Belgium and Holland in Spring 2022
Going on the May 15, 2022 MS Esprit trip on the Rhine. I know it is early....very early....but the trip is almost full, so I figured some folks might be looking on here for information. We are arriving in Amsterdam on the 14th and staying at the W Amsterdam Hotel. I am looking at the on-off tour bus on one day and/or a private guide on the other. We don't check in on the 15th until 16:00 so there is a lot of time on that day. I've used private tours in the past and they are usually very nice and not real expensive. If anyone is interested in sharing, let me know. There are a couple of places on the cruise that we have some free time and I might use another private guide for a free afternoon at a place Tauck may not take us. Time will tell.
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The W hotel is right by the palace. You may be lucky and be able to check in early. We liked the hotel but many did not. The roof top breakfast area has great outdoor views.
We've done Amsterdam twice - once at the start and once at the end of a river cruise. I enjoyed the canal boat cruises that were included in the Tauck itinerary but not sure a bus tour would be high on my list. So much of the central area is so close together that it's hard to get a visual from a bus or car. Our last time there we added 3 days post cruise to see sites we'd missed before. The two we most enjoyed were the day at Zaanse Schans (windmills) which we got to using public transport bus though there are plenty of private tours to see that. We also went to the Maritime Museum which was very well done. Interesting high tech displays, excellent restaurant and not crowded. The bus and tram system around the city is excellent and our concierge could sell us day passes.
We did not like the W. Our room in the main building had a very strange layout which we really disliked. Those in rooms across the street seemed much happier.
Across the street in another hotel, or another building of the same hotel? The W is the Tauck hotel provided.
Across the street in the W. I believe it’s called the bank building.
There are two separate buildings to the hotel,Think we were in the bank side. The rooms were funky, we loved our room
I was also in bank side and agree with you British the rooms were funky but I loved it.
We're only in the W one night, pre-tour. I can't imagine it is that bad, no matter what the room layout is; given the quality of every Tauck hotel I've stayed in.
Nvdb, you obviously haven’t been on the same tours where some hotels are basic, but in great locations. We’ve been in ones where only one person can be in the bathroom at once etc etc, but we don’t mind, you are in them so little. Sometimes it’s hardly worth paying premium prices when all you do is sleep there. If the start or end hotel is fancy, that’s great when we arrive early or depart a day or so after the tour. As I say, the W is funky, we loved it.
I've been in a couple of Tauck hotels that weren't what I expected. The trip to Ireland comes to mind as one...not sure. However, like you said, you aren't in them very much, so I usually don't get too upset.
We stayed in the Royal Horseguards in London for one Tauck trip. Great hotel. I had a room with a great view of the Thames and London Eye. However, the guy who was in the room next to us was smoking (non-smoking room), playing his music a full volume at 01:00, yelling and screaming...I called the front desk and asked them to have him turn down his music and stop smoking. No response. I went and knocked on his door at about 02:00 as asked him personally. He called a bloody **** American (I plead guilty), but I still asked him to settle down. I then went down to the front desk and talked to the night manager who asked me, "What do you want me to do?" I said go quiet him down. We are getting close to 03:00 now. Finally, the night manager said he would put us in another room, which turned out to be a room with no windows and about the size of a broom closet. I told him, "We haven't done anything wrong and I'm not going to be punished." When we got back to our original room, he had calmed down, so we went to sleep. I talked to the actual manager the next morning. She said she'd look into it. I said, "My next phone call is going to Mr. Tauck." Since this was the first tour where Tauck was using this hotel she didn't want that. She asked me to go on our tour and check with her when we get back and let her fix it. If we weren't happy, we could call Tauck. When we got back, we were taken up to the two bedroom apartment at the top of the hotel with a living room, fireplace, kitchen, etc. Nice digs.
I am taking this river cruise on the "Esprit" April 24, finishing on May 1. Then I walk down the pier and join the "Treasures" ship for the "Dutch Waterways" cruise. I wanted a full two days at the Floriade 2022 and this was the easiest way to accomplish that. Will stay at whatever hotel Tauck arranges - just easier that way.
We are on this tour from 15 May-22 May 2022. The itinerary says we will visit Floriade, but when I asked the Tauck representative about it, she said it is not included. I guess I need to check again. After the tour, we spend a couple of nights in Brussels before taking the high speed train to Paris for the Normandy, Brittany, Paris & Loire Valley tour.
If anyone has information about Floriade, please let me know. Again, I will check with Tauck.
I called Tauck again....we are going to Floriade. The previous person made a mistake reading the itinerary.
Very excited to be part of the April 17-23 northbound river cruise, but slightly anxious since it’s our first time in Europe since COVID began. All the required testing and the thought of quarantine is a little nerve wracking. This trip has been rescheduled twice for us but it finally seems like it is really a GO! Fingers crossed that the tulips will cooperate and be in bloom along with Floriade!