Continental Europe is home to the ports, cities, and wine country that don’t quite fit the Mediterranean, the Nordics, or the British Isles — the canals of Amsterdam and Bruges, a private Médoc wine tour in Bordeaux, a pintxos crawl through Bilbao and San Sebastián, and an unplanned, storm-rerouted stop in Cherbourg that turned out to be one of our more charming days. It also covers our Atlantic-facing Spanish ports like Cádiz, Gibraltar, and Seville, plus Lisbon, the Azores, and the volcanic wine country of the Canary Islands — and it’s the region we expect to keep growing as we head further inland, from Central Europe to the wine country of Provence.
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A Morning in Pest, an Afternoon in Buda: Two Churches and a Private Buda Castle Tour
Our first full day in Budapest — a 72-hour transit pass, St. Stephen’s Basilica, a Buda Castle tour with Taste Hungary, and supper at 21 Magyar Vendéglő.
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Arrival in Budapest: Kicking Off Our Central European Adventure
Our arrival day in Budapest — the Mystery Hotel’s rooftop bar, a golden hour walk through Belváros-Lipótváros, and St. Stephen’s Basilica.
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Pre-Cruise Recap: Amsterdam, Delft & Rotterdam Overview
Why we build in pre-cruise days before embarkation, plus an overview of our stops in Amsterdam, Delft, and Rotterdam ahead of boarding Holland America’s Rotterdam.
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A Stop Over in Rotterdam Before Setting Sail
A day exploring Rotterdam before boarding Holland America’s Rotterdam — cube houses, Markthal, and a seafood dinner at Langoest.
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A Day in Delft
A day trip to Delft, Netherlands — Hotel Arsenaal, the Molen de Roos windmill, Maria van Jessekerk, Oostpoort, and dinner at Bij Harry.
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Art & Farewell
Van Gogh Museum: a morning spent deep diving into the life and works of this great artist before heading to Delft.