Dag 1: Düsseldorf
On a warm August afternoon, we boarded the VIVA ONE together with our group. Ahead lay a week-long cruise through the Netherlands and Flanders. With luggage unpacked, welcome drinks enjoyed, and first conversations struck up with fellow guests (English and German are spoken onboard), we set sail right on time at 6 p.m.
Dag 2: Amsterdam
The Dutch capital is a city that belongs on every traveler’s bucket list. It’s best explored on foot or by bike, just like the locals do (bicycles are provided free of charge for cruise guests). Alternatively, a guided city tour with a cruise along the famous canals (grachten) can be booked. I chose to venture out on my own visiting the Rijksmuseum, passing by the Anne Frank House, and crossing countless bridges in search of souvenirs.
Dag 3: Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen is full of charm: cozy cobbled streets lined with flowerpots, winding canals and a picturesque marina. Equally charming is Willy Visser-Hansen, who welcomed us into her home for coffee and cake while sharing stories of her town (once made wealthy by herring), the castle (“I can only sleep when the carillon chimes”), and Dutch food (a stroopwafel should be placed on top of the coffee cup to let the caramel inside melt).
Dag 4: Rotterdam
The VIVA ONE anchored in the heart of the city, near the famous Erasmus Bridge, for a full day. A morning bus tour provided a good overview of the main sights, after which I set out on foot – mindful to balance the generous all-inclusive food and drink on board. Within easy walking distance lay Europe’s first skyscraper, the new Fenix migration museum, the striking Markthal, and the church Sint-Laurenskerk, one of only ten buildings to survive the WWII bombing.
Dag 5: Antwerp
Overnight our vessel crossed into Belgium, bringing us to Antwerp, for diamonds, fashion, and the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens. And when in Belgium, why not indulge in chocolate? Our city guide, Christine Petras, pointed out the sights while treating us to sweet morsels along the way. As we departed, we caught a glimpse of the striking Port House, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, meant to resemble — and sparkle like — an uncut diamond.
Dag 6: Willemstad / Dordrecht
Back in the Netherlands, I jumped out of bed, opened the curtains … and finally saw a windmill. I later learned that this one was actually a private home. Once, more than 10,000 windmills dotted the Dutch landscape, most of them built to pump water back to the sea; today, only about 1,000 remain.
In Willemstad I joined the Fort Sabina cycling tour, an easy 25-kilometre ride that led us past fortifications dating back to Napoleon and later expanded during the two World Wars. From there, the VIVA ONE made a short hop north to Dordrecht, gateway to windmill country. Outside the city gates lies Kinderdijk (Children’s Dike), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, 19 iconic windmills have their sails forever turned to the wind. Local Lisette van Gameren shared the legend behind the site’s name: “In November 1421, a flood swept away the poorly maintained dikes protecting the polder, drowning thousands. After the disaster, survivors heard the cry of a baby. A cradle floated by, miraculously kept in balance by a cat jumping up and down to prevent it from capsizing. The baby was saved, and so the name Kinderdijk was born.”
Dag 7: Nijmegen
The oldest city in the Netherlands exudes a quintessential Dutch flair with its gabled houses, small cheese shops, and tempting delicacies on the Grote Markt. Time was short, however, as a tour to the Kröller-Müller Museum awaited. After an hour’s bus ride, we found ourselves admiring the world’s second-largest Van Gogh collection (after Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum). The galleries also feature masterpieces by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondriaan, while an expansive sculpture garden and park, so vast that 1,000 bicycles are provided for visitors, invite to linger and explore.
Dag 8: Düsseldorf
As the journey drew to a close, I felt that for a first trip to the Netherlands I had experienced a wealth of ‘Dutch things’: windmills, canals, dikes, Van Gogh, Rubens, stroopwafels and chocolate though I was certain there would be plenty more to discover on another visit. For now, I took one last glance at Düsseldorf’s skyline as the sun rose, and stepped off … the ship.
