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Flavours of the Low Countries
Taste the best of Dutch and Belgian food and drink as you cruise through a vast network of canals and rivers...

Flavours of the Low Countries

Antwerp to Amsterdam

Tuesday 12th April to Tuesday 19th April 2022

From £3,850 per person

7 nights including
2 Gala Dinners

Taste the best of Dutch and Belgian food and drink as you cruise through a vast network of canals and rivers, stopping in key cities to soak up local culture and sample the produce for which this area is renowned. Savour local beer in Europe’s diamond capital of Antwerp, enjoy the world-famous Belgian chocolate in historic Brussels, sip award-winning Dutch wines in Limburg and taste one of The Netherlands’ biggest exports, cheese, as we explore the picturesque city of Gouda.
Combined with a visit to the spectacular Keukenhof Gardens, this voyage is a true feast for the senses.

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Flavours of the Low Countries route map

See our itinerary below...

Below you can explore the itinerary for this cruise. Click on the arrows to see more information on each days itinerary. Simply click the ‘Book this Cruise’ button to get booking and embark on an exciting journey with us…

Guest Speaker John Ducker

Royal Crown cruises guest speaker John Ducker

A freelancer wearing two quite distinct ‘hats’, John is a member of the Association of Wine Educators and the élite Circle of Wine Writers, with many sea and river miles behind him as a lecturer. Happily his interest in wine is completely interlocked with that of food…. and of creating exciting balanced wine/food matches. Not a food professional himself, his main focus has centered around the sheer diversity of European cuisine. Under John’s other ‘hat’ is a professional actor of many years with, in his later years, a world-wide reputation for ‘doggedness’…. Yes, pun intended.

 

Tuesday 12th April

UK / Antwerp

Your holiday begins with either an accompanied flight from London Heathrow to Brussels or a rail journey from St. Pancras to Brussels Midi and road transfer to Antwerp.

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Wednesday 13th April

Antwerp

Inside the Palais op de Meir Chocolate Shop in Antwerp

Spending the day in Antwerp, Belgium’s largest port and second largest city, we explore the diamond capital of the world. A guided tour of the city centre introduces us to its medieval heart allowing us to admire the Renaissance Town Hall, the Market Square, Brabo Fountain and the unique Gothic Cathedral of Our Ladywhich houses four works by Peter Paul Rubens.

A wealthy Antwerp entrepreneur built the Palais op deMeir in 1745. Today the palace is home to only one of two chocolatiers mentioned in the Michelin Guide, Dominique Persone of the Chocolate Line.

We enjoy a tasting of his quality, artisan chocolate in an authentic empire setting, whilst visiting the ‘chocolate kitchen’ where we can watch the chocolatiers at work.

After lunch, we enjoy free time in the city before entering the printing office and house of the Plantin Moretus family. The original residence and workshop of this influential publishing dynasty offers you a unique historical experience to discover in the history of books, the art of printing and the story of a family’s entrepreneurial flair. The oldest printing presses in the world can be found here, and this is the only museum in the world to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our private, out-of-hours tour will discover the magic of the museum and we will experience how, long before our digital age, words and images were spread around the world, ahead of our exclusive reception of canapés and sparkling wine.

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Thursday 14th April

Brussels

Historic Brussels, capital of Belgium, principal seat of the Belgian Royal Family, and capital of the European Union, is full of hidden architectural treasures. Art deco facades and regal 19th century mansions contrast with the city’s medieval core, where the Grand Place is considered one
of the world’s most beautiful squares.

Belgium is the fatherland of quality beer brewing, creating a huge variety of different styles. With such a rich history, Belgium is a must for any true beer lover wanting to sample the delights of regional craft ales.

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Friday 15th April

Maastricht

The historic city of Maastricht in the Netherlands

Maastricht is one of the oldest cities in The Netherlands, as you will discover when strolling through the historic inner city. Until the second half of the 19th century, Maastricht was a fortified city. Churches, city walls, monumental merchant houses and big squares merge seemlessly. A wide variety of architectural styles range from Roman excavations to the modern designs.

Just outside Maastricht, various vineyards grace the slopes of the Limburg hills. The vineyards of Maastricht are some of the oldest in The Netherlands, initially planted back in Roman times. Hoeve Nekum has been home to the Bollen family since 1934 and the first vines were planted on their farmlands in 1988. We sample the prize-winning wines produced from the lime-rich soil which gives a fresh and fruity style with a distinct mineral taste.

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Saturday 16th April

Cuijk / Neunen

An old watermill in Nuenen, the Village of Van Gough, in the Netherlands

Learn how Vincent van Gogh lived and worked and what inspired him during his first years as a painter at the Van Gogh Village of Nuenen. At 30 years of age, in 1883, Vincent van Gogh moved back in with his parents in Nuenen and stayed there for two years. During this period, he focused entirely on his art, and created over one quarter of his total works. He was inspired by the beautiful landscape and the simple life of people living near Nuenen and recorded both on his canvases.

We spend the afternoon relaxing on board as we sail the scenic Dutch waterways to Schoonhoven.

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Sunday 17th April

Schoonhoven / Gouda

Inside the cheese museum in Gouda

Gouda cheese is famous throughout the world and is now one of The Netherlands’ biggest exports, despite its humble origins from this picturesque city in the province of Zuid-Holland. Today, 60% of Dutch cheese is produced in the region surrounding the city of Gouda, also known as Cheese Valley. The Cheese and Craft Museum, located in the Gouda Weigh House, reveals local history, tells how the cheese is made and how the products have been weighed and traded for centuries.

Our walking tour of Gouda’s centuries-old historic centre features splendid monuments, such as the Sint Janskerk. This church, measuring 123 metres long, is the longest church in The Netherlands and is world-famous for its Gouda windows. Another must-see is the old City Hall, a
beautiful monument dating back to 1450.

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Monday 18th April

Amsterdam / Keukenhof

Dutch tulips in Keukenhof Gardens

No visit to The Netherlands in spring would be complete without a visit to Keukenhof Gardens to experience the gorgeous views of blooming Dutch tulips and other flowers for which The Netherlands is famous. The world famous gardens at Keukenhof encompass over 70 acres of gardens and parkland and are a spectacular feast for the senses. Here, we admire the spectacular displays of over seven million bulbs in bloom and over 80 different varieties of trees set amongst shimmering lakes and beautiful water gardens.

The gardens and pavilions show a fantastic collection of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises, lilies and many other flowers. You will be overwhelmed by a spectacle of colours and perfumes.

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Tuesday 19th April

Amsterdam / UK

After breakfast we are transferred to either Amsterdam airport or Brussels Midi railway station for the return journey to the UK.

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Our decks and Cabins

Below you can see our decks and what cabins are on each of them. If you click the arrow you can see further information on each cabin and what it has to offer. So get exploring and get booking. We look forward to you joining us on board for an experience of a lifetime…

Suite
RS

Royal Suites

Panorama Deck

The Royal Suite cabin on the Royal Crown cruise ship of Hebridean Island Cruises

Panorama Deck
Picture windows
King-size bed

The Royal Suites are centrally located on the Panorama Deck, each with a king-size bed comprising two single mattresses in one solid bed frame with two duvets; the beds cannot be split into twin format. The suites also comprise a separate seating area with sofa, easy chair and dressing table/writing desk.

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Cabins With Double Twin Beds
PS

Premium Cabins

Select Deck

The Premium Suite cabin on the Royal Crown cruise ship of Hebridean Island Cruises

Select Deck
Portholes
Queen-size bed

The Premium Cabins are located on the Select Deck, each with a queen-size bed comprising two single mattresses in one solid bed frame with two duvets; the beds cannot be split into twin format.

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DC

Deluxe Cabins

Select Deck

The Deluxe cabin on the Royal Crown cruise ship of Hebridean Island Cruises

Select Deck
Portholes
Twin beds (2 single beds)

The Deluxe Cabins are located on the Select Deck each with twin beds; the beds cannot be arranged as a double.

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Single Cabins
DS

Deluxe Single

Select Deck

The Deluxe cabin on the Royal Crown cruise ship of Hebridean Island Cruises

Select Deck
Portholes
Twin beds (2 single beds)

The Deluxe Cabins are located on the Select Deck each with twin beds; the beds cannot be arranged as a double.

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CONTACT US

Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any queries regarding our Cruise or booking. We would be delighted to hear from you and help you on your way to enjoying a wonderful cruise with us...

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