Timing of Amsterdam Tulip cruises

[edgee]

We will be in Europe in early April coming off of a transatlantic ocean cruise. Considering adding a spring Tulip cruise round trip Amsterdam. However, the schedule would mean our visit to the famous Keukenhof gardens would be on about April 5, which is likely two weeks at least before most tulips are fully in bloom. While I understand that many tulips should be in bloom by early April, wondering if we should postpone our tulip cruise until a future year when we can schedule a mid to late April time frame. Would appreciate any advice from folks who gave done a tulip cruise on the early side of the season.

[Daisi]

Keukenhof is open from March 20 to May 11 2025. You will probably see some tulips, but all depends on the weather. We were there on the last day it was open the day we went and had a great day with all the tulips out. On the other hand, my nephew was there a year earlier, and a week before closing, and most tulips were gone. A friend was there in April one year, and it was really cold with not much out. Having to book a cruise (especially one that sells out quickly), I would recommend waiting until you could book it at a better time....but that's just me. 

 

You could, as you are in Europe (and possibly in the area?) keep an eye on Keukenhof's website and if it looks like the tulips are out, just go visit on your own, and enjoy the cruise at a later time. My husband had no interest in going, it was one of those "if you really want to go then we will" things...he said on the bus back to the ship that he could go again!

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Can you visit Keukenhof (again) at the end of your river cruise?  We enjoyed seeing it a week later as the blooms changed from early to later species. 

[sharkster77]

Peak bloom times vary from year to year.  This spring we started our tulip cruise on April 5.  Our Amsterdam tour guide had been to Keukenhof a day or two prior, and said the tulips looked great.  We visited there on the 13th and the gardens were probably at peak, I mean, SPECTACULAR!!  By the end of April this year, I would imagine the tulips would have been on the downswing.

 

Some years they are earlier, other years later---you just throw the dice, I guess and hope for the best.

[knoxclone]

Peak season depends on the winter....in 2018, we sailed in on the first sailing of the season and Kuekenhof was in full swing... 

[gnome12]

5 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

Peak bloom times vary from year to year.  This spring we started our tulip cruise on April 5.  Our Amsterdam tour guide had been to Keukenhof a day or two prior, and said the tulips looked great.  We visited there on the 13th and the gardens were probably at peak, I mean, SPECTACULAR!!  By the end of April this year, I would imagine the tulips would have been on the downswing.

 

Some years they are earlier, other years later---you just throw the dice, I guess and hope for the best.

Keukenhof also plants bulbs that are expected to bloom at different times, some are earlier varieties and some are later. I think if you are in the middle part of their season, you are likely to see a pretty good variety. (I was there at the end of April in 2010, and the gardens were spectacular.)

[pontac]

20 hours ago, edgee said:

While I understand that many tulips should be in bloom by early April

 

I spoke with a Dutch guide who works at Keukenhof. She said they always have  good show during the short period they're open to the public.

 

They achieve this by planting bulbs that flower at different times, and even by having heating under the soil.

 

[sharkster77]

We were told two different things by two different local tour guides, so either or both could be true:

 

---Keukenhof plants bulbs in 3 layers, so that the deeper ones will bloom later than the shallower ones

---They also plant some bulbs upside down, so that, having to make a 180 degree turn, the stem reaches the surface later than those planted right side up.

 

One guide even said he uses the 2nd technique in his own garden.

 

We also heard that beds reaching the stage of looking less than perfect will be ripped out overnight and replaced with plants raised in greenhouses.

[terry&mike]

We did a bike and barge trip in The Netherlands this year from April 21-25, 2024. Most of the tulip fields had fully bloomed and already been plowed under. The guide said that the fields had been in full bloom at the beginning of April this year. On this trip, we visited Keukenhof on April 23 and their gardens were stunning, but they plant in a way that while they are open there are always many flowers in bloom. This was our second trip to Keukenhof and it did not disapoint!

 

We had done this same bike and barge trip about 10 years ago, beginning May 10, and saw many fields of tulips in full bloom. We knew that with global warming the tulip fields had been blooming earlier, so booked for April 21 and still should have been earlier. 

[sharkster77]

We learned that the beautiful gigantic tulip fields have their blossoms lopped off at the peak of bloom so that the plants put energy into bulb development, as those plants are grown for their bulbs to be sold in the fall. Those bulbs are harvested in July. The tulips grown for blossoms in the spring are forced in greenhouses.

[terry&mike]

For comparison, the first photo, me in the red jacket, was taken May 12, 2002. We saw miles of fields like this. 
The second photo, hubby and I, was taken on April 23, 2024. This was one of the very few fields we saw on the trip. In the background, you can see the earth where the fields have been plowed under, this was what was mostly left. It was still a fabulous trip!

[pontac]

3 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

We learned that the beautiful gigantic tulip fields have their blossoms lopped off at the peak of bloom so that the plants put energy into bulb development,

 

People who'd booked the optional Windmills and Tulips excursion on our cruise in March/April this year were very disappointed they had not seen fields of tulips in bloom. They were taken to a place that grows tulips for bulbs........

[sharkster77]

8 minutes ago, pontac said:

 

People who'd booked the optional Windmills and Tulips excursion on our cruise in March/April this year were very disappointed they had not seen fields of tulips in bloom. They were taken to a place that grows tulips for bulbs........

Interesting.  We were on an April 5 sailing, and we took the optional excursion you mention and we saw lots of fields of tulips in bloom.  The ones grown for bulbs are the ones that make the unbelievable displays of acres and acres of tulips.  The farm we visited I believe told us they don't cut back the blossoms all at once, so that there are some for visitors to see.  As I mentioned, the ones grown for flowers are forced in greenhouses, not outside.  Any outside tulip fields are grown for bulbs, harvested in July.

[odblnt]

On 9/30/2024 at 12:47 AM, pontac said:

 

I spoke with a Dutch guide who works at Keukenhof. She said they always have  good show during the short period they're open to the public.

 

They achieve this by planting bulbs that flower at different times, and even by having heating under the soil.

 

We went in mid-April about 10 years ago and saw this delightful strain (note the plackard):