Day 3: Amsterdam
We were excited to start the morning in Amsterdam. Waking up in a different city each day is the one of the charms of a river cruise through Europe.
We grabbed some breakfast on-board then headed out. We intended to maximize what time we had in Amsterdam as we needed to be back on the ship by 3:30.
We took an Uber to Vondelpark, the city’s largest and most popular park. One of the items on my daughter’s Amsterdam bucket list was to ride bikes. I was a little intimidated by the idea of biking across the city, but a ride through the park seemed manageable.
We rented bikes from A-Bike Vondelpark, located just a few blocks from the park. It was relatively inexpensive for a two-hour rental. The bike shop helped find the right sized bikes for each member of our family. From there we headed over to the park. We did a few loops around the paved paths inside the park before stopping for a snack.
After leaving the park and returning our bikes we started walking in the direction of the ship. We weren’t close, but we figured the long walk back would give us a chance to explore the city. That we did, again snacking and shopping along the way.
KidTripster Tip: Not sure what to do in your destination city? Attend the evening presentation previewing the next city stop. A-ROSA offers a “port talk” in German as well as one in English each evening. The brief talks provide some ideas of things to do within walking distance of the port, and beyond.
Back on the SENA, we relaxed for a bit in our cabins. From our balcony, we said goodbye to Amsterdam, then sailed past the farmlands of The Netherlands, catching glimpses of those famous windmills along the way. Having done a big ship cruise in Europe, with views of nothing but water, we really enjoyed the contrast of the river cruise experience.
The dinner buffet offered some Dutch-inspired dishes, like Dutch herring with red onions and mini pancakes for dessert. The evening dining theme often corresponded to our location.
After dinner, we went outside and settled into the comfy deck chairs where we had a perfect view of the captain navigating the river and locks, all as the sun was setting on a beautiful summer night.
Just after sunset, the entertainment moved into the lounge. Singer and actor Marion Wilmer dazzled with an array of songs. Wilmer is a frequent performer aboard A-ROSA ships.
Keep reading: click the #5 button below to read about Rotterdam, a really fun city to explore.
