I chose this cruise because it was an itinerary that covered a lot of ground and I chose Emerald Waterways because it was more economical than others I looked at and the ships are new.
We spent three days in Amsterdam before the cruise, staying in a wonderful VRBO apartment in the central canal area. We did a fun bike and brewery tour with Rodrigo and an interesting photo walk of Zaanse Schans with Roelof from With Locals, bought tickets ahead of time for Anne Frank House, Rikjsmuseum, and Van Gogh Museum. Everything was wonderful except the Van Gogh museum, which we found to be too crowded and difficult to find our way around.
We located the ship with no problem and embarkation was a piece of cake. Our cabin #232 was not as tiny as I expected, clean, super comfy, with lots of storage in lots of nooks and crannies. The shower was surprisingly spacious (compared to many European hotels we've stayed in). The window that opens into a panoramic balcony was very nice, but in truth, we didn't spend much time in our room, so never really just sat there watching the scenery. The hallway was quiet at night, but there were often surprising noises when negotiating the locks, so I recommend ear plugs.
Our cabin #232 was not as tiny as I expected, clean, super comfy, with lots of storage in lots of nooks and crannies. The shower was surprisingly spacious (compared to many European hotels we've stayed in). The window that opens into a panoramic balcony was very nice, but in truth, we didn't spend much time in our room, so never really just sat there watching the scenery. The hallway was quiet at night, but there were often surprising noises when negotiating the locks and we could hear the engines reversing or revving, so I recommend ear plugs.
We had THE BEST sausages and sauerkraut near the church!
The Bishops Residence is astounding. Our guide Charles provided a lot of interesting and entertaining information.
Very pretty and picturesque half timbered streets
Super pretty town! We tried the smoky beer.
Another good walking tour. The sausages here were not as good as the ones we had in Nuremberg, but the restaurant on the Danube is very nice.
A mildly interesting walking tour followed by a wonderful local experience after lunch. Wine, coffee and cake with a local family was a highlight and not to be missed!