Holland Cruise Ports
The Netherlands, perhaps better known to many as Holland, is a relatively small northern Europe country that often gets overlooked as a cruise destination but that is something beginning to change as more and more cruise lines take advantage of been able to offer great cities such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam on their itineraries sailing around the North Sea.
There is lots to see and do on a day ashore in the country including visits to see the iconic symbols of The Netherlands such as its windmills and tulip fields whilst both Rotterdam and Amsterdam are both thriving cities that are easy to explore on your own.
One of the highlights for many visitors on a cruise to the country is sailing down the incredible North Sea Canal as you sail from the North Sea towards Amsterdam and then dock in the city although the entry in Rotterdam is also a fascinating one as you sail through one of the biggest ports in the world and past many of the world’s biggest ships.
Due to the closeness of Holland and the many options on offer, cruises to The Netherlands make for great first time cruises but also are ideal for minibreaks in winter to take in the Christmas Markets and festive fun on offer.
Cruises To The Netherlands
Cruise Holidays To Holland
If you are looking to cruise to The Netherlands, there are lot’s of options to suit all preferences and budgets.
A number of cruise lines offer direct holidays from the United Kingdom including cruises of Scandinavia, Northern Europe and the Baltics that call into the port whilst there are a number of options that offer short cruises to accords the Channel that takes in stops in the country whilst you can also do winter getaways as mentioned above to take in the Christmas Markets.
There are also a number of options for those who don’t mind starting their holiday with a flight as you can enjoy stops in the country from holidays starting across Northern Europe or you can also start your holiday in the country’s leading ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam and add on a few days stay either before or after your cruise to really take in all that those cities have to offer.
The Netherlands Cruise Guide
If you are trying to decide whether a stop in The Netherlands is right for you and your family or which port you should visit, our guides bring you all of the information that you need to make the right choice and to make sure your holiday in the region is a great as possible.
On the other hand, if you have already booked a cruise that calls into the country, our guides bring you all that you need to make the most of your time ashore.
Popular Ports
The city of Amsterdam is the capital of The Netherlands and is one of the world’s leading tourist cities that is famed for its iconic architecture, its beautiful canals and floating flower and cheese markets but their really is something for everybody in the city which can be explored on foot from the cities central cruise terminal.
A number of cruise lines also offer holidays that start and end in the city which allow you to add a short break either side of your holiday to really get the know Amsterdam.
The city of Rotterdam is in contrast to the historic city of Amsterdam as it has been totally rebuilt since World War 2 and now features many skyscrapers, great attractions and lots of bars, cafes, and restaurants to experience Dutch cuisine and culture.
A number of cruise lines offer overnight stays in the city, which allows you make use of the great city centre location of the cruise terminal whilst a number of lines also offer holidays starting and ending in the city.
Although Holland isn’t known for its sun and beaches, a region of the Caribbean known as the Dutch Antilles is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and much of it can be enjoyed on a cruise of the region including the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
Whilst Philipsburg in St Maarten remains one of the Caribbeans most popular ports of call.
Ijmuiden is a coastal port that often gets build as Amsterdam despite been around a 45-minute coach ride from the Dutch capital city.
It does give great access to the Dutch North Sea coast and gives good access the regions attractions including bulb fields and windmills.
Popular Cruise Lines
For those wanting to start and end their holidays in the country and to enjoy a Dutch experience throughout, the countries own Holland America Line (HAL) is the line of choice and offers cruises from both Rotterdam and Amsterdam to destinations throughout Europe and beyond.
All of the biggest cruise lines to operate in Northern Europe offer cruises that stop in the country including the likes of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean offer itineraries including stops in Holland whilst those preferring not to fly can enjoy a wide range of itineraries throughout the year from cruise lines such as P&O Cruises, Cunard, and Fred Olsen.
The Netherlands
Location: Northern Europe / Caribbean
Capital City: Amsterdam
Currency: Euro
Language: Dutch
Demonym(s): Dutch
Top Ports: Amsterdam, Rotterdam
The Netherlands translates as ‘Lower Countries’ which is a reference to the flat nature of the country which has helped it to develop its reputation for people using bikes rather than cars and that can be best seen in its large cities where you often come across multi-storey bike parks.
The Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and is located just across the North Sea from the United Kingdom which makes it easy to access and enjoy the mixed culture that Holland takes from its Northern European neighbours and from its years of having a world wide empire formed via the Dutch East India country amongst other commercial and military expansions.
If you are wanting some winter sun, the Dutch Antilles gives you plenty and some fascinating and colourful destinations to visit.
Best Time To Visit
For the mainland of The Netherland, much of the attraction is simple walking around your destination and take in the architecture, history, and culture and for that reason it is best to visit during the warmer and dryer months between May-September although cruises in late November-December allows you to enjoy the festive fun of Holland and its great Xmas markets.
Cruises From UK
If you want to visit a Dutch cruise port directly from the UK, you can do as there are a wide variety or itineraries heading to different cruise ports in The Netherlands all year around.
The majority of itineraries will head to either the port of Amsterdam or Rotterdam but there are plenty of options to visit smaller ports on the Dutch mainland, whilst it is also possible to enjoy road trips from the UK to the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean.
Cruises From Southampton
It is possible to visit The Netherlands from a variety of cruise ports in the UK but for the widest range of ships, lines and itineraries, you will need to sail from the port of Southampton.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.
