6 Night Cruise sailing from Haarlem roundtrip aboard La Nouvelle Etoile.

NOTE: This is a sample itinerary and will be subject to change.

Sunday, Day 1 Zaandam
Embark the hotel barge moored in the centre of Haarlem for a champagne welcome. Haarlem is quite a charming and cosmopolitan city full of historical beauty. St. Bavo’s Cathedral in the main square is where both Mozart and Handel played on its magnificent Muller organ. There’s time to relax as you cruise this afternoon to Zaandam before your first gourmet dinner on board.

Monday, Day 2 Zaandam to Ouderkerk
Enjoy breakfast and then take an excursion to the reconstructed historic village of Zaanse Schans with its working windmills, clog makers, cheese farm and mustard mill. Everything the Dutch are known for can be found in this quaint village. This afternoon cruise through the heart of Amsterdam where the small canals and architecture take you back to a previous century. Continue cruising along the Amstel River to Uithoorn where we will moor for the night. Dinner on board.

Tuesday, Day 3 Ouderkerk to Gouda
This morning we take a leisure cruise to Gouda, famous for its cheese, pipes and candles. After lunch, visit a local cheese farm and explore Gouda’s gorgeous architecture, excellent shopping and also the most beautiful stained glass windows in Holland. These remarkable windows in St. John’s church date back to the 15th century. Enjoy dinner on board.We enjoy an early morning cruise to the historic city of Haarlem, dating back to the 13th century. After lunch on board, this afternoon marks a highlight of the week with a visit to the world famous Keukenhof Gardens, known as the ‘Garden of Europe’. There are more than 100 acres filled with over 7 million flowering bulbs and we stroll through a breath-taking backdrop of colour on this unforgettable half-day excursion. Dinner ashore this evening at a local restaurant.

Wednesday, Day 4 Gouda to Delft
After breakfast this morning we cruise to Rotterdam, the world’s largest port, stopping at a vodka distillery en route, Ketel One is the oldest distillery in Holland still owned by the same family. We then continue to Delft. Delft is a beautiful town with many historic connections including being one of the starting chambers of the Dutch East India Company and the birthplace of artist Jan Vermeer. The day’s visit also includes a tour of a factory to learn how the world famous pottery is made. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around this delightful and historic Dutch city. Dinner on board.

Thursday, Day 5 Delft to Oude Wetering
Continuing our voyage, we cruise through the canals past Leiden, a charming University town. It is also where many of the Pilgrims lived before they ventured to the New World. Cross the Brasemmer Lakes to Oude Wetering. After lunch, spend the afternoon at the famous Keukenhof Gardens, a 70 acre showcase for the Dutch floral industry. From late March to mid-May, visitors are treated to an ever-changing display of spring flowers beginning with narcissus followed by hyacinths and tulips a few weeks later. Dinner on board.

Friday, Day 6 Oude Wetering to Haarlem
An early morning visit brings you to the worlds largest flower auction in Aalsmeer, where some 10 billion flowers are sold annually. Return to La Nouvelle for a cruise to Haarlem with an optional visit to the Cruquius Museum along the way. The Cruquius pumping station is a beautiful neo-Gothic building built in 1846. Visit the picturesque town of Haarlem and the Frans Hals Museum which has an internationally well-known collection of Old Masters and works representative of the Dutch Golden Age. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner on board.

Saturday, Day 7 Haarlem
After breakfast, disembark La Nouvelle Etoile

La Nouvelle Etoile has been designed to offer a very high level of comfort and convenience, to provide an on board blend of traditional elegance and modern-day facilities.

The spacious, air conditioned saloon with its attractive cocktail bar, piano and elegant furnishings provides a truly sophisticated setting, while other amenities include an exercise room and a lift.
Each of the four generous 200 sq ft cabin suites is lavishly equipped and the en suite bathrooms feature double hand-basins and oversized showers. On deck there is a large sun deck with comfortable loungers and a hot tub, as well as bicycles for you to pedal along the nearby towpath.

This cruise on the luxurious La Nouvelle Etoile is a journey back in time through a picturesque landscape along two delightful canals, including France’s oldest, the Canal de Briare. She also cruises in Alsace, Champagne, Holland, Belgium, Picardy, Germany and Luxembourg in Spring and Autumn.

We have been involved in all aspects of the hotel barge and travel industry for over 35 years including designing, building, owning and operating our fleet of luxury hotel barges. We have gradually refined our barge cruise holidays into unique travel experiences, which are just waiting to be discovered.

Our fully crewed, all inclusive luxury hotel barges cruise the inland waterways of nine European countries, along canals, rivers, lakes, lagoons and lochs, giving you the opportunity to experience life there from a truly unique perspective.

Our hotel barges are ideal for people looking for either an individual cruise with other like-minded people, or for those choosing a whole barge charter for a family or group of friends.

On your all-inclusive cruise, your ‘floating boutique hotel’ glides gently along while you relax and enjoy gourmet cuisine, fine wines and the company of fellow passengers. There will be guided tours to castles, chateaux, vineyards, markets and when you return to the barge, you can be sure our dedicated, professional crew will be there to look after you once more.