Cruise Program

This short cruise is a must for all garden lovers. Discover hidden gems with the opportunity to visit some beautiful gardens including the glorious Keukenhof Gardens from Amsterdam and Claude Monet’s Garden in Normandy. Combine this with the charms of three medieval cities and a panoramic navigation of the River Seine, for a truly delightful springtime cruise. 

From Tilbury, Astoria sails overnight to Amsterdam where peaceful canals are criss-crossed by hundreds of bridges and world famous museums vie for your attention. In the attractive medieval canal city of Ghent it's easy to imagine life in the Middle Ages with its gabled guild houses bridges and canals. Discover the medieval heart of the city and the Three Towers of Ghent - St. Bavon's, the Belfry, and St. Nicholas'. Stop for a beer in one of the many bars, and don’t forget the Belgium chocolates!

Astoria then cruises the beautiful River Seine to historic Rouen for an overnight stay. Explore the city whose charming narrow streets are lined with half-timbered houses. View the magnificent Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Garden lovers won’t want to miss an optional tour to Giverny to visit Monet’s house and enchanting gardens. Honfleur will delight you with its picturesque marina, authentic little backstreets and old houses. Optional tours include the fashionable coastal resort of Deauville and the Normandy countryside, a land famous for its local produce of cheeses, apples and Calvados. Enjoy a final evening and night on board as you sail back to Tilbury.

Main stops of your itinerary:

 Amsterdam-Netherlands

With more bicycles than permanent residents, the Dutch capital is both charming and quirky. Aesthetically little has changed in the centre since its 17th century Golden Age. Beautiful gabled houses and merchants’ mansions line serene, tree-lined canals, which are laid out in five concentric circles and crossed by numerous bridges. The Royal Palace, originally built as a Town Hall in the 17th century, stands on a large square in the centre of the city. Considered one of Europe’s major art capitals, Amsterdam is home to a number of superb galleries and museums including the famous Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum.

Ghent - Belgium          

Ghent, which in medieval times was second only to Paris in both power and population, is one of Belgium’s oldest cities and the historic capital of Flanders. With its picturesque medieval town centre, prominent Castle of the Counts, 14th century Belfry, spectacular gothic and renaissance Town Hall, and peaceful waterways crossed by ancient bridges, it is also one of the country’s most attractive cities. The famous and beautiful Adoration of the Mystic Lamb in St. Bavo’s Cathedral is one of just many cultural highlights in the lively city that is home to over one hundred churches and four hundred historical buildings. 

Rouen - France

Lying some 75 miles from the Seine estuary, Rouen is the historic capital of Normandy. Victor Hugo called Rouen ‘the city of a hundred spires’. Its Old Town is a delightful maze of narrow, cobblestone streets lined with fine half-timbered houses and wonderful gothic churches including the magnificent Cathedrale Notre Dame and the Eglise St. Maclou. Rouen’s Place du Vieux-Marche is famous as the site where Joan of arc was burned at the stake in 1431. Further upriver is the village of Giverny and the home of Claude Monet, who captured the beauty of Rouen in many of his paintings. 

Honfleur - France

Over the years many renowned painters and writers have been attracted to pretty Honfleur, which with its narrow, half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets and charming old harbour set in a sheltered cove off the Seine’s tidal estuary, is simply enchanting. Unlike many of its Normandy neighbours, Honfleur was spared during the bombing of World War Two and nestled in its tidy, picturesque streets historic buildings house art galleries, artists’ studios, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and fine souvenir shops.