Waterways World River Cruising

Are you looking for a cruise on a hotel ship sailing on the inland waterways of Europe?

Since 1984,we have been arranging river and canal cruises on behalf of Waterways World, the number one inland waterway magazine. These cruises are open to anyone with a love of rivers and canals and you will be travelling with like-minded enthusiasts who enjoy navigating the rivers of Europe and occasionally those of other continents. Sometimes 'technical visits' are arranged and destinations often include places to which other cruises do not go.

For details of the next cruise, please see the summary below and download the current brochure using the link on the left.

DUTCH WATERWAYS & TWENTE CANAL IN 2010
From Hull by sea: 15th - 24th May
From London by rail: 16th - 23rd May

Next years cruise is already fully booked for the original dates of 22/23 May - 30/31 May. However, another departure has been arranged one week earlier from 15/16 May to 23/24 May. This extra sailing will not visit Dordrecht in Steam but some additional visits have been arranged. The full itinerary for this extra sailing is displayed below and this should be read in conjunction with the downloadable brochure for the original cruise from 22/23 May - 30/31 May.

Saturday 15th May
BY SEA FROM HULL
Passengers choosing this route are asked to arrive at HULL between 17:30 and 18:00 to embark on either the Pride of Hull or Pride of Rotterdam. You can settle into your comfortable en-suite cabin, enjoy the included dinner buffet and all the facilities on board. The sailing time is 21:00.

Sunday 16th May
BY SEA FROM HULL (cont’d)
Breakfast buffet is also included and the ferry docks at Rotterdam (Europoort) at 08:00. Waiting for us will be a coach and guide who will conduct a tour through the newest parts of the Europoort – the Maasvlakte and Maasvlakte 2 in development – being built on land reclaimed from the North Sea. Fully automated cranes handle containers with little human intervention. A pause for morning coffee will be arranged. By mid-day, we will arrive at the shipyard De Delft where the magnificent 18th century ship of the line De Delft is being reconstructed. A light lunch will be arranged at the yard (the terrace offers a fine view over the Maas). Visitors can watch the activities in the workshops. For more information about these locations, refer to www.portofrotterdam.com and www.dedelft.nl. At 16:00 we will be welcomed aboard the MS Switzerland II in Rotterdam.

Sunday 16th May
BY RAIL FROM LONDON
Provisional Eurostar times are as follows:
Check-in 45 minutes before departure
London St Pancras 08:57
Ebbsfleet 09:15
Brussels Midi 12:03

Here we transfer to an InterCity train for the onward journey to Rotterdam. Coach transfer to MS Switzerland II arriving about 17:00.

We sail at 18:00 passing beneath the bridges of Rotterdam spanning the Nieuwe Maas. Then the Noord leads us to arguably the busiest waterway junction in Europe and through Dordrecht to which we return at the end of the cruise. We follow the Dordtse Kil to turn beneath the road and rail bridges spanning Hollands Diep and past the nature area known as the Biesbosch. We sail on the Bergse Maas to reach the historic walled town of HEUSDEN where we tie-up at 21:00.

Monday 17th May
We sail at 07:00 and follow the twisting course of the Bergse Maas through typical Dutch villages and the ship-building town of Grave. Instead of continuing towards Belgium (where the river is known as the Meuse), we turn onto the Maas-Waalkanaal, then the River Waal through the city of Nijmegen. A few kilometres upstream, our ship will make a full turn in order to pass through the Pannerdens Kanaal to the Neder-Rijn, turning onto the Gelderse IJssel just south of Arnhem affording a glimpse of the three main distributaries of the Rhine. By 15:00 hours we moor at the delightful town of ZUTPHEN with ample time to explore. An optional guided walk will explore the medieval town and possibly a second excursion will be a whisper boat tour departing from the 14th century Berkel gate and cruising along the tiny River Berkel.

Tuesday 18th May
Departure at 07:00 sees us sailing a short distance downstream on the River IJssel before entering the Twente Kanaal. Between approximately 08:30 and 10:00, we will moor at the first lock (Eefde) for a visit behind the scenes and a look at the adjacent pumping station. Our voyage along the Twente Kanaal takes us through a thinly populated area known as the Achterhoek, literally the back corner of the Netherlands. The gently undulating countryside consists of frequent fields of maize and neat cottages often beneath a thatched roof. The few towns alongside the canal have industrial areas with wharves serviced by the steady flow of commercial barges. Pleasure craft come this way too; many take the Almelo Branch which provides for them a through connection to the northern Netherlands and Friesland. By 15:00, we reach the end of navigation in Enschede and transfer by coach to Haaksbergen for a round trip (included) by steam-hauled train to Boekelo. Meanwhile, Switzerland II sails empty back to DELDEN, a most attractive historic small town, where we re-join the ship for our overnight stay. An after dinner stroll is recommended.

Wednesday 19th May
We leave our mooring at 07:00 and return to the River IJssel heading north to the lovely city of DEVENTER by 13:30. Two alternative optional excursions will be on offer. Choose between a fascinating visit to the former Royal Palace of Het Loo in a woodland setting at Apeldoorn or a coach tour of the Apeldoorns Kanaal, currently being restored. We plan to cover most of this waterway between Hattem and Dieren, the towns that mark the two junctions of the canal with the IJssel.

Thursday 20th May
At 06:00 we continue our journey along the IJssel within sight of Zwolle, passing the town of Kampen turning onto the Zwartemeer to sail into ZWARTSLUIS by 11:00. An optional short excursion by coach will take us to Giethoorn, Holland’s quaintest water village. Many thatched roof homes are on tiny islands with enticing gardens and graceful bridges over the canals, which we will see by ‘whisper boat’. Sailing at 15:30, we return to Ketelmeer and the IJsselmeer to tie-up at LELYSTAD by about 18:30.

Friday 21st May
We remain at Lelystad until 11:30 for a visit to the Batavia Yard where a replica of the historic 7 Provinciën is under construction. Our voyage continues across the Markermeer toward Amsterdam where we head south on the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal. Shortly after passing Utrecht, we turn onto the older Merwede Kanaal to tie-up within the unusual lock, the Koninginnensluis, at VREESWIJK by about 19:00.

Saturday 22nd May
Either this morning or possibly Friday evening, we take a short walk to the Museum Yard at Vreeswijk. This is a well-presented museum in a shipyard that was saved from redevelopment by local people only a few years ago. At 10:00, we lock through to the River Lek and sail downstream to Krimpen a/d Lek and onward to DORDRECHT by 13:30. This afternoon, the beautifully restored steamtug Pieter Boele will operate two cruises, each of about 1½ hours, so that all passengers can enjoy a trip aboard this historic vessel.

Sunday 23rd May
It may be the day of disembarkation but even the last few hours are an interesting part of the cruise. We slip moorings at 06:00 and cruise the attractive Oude Maas which is the route taken by most commercial vessels to and from Europoort because it avoids the centre of Rotterdam. Near Spijkenisse, we enter the modern harbours and see a little of the huge commercial port before disembarkation in Rotterdam at 10:00.

BY RAIL TO LONDON
Coach transfer to Rotterdam Centraal for an InterCity train to Brussels connecting with the following Eurostar
Brussels Midi 14:59
London St. Pancras 16:00

BY SEA TO HULL
With luggage loaded aboard our coach, we make a short drive to the heart of Rotterdam city centre. Here there will be free time (until 16:30) to explore the museums; the Maritime Museum tends to head the list for WW readers, but also popular are the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (art), the Netherlands Fotomuseum and the Netherlands Architecture Institute (don’t miss The Sonneveld House built in 1933). Other popular attractions include the Cube House, Railz Miniworld, Rotterdam Port Experience and the Euromast. Also, subject to the opening date, the renovated ss Rotterdam. You will be spoilt for choice! Own arrangements for lunch. Then by coach to the P&O Terminal checking in at Europoort between 17:30 and 18:00. There will be a buffet dinner on board before sailing at 21:00.

Monday 24th May
BY SEA TO HULL (cont’d)
Following the buffet breakfast on board, the ferry docks in Hull at 08:00.

CRUISE PRICES
Prices per person
EMERALD DECK
2-berth standard cabin - £1479 (by sea), or £1329 (by rail)
EMERALD DECK
2-berth Mini Suite - £1529 (by sea), or £1379 (by rail)
EMERALD DECK
Single or sole use - £1629 (by sea), or £1479 (by rail)
RUBY DECK
2-berth standard cabin - £1529 (by sea), or £1379 by rail
RUBY DECK
3-person cabin - £1460 (by sea), or £1329 (by rail)
RUBY DECK
2-berth Luxury Suite - £1629 (by sea), or £1479 (by rail)

Optional Sea Supplement
Sole use of cabin on P&O Ferries £60

Optional Rail Supplement:
Leisure Select/1st class including meals on Eurostar £85

Travel Insurance (see page 15 of brochure)
£35.50

You must take out travel insurance, either the scheme to which we can introduce you or an alternative policy providing adequate cover for your needs.

Deposit per person: £300

The Price Includes:
BOTH ROUTES
7-night cruise aboard Switzerland II in a 2-berth standard cabin on Emerald deck with shower & wc, full-board from dinner on 16th May to breakfast on 23rd May, steam train at Haaksbergen, Museum Yard at Vreeswijk, steamtug Pieter Boele.

BY RAIL (depart 16th May)
Second class return travel from London to Rotterdam, coach transfers to the ship.

BY SEA (depart 15th May)
Return crossing from Hull to Rotterdam with a berth in a 2-berth sea view cabin including dinner and breakfast buffets in both directions, all coach transfers and the shipyard De Delft with light lunch.