Why tiptoe through the tulips when you can cruise instead? Sunny Land Tours is selling three nine-day river cruises in April through Belgium and Holland to coincide with the peak blooming season for the flowers that are synonymous with the region. The full package includes roundtrip airfare from the U.S. on Lufthansa into Amsterdam, transfers to and from the airport, your cabins, all meals and wine aboard the ship and daily tours ashore.
While this is considered a luxury cruise, the pricing isn't so outrageous as to leave you broke. The base-price for the April 12th sailing for flight departures out of Boston, Newark and Newark is $1,599; out of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. it's $1,699; and out of Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco is $1,799. You then need to automatically add %10 of that on for local Dutch taxes, plus $183 for port and airline security fees. Thus, the lowest total price is for east coast departures totaling $1,942 per person based on double occupancy. For the April 19th and 26th sailings, you'll have to add another $100.
You will sail aboard the brand new and luxurious Amadeus Symphony, with 69 deluxe cabins, each providing 160 square feet outside accommodations with hotel-style beds. On board amenities of the ship include a fitness center, a 30-foot walking track on the Sun Deck, a physician, beauty salon, massage facilities, a pool, Lido Bar, souvenir shop and a club lounge.
Included in the price is roundtrip fare from 15 US gateways on Lufthansa, airport/cruise ship transfers in Amsterdam, all 20 meals on board, quality wines with every dinner, daily sightseeing including Amsterdam, Volendam, Edam, Arnhem, Antwerp, Ghent, Dordrecht and more. Performances on board include folklore, boys' choir, lectures and nightly piano music. Much of the trip will be on the Rhine, the rest on various Dutch and Belgian waterways.
For more information, visit www.europehotdeals.com and click on "River Cruises" in the left navigation. You can book online as well, or you call Sunny Land Tours at 800/783-7839.
You can also go straight to the source, newly-founded Amadeua Waterways, found online at www.amadeuswaterways.com or by phone at 800-380-3865. The company is currently offering $500 off per cabin if you book by January 10.