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Once you’ve cleared customs at the Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, you will be greeted by a Transcend Cruises representative and transferred to your floating hotel for the week, the refined and all-new river ship, The Gentleman. Following lunch onboard, guests will have the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House for an engaging orientation and tour of the home. This evening, join your fellow travelers for an exclusive opening reception, an exquisite dinner onboard, and an incredible performance by some of Europe’s top drag performers featuring The Netherlands’ Envy Peru and Janey Jacké, along with the UK’s Danny Beard. Choose to head out for the evening to enjoy Amsterdam’s nightlife or remain onboard for an evening filled with music by DJ T’Don Marquis (R/D).
*Participation in the Anne Frank House experience on Thursday, July 31st requires pre-registration and is complimentary to all confirmed guests. Transcend Cruises will contact you regarding your assigned timing 30 days before departure.
Today guests will enjoy the convenience of their floating hotel being docked in the heart of Amsterdam just opposite the Central Rail Station. Enjoy today exploring the city at your own pace returning to the ship for lunch and dinner at your leisure. We’ve arranged for each guest to receive a 4-day I Amsterdam Pass. This provides unlimited travel from 6:00 AM to Midnight each day aboard the city’s bus, metro, ferry boats and trams. Today would be a great start by taking Tram Line #2. National Geographic named this one of the world’s best tram rides. During your tram ride you will pass the beautiful Museumplein, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, the flower market, the Royal Palace and you even cross over the canals.
Additionally, your I Amsterdam pass includes admission into over 70 world class museums during your stay allowing you to make the most of your visit including the Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt House and Van Gough Museums and more. This afternoon we also offer those guests with late arrivals on embarkation day the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House for an engaging orientation and tour of the home (B/L/R/D).
*Participation in the Anne Frank House experience on Friday, August 1st requires pre-registration and is complimentary to all confirmed guests. Transcend Cruises will contact you regarding your assigned timing 30 days before departure.
Today, the world-famous Canal Parade on the canals of Amsterdam takes place, and is one of the most memorable highlights of Amsterdam Pride. The annual Canal Parade in Amsterdam is the highlight of Pride Amsterdam, where around 80 elaborately decorated barges and no less exuberant passengers take to the water whilst spectators line the banks of the city’s historic waterways. Nowhere else in the world will you find a comparable festival. In this way, Amsterdam celebrates the free spirit of the city, in which cisgender people, gay men, lesbian women, transgender people and every other person from the LGBTQI+ community live together. As a spectator, you can continue the party on the quays of the Prinsengracht and the Amstel.
FLoatarama guests who book no later than Friday, March 14th will enjoy privately reserved grandstand seating from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm today. Beverages, light food and snacks will be provided throughout the day. (B/L/R/D)
Today, guests will enjoy sleeping-in following yesterday’s festivities and will also enjoy an incredible Brunch and Tea Dance on the Sun Deck of The Gentleman as we celebrate our final day in Amsterdam with an incredible open-air performance by global superstar Kristine W. This evening, enjoy Amsterdam Pride’s Closing Party at the Main Stage on Dam Square before we sailing away. (B/L/R/D)
Enjoy a day of South Holland delights, starting with a stop in Dordrecht, the oldest town in Holland. After a walking tour here, we’ll continue on to Kinderdijk, where you can see a captivating collection of 19, UNESCO-designated windmills. Alternatively, take a bike ride around Schoonhoven, best known for its abundant silversmiths, clock makers, and quaint shop-lined avenues. At one time 10,000 windmills operated in the Netherlands, pumping water away from low-lying lands (much of the country is below sea level) and creating what are known as polders—arable land reclaimed from the water. Though the mighty windmill has been replaced by newer technology, you can see how effective the system was in Kinderdijk, where a group of 19 windmills erected in the 18th century still function. Most are ground-sail windmills (meaning their sails nearly touch the ground as they whirl) and each one was carefully situated to make sure one did not block another’s wind. Each windmill moves the water a little farther, pumping it from field to canal, from canal to river. Climb the steep stairs of a mill and look out over the quiet fields that would be underwater were it not for the ingenuity of the Dutch. (Of course, you can simply admire it from the outside. But if you do that, you won’t see how the mill keeper’s family lived.) These mills are kept in working order partly as a backup in case modern technology fails, and they were used as recently as WWII, when there was no fuel to keep newer pumping stations working. (B/L/R/D)
Your first day in Belgium offers you the chance to visit one of two national gems: beautiful Bruges, the capital of West Flanders and one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, or fascinating Ghent, the capital of East Flanders, whose long history does not weigh on its vibrant present.
Belgium’s second-largest city, Ghent, abounds in medieval architecture, but there is nothing museum-like about the city. It’s lively and brims with cutting-edge boutiques and galleries. Since cars are entirely banned in Ghent’s historic center, it’s a particularly pedestrian-friendly area. Stroll with your guide from the Church of Saint James, with its two Romanesque towers, to the Friday Market square, which, as its name suggests, was the site of a huge market every Friday in the Middle Ages. You’ll pass the magnificent 15th-century Great Butchers’ Hall and the elegant medieval trading houses that line Graslei and Korenlei streets. Your last stop is the Belfort, the great bell tower that rises above the Old Town. Afterward, you’ll have time to explore and savor Belgian treats on our included foodie tour. Enjoy the remainder of your afternoon exploring Ghent independently with a complimentary return shuttle to the ship.
Alternatively, you may choose a scenic drive to Bruges, which gives Amsterdam a run for its money as the “Venice of the North” as you cruise through the UNESCO-designated city center. The town grew up around a fort built by the first Count of Flanders to defend against Viking invaders. By the 14th century, Bruges had become the center of the international cloth trade. Merchants and traders worldwide came to Bruges for Flemish cloth, and the town’s bounty of beautiful churches and mansions testify to its prosperity. Your local guide will take you past the Begijnhof and the Church of Our Lady to the canal cruise terminal, where you’ll board boats for a cruise through Bruges’s picturesque canals. Following lunch on your own, end your tour at the Brewery de Halve Maan, where six generations of the Maes family have brewed fine beers since 1856. On a tour, learn how beer brewing has changed over the decades, and sip a sample in the brasserie.
This afternoon, return to Ghent to enjoy some independent exploration before heading back to the ship later this afternoon. (B/L/R/D)
On our way into the city center, we’ll take you on a panoramic tour of the major sightseeing spots in Brussels, such as the Royal Residence, Chinese Pavilion, and Japanese Pagoda. From there, we’ll set out on foot to see the city up close—and taste an iconic local sweet along the way: Belgian waffles! Walking around, it may feel like you see them on practically every street, but we’ll make sure you try one of the best examples around for a real taste of what makes Belgian waffles so delicious. Join us this evening for an incredible farewell reception, dinner and closing performance by Kristine W. (B/L/R/D)
Following breakfast, we bid you farewell and provide airport transportation to the Brussels International Airport, with memories of a remarkable cruise.
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