Classic River Cruise – Holland

Guests are met in Amsterdam and transferred to the hotel barge mooring in the centre of Haarlem where there will be a champagne welcome. Haarlem is quite a charming and cosmopolitan city full of historical beauty. St. Bavo’s Cathedral in the main square is where both Mozart and Handel played on its magnificent Muller organ. There’s time to relax as you cruise this afternoon to Zaandam before your first gourmet dinner on board.

Enjoy breakfast and then take an excursion to the reconstructed historic village of Zaanse Schans with its working windmills, clog makers, cheese farm and mustard mill. Everything the Dutch are known for can be found in this quaint village. This afternoon cruise through the heart of Amsterdam where the small canals and architecture take you back to a previous century. Continue cruising along the Amstel River to Uithoorn where we will moor for the night. Dinner on board.

This morning we take a leisure cruise to Gouda, famous for its cheese, pipes and candles. After lunch, visit a local cheese farm and explore Gouda’s gorgeous architecture, excellent shopping and also the most beautiful stained glass windows in Holland. These remarkable windows in St. John’s church date back to the 15th century. Enjoy dinner on board.We enjoy an early morning cruise to the historic city of Haarlem, dating back to the 13th century. After lunch on board, this afternoon marks a highlight of the week with a visit to the world famous Keukenhof Gardens, known as the ‘Garden of Europe’. There are more than 100 acres filled with over 7 million flowering bulbs and we stroll through a breath-taking backdrop of colour on this unforgettable half-day excursion. Dinner ashore this evening at a local restaurant.

After breakfast this morning we cruise to Rotterdam, the world’s largest port, stopping at a vodka distillery en route, Ketel One is the oldest distillery in Holland still owned by the same family. We then continue to Delft. Delft is a beautiful town with many historic connections including being one of the starting chambers of the Dutch East India Company and the birthplace of artist Jan Vermeer. The day’s visit also includes a tour of a factory to learn how the world famous pottery is made. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around this delightful and historic Dutch city. Dinner on board.

Continuing our voyage, we cruise through the canals past Leiden, a charming University town. It is also where many of the Pilgrims lived before they ventured to the New World. Cross the Brasemmer Lakes to Oude Wetering. After lunch, spend the afternoon at the famous Keukenhof Gardens, a 70 acre showcase for the Dutch floral industry. From late March to mid-May, visitors are treated to an ever-changing display of spring flowers beginning with narcissus followed by hyacinths and tulips a few weeks later. Dinner on board.

An early morning visit brings you to the worlds largest flower auction in Aalsmeer, where some 10 billion flowers are sold annually. Return to La Nouvelle for a cruise to Haarlem with an optional visit to the Cruquius Museum along the way. The Cruquius pumping station is a beautiful neo-Gothic building built in 1846. Visit the picturesque town of Haarlem and the Frans Hals Museum which has an internationally well-known collection of Old Masters and works representative of the Dutch Golden Age. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner on board.

After breakfast, disembark La Nouvelle Etoile and transfer back to Amsterdam.

This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change. 

Vessel Type: Hotel Barge

Length: 129 feet

Passenger Capacity: 8

La Nouvelle Etoile has been designed to offer a very high level of comfort and convenience, to provide a blend of traditional elegance and modern-day facilities.

The spacious, air conditioned saloon with its attractive cocktail bar, piano and elegant furnishings provides a truly sophisticated setting, while other amenities include an exercise room and a lift.

Each of the four generous 200sq ft cabin suites is lavishly equipped and the en-suite bathrooms feature double hand-basins and oversized showers. On deck there is a large sun deck with comfortable loungers and a spa pool, as well as bicycles for you to pedal along the nearby towpath.

This cruise on the luxurious La Nouvelle Etoile is a journey back in time through a picturesque landscape along two delightful canals, including France’s oldest, the Canal de Briare. She also cruises in Alsace, Champagne, Holland, Belgium, Picardy, Germany and Luxembourg in Spring and Autumn.

Vessel Type: Hotel Barge

Length: 128 feet

Passenger Capacity: 12

Panache is a hotel barge that has been fitted out in traditional yacht style with brass and mahogany fittings in the spacious public areas and very comfortable cabin accommodation. In the saloon the panoramic windows let in plenty of natural light, and the tempting cocktail bar and comfortable leather sofas are enhanced by polished hardwood flooring. The separate roomy dining area provides a congenial setting for up to 12 guests to enjoy the gourmet meals and fine wines served on board.

The cabin accommodation comprises six generously-sized junior suites which can be in twin or double-bedded configuration. All the en suite bathrooms have twin hand-basins and oversized showers.

Outside, the spacious sun deck is the perfect place to unwind and admire the passing scenery in one of the comfortable chairs, or to enjoy being served a long, lazy alfresco lunch at the outside dining table. The heated spa pool and plentiful number of bicycles for you to explore the towpath complete the picture.

Panache cruises in Holland in the Spring, when the flowers are in full bloom. This is without a doubt the best time to visit this country, and our cruises in Holland are carefully planned to allow you to experience all that the country has to offer.

She’s then cruising in Champagne for a number of weeks in May & June. The Champagne itineraries typically include Brie cheese tastings, a tour of the Cathedral at Reims, Epernay and of course, tastings at renowned champagne houses.

In the Summer and Autumn, Panache cruises the beautiful and varied waterways of Alsace & Lorraine, a region of France offering a unique mix of French and German cultures, history and local gastronomy.

Panache’s voyage through Alsace & Lorraine will give you the opportunity to appreciate the very best of the region, passing storybook villages along the way, visiting places such as Strasbourg, renowned for their Baroque and Romanesque architecture and uniquely, experiencing Europe’s most famous boat elevator!