure date. Please call for details.

Amsterdam is a pre-trip extension on the Amsterdam to Antwerp itinerary and a post-trip extension on the Antwerp to Amsterdam itinerary.

It's Included

  • Accommodations for 3 nights at the Superior First-Class Moevenpick Amsterdam City Centre or similar
  • 3 meals: 3 breakfasts
  • Included tours: Zaanse Schans, Haarlem
  • Exclusive services of a resident Grand Circle Program Director
  • All transfers

Optional Tour

Volendam ($55 per person)

Day 1
Amsterdam/Zaanse Schans

After breakfast this morning, visit Zaanse Schans—an old hamlet on the banks of the River Zaan. Some of the buildings are original to the site while others have been moved here. You'll find eight windmills along the river—a far cry from the original 200, when the region was heavily industrialized. Some of the buildings are open for viewing and you'll find a cheesemaker's store, a wooden shoemaker's shop and a variety of restaurants.

After lunch on your own, enjoythe rest of the day to relax or to explore independently. If you choose the latter, you'll find that Amsterdam, like so many of Europe's most inviting cities, truly rewards the walker. If you wish, you can join a guided walk in mid-afternoon to get acquainted with the vicinity around the hotel. You can then choose among Amsterdam's vast variety of restaurants for dinner on your own this evening; your Grand Circle Program Director can offer helpful suggestions.
Day 2
Haarlem/Optional Volendam Tour

After breakfast this morning, you'll transfer by motorcoach to the nearby city of Haarlem. Upon arrival, enjoy a guided walking tour that showcases Haarlem's rich history and features notable sights like the 14th-century City Hall and Amsterdamse Poort, the former gateway to the city of Amsterdam. Learn about Haarlem's proud tradition of beer brewing, as well as its present-day prominence as a major trading center for tulips. Then take some time at leisure to explore before returning to Amsterdam.

Then perhaps you'll choose to enjoy a timeless taste of Dutch traditional life on an optional tour of Edam-Volendam and nearby Marken peninsula. Travel overland to Volendam, a fishing village that has preserved centuries of tradition. As your Program Director leads a guided stroll through the quaint streets, you might note some of the local women still wearing the pointed white bonnet of their ancestors. With its small houses, canals, and drawbridges, Volendam is only half of a municipality; the remainder is charming Edam, home to a market best known for the flavorful cheese that bears the same name.

Leaving the red-roofed skyline of Volendam's harbor behind, you'll enjoy a ferry ride to Marken, where clusters of traditional wooden homes form little villages on what once was an island.
Day 3
Amsterdam

After breakfast, enjoy a final day to explore Amsterdam. You can visit the museum that once was Anne Frank's home, or return to the Van Gogh Museum, which also offers masterpieces by Gauguin, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and others. The Old Church (De Oude Kerk) is one of the city's historic highlights, with beautiful painted wooden vaults, an 18th-century organ, and the gravestone of one of the Dutch founders of New York City, Kiliaen van Rensselaer. An architectural treasure with artworks spanning centuries, the church also hosts frequent exhibitions and concerts.

In early evening, enjoy an included Farewell Drink with your fellow travelers to celebrate your adventures. Then you can seek out a new restaurant or revisit a favorite for dinner on your own.
Day 4
Amsterdam/Return to U.S.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.