Tulips are early blooming spring flowers; keep in mind that coming to the Netherlands and Belgium during their season means traveling well outside of summer—with weather to match! Expect spring showers and gusty winds on your trip, and pack accordingly. Some years, weather during our cooler springtime trips includes hail and even snow!

As unpredictable as the weather can be, so can the blooms themselves. Like peak fall colors or the northern lights, the exact timing of spring flower displays varies from year to year. While the timing of this trip aims to align with tulip season, please remember that we can’t guarantee fields of tulips. That part is in Mother Nature’s hands—the rest is in ours.

We sail with up to 30 Backroads guests per group. Occasionally there may be more than one Backroads group onboard and you may cross paths with the other group on routes or at restaurants. When this occurs, each group will have their own dedicated onboard Backroads leaders.

On our active cruises, we seek out diversity by including regionally authentic and creative meals for onshore lunches, picnics and the occasional onshore dinner. On-ship meals, though delightful, are meant to appeal to a wide cross section of passengers and may at times feel more conventional for some, and less reflective of the region than on Backroads hotel trips.

Our daily itinerary is based on scheduled sailing and port arrival times and as a result some days have more opportunities for exploring on land while other days have more sailing time. Every river has its own unique temperament and for centuries water levels have shifted due to rain, temperature and agriculture. High water levels may mean the ship cannot pass under a bridge, low water levels result in slower sailing, and a disabled lock can also lead to some extra cruising time. Should any unforeseen change happen during your river cruise, we will work closely with AmaWaterways’ captain and staff, who are very experienced in going with the flow. Depending on the situation, we may use a bus or our bikes to get to the next destination and use a land-based hotel if needed, in which case our leaders will adjust the rides and activities as necessary.

In contrast to our land-based trips, which have similar room categories, the AmaWaterways ships offer a wide range of stateroom categories. The top-tier staterooms often fill fast, so book as early as possible if this is important to you.

Most port conditions require that ships tie up alongside each other, in which case you may need to walk through another ship to access our ship. This is a part of river cruising due to its popularity. You may experience obstructed views from your stateroom when the ship is double-docked, but as soon as we set sail again your beautiful views will be restored.