Tulips from Amsterdam

A great plus in the Cruising Industry is getting the chance to visit beautiful ships large and small in iconic places and earlier this week I was given that opportunity to visit one of the loveliest River Cruise ships – the stunning Crystal Bach in sunny Amsterdam – just for the day!

I was able to take a flight out of my local airport Southampton in the fog – and just an hour later I was landing in sun-soaked Amsterdam. If you’ve never done it before Schiphol airport is an easy 10 minute train ride into central Amsterdam and from there the River Cruise ships are docked an easy 5-10 minute stroll away.

It’s a busy time of year for Amsterdam as many River Cruises operate in and out of the city’s canals to take in the beautiful Keukenhof Gardens showcasing the millions of spectacular tulips flowering in the Springtime.

The Crystal Bach offers the ultimate luxury in river cruising with every suite offering a Juliet balcony, 24 hour butler service, complimentary shore excursions and an all inclusive drinks package (including champagne!) also covering gratuities as well.  This size of ship would normally accommodate 150 passengers, but Crystal Bach has a maximum capacity of 106 and so can offer more space both in the suites and in the tastefully decorated public rooms.

If you have never experienced river cruising before it is the ultimate in customer experience as the ships are so much smaller. The staff to passenger ratio is 106:68 and so in short the customer enjoyment is much higher.

The Bach unusually has an indoor pool with swim jets so clients can enjoy it in all weathers.  There is also a gym and a small spa area.  Up on the sun deck there is a ‘pop up’ bar with modern technology and so pops down when going under low bridges!  There are ample comfortable sun beds and a covered seating area to be able to watch the world go by. The main lounge area has a mostly glassed roof and so adds to the sense of space and light.

The suites on board range in size from 20 metres squared to 71 metres squared in the 2 bedroom suites – see for yourself how lovely they are:

As expected, the food was amazing with a huge choice of salads, soups, freshly cooked pasta to your taste and a hot buffet with a choice of three different meats, fish, vegetarian options.  The dessert display looked fantastic too!

Contact me for information on River Cruises!