Cruise Netherlands
We glide through
colossal industrial
locks and past
ghostly wind farmsHoorn’s harbour,
above; tulips at
Keukenhof, one of
the world’s largest
flower gardensdisplaying more than 800 tulip
varieties in every imaginable
hue. Blossom snows across the
gardens and the grounds are
blanketed in an extravagant
spectrum of tulips, crocuses
and hyacinths. Tourists pose
merrily in a river of bluebells
and daffodils.
I opt for the boat tour that
wends between the endless
bulb fields. We’re still early
in the season, so the flowers
haven’t yet reached their peak
— usually the last two weeks of
April and the first two weeks in
May is the time to go — but it’s10 milesEnkhuizen
HoornZaandamSchipholAmsterdamLelystad
Markermeer
Keukenhoffascinating nonetheless.
A pair of geese honk a fly-by
commentary. We pass a man
and his dog on the bank “ziek
zoeken” — sick searching —
hunting out any diseased
bulbs to keep the rest healthy.
I’ve been given a packed
lunch from the ship’s galley
— you really can get away with
not opening your wallet all
week. But I can’t resist warm
apple pie and whipped cream
at the Keukenhof café for
dessert, despite the feast
awaiting back on board.
In the evenings the
menus are often elaborate
multicourse concoctions of
veal cheeks, calf ’s liver parfait,
lobster cappuccino and the
like. Sirloin steak, sea bass,
salmon and vegetarian
options also feature. It’s a little
overengineered for my lowly
tastes, but on the whole the
passengers enjoy the theatre.
On our final day we are
again stymied by the weather,
but that is the nature of the
beast on a cruise at the very
beginning of the season. We’re
due in Amsterdam for a canal
tour, but the ship is pinned to
the mooring in Zaandam by
screaming winds. Brenda
hustles to get us on coaches,
but with Amsterdam only a
short train ride away some
passengers make their own
way. I spend the morning
wandering among the city’s
antique cargo barges.
The River Discovery II
makes it back to Amsterdam
overnight, and Brenda’s by
now familiar voiceover
issues instructions for
disembarkation. The most
common comment I overhear
as we’re leaving is that “you
just don’t have to worry about
anything”, and it’s true. My
biggest concern on the way
home, after being collected
from Heathrow by my
personal driver, is that I’m
starting to get a little too used
to this.Jenni Doggett was a guest of
Titan. A five-night Tulips and
Windmills cruise costs from
£1,299pp, full board, including
flights, drinks with meals and
excursions, departing on April
3, 2023 (titantravel.co.uk)A
6am knock on my
front door would
normally receive
short shrift,
but today I am
delighted. I’m being collected
from my home in Norfolk by
Titan Travel’s VIP transfer
service for a week-long river
cruise in the Netherlands. This
is my first time on a cruise,
but if being chauffeured to
the airport is a sign of things to
come it’s unlikely to be my last.
On arriving at Schiphol
airport, I’m greeted by a Titan
rep and swiftly transported
to the MS River Discovery II’s
berth at Ruijterkade West
in the heart of Amsterdam.
Although not a new ship,
it’s the first season Titan has
chartered this vessel. We’re
welcomed on board with
afternoon tea and then shown
to our rooms, where our bags
await. As someone who
pathologically overpacks
it is a weight off, literally.
My cabin, the Vespucci
Suite, is spacious but cosy and
includes thoughtful extras such
as umbrellas and blankets. But
the great selling point is the
wall-to-wall French doors. The
principal pleasure of this trip
is experiencing the fresh air
and waterscapes from the
luxury of my room. It’s a
daydreamer’s dream.
The historic merchant
port of Hoorn is our first stop.
We depart during dinner,
sipping cocktails in a dining
room that is more windows
than walls, which frame
the darkening sky in an epic
slideshow. I retreat early to my
room to unpack, leaving the
doors open to the blustery
elements. The ship sails
through the night with a
reassuring rumble.
In the morning I jump out
of my skin when the ship’s
public address system crackles
to life in my room. It’s Brenda,
our affable cruise director,
gently reminding us of the
day’s itinerary, although it
sounds eerily like she’s in my
bathroom. Eager to see the
morning’s new view I fling
open my curtains before
I’m dressed, much to the
amusement of the deckhand
on the ship we are moored up
next to. I’m close enough to
see him smile. I suspect he’s
used to semi-clad passengers
who don’t understand the
nature of being rafted up; this
happens often on Europe’s
busy rivers and you could
find yourself walking across
another ship to reach your
floating home.
We’re here for the day and I
join the walking tour of Hoorn,
despite the weather doing its
best to convince me otherwise.
An icy tempest quicklyApril showers can’t dim the
dazzle of Dutch flower gardens,
as Jenni Doggett finds on her
first cruise from Amsterdam
eviscerates our umbrellas and
the rain comes down from
heaven in boxes, as the Dutch
say. But, British to the core,
we dutifully follow our guide
around the charming old
town. Even in this weather we
can appreciate the innovative
Dutch architecture. Crooked
houses lean in conspiratorially,
deliberately angled to protect
their porous cement from the
elements. A bright red unicorn
adorns the fortified harbour
building, built in a curve to
repel cannonballs.
Exploring is a lot more
tempting when a hot bath and
dry clothes are a short walk
away. After a buffet lunch on
board I defrost in my cabin
with hot chocolate and the
stroopwafel I’d stocked up on
in Hoorn. Other passengers
— all 50-plus Brits and a
lively mix of first-timers and
seasoned cruisers — are kept
entertained by a Serbian one-
man cabaret, Aleks, who plays
in the lounge every day. The
seemingly omnilingual opera
singer is a salsa dance teacherBLOOM
IN FULL
and tour guide by day, Rat
Pack-style crooner by night.
Suffice to say socks are
comprehensively charmed off.
Our itinerary takes us to
a different port each day.
We glide through colossal
industrial locks and past
ghostly wind farms across
the moody Lake Markermeer
to Enkhuizen, Lelystad and
Zaandam. For most passengers
Keukenhof is the highlight.
The gardens receive more than
20,000 guests a day for the
two months they are open,
from late March to mid-May,EKH-PICTURES, SOPA/GETTY IMAGES; JORDAN BANKS/SUPERSTOCK