TRAVELER REVIEWS

There's no better way to learn what a trip is like than from the firsthand experiences of your fellow travelers, and our Traveler Reviews are the real deal—unbiased and unedited—giving you an honest appraisal of the experiences that await you on this trip.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

I can't say enough how great this trip was. The entire crew were always ready to greet you with a smile and help you in any way possible. The highlights were the tulips and I would have been thrilled to just see tulips and windmills the entire trip, but I know that is impossible. The itinerary was great and the home visits are always a highlight. We had incredible weather which also added to the wonderful experience. Thanks Vantage for another great trip!

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

We had a wonderful trip with Vantage. Very well organized, friendly staff, and informative excursions. The tulips at Keukenhof Gardens were stunning! Certainly a highlight of the trip. Overall, we had a delightful time and made several good friends along the way. We highly recommend Vantage, and will definitely travel with them in the future.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

This was my wife and I first river cruise and the first time with Vantage and we were extremely satisfied with the personnel, service , food , itinerary and the total package.
My only negative comment was the length of time we had to wait before we could enter our room. I thought that it could have been prepared earlier to allow us to rest in the morning after a long flight.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Excellent value. The tours were very good. The tulips were absolutely amazing. The crew was great - especially our cabin steward Agus. Even the weather cooperated - cool to pleasant with NO rain. The Liberation Museum was very moving.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Excellent value. The tours were very good. The tulips were absolutely amazing. The crew was great - especially our cabin steward Agus. Even the weather cooperated - cool to pleasant with NO rain. The Liberation Museum was very moving.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

We had a wonderful time on our Holland vacation. We thouroughly enjoyed the entire trip. It was packed full with so many extra journeys. We loved the personal trip to a Holland home (very warm and welcoming), the tulip farm was very informative and personal and the gardens were as amazing!!! There was so much to do and see. We just wish we had more time in the museums and gardens!! Accomodations were excellent!! We took advantage of both the pre as nd post trip to Belgium and London. We loved the river cruise and the tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly!! Loved this trip!! We highly recommend it!!

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

very well planned trip. good value . all the tours were planned. ship is just the right size.
ship is not crowed food and drinks were always on time and entertainment was very good, ship was always clean

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

I was concerned that this trip would be overwhelming with tulips and flowers. It wasn't. We saw some great towns. The windmills are fabulous and you are docked right by the site. The staff and crew were excellent. I always enjoy the food and dining experiences. The soups were great as always. I am a solo traveler and I met many other singles. We all had a great time. The home visit was excellent. Our hosts were fantastic. Don't be fooled, there is a lot of walking on this cruise and you are kept very busy. The entertainment was decent but not as good as some other Vantage cruises. We were the first cruise of the season which was great because we could access our state room when we arrived. The Splendor is a little older than some of the other ships but it is still very pleasant. Check the library every day for the Vantage Trivia Quizzes; they are informative and fun. Attend all the lectures. I really learned a lot about the the Netherlands (be careful, not all of the country is Holland). The weather was cool but very tolerable - especially for all the walking. I hope you luck out like we did.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

I was taken to a hospital in Rotterdam by ambulance on 4/6 at 4:00 in the morning. Our cruise director could not do enough to assist my sister,Sharon, through the entire ordeal. I cannot thank Erna Houck enough for her help during and after the cruise. She helped Sharon way beyond what was expected. She even contacted my sister ,Joanne and son, Ryan in the. States. The rest of the staff was excellent. Could not ask for. Better service.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

A very enjoyable trip if you are looking to see spring flowers, however I believe that this is only a seasonal cruise, and most passengers booked well in advance. The crew made this trip even more enjoyable.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Superb trip. Has a little bit of everything to satisfy all. The pictures do not do it justice. Must be seen to appreciate. A little bit of war history, beauty and interesting lectures. Tulips in bloom are beyond comprehension.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Excellent trip, timed perfectly to see the tulips in full bloom. Also loved seeing windmills up close! Only downside is that we were busy the entire time and didn't get time to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the boat and the beautiful scenery.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Outstanding. I would take this tour again as the tulips were breathtaking, and the landscape was magnificient. Holland was a dream I thought I would never see in my lifetime. The Windmills were also part of my "bucket list" I would recommend to anyone.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

The staff was gracious and our concierge was especially helpful! She and the cruise director were terrific! The head bartender was particularly helpful with information; the maitre d' was helpful with a special dinner. Enjoyed the tour guides at each of our stops. Highlights were the windmills world heritage site, the beautiful gardens at ???? (Sorry), and the home visit. This was my first river cruise; it won't be my last.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Wonderful excursions and organization. Our cabin was an A, we had plenty of room and the bathrooms are way bigger than on any big cruise ship. Great food, lots of choices and the wait staff went above and beyond to handle any special requests. What a beautiful time of year to see this part of the world. You have to dress for the occasion, meaning the weather. Chilly, windy some misty rain but that's the Netherlands. Thank you to all on the River Spendor!

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

The fields were beautiful. It did not rain on us. We had the best time.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Alina and Renata were amazing. They were both committed to making sure that all of the guests had a wonderful time.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

Salvka and Maya were the best we have ever had on Vantage river trip.

Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring

We had a wonderful trip it was everything we expected and hoped for .. the staff the ship and the extras were all great ...

Springtime in Holland & Belgium: Tulips, Windmills & Canals

It has been nearly a year since our extraordinary trip to the Netherlands in the spring. It was the highlight of the past 12 months. The River Voyager was superb, the food exceptional, the crew delightful. Meeting and getting to know the other passengers was a bonus. Keukenhof Gardens was the best part. I could have spent days there. All excursions were interesting and the guides very good. It was chilly and bit rainy as spring can be, but never uncomfortable. Just dress in layers. I would certainly recommend this cruise on every level. Thank you, Vantage!

Springtime in Holland Belgium & Belgium : Tulips, Windmills & Canals

The on board meals and service were excellent, our tour director and concierge was very customer focused and helpful.

Springtime in Holland & Belgium: Tulips, Windmills & Canals

This was a fantastic river voyage. The tulips and other flowers were spectacular. The ship was beautiful and the crew were so helpful and courteous. The side excursions were the best as we learned history and a lot of information in each and every port visited. I would highly recommend this voyage and based on this one, any voyage with Vantage!

Springtime in Holland & Belgium: Tulips, Windmills & Canals

I enjoyed the visit to the home. I rode a bike in Hoorn. Everything was wonderful. So wonderful I am doing it again in April 2017.

Springtime in Holland Belgium & Belgium : Tulips, Windmills & Canals

interesting trip and excellent itinerary all staff are respectful and helpful

Springtime in Holland Belgium & Belgium : Tulips, Windmills & Canals

This was an A+ river cruise in every way. Everything -- the ship, cabin, service, food, and all the scheduled tours/stops were perfect. The cruise director was excellent and very well organized and very knowledgable. Can't say one thing we liked best as it was all great!!

Springtime in Holland Belgium & Belgium : Tulips, Windmills & Canals

This cruise was exceptional i thought. I have not taking any other vruises as of yet but for my first experience i believe it was fantastic. I wouldnt change nmany things at all. The things I would like differently be was possibly to leave ports when cruising by late afternoon. I enjoy spending the day in a variety of cities but also emjoy the cruising when I can still see outside with some light. I would also try to have more of the local beers and possibly some of the local wined available. I was surprised to not find Heineken beer on board when I arrived. The last thing I would love to see would be a better port in Amsterdam. Our location was lousy but I also understand Vantage has little power over their docking location but it would be nice to try. Overall my experience has been fantastic and I look forward to start planning my next excursion.

Waterways of Holland and Belgium Tulips, Windmills and Canals

We went in May just as the flowers were in full bloom. The trip was just great. Our ship cruise director and others did everything possible to make our trip very enjoyable. Our meals were very good as always on Vantage ships. This country is very beautiful and the people were very friendly and helpful to all of us. I would highly recommend this trip to everybody.

Waterways of Holland and Belgium Tulips, Windmills and Canals

We loved the trip, especially the tulips in full bloom. This was my fifth trip with Vantage

Waterways of Holland and Belgium Tulips, Windmills and Canals

This was my first river cruise. I was totally enthralled with every aspect. This is the ONLY way to see Europe!!!!

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

Outstanding trip ... Been on 18 cruises .. This was one of the best. Service was excellent. On board host was very accommodating. No details were missed. Captain was available throughout the trip for both information and advice regarding each stop/port.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

We had the good fortune of travelling on one of the first cruises of a new Vantage riverboat. The entire staff, from the trip leaders to the kitchen staff to the maintenance crew was superb. The extreme convenience of not having to pack and unpack every few days was great. The sites visited were fascinating. The trip leaders and guides were knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Just learning about how the people of the Netherlands used their engineering know-how to construct protective dikes and to use various methods of moving water around to keep the country habitable and, in fact, to increase its land mass, was a revelation. History, beauty, ingenuity, language differences and similariities---it was all here and made for a terrific experience.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

The only bad part of the trip was the weather - it was unusually cold. Other than that, it was, as usual, an excellent trip start to finish. The River Splendor is a gorgeous ship; the service, as always, without equal. The food was spectacular. The four Vantage program managers took excellent care of us. The included tours were fun, as well as informative. The Edinburgh extension was really something to remember. I made a video of the journey - you can see it at http://youtu.be/dIyExZBM8Yw

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

This is a wonderful trip, well planned with a variety of sites. I especially enjoyed the old village of Enkhuisen with villagers in costume. The single cabins are spacious and well outfitted. The food was delicious.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

We fully recommend this trip. The scenery & excurrsions are outstanding. A person has not seen beautiful flowers until they experience the flowers that you see on this trip. It is impossible to explain the beautiful gardens, as they always say seeing is believing. The new river ship Venture was outstanding, the size of the cabins has been improved & are very comfortable. The food, service,& hospitality of the crew can not be matched by any other line. You really receive value everytime you travel with them, & look forward to going again.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

We thoroughly enjoyed this journey with Vantage. The package offered many fabulous highlights of the area and yet allowed us time to explore on our own or to just relax and unwind. The accommodations and staff aboard the ship were friendly and knowledgeable. We truly hated to see our journey end!

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

This was our first trip with Vantage. It was delightful! We were on a brand new canal ship and it was spotless. The crew was excellent and really tried to make sure everyone was comfortable and happy. The food was superb. To see the European architecture, the narrow streets and the town squares was a great experience. Our program manager, Anya, was very very good. She had much knowledge, good notes of interesting things to talk about along the way and was very personable. We are planning a trip in May of 2104 on the French Waterways and are very much looking forward to it.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

This was one of the most memorable journeys we have taken. I never imagined the beauty of tulips and other flowers that we saw at the Keukenhof Gardens and tulip bulb farms and the Floriade. They were at their peak (late April and early May). The Discovery II was the best. From the friendly and attentive staff to the gourmet food (every plate was a work of art and delicious), we felt like royalty. It was also great to lie on our bed and watch the scenery go by through the French balcony windows. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable of the sites we toured. It was a trip we will long remember.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

Without a question, this trip was one of the most beautiful trips of all my travel & I have traveled a lot. My only reservation was that being a Floridian I was cold and wet most of the time; however, it would not at all stop we from recommending this trip to anyone whether you love flowers or not. Met new friends and I can honestly call them friends as we are still in contact with one another.You could not ask for better and more personal service from crew & staff. Just imagine a meal of your choice & taste and you can be assured it will happen on any trip with Vantage. It was my first, and so far, only trip on Vantage and I look forward to another exciting and great trip in the summer of 2014. Thanks for a great trip.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

Our trip to the Netherlands to see the windmills and tulips was blessed be excellent weather and by Annelies Burgers, a super tour director. We have been to Holland several times and each time we experience something new and exciting. It was interesting to see how the windmills at Kinderdijk work in a series until the water is raised high enough so that the last windmill drops the water into the discharge canal. The museum village at Enkhuizen was well worth the stop. Many of the fishing boats are now idle because dams have turned the Zuiiderzee to fresh water so it is no longer a sea. No flower show I have ever seen can compete with the spectacle at the Keukenhof Gardens and the surrounding fields of many colored flowers.

Waterways of Holland & Belgium:Tulips, Windmills & Canals

This was my second trip to see the glorious sping in the Netherlands and Belgium. Everything was as wonderful as I remembered. I especially enjoyed the day at Keukenhof Gardens....the whole trip built up to that day and it was spectacular. The weather was perfect, the flowers in early April were so beautiful. Of course, traveling on the Vantage ship was such a treat; program managers who are helpful and knowledgable, interesting programs and speakers, delicious meals, a comfortable cabin, meeting new people: all the things that make travel special.