Roz

@Gourmet Gal, I wish I had had enough time for some mussels. The museum took up a lot of time and I was only able to grab a waffle and a coffee.

The food tour was disappointing. Last year there were 4-5 stops. This year we did 2 - poffertjes and kibbeling. The only surviving medieval structure, a church, was only mentioned in passing. Yesterday in Bruges I spent most of my time at the Groningen Museum, which wasn't even mentioned by our cruise directors as an option. It's a wonderful museum that features the Flemish primitives. I had done my own research using Rick Steves' guidebooks. Tauck's emphasis was on buying chocolate, eating mussels, and shopping for Christmas ornaments. I guess that's what the average American tourist is looking for. I skipped the torture museum. 😳 The tours don't seem to be run as tightly as last year's cruise. As an example, yesterday, a lady in the group needing assistance got left behind at the bus parking lot in Bruges and had to take a taxi into the city. No one is counting heads and/or taking down names and calling roll. I and about 5-6 other people were abandoned in the Delft factory while the others were escorted to lunch.

Greetings from Rotterdam and Happy NYE! I'm doing back to back river cruises on Tauck's ms Grace through The Netherlands and Belgium. The price of HAL's spa services have always baffled me, and I try not to use them. A basic manicure at my neighborhood salon is $25. HAL charges $59. Last week I had a manicure onboard the riverboat and it was $32. I assume Tauck is paying the manicurist and making a profit on the service, which gives you an idea of the mark-up. If the weather cooperates, we'll be able to watch the national fireworks 🎆 of The Netherlands from the top deck of our ship. They shoot them off over the harbor where we're docked.

I was able to get into the Cathedral in Antwerp and the Reubens altarpieces were breathtaking. Yesterday was Bruges. I'll post more about it later, but it was wall to wall people, most of them European visitors and tourists. Today we're in Rotterdam, and I'm off to a city food tour 😋.

I sent 5 pairs of socks and a fleece top out to the laundry and had them back that evening. Total cost was 19,50 euros. The only clothing I brought with the that I haven't worn are 4 lightweight undershirts. A fleece top or lightweight turtleneck with a wind resistant jacket have been enough. Temperatures have been in the high 40s to low 50s.

We're now docked back in Antwerp. Tomorrow is going to be a sleep in day for me as I've already been to Ghent. I'll just be doing my own thing in Antwerp. I'm hoping the Cathedral is open so I can see the Reubens paintings.

@Gourmet Gal, I'm really not sure. I'm not aware of any other passengers experiencing stomach problems. I'm sure it wasn't norovirus because it resolved itself so quickly. It may have just been too much rich food, as I also experienced some heartburn.

Yesterday was turnaround day - passengers off and new passengers on. I was experiencing gastric distress, so I stayed on the ship in order to be close to les toilettes. I'm feeling better today, and went to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. This wasn't offered as an option on the first cruise. We were only able to scratch the surface, as we only had less than 2 hours there. I was able to see paintings by Bruegel, Bosch, Reubens, as well as David's famous Murder of Marat. Tonight we sail back to Antwerp.

We're docked in an industrial area of Brussels. There were several options today. I took the bus tour of the city, but came back to the ship right after instead of staying for the walking tour. Some people also went to a chocolate factory, and at 7 pm a bus was here to take people back into town for the light show, and to check out the holiday markets. I'm not feeling 100% and ate lightly at dinner. I'm sitting in the lounge sipping ginger ale and listening to music. Most of the other passengers are in their cabins packing or are out at the light show.

Christmas Day started with a bus and walking tour of the central area of Antwerp. On-board we had a lecture on Christmas customs, a Belgian beer 🍺 tasting, a cooking demonstration, classical music concert, secret Santa gift exchange, a visit from Santa himself, and a wonderful 6 course Christmas dinner. We're now sailing towards Brussels.

Like most cruise lines, Tauck has switched to Starlink for their internet service. For reasons no one can explain, the service is spotty every time the ship crosses from The Netherlands into Belgium. I hope this post makes it. Because we docked in Antwerp instead of Ghent, we had to choose between Ghent and Bruges. Originally we were supposed to do both on Christmas Eve. Having done Bruges last year, I opted for Ghent. I liked it more than Bruges. More history and some interesting buildings. There was a Christmas market, and one of the assistant CDs arranged for us to get a complimentary Belgian waffle at one of the food stands. The highlight for me was finally getting to see the Ghent Altarpiece. It exceeded my expectations. Hard to believe it dates from 1432 and is in such great condition. A true masterpiece.

Orange rinds are biodegradable, so what's the issue?

After walking around Gouda for several hours on uneven cobblestones and bricks, I decided to take the option that was offered to skip the tours in The Hague, and go back to the ship that was now docked in Rotterdam. @Second seating, the Christmas market was one of the places passengers could visit in The Hague. I believe the CD said yesterday was the last day of the market. In Gouda we did a walking tour, had lunch, and sampled stroopwafels, cheese (of course!) , and olieballen. This morning I opted for the trip to the Royal Delft Factory in Delft. It was interesting and a lot of fun. We toured the factory and then painted a tile that we took with us. Afterwards we were treated to a lunch of tomato soup, quiche, assorted sandwiches, and fruit. And of course shopping in the factory's gift shop. Tonight there will be a briefing about another change to our itinerary due to not being able to dock in Ghent and having to proceed on to Antwerp. Again, if you're considering a river cruise, you've got to remain flexible. The ship is at the mercy of the wind and water levels.

Sorry I've been MIA. Tauck has been running us ragged, but in a good way. This is my first opportunity to post. We've already had a few scheduling and docking changes due to high winds. For example, we stayed a 2nd night in Amsterdam instead of sailing to Schoonhoven. This morning we had an 8 am start by bus to Gouda and The Hague. While we were touring the ship made its way to Rotterdam where we met up with it. This points out the difficulty of booking independent tours on a river cruise. You can't be sure of your start and end points. Some passengers are disappointed we haven't seen snow. December in The Netherlands and Belgium is typically cold, windy, and rainy. The Dutch don't decorate a lot for Christmas, which has been another disappointment for those expecting it to look like Germany or Austria. Yesterday was a guided tour at the Rijksmuseum, where I finally got to see The Night Watch without infrared equipment in front of it. I skipped the classical music concert. Last night's canal cruise through the Amsterdam light festival involved a treacherous, slippery walk on a wooden dock. Getting on and off the boat was no picnic either. Happy Hour starts in an hour....

Try looking at Holland America.

@Coral and @Host Jazzbeau, thanks for sharing your experience. Lots of good information here for all cruisers. Isn't CC great?

That's good to know.

@bubbulz, I noticed Uniworld hasn't released their 2024 solo specials. I've taken 3 cruises with them and paid either no single supplement or a reduced single supplement.

Scenic is using the Doubletree as its precruise hotel. I spoke with some Australians at lunch who are on the cruise, and they told me they're sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest. Tomorrow is embarkation day for me. I'll pack up after breakfast; maybe work in a canal cruise before I have to check out of the hotel. For any solo travelers reading this thread who aren't familiar with Tauck's solo river cruise pricing, you can sail in the lowest category of cabin with no single supplement. Some less inclusive lines charge you double, so you pay more and don't get as much.

@gnome12, don't know if this applies in Canada, but in order for pre-existing conditions to be covered, insurance needs to be purchased within 14-21 days of the initial deposit.

Walking tour this morning and of course it's raining like crazy. Typical Dutch winter weather. It doesn't deter the bicyclists!

Today's activity was a day trip to Giethoorn with a stop at the visitors center for the enclosing dike that keeps out the North Sea. In Giethoorn we did an hour long tour of the village and lake on an electric boat. The highlight of the day was being charged one euro for ketchup for my fries. 🤣 I don't do mayo. @Second seating, thanks for posting the photos.

Arrived in Amsterdam and my driver, sent by Tauck, was waiting for me in front of Starbucks outside Arrivals Hall 4. Whether you book your air through Tauck or independently, they will send a driver to meet you at the airport. And not just on embarkation day. I'm staying at the Doubletree Centraal Station where I stayed last year. A nice hotel, conveniently located, with a great staff who will go out of their way to help in any way.

Greetings from the Philadelphia Airport where I'll be boarding the plane to take me to Amsterdam in a few hours. I'm spending 3 days precruise in Amsterdam and then boarding the ship on December 20. The cruise will end in Brussels on the 27th and then we'll make our way back to Amsterdam on January 3. I did the Amsterdam to Brussels Christmas cruise last year and had such a phenomenal time, I came home and contacted my TA and had her book me for Christmas and New Years this year. It had never occurred to me to spend Christmas in another country. We had a nice contingent of solo cruisers last time, along with some extended families and empty nester couples. I'll try to check in here periodically to let you know what we're up to. I can't wait to see what Sinterklaas is going to leave me in my shoe. 😄

@sambamama, I really don't see HAL entering the 7,000 passenger ship market, but I could be wrong about that.