Grace, 7 Night Heart of Belgium & Holland – Northbound ex Brussels (Brugge), Belgium to Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Be as active as you like as you venture off-the-beaten rivers to charming inland waterways in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Here daily life unfolds in leisurely bicycle rides along country lanes, guided walking tours in quintessential Dutch villages steeped in history and cultural riches, a beer tasting at a Belgian brewery, a visit to the newly opened Royal Museum of Fine Art in Antwerp, a canal boat cruise in Amsterdam and an unforgettable dinner at a 14th-century castle on a private island open just for Tauck guests.

Day 1
Tour begins: 4:00 PM. A transfer is included from Brussels Airport or train station to your riverboat; check-in time is 4:00 PM. Join us aboard your riverboat for a welcome reception followed by dinner.

Day 2
Enjoy a day in Brussels, exploring the sights with local guides who share insider anecdotes about life here past and present on a choice of excursions. See landmark sights that speak volumes about history, from its Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture to the Guild Houses lining Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or experience culinary discoveries that tempt with a taste of chocolate, waffles and beer, perfected through the generations. After free time to enjoy as you wish, return to the riverboat as it sets sail for Antwerp. Dinner is at leisure tonight.

Day 3
Belgium’s largest port city, Antwerp has long been a magnet for art lovers and diamond traders. It was of Europe’s most important – and one of its richest – cities in the mid-16th century when merchants traded sugar and diamonds here. Golden Age artists Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and Frans Snyders called Antwerp home in the 17th century and Renaissance monuments and a still unfinished 13th-century cathedral enrich the variety of architectural styles that grace its medieval heart. Join a local guide on a walking tour that explores the historic gems of this lively town, from bustling Grote Market to medieval guild houses, baroque churches, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and atmospheric squares. Following a morning of exploration in Antwerp proper and lunch aboard your ship, you’ll be met with a choice of excursions this afternoon! One option offers you a visit to the newly renovated and recently reopened Royal Museum of Fine Arts for a look at its impressive collection of art from the 14th through the 20th century, with an impressive hall dedicated to the art of its native son, Pieter Paul Rubens. Another takes you on brewery tour across the city highlighted with tastings of the city’s famous Belgian beers at local establishments. Your final choice offers you additional time to spend the afternoon exploring as you wish in Antwerp. Cocktails and dinner are at leisure tonight onboard ship.

Day 4
You’re off on a choice of excursions this morning. One brings you to flemish city of Bruges, known as “the Venice of the North,” for its canals and tiny medieval streets; have lunch in town. On your walking tour in cobblestoned, fairy tale-like Bruges, you’ll feel like you’ve walked into a painting by Jan Van Eyck, who captured life in the city during its heyday in the 15th century. The hike up the stairs of the medieval bell tower is well worth the effort; you’ll be rewarded with wonderful panoramic views. The other choice brings you to another flemish city, Ghent, for a walking tour through its Old Town; the pedestrian-friendly cobblestoned town center feels like an outdoor museum of early Flemish architecture. Think about climbing to the top of the 14th-century belfry, crowned with a dragon, for the view – Ghent laid out before you is a visual feast of castles, churches, and historic merchants’ houses. Be sure to try the local specialty, Ghent noses, a traditional raspberry candy sold at stands on the street – or a warm waffle with sugar or honey. Have cocktails and dinner onboard as your riverboat charts a course towards Gorinchem.

Day 5
Voted “the most beautiful fortified town in the Netherlands,” Gorinchem was founded in 1,000 AD, fortified in the 13th and 14th centuries, and today boasts the largest fully intact fort in the Netherlands. A quintessentially Dutch town with flowers and windmills, it is surrounded by green polders with grazing cows. The city was originally part of the Dutch Waterline of defense and the historic city center is still a well preserved walled fortress. Join our local guide for a walking tour of its historic heart, viewing its charming canals, the well-preserved Renaissance-style and medieval architecture, and pretty parks and gardens. Explore as you wish this afternoon, before joining us for a Tauck Exclusive dinner at Slot Loevestein. Set in a nature reserve on a private island, the 14th-century castle has served as a prison, residence and toll taker; tonight it will be yours to enjoy as the island and castle are open for Tauck guests only.

Day 6
Enjoy a choice of guided shore excursions as your riverboat is docked in Rotterdam, founded as a fishing village in the 13th century. A living monument to Holland’s Golden Age until it was bombed to rubble during World War II, the city today welcomes with world-class architecture and urban design, along with surviving traces of Old Rotterdam in Delfshaven (Delft Harbor) and Oude Haven (Old Harbor). You may choose to stay in town to explore the sights with a local guide, with time at leisure to explore as you wish; embark on a guided excursion to Leiden, the birthplace of Rembrandt, and home to charming architecture, canals and historic sights, including the country’s oldest university or get to know Rotterdam on a beer tour across the city. Return to the riverboat late afternoon; following dinner this evening, enjoy musical entertainment in the Lounge.

Day 7
Spend the day in the world-famous 17th century capital of Holland, known for its artistic heritage, historic canals, and narrow houses with gabled facades, living legacies of the city’s Golden Age. Art masterpieces hang in its acclaimed museums, including the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, where the Old Masters hold court. Bicycles and canal boats are key to the city’s character; gardens bloom with Dutch bulbs; and its cultural treasures are among the most significant Europe. You have a choice of excursions today, each offering great insight into Dutch life. One takes you on a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum, seeing such works as The Milkmaid by Vermeer, Self-portrait by Van Gogh, The Merry Family by Jan Steen and Rembrandt’s Night Watch. The other brings you to the nearby city of Volendam for a bike ride past dikes, windmills and small bridges on your way to a local farm for a cheese-making lesson. Return to your riverboat for a farewell toast and dinner followed by a musical performance.

Day 8
Tour Ends: Amsterdam. Disembark your riverboat this morning by 9:00 AM. A transfer is included from Tauck’s riverboat to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport or Centraal Station. Fly home anytime. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.

Our new Inspiration Class ships maintain Tauck’s high standards for luxury and comfort… ms Grace will cruise exclusively on the Rhine River. With a maximum of 130 guests, ms Grace and her sister ships ms Joy, ms Savor and ms Inspire continue our tradition of providing the most space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways – we will transport the fewest passengers of any longship (135 meters). Our deck plan for our Inspiration Class riverboats is innovative. With a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest… so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot-suites aboard ms Grace and her sister ships – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open.

Inspirational cruising… and the promise of fun. Cruise travel at its best.

What makes Tauck’s Small Ship Cruising and River Cruising unique is our focus on the destination – in scenic ports of call that connect you with people and places… moving, compelling and heart-warming experiences onboard and ashore… inspiration through Tauck’s cruise travel. We cast anchor in pristine bays, off island beaches and at docks accustomed to personal yachts… in small towns and villages along the great rivers of Europe… and in some of the world’s favorite cities. Our time ashore is enriched by in-depth cultural exploration and insider access that ensures up-close-and-personal connections with the locals and daily life. Our cruise travel adventures include guided sightseeing with local experts such as naturalists, historians, and accomplished lecturers. You’ll dine on regional cuisine on land at aboard ship that showcases specialties of the destination. And after a day of extraordinary sightseeing, we welcome you back onboard our hand-picked vessels for warm camaraderie and lively conversation that’s inherent on every Tauck cruise travel experience. The stories are endless, the memories are timeless and the connections priceless.

Select the Deck to view detail.

Grace - Emerald Deck

Grace - Ruby Deck

Grace - Diamond Deck

Grace - Sun Deck

Select the Cabin to view detail.

Category 1 Cabin

Situated on the Emerald Deck, six 150-square-foot Category 1 cabins each feature Molton Brown toiletries, a Tauck Exclusive.

Category 2 Cabin

Three Category 2 cabins are located on the Ruby Deck, measuring 150 square feet and featuring one floor-to-ceiling French Balcony with one sliding door.

Category 3 Cabin

1. One-and-a-half deck window that opens at the top, electronically controlled
2. Loft sitting area
3. 4 steps up to loft area
4. Railing
5. Full-sized bathroom featuring enhanced lighting, additional storage and a hair dryer
6. Large shower featuring rainfall shower head
7. Closets
8. Storage / drawers
9. Safe
10. Minibar stocked with complimentary water and soft drinks, replenished daily
11. Pillow top queen-sized bed, 62 inches x 77 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration)
12. Padded headboard with reading lamps
13. Storage / drawers (credenza not visible from this perspective)
14. 32” LED TV (on credenza below; not visible from this perspective)

Additional Amenities

Innovatively designed 225 sq. ft. “split-level” loft cabins

400 thread count cotton linens / white duvets and pillows of mako cotton with hypoallergenic 90% down filling

Window (98 inches x 114 inches) can be partially opened

Molton Brown toiletries – a Tauck Exclusive

Terry-cloth bathrobes plus slippers

220v and 110v outlets in cabin and bathroom

Built-in closet with drawers

Easy under-bed luggage storage

Telephone and individual climate control

Onboard wi-fi available

Category 4 Cabin

Elegantly designed 190 sq. ft. cabins

Bed size: 62 inches X 77 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration)

400 thread count cotton linenswhite duvets and pillows of mako cotton with hypoallergenic 90% down filling

One floor-to-ceiling French Balcony (98 inches wide x 75 inches high) with one sliding door that opens

Bathroom with marble counters, larger showers with rainfall shower heads, enhanced lighting, and under-sink storage space

Molton Brown toiletries – a Tauck Exclusive

Terry-cloth bathrobe plus slippers

Minibar stocked with complimentary water and soft drinks replenished daily

32” LED TV

220v and 110v outlets in cabin and bathroom

Built-in closet and drawers

Easy under-bed luggage storage

Telephone, safe and individual climate control

2 chairs

Onboard wi-fi available

Category 5 Cabin

Located on Diamond Deck and Ruby Deck. (Images shown are of the Ruby Deck cabins)

Two 190-square-foot Category 5 corner cabins are set extreme forward on the Diamond Deck.

Eight spacious, Category 5 cabins on the Ruby Deck measuring 225 square feet.

1. One floor-to-ceiling French balcony (98 inches x 75 inches) with one sliding door that opens
2. 32” LED TV
3. Storage / drawers
4. Pillow top queen-sized bed, 62 inches x 77 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration)
5. Padded headboard with reading lamps
6. Safe
7. Minibar stocked with complimentary water and soft drinks, replenished daily
8. Large closet
9. Full-size bathroom featuring enhanced lighting, additional storage and hair dryer
10. Large shower featuring rainfall shower head

Additional Amentities:

400 thread count cotton linens / white duvets and pillows of mako cotton with hypoallergenic 90% down filling

Molton Brown toiletries – a Tauck Exclusive

Terry-cloth bathrobes plus slippers

220v and 110v outlets in cabin and bathroom

Easy under-bed luggage storage

Telephone and individual climate control

Onboard wi-fi available

Category 6 Cabin

Sixteen elegant 225-square-foot Category 6 cabins, each featuring a floor-to-ceiling French balcony with one sliding door, are situated aft on the Ruby Deck.

1. One floor-to-ceiling French balcony (98 inches x 75 inches) with one sliding door that opens
2. 32” LED TV
3. Full-sized window (98 inches x 37.5 inches)
4. Pillow top queen-sized bed, 62 inches X 77 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration)
5. Padded headboard with reading lamps
6. Storage / drawers
7. Minibar stocked with complimentary water and soft drinks, replenished daily
8. Large closet
9. Safe
10. Full-sized bathroom featuring enhanced lighting, additional storage and hair dryer
11. Large shower featuring rainfall shower head

Additional Amenities

Elegantly designed 225 sq. ft. cabins

400 thread count cotton linens / white duvets and pillows of mako cotton with hypoallergenic 90% down filling

Molton Brown toiletries – a Tauck Exclusive

Terry-cloth bathrobes plus slippers

220v and 110v outlets in cabin and bathroom

Easy under-bed luggage storage

Telephone and individual climate control

Onboard wi-fi available

Category 7 Suite

22 luxurious 300-square-foot Category 7 suites on the Diamond Deck boast two floor-to-ceiling French balconies with sliding doors and full-size bathrooms.

1. Two floor-to-ceiling French balconies, each 98 inches x 75 inches with one sliding door that opens
2. 32″ LED TV
3. Pull-out sleeping couch (triple & quad capacity; quads for children only)
4. Walk-in closet with built-in shelves and a safe
5. Minibar stocked with complimentary water and soft drinks, replenished daily
6. Storage / drawers
7. Coffee maker
8. Full-size bathroom featuring enhanced lighting, marble counters, additional storage and a hair dryer
9. Large shower featuring rainfall shower head (note: no bathtub)
10. Pillow top queen-sized bed, 62 inches x 77 inches (with optional twin-bed capacity)
11. Padded headboard with reading lamps

Additional Amentities

Elegantly designed 300 sq. ft. suites

400 thread count cotton linens / white duvets and pillows of mako cotton with hypoallergenic 90% down filling

Molton Brown toiletries – a Tauck Exclusive

Terry-cloth bathrobes plus slippers

Breakfast room service

Iron plus ironing board

220v and 110v outlets in cabin and bathroom

Easy under-bed luggage storage

Telephone and individual climate control

Onboard wi-fi available