Per my grandmother’s request, my extended family joined her and my grandfather on a 7-night Rhine River cruise, starting in Amsterdam. This cruise was over a year in the making, and a total of 12 of us were able to join in the fun. This was a Viking River Cruise, and as their advertisements say, it was certainly a great trip with fantastic service.
Arriving in Amsterdam
Upon arriving in Amsterdam, we were met right outside of customs by a Viking agent. We were then walked to a bus, where we left our luggage outside the front door, and boarded. This was the last time we picked up our luggage until settling into our staterooms. We were then driven to our boat – the esteemed Viking Kara.
On the boat, we were met with warm towels to cleanse our hands and faces as we stepped onto our home for the next week. Most staterooms weren’t ready – we arrived about 11:00 a.m., but mine was! A buffet set up for us to enjoy out on the terrace – and we were happy to partake! We quickly made plans on what to do next – we wanted to see as much as possible before jet lag set in.
Heart of Amsterdam
Buses were running to and from the heart of Amsterdam, so we jumped on one, and headed into the city. The Kara had an unfortunate draw this week and was docked outside the city. However, this allowed us to see more of the landscape, so I thought it was great. They were offering walking tours of the city, but we wanted to get a head start. We were provided with maps, and a few helpful hints as we got off the bus, and away we went.
We walked through China Town, then crossed over a canal and into the Red Light district – complete with women sitting in the windows, waiting for a caller. Next we checked out the Basilica of St. Nicholas, a Catholic church. It hadn’t occurred to us that is was Sunday, and so the church might be in service, but it was. A Spanish mass was in progress, and seeing as how none of us are Catholic, we didn’t stay long.
Viking Walking Tour
The walking tour, as we understood, would start at 1:30, from in front of the church. Turns out we misunderstood. The tour started from the boat, where apparently some important info was given – bring the head seats in your stateroom with you, so you can hear the guide on the tour. So we were ready for the walking tour at 1:30 – but no one else was there. At about 1:40 a Viking agent arrived and explained that the 1:30 start time was from the boat, and the group would arrive in another 15 minutes. In the mean time we talked to the agent about life in Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
Soon the group arrived, and they all had devices around their necks, and earpieces in their ears; we quickly caught on that these devices were to hear the tour guide. As the group began walking down the street, we joined them in seeing the sites. I can’t tell you exactly what we saw, other than the coffee shops and Red Light District, which speak for themselves. We did catch on to the fact that there are a lot of churches in this area. Those that are Catholic have crosses on their steeples. Those that are Protestant have roosters rising above them. This was helpful later allowing us to identify the type of church we were seeing from afar.
Back to the Kara
After the tour the fatigue was setting in, so we opted to head back to the boat. A shower and a change of clothes were just what the doctor ordered! After exploring the ship, it was time for our welcome briefing – which included the do’s and don’ts of the ship and our cruise itinerary. Next was dinner in the restaurant, where the crew served all 150 passengers at the same setting. After dinner, a band joined us in the lounge, for singing and dancing. We finished the night up on the sun deck, as the sun was setting around 10:15 p.m.
