Amsterdam, Kinderdijk and the Dutch Bulbfields

Flying from Manchester with KLM at a respectable 11am, I arrived in Amsterdam around 1.20pm local time.  Transfer to the ship was swift, we waited around 20 munities for some other flights to arrive to join our transfer to the ship.  We arrived at the ship around 3pm, and we greeted with a friendly welcome as we boarded.  The weather was glorious, so we went for a little look round Amsterdam before heading back to the ship for a lovely evening meal and a few drinks in the lounge.

The ship set sail at midnight, for the short over night voyage to Enkhuizen.  After a buffet breakfast onboard (plenty of choices, even for the fussiest of eaters like me!), at 9.20am it was time for our first shore excursion to the Zuiderzee Museum.  We embarked a small ferry for the short river journey (around 10 minutes) to the museum where we spent the morning exploring and finding out about the history and culture of the communities that lived around the former Zuiderzee sea.  The museum combines an indoor section with exhibitions of historical objects, boats, and art, and a large open-air area that recreates a traditional village with authentic houses, workshops, and demonstrations of old crafts.  Rather than taking the ferry back to ms Emily Bronte, we decided on the 20 leisurely walk back and take in some of the sights and sounds of Enkhuizen.  Back onboard it was time for lunch, and today I opted for a freshly made pizza in the River View Kitchen as we set sail for an afternoon and night of cruising our way to Rotterdam.

After lunch there was plenty of time for a round of mini golf, a quite read of a book and a dip in the small splash pool (the water was very hot, and that combined with the fantastic weather made it feel like we were in the Caribbean!).  At 6.00pm it was time to head to the lounge for a port presentation followed by a welcome cocktail and introduction to the ship’s heads of department.  Evening meal was in the main dining room from 7pm.  The evening wrapped up with us back in the lounge for a cocktail (or 2) of the day!

Today was a busy day, with two excursions, firstly in Rotterdam, then Kinderdijk in the afternoon.  We’d arrived in Rotterdam early in the morning, so after breakfast we split into groups and headed out for a walking tour of Rotterdam.  The local guide took us past the highlights of the city, including the WIllemswerf building, the Witte Huis (White House), the Cube Houses, the Chabot Museum, with plenty of time for photographs, and a stop at the horse-shoe shaped Markthal (market hall).

We were back onboard for 11.30am ready for a 12-noon sailing time.  Today’s lunch was back in the River View Kitchen (tip – get there a few minutes before the official opening time, as with only limited seating it soon fills up.  But you can obviously take lunch in the main restaurant) for yet another order of pizza (yes, it was so good I had it 2 days in a row… I’d have made it 3 days if I could!).  We enjoyed the sailaway from Rotterdam as we ate, with stunning views from the stern of ms Emily Bronte.  Kinderdijk is only a short sail from Rotterdam, and we were soon alongside at around 1.30pm.  This was one of the highlights for me… Kinderdijk (Dutch for 'Childs Dike or Embankment') is a picturesque village famous for its iconic network of 19 historic windmills, built in the 18th century to manage water levels and prevent flooding in the low-lying region. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kinderdijk showcases the country’s long-standing expertise in water management, with its canals, dikes, and pumping systems working together in harmony.  It was another glorious afternoon, and the time sure did fly as we walking amongst the windmills.  Even getting chance to venture inside and up one (very narrow and very steep stairs) of the windmills to see how people lived and operate these marvels.

Back onboard after an eventful day, we had a exclusive visit to the ships wheelhouse with the captain (a real treat for the 'geek' in me), then at 5.30pm we were back in the lounge as our Cruise Director took to the mic for a few songs, followed by a port talk for the following day.  Evening meal was in the main dining room.  The evening was spent on deck with new friends and todays mocktail of the day.  Over night we sailed back to Amsterdam.

Day 4 offered three excursion options.  A self-walk into Amsterdam, and 2 trips to Keukenhof (one regular (4 hours) and one extended (6 hours)).  We’d opted for the extended tour of Keukenhof.

Keukenhof Gardens is one of the most famous flower gardens in the world, located in Lisse, around a 45-minute coach transfer from the ship.  Often referred to as the “Garden of Europe,” it opens annually in spring and features over seven million blooming bulbs, most famously tulips.  The gardens span more than 30 hectares and are carefully designed with colourful patterns, themed sections, and scenic walking paths that is a true highlight of this river cruise.  As it was ‘peak tulip season’ our excursion left the ship at 8.30am so as to avoid the worst of the crowds, and we were fortunate as it wasn’t ‘too’ crowed when we got there (but certainly very busy when we departed at lunch time), and we were able to spend a few hours admiring the tulips and other flowers… and take plenty of photographs.  Even though we were on the extended tour, we opted to head back to the ship on the earlier coach (not always possible, but there was just enough room for us)

We were back at the ship for around 1.15pm, with lunch (no pizza today!) in the main restaurant.  After that we headed out for a self-guided walk around Amsterdam, to take in the sights including the Anne Frank House (no chance of being able to go in, you need to book well in advance), the Rijksmuseum, the Skinny Bridge, Dam Square and walks over many bridges and along many streets.  Evening meal was around 7pm back in the main restaurant, then we headed out for a short (and quick) evening stroll through a ’certain district of Amsterdam‘.

Then we were back on the ship for a nightcap and time to pack our suitcases for the following mornings flight back to Manchester.

As I said at the beginning, I’ve worked in travel for 25 years, and sailed on many many ocean cruises, but a river cruise hadn’t particularly appealed to me… until now.

ms Emily Bronte is a beautiful river ship - spread across 4 decks. My cabin was a Standard Suite situated on Diamond Deck, featuring all the facilities you'd expect (ensuite, safe, mini fridge, Nespresso machine, UK plug sockets and USB charging points, TV etc) and fabulous floor to ceiling windows with a French balcony - it was lovely enjoying the view from the French balcony with a cup of tea in the mornings. Top deck is the 'outside space' which features plenty of seating and areas for a stroll, plus a small putting green and a small splash pool.

I have to say I absolutely loved these 4 nights and it was a great ‘starter river cruise’ that really has whetted my apatite to do more.  Watch this space!