River Cruise: Amsterdam to Brussels

ON SHORE

There really isn't a more LGBTQ-friendly region of the world than this.  And to be here for Amsterdam Pride as well?  Well, we expect such an outpouring of love and pride and support that you'll feel as free and welcomed as you've ever been anywhere.  This doesn't just go for Amsterdam though.  All the stops through the itinerary are known for their inclusivity and LGBTQ support.

ONBOARD

Transcend is proud to hire gay and gay-friendly staff, and we've handpicked quite the extraordinary team to host our trip! You'll be in good hands, and made to feel extremely welcome from everyone on board including Chef Todd, the delightful and personable housekeeping staff, and the charismatic reception and serving staff! There's up to 50 staff members on board to ensure every part of your onboard experience is exceptional.

Life on a brand new ship comes with many fabulous perks, but some cabins are tighter than others, so we suggest packing your bags accordingly.  Even if you've chosen the smallest cabin, storage design has been well thought out, so there are nooks and crannies to tuck away your belongings, but we still encourage light packing. One of the wonderful things about this itinerary is that you only need to unpack once!

The ship is quite high-end but we also want to ensure everyone is comfortable so don't worry about dressing up too fancy.  Comfortable casual wear is most appropriate during the day, especially for excursions off ship, then a pants and a collared shirt (maybe a polo or button-up) will be great for the evenings.

We'll plan a few optional but encouraged themed nights onboard and we'd encourage you to pack for those.  Expect more details in your 90-day update email.

Overall, we've found that approximately 60% of the travelers on trips join solo, while the other 40% or so join with their partner or a friend, and 90% of our travelers are in their 40's, 50's, and 60's. Whatever the age of the guys on our trips everyone's already got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new part of the world to share together!  Each group is led by one or more Detours trip leaders who are there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life! We welcome both men and women onto our trips although it’s important to know that almost all groups are 100% gay men.

Due to the size of this ship (86 staterooms) it's important to note that while there will of course be plenty of opportunities to explore at your own pace and find some serenity on board, there will also be the opportunity to meet plenty of other people to share the adventure (and evening cocktails and entertainment) with! 

Credit cards are commonly used in this part of the world, and Visa & Mastercard are accepted everyehere, (AMEX less so but still can be used at many places). 

The official currency in the Netherlands and Belgium is the Euro (EUR). 

If possible, it's always a good idea to travel internationally with a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.  The savings will add up over the course of your trip and may end up being worth the work of getting a new card prior to your trip. 

Once you're overseas, if presented with the option to pay in the local currency or your home currency, we suggest always choosing the local currency to further avoid fees.

Want to join solo? No problem! Lots of our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solo travelers. As far as your accommodations go, you’ve got two choices. We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a two-bed stateroom for no extra charge, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge as noted under the pricing on the main trip page.  Note that, on this particular trip, discounted single-occupancy cabins are only available in the "B-category" and "C-category" cabins.

Gratuities for all of the roughly 60 staff on board is included in your trip price ($15 USD per day per person). Some travelers like to leave 'a bit extra' for any of the staff on board that may have gone above & beyond but it's not expected.

Of course, we're big advocates of 'disconnect to reconnect' in this fast-paced modern world we live in, but it's also nice to stay connected to the group with live updates, share in your adventure, and so to do this - your cell phone provider likely has several roaming options available.  We suggest reaching out to them prior to the trip to find out which package is right for you as it will depend on how much you intend to use your phone while traveling.  Keep in mind that there's free WiFi available onboard, so it would mostly just be for the time spent off the ship exploring the towns and cities as we go. There are also great eSIMs that are available for the newer model cellphones, and these are very affordable data-only options for traveling abroad. 

We've got NO scheduled early mornings on this trip, which will be music to the ears of the night owls!  A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of, and your “rise and shine” while in Europe should come from the sound of church bells in the distance or the smell of your breakfast ready and waiting! 

You'll be able to have breakfast at leisure, and begin any of the day outings at reasonable times but if you're an early riser there is an espresso machine in your room (with great coffee!) or plenty of options at the 24-hour self-serve station by reception. 

The European plug, known as a "type C" and "type F" plug, is what you'll find everywhere on this trip. The voltage is 230V with 50 Hz frequency. These days, the majority of items that are plugged into an outlet are built to handle varying voltage and frequency levels, but just to be sure, we suggest checking your item for its acceptable range.

There's also a USB port on your stateroom's bedside table/headboard for convenient charging too!