Day 1
We depart from central London at 7.00 am and head south stopping en route at the Menzies Chequers Hotel, Gatwick at 8.15 am (overnight accommodation can be organised here before and after the tour if required). We will continue to Dover in time to catch a mid morning ferry to Calais. On arrival in France we will head northwards through Belgium stopping en route for refreshments. We head north and join our ship in Dordrecht in time for dinner. We will then cruise to the small, typically Dutch town of Gorinchem where we will dock for the night. Prior to dinner there will be a welcome reception with the chance to meet the crew and ask any questions you may have.
Day 2
An early morning departure will see us wakening to the passing Dutch countryside as we cruise along the River Waal as far as Nijmegen. Leaving the ship here after lunch, we depart for a visit the gardens at Het Loo Palace near to the charming town of Apeldoorn. This was the medieval castle of Prince William of Orange and is now recognised as one of Europe's finest formal gardens. When the Dutch Royal Family decided that it would no longer use the palace in 1969 the Government opted to turn it into a museum fully restoring the formal seventeenth century garden to its original state. The palace's type of baroque garden is unique to the Netherlands. It is a late Dutch interpretation of the Italian-French garden dating from the first quarter of the seventeenth century. The exotic flowers and plants and the constant supply of fresh water for the fountains must have made the gardens of Het Loo a spectacular sight worth seeing even then. Your guide will advise you on the best areas to visit. We will re-join the ship in Arnhem, which you are free to go ashore and explore after dinner.
Day 3
Today we will have a leisurely cruise as far as Utrecht. We leave the ship here and depart for Amsterdam, where you will have plenty of time to explore the shops, markets and galleries of this vibrant and historic city. You may wish to visit the Anne Frank House where Anne wrote her famous diary. The Anne Frank story is well documented although you should be prepared to queue to get in! Amsterdam is truly a haven for museum buffs - other museums in the city include the Maritime Museum, the Theatre Museum, the Modern Art Museum and there is even a Tea and Coffee Museum. Visit the De Oude Kerk, one of the many spectacular churches in Amsterdam or stroll through the narrow streets which link the major canals. Here you will find unexpected little shops which specialise in everything from kites to beer.
In the evening after dinner there will be an optional canal cruise to give you the opportunity to view this spectacular city at night. Journeying through the canals at night is an exhilarating experience and this tour will allow you to see the best of the city (price to be confirmed).
Day 4
This morning we say 'goodbye' to the MV Prinses Juliana and continue to one of the most famous gardens in the world - Keukenhof. This is the bulb grower's magnificent display of all the different tulip, daffodil and hyacinth varieties. Over 6 million bulbs are planted annually and around 1 million visitors pass through it from mid March to mid May - it is truly breathtaking.
Later, we continue to Calais to catch the early evening P & O ferry to Dover. Once again we stop off at the Menzies Chequers Hotel, Gatwick and continue to London where we expect to arrive late evening.