Solo Adventure on an Avalon Waterways River Cruise

I flew into Amsterdam and spent one night at the Hotel Jakarta, the bus transportation to the hotel was part of my booking. The hotel is conveniently located to the city, port, food and shopping. I was told it was an easy walk , but I recommend a cab as it is further than I was told. The next morning, I boarded the Avalon ship and found my welcome to be warm and inviting. There was a pre-sailing meeting to go over safety procedures. Our ship set sail and I was thrilled to watch as we sailed past small towns and villages. We stopped at Middelburg, Ghent , Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and back to Amsterdam. At each port, I was given clear instructions and offered choices each day about excursions. Some days, I opted to tour on my own. There was always plenty of time to spend the day in town. I never felt rushed.

The food was extremely good. Dinner was formal with white tables cloths and a dress code, lunch and breakfast were much more casual. Of course, room service was always available anytime day or night in my room. There was usually some type of evening entertainment such as live music and dancing.

My room was very nice and fairly spacious with a large balcony equipped with lounge chairs. I spent many hours enjoying the scenery.

I embarked upon this trip in the Spring (April) I chose this time so that I could take full advantage of seeing the floral blooms in Holland. It was utterly beautiful. However, it was uncomfortably cold for me and I ended up purchasing mittens, scarf and a hat. I am more of a warm weather gal, so I wont be repeating that although it was completely worth it. The flowers were gorgeous! Be sure to visit the Keukenhof Gardens.

Most all port stops were spent on a guided tour learning fun facts and a bit of history about each city. It was well planned and very informative. There was always extra time after the tour for milling around on my own. I spent that time exploring cities, food and doing some shopping.

The medieval architecture in Ghent is breathtaking. When in Brussels, don't miss a chance to see the city center with gilded buildings. Eating a waffle with your choice of toppings is a must! The smaller cities I visited were great opportunities to do some strolling around to check out local culture, food and history. Amsterdam is an amazing city with so many interesting points of interest, such as the dancing houses, Anne Frank House, guided canal cruises, the famous red light district, the Van Gogh museum and so much more. Make sure you look out for the bicycles! They are everywhere and have the right of way. Use extreme caution!

As a female solo traveler, I felt safe within a group and still was able to venture out on my own once I got my bearings after the group walkabout tours.

I highly recommend this experience if you feel like you want the safety of a group experience without it being too big. This is a small intimate cruise and the groups are small. It was easy to make friends and be a part of the activities. Again, there will be ample time to explore on your own if that appeals to you.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to the Netherlands. In need of further inspiration? Check out Gloria Elwood’s guide, Three-Day Itinerary to Live like a Local in Leiden, Netherlands.