Uniworld Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time or Uniworld Tulips and Windmills

I'm looking at doing one of these mid April 2019. Plans were to spend time on our own in Brussels and Amsterdam on each end of the trip. Anyone who has been on one of these cruises have any input on which might be the better itinerary? One of the stops I plan to make is Bruges which it appears I can easily do a day trip from Brussels.

Haven't done either but one of my past Uniworld CD's said that Tulip Time was her all-time favorite and one that she tries to "get assigned" to.

Incidentally we spent a few days in Brussels this January and loved it. We didn't get to Bruges (not enough time) but we did investigate, and it's an easy train ride. If you're looking for a hotel in Brussels, we really liked our stay at the Hotel Amigo (a Rocco Forte Hotel), pretty much at Grand Place in the midst of everything, and less than 10 minutes walking distance from the train station.

Just note that there are multiple train stations in Brussels heading off in different directions. (And multiple names for each station - in French, Dutch, and German.)

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We did tulips and windmills and it was fabulous. The only negative was we had to choose between an excursion to Ghent or Brugges. So if you can do Brugges on your own i would encourage you to do so.

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Be aware when making your plans that Easter is on April 21st in 2019. Easter and Easter Monday are holidays in Europe that affect travel and touring options.

If you don't get an excursion on your cruise, be sure to visit Keukenhof when you're in Amsterdam. Mid April will be gorgeous, and it's well worth the time. We've visited many times since our first visit 50 years ago (as newlyweds) and it never fails to impress.

Be aware when making your plans that Easter is on April 21st in 2019. Easter and Easter Monday are holidays in Europe that affect travel and touring options.

Thanks for the reminder that I should compare the itinerary against the holiday calendar. I have emailed the cruise line to see what alternatives they offer as there is a museum closure on Easter. Easter Monday we would have been visiting the Kinderdijk windmills. I'm assuming tours would not occur.

The original plan was to be at Keukenhof Gardens mid April. While weather is difficult to predict if I wanted to avoid the holidays is late April too late for the Tulips?

I was there April 29 in 2010 and it was gorgeous - in full bloom. It depends on the year.

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You can check the Kinderdijk website in English to find out their closed dates.

We have done both tours with Uniworld, and enjoyed both. Personally liked the H and B at tulip time as it included Maastricht, but only you can decide which ports are most important for you.

Weather was all over the place, so make sure you have layers that include rain gear..

RB