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NETHERLANDS

Adventures Afloat: The Old Masters: Art Treasures of Holland by River

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 Netherlands

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 Adventure Afloat Study Cruise

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Road Scholar
Program #19504RJ

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9 Days | 8 Nights
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Love to learn in a small-group setting? This collection of programs has at most 10-24 participants.
See our Small Group programs.
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EasyFor people looking to exercise their minds more than their bodies. There’s minimal walking and not too many stairs.
ModerateThese programs get you on your feet and include activities such as walking up to a mile in a day through a city and standing in a museum for a few hours.
ActiveFor people who enjoy walking as much as two miles a day, perhaps to explore historic neighborhoods or a nature trail.
Moderately ChallengingFor hardy explorers who enjoy a good physical challenge, spending most of their days on the go.
ChallengingGet ready to keep up with our highest-energy group. These demanding — and rewarding — programs are for seasoned outdoor enthusiasts.

Program Details > Daily Schedule

Itinerary for May 11 — May 19, 2012

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Day One: Friday, May 11 - International Flight 
Afternoon: Board an overnight flight.

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Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is chartered exclusively for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Iris was put into service in April 2005. The barge is 148' long x 22' wide.

Contact info:
x
x, Netherlands
phone: +31 651552268
Room amenities: Cabins are double occupancy with private bath with shower, sink and toilet. There is a porthole in the cabin, however it does not open, as there is heat and air-conditioning in all individual cabins.

Facility amenities: The Iris is a comfort class deluxe barge, with a salon on the upper deck where meals are served, a climate-controlled sitting area, a sun deck and a small bar. On the lower deck, there are 12 double occupancy cabins with twin lower beds.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Two: Saturday, May 12 - Arrive in Amsterdam/Zaanse Schans/Free Time in Amsterdam/Welcome... 
Arrive in Amsterdam/Zaanse Schans/Free Time in Amsterdam/Welcome Dinner

Morning: Arrival at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Transfer to the Zaanse Schans, a village with windmills, a klompen maker (wooden shoes) and a fabulous pancake house.

Lunch: Pancake house.

Afternoon: After lunch we continue to Amsterdam and board our barge. Meet the crew and pay close attention to the captain's safety orientation. The balance of the afternoon is yours to relax or explore the city.

Dinner: Welcome dinner aboard the barge.

Evening: All evenings are free to explore on your own or relax.

Lodging: Iris Barge

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is chartered exclusively for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Iris was put into service in April 2005. The barge is 148' long x 22' wide.

Contact info:
x
x, Netherlands
phone: +31 651552268
Room amenities: Cabins are double occupancy with private bath with shower, sink and toilet. There is a porthole in the cabin, however it does not open, as there is heat and air-conditioning in all individual cabins.

Facility amenities: The Iris is a comfort class deluxe barge, with a salon on the upper deck where meals are served, a climate-controlled sitting area, a sun deck and a small bar. On the lower deck, there are 12 double occupancy cabins with twin lower beds.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Three: Sunday, May 13 - Barge to Haarlem/Frans Hals Museum 
Breakfast: Aboard the barge.

Morning: This morning we depart Amsterdam and barge to Haarlem.

Lunch: Free to sample local fare.

Afternoon: After lunch we visit the Frans Hals Museum. A lecture will introduce this famous Dutch painter (1581-1666). Hals was commissioned to paint Amsterdam's civic guards with the understanding that he paint in Amsterdam. However, he became tired of traveling between Haarlem and Amsterdam and, when pressed to finish the painting, missed the deadline and didn't get paid. His contemporary, Pieter Codde, finished the painting, called Meagre Company, a reference to the short men in comparison to guards in other paintings. Afterwards, we enjoy a lecture and field trip of this fine museum.

Dinner: Dinner aboard the barge.

Lodging: Iris Barge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is chartered exclusively for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Iris was put into service in April 2005. The barge is 148' long x 22' wide.

Contact info:
x
x, Netherlands
phone: +31 651552268
Room amenities: Cabins are double occupancy with private bath with shower, sink and toilet. There is a porthole in the cabin, however it does not open, as there is heat and air-conditioning in all individual cabins.

Facility amenities: The Iris is a comfort class deluxe barge, with a salon on the upper deck where meals are served, a climate-controlled sitting area, a sun deck and a small bar. On the lower deck, there are 12 double occupancy cabins with twin lower beds.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Four: Monday, May 14 - Flower Auction House 
Breakfast: Breakfast aboard the barge.

Morning: This morning we bus to Aalsmeer, to the largest flower auction in The Netherlands. Here we take a field trip through acres of flowers and plants. We can also watch the bidding as buyers from all over Europe compete with one another. Soon afterwards, the trucks leave for the distributors, and some flowers head for the airport on the way to the USA. The next day they may be for sale in your flower shop. Following our visit, we return to our barge waiting in Leiden, Rembrandt's birthplace and, appropriately, our home for the night.

Lunch: Aboard the barge.

Afternoon: You are free for independent exploration of Leiden this afternoon.

Dinner: Dinner aboard the barge.

Lodging: Iris Barge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is chartered exclusively for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Iris was put into service in April 2005. The barge is 148' long x 22' wide.

Contact info:
x
x, Netherlands
phone: +31 651552268
Room amenities: Cabins are double occupancy with private bath with shower, sink and toilet. There is a porthole in the cabin, however it does not open, as there is heat and air-conditioning in all individual cabins.

Facility amenities: The Iris is a comfort class deluxe barge, with a salon on the upper deck where meals are served, a climate-controlled sitting area, a sun deck and a small bar. On the lower deck, there are 12 double occupancy cabins with twin lower beds.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Five: Tuesday, May 15 - Johannes Vermeer/Delft Porcelain Works 
Breakfast: Breakfast aboard the barge.

Morning: Our morning starts with a lecture on Johannes Vermeer, whose paintings were known for their small details: holes in the wall or a broken pane of glass. Alas, Vermeer died at a very early age, 43, but his paintings live on forever. Afterwards we visit the Mauritshouse and attend a lecture and field trip of Vermeer's paintings including the Girl with the Pearl Earring, the painting on which the popular movie by the same name was based.

Lunch: Free to sample local fare.

Afternoon: We barge to Delft and visit The Porceleyne Fles, the oldest surviving porcelain factory in The Netherlands. Here we enjoy a lecture and field trip before heading back to our barge.

Dinner: Dinner aboard the barge.

Lodging: Iris Barge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is chartered exclusively for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Iris was put into service in April 2005. The barge is 148' long x 22' wide.

Contact info:
x
x, Netherlands
phone: +31 651552268
Room amenities: Cabins are double occupancy with private bath with shower, sink and toilet. There is a porthole in the cabin, however it does not open, as there is heat and air-conditioning in all individual cabins.

Facility amenities: The Iris is a comfort class deluxe barge, with a salon on the upper deck where meals are served, a climate-controlled sitting area, a sun deck and a small bar. On the lower deck, there are 12 double occupancy cabins with twin lower beds.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Six: Wednesday, May 16 - Boijmans Museum/Pilgrim Church 
Breakfast: Breakfast aboard the barge.

Morning: We barge this morning to Rotterdam and attend a lecture on the different schools of painting. Then we explore the Boijmans Museum with its fine collection of Old Masters (Van Eyck, Fabricius, J. Bosch) with a lecture and field trip.

Lunch: Aboard the barge.

Afternoon: This afternoon we'll take you to a church where the pilgrims said their last prayers before sailing for England where they boarded the Mayflower for the United States. A lecture on this important part of our history will conclude the day before we return to the barge.

Dinner: Dinner aboard the barge.

Lodging: Iris Barge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is chartered exclusively for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Iris was put into service in April 2005. The barge is 148' long x 22' wide.

Contact info:
x
x, Netherlands
phone: +31 651552268
Room amenities: Cabins are double occupancy with private bath with shower, sink and toilet. There is a porthole in the cabin, however it does not open, as there is heat and air-conditioning in all individual cabins.

Facility amenities: The Iris is a comfort class deluxe barge, with a salon on the upper deck where meals are served, a climate-controlled sitting area, a sun deck and a small bar. On the lower deck, there are 12 double occupancy cabins with twin lower beds.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Seven: Thursday, May 17 - Catharina Gasthuis/St. John's Church 
Breakfast: Breakfast aboard the barge.

Morning: Our floating hotel will take us this morning to Gouda. Here we visit the Catharina Gasthuis for an unusual lecture and field trip. The museum exhibits altar panels, painted in the Golden Age, by Dirck Barendsz, Antonie Blocklandt, Pieter Pourdus and Jan Steen.

Lunch: Free to explore the local restaurants.

Afternoon: After lunch we'll visit the St. John's Church and attend a lecture and admire the famous windows with biblical scenes.

Dinner: Dinner aboard the barge.

Lodging: Iris Barge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is chartered exclusively for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Iris was put into service in April 2005. The barge is 148' long x 22' wide.

Contact info:
x
x, Netherlands
phone: +31 651552268
Room amenities: Cabins are double occupancy with private bath with shower, sink and toilet. There is a porthole in the cabin, however it does not open, as there is heat and air-conditioning in all individual cabins.

Facility amenities: The Iris is a comfort class deluxe barge, with a salon on the upper deck where meals are served, a climate-controlled sitting area, a sun deck and a small bar. On the lower deck, there are 12 double occupancy cabins with twin lower beds.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Eight: Friday, May 18 - Barge to Amsterdam/ Independent Exploration 
Breakfast: Aboard the barge.

Morning: We will barge to Amsterdam this morning.

Lunch: Free to explore local restaurants.

Afternoon: This afternoon you'll have time to visit a museum or see the Anne Frank House. Amsterdam has many terraces where you can watch the locals (and tourists) go about their business while you enjoy a Heineken or a cup of coffee.

Dinner: Farewell Dinner

Lodging: Iris Barge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day Nine: Saturday, May 19 - Departure 
Breakfast: Aboard the barge.

Morning: Transfer to the airport for departure.

Meals Included: Breakfast
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Important information about your itinerary:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date.
Currently selected:Prices Starting At:
May 11 — May 19, 2012 waitlist only  

Our Value Promise To You

You won't find a better value.

Included
at no additional cost on this date ...
•7 nights of accommodations
•17 meals: 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 7 dinners
•9 Expert-led lectures
•9 Field trips
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Ratings

4.8
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