Northern Europe and the Baltic Capitals Cruise Travel Journal

By Linda Garrison, About.com Guide

The cruise ship left Antwerp in the late afternoon, continuing up the coast to Amsterdam. The Netherlands (or Holland) was our fourth country. It's much more than tulips and wooden shoes. Ships have used the port of Amsterdam since the 13th century, but it's also an exciting place that will challenge all of your senses. Amsterdam has everything from an exotic "red light district" to a floating flower market to multiple museums to Anne Frank's house.

Amsterdam is a major city, and you can't see and do everything in one day. Renaissance has 4 shore excursions, all of which sounded interesting. Should we stay in the city or venture out into the countryside? Decisions, decisions, decisions! After much discussion, we opted to stay in Amsterdam since Ronnie had not been there before, and it had been 16 years since I had visited the Dutch city. We did a half-day tour and had a wonderful guide who really made the pictures in the museum come to life.

Things to See and Do in Amsterdam