| | | | | Arrive | Depart |
| 21st21 | MayMay | 202626 | Amsterdam, Netherlands, embark on the MS Victor Hugo | 18:00 | |
Amsterdam combines the unrivaled beauty of the 17th-century Golden Age city center with plenty of museums and art of the highest order, not to mention a remarkably laid-back atmosphere. It all comes together to make this one of the world's most appealing and offbeat metropolises in the world. Built on a latticework of concentric canals like an aquatic rainbow, Amsterdam is known as the City of Canals—but it's no Venice, content to live on moonlight serenades and former glory. Quite the contrary: on nearly every street here you'll find old and new side by side—quiet corners where time seems to be holding its breath next to streets like neon-lit Kalverstraat, and Red Light ladies strutting by the city's oldest church. Indeed, Amsterdam has as many lovely facets as a 40-carat diamond polished by one of the city's gem cutters. It's certainly a metropolis, but a rather small and very accessible one. Locals tend to refer to it as a big village, albeit one that happens to pack the cultural wallop of a major world destination. There are scores of concerts every day, numerous museums, summertime festivals, and, of course, a legendary year-round party scene. It's pretty much impossible to resist Amsterdam's charms. With 7,000 registered monuments, most of which began as the residences and warehouses of humble merchants, set on 160 man-made canals, and traversed by 1,500 or so bridges, Amsterdam has the largest historical inner city in Europe. Its famous circle of waterways, the grachtengordel, was a 17th-century urban expansion plan for the rich and is a lasting testament to the city’s Golden Age. This town is endearing because of its kinder, gentler nature—but a reputation for championing sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll does not alone account for Amsterdam's being one of the most popular destinations in Europe: consider that within a single square mile the city harbors some of the greatest achievements in Western art, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh. Not to mention that this is one of Europe's great walking cities, with so many of its treasures in the untouted details: tiny alleyways barely visible on the map, hidden garden courtyards, shop windows, floating houseboats, hidden hofjes(courtyards with almshouses), sudden vistas of church spires, and gabled roofs that look like so many unframed paintings. And don’t forget that the joy lies in details: elaborate gables and witty gable stones denoting the trade of a previous owner. Keep in mind that those XXX symbols you see all over town are not a mark of the city's triple-X reputation. They're part of Amsterdam's official coat of arms—three St. Andrew's crosses, believed to represent the three dangers that have traditionally plagued the city: flood, fire, and pestilence. The coat's motto ("Valiant, determined, compassionate") was introduced in 1947 by Queen Wilhelmina in remembrance of the 1941 February Strike in Amsterdam—the first time in Europe that non-Jewish people protested against the persecution of Jews by the Nazi regime. Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 6:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner. Free evening in Amsterdam. |
| 22nd22 | MayMay | 202626 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | | 19:00 |
Amsterdam combines the unrivaled beauty of the 17th-century Golden Age city center with plenty of museums and art of the highest order, not to mention a remarkably laid-back atmosphere. It all comes together to make this one of the world's most appealing and offbeat metropolises in the world. Built on a latticework of concentric canals like an aquatic rainbow, Amsterdam is known as the City of Canals—but it's no Venice, content to live on moonlight serenades and former glory. Quite the contrary: on nearly every street here you'll find old and new side by side—quiet corners where time seems to be holding its breath next to streets like neon-lit Kalverstraat, and Red Light ladies strutting by the city's oldest church. Indeed, Amsterdam has as many lovely facets as a 40-carat diamond polished by one of the city's gem cutters. It's certainly a metropolis, but a rather small and very accessible one. Locals tend to refer to it as a big village, albeit one that happens to pack the cultural wallop of a major world destination. There are scores of concerts every day, numerous museums, summertime festivals, and, of course, a legendary year-round party scene. It's pretty much impossible to resist Amsterdam's charms. With 7,000 registered monuments, most of which began as the residences and warehouses of humble merchants, set on 160 man-made canals, and traversed by 1,500 or so bridges, Amsterdam has the largest historical inner city in Europe. Its famous circle of waterways, the grachtengordel, was a 17th-century urban expansion plan for the rich and is a lasting testament to the city’s Golden Age. This town is endearing because of its kinder, gentler nature—but a reputation for championing sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll does not alone account for Amsterdam's being one of the most popular destinations in Europe: consider that within a single square mile the city harbors some of the greatest achievements in Western art, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh. Not to mention that this is one of Europe's great walking cities, with so many of its treasures in the untouted details: tiny alleyways barely visible on the map, hidden garden courtyards, shop windows, floating houseboats, hidden hofjes(courtyards with almshouses), sudden vistas of church spires, and gabled roofs that look like so many unframed paintings. And don’t forget that the joy lies in details: elaborate gables and witty gable stones denoting the trade of a previous owner. Keep in mind that those XXX symbols you see all over town are not a mark of the city's triple-X reputation. They're part of Amsterdam's official coat of arms—three St. Andrew's crosses, believed to represent the three dangers that have traditionally plagued the city: flood, fire, and pestilence. The coat's motto ("Valiant, determined, compassionate") was introduced in 1947 by Queen Wilhelmina in remembrance of the 1941 February Strike in Amsterdam—the first time in Europe that non-Jewish people protested against the persecution of Jews by the Nazi regime. We'll leave for an optional tour of Amsterdam. We'll return to the ship for lunch. This afternoon, join us for an optional excursion to Volendam and the Zaanse Schans. |
| 23rd23 | MayMay | 202626 | Groningen, Netherlands | 15:00 | 18:00 |
Our ship will start cruising early this morning towards Groningen. Enjoy some free time to tour the youngest city in the Netherlands. We'll depart for Delfzijl. Enjoy an evening of entertainment. |
| 23rd23 | MayMay | 202626 | Delfzijl, Netherlands | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| 23rd23 | MayMay | 202626 | Emden, Germany | 21:00 | |
| 24th24 | MayMay | 202626 | Emden, Germany | | 06:00 |
We'll cruise towards Papenburg. Join us for an optional tour of the Meyer Werft shipyard. During this time, the boat will be sailing towards Drpen, where we will board it again for lunch. Our ship will leave for Oldenburg, reaching it during the night. |
| 24th24 | MayMay | 202626 | Papenburg, Germany | 09:00 | 18:00 |
| 24th24 | MayMay | 202626 | Cruising | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| 24th24 | MayMay | 202626 | Oldenburg, Germany | 20:00 | |
| 25th25 | MayMay | 202626 | Oldenburg, Germany | | 05:00 |
Enjoy some free time for a brief stroll around Oldenburg. Our ship will then depart for Bremen. Join us for an optional tour of the oldest maritime city in Germany. We'll return on board afterwards. Enjoy some free time this evening to explore the city on your own. |
| 25th25 | MayMay | 202626 | Bremen, Germany | 10:00 | |
| 26th26 | MayMay | 202626 | Bremen, Germany | | 05:00 |
We'll begin to cruise early in the morning for Nienburg. Upon arrival, you can ask to be transferred to the 'red town': don't miss the magnificent Weser-Renaissance town hall. During this time, the boat will sail to Stolzenau. Once we board it again, we'll cruise to Minden. |
| 26th26 | MayMay | 202626 | Nienburg, Germany | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| 26th26 | MayMay | 202626 | Stolzenau, Germany | 16:30 | 18:00 |
| 26th26 | MayMay | 202626 | Minden, Germany | 21:00 | |
| 27th27 | MayMay | 202626 | Minden, Germany | | 07:00 |
We'll begin to cruise early in the morning for Hanover. Join us for an optional tour of the city. The capital of Lower Saxony, Hanover is one of the main economic centers in Germany. During this time, the boat will sail to Anderten where we will board it at the end of the afternoon. We'll continue to cruise to Braunschweig. Tonight is our gala dinner and evening. |
| 27th27 | MayMay | 202626 | Hannover, Germany | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| 27th27 | MayMay | 202626 | Cruising | 18:15 | 18:00 |
| 27th27 | MayMay | 202626 | Sülfeld, Germany | 23:50 | |
| 28th28 | MayMay | 202626 | Sülfeld, Germany | | 02:00 |
Our ship will begin to cruise early in the morning for Bulstringen. Join us for an optional tour of Magdeburg, situated midway on the Elbe River and the historic Roman Roads. During this time, the ship will continue its course for Magdeburg where we will board it for dinner. Enjoy some free time this evening to explore the city on your own. |
| 28th28 | MayMay | 202626 | Magdeburg, Germany | 13:00 | |
| 29th29 | MayMay | 202626 | Magdeburg, Germany | | 06:00 |
We'll begin to cruise early in the morning for Brandenburg. We'll leave by coach for an optional excursion to Potsdam and the gardens of the Sanssouci Palace. During this time, the boat will continue its course for Potsdam where we'll board it again. Enjoy an evening of dancing. |
| 29th29 | MayMay | 202626 | Brandenburg, Germany | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| 29th29 | MayMay | 202626 | Potsdam, Germany | 18:30 | |
| 30th30 | MayMay | 202626 | Potsdam, Germany | | 09:00 |
Our ship will leave for Berlin Spandau. Join us for an optional excursion to Berlin, once the iconic representation of a world divided in two blocks. Dinner on board. |
| 30th30 | MayMay | 202626 | Spandau/Berlin, Germany | 11:00 | |
| 31st31 | MayMay | 202626 | Spandau/Berlin, Germany | | |
Join us for an optional visit to the Charlottenburg Palace. Enjoy a free afternoon in Berlin. |
| 1st01 | JunJun | 202626 | Spandau/Berlin, Germany, disembark the MS Victor Hugo | | |
Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking. End of our services. |