Europe
December 2023

Last December, I sailed from Brussels to Amsterdam on a wonderful Tauck river cruise aboard the MS Grace. The ship was at a full capacity of 130 passengers and there were four easy-to-navigate decks. Some of the ship’s features included a beauty salon, gym, gift shop, library, jacuzzi, and putting green located on the Sun Deck. The main lounge was a gathering spot for entertainment, lectures, snacks, drinks, and other fun activities. Dining options were plentiful. We could choose from beautiful al fresco dining on the Sun Deck (weather permitting), and sit-down breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Compass Rose Dining Room. In addition, Arthur’s specialty restaurant is an alternative dining venue that can also accommodate special dietary needs. As far as drinks onboard, there were unlimited complimentary beverages including wine, beer, premium spirits, specialty coffee drinks, soft drinks, and water stations.

The cruise was an all-inclusive experience including gratuities for the entire staff, all beverages, Wi-Fi, complimentary transfers for arrival and departure, our choice of one shore excursion daily, plus surprise shore excursions – including a visit to the chocolate factory in Belgium, a nightly canal cruise in Amsterdam to see the Festival of Lights, a cheese farm, and clog factory. The only additional cost was laundry service for which the prices were very reasonable. We could expect our clothes to be folded and placed on our bed in the evening ready for the next day.

The cabin variety Tauck offers includes suites, French balconies, and cabins with large, fixed windows. Our cabin was very nice at approximately 220 square feet, with a king bed, flat screen TV, minibar stocked daily with complimentary water and soft drinks, 110-volt and 220-volt outlets for small electronics, hair dryer, cabin safe, ample closet space, and two large sliding glass doors which opened to a small table and chairs.

During our cruise, we visited unique and charming cities such as Antwerp, known for its amazing Christmas Markets; Bruges, a medieval city with cobblestone streets and canals; Ghent, famous for the Ghent altarpiece; Rotterdam, the second largest city of the Netherlands; Delft, famous for the Royal Delft factory; Gouda, known for Gouda cheese; Zaanse Schans, a Dutch village where you can see the historic windmills and clog factory; and lastly, Amsterdam, a vibrant city with meandering canals, flower markets, great restaurants, museums such as Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, and the Anne Frank House, which is a must for everyone.

We enjoyed all the ports we visited but there were several adventures which stood out. The first was our visit to the Delft Factory (1 ½ hour drive from Rotterdam) where we toured the porcelain factory, watched a local artisan at work, and then we were able to create our own unique ceramic tiles with the assistance of volunteers. The second adventure was a visit to the Zaanse Schans neighborhood (located about 20 minutes from Amsterdam) to see what life was like in 17th and 18th century Holland. We saw historic windmills, a local village with green wooden houses, and watched a local demonstrating the process of making wooden clogs.

River cruising with Tauck is an amazing way to explore the world, experience new places, and meet wonderful people.