The great value cruise to European beer capital that ISN'T swamped with tourists
We took a cruise to Antwerp on board Ambition, a 1,200-passenger ship refurbished for Ambassador Cruise Line in 2023.
We tucked into top-notch authentic Indian food at one of the cruise ship's fine-dining restaurants, Saffron, before being rocked gently to sleep in the enormous bed of our junior suite.
Mooring on the River Scheldt, our floating hotel dropped us in the thick of the action with the towering, gilded cathedral glittering against the evening sky.
It is artistic and architecturally captivating, best explored by foot, but unlike Bruges, it isn’t thronging with eager tourists photographing the 13th-century buildings.
Wander along the boutiques and antique shops lining Kloosterstraat, dart down hidden alleyways, or head to the KMSKA fine-art gallery.
We stopped for lunch at one of the countless bars serving mussels, and hot chocolate laced with amaretto.
The beer is, of course, a major draw for many, with Bolleke and Tripel D’anvers perhaps the most widely served in the bars of Antwerp.