Viking Schumann

The river cruise ship now operating as De Amsterdam entered service in 1991 as Clara Schumann. From 2011, Viking River Cruises marketed it for a time under the name Viking Schumann; the ship’s name was not formally changed. After being sold in 2017, it initially sailed as Lale Andersen and has been called De Amsterdam since 2018. Its ENI is 05113920.

Hull and name history

The ship was built by De Biesbosch in Dordrecht and handed over on 15 May 1991. From 1991 to 2000, Clara Schumann operated on a scheduled service between Magdeburg and Dresden; from 1999, the route was extended to Ústí nad Labem. Following a refurbishment in 2010/11, the ship, still officially named Clara Schumann, was marketed by Viking for a time as Viking Schumann. This sequence explains why the former marketing name still appears in searches for the ship, even though its current operator calls it De Amsterdam.

The ship is 94.8 metres long and 11 metres wide. Its current operator lists a maximum capacity of 112 passengers and a crew of about 21. The cabins are spread across two decks: 30 outside cabins are on the lower deck, while the upper deck has 18 outside cabins and eight suites. The suites have French balconies. There is also a sun deck, separate from the two cabin decks. The restaurant is on the lower deck, while the lounge, bar and salon are on the upper deck. English, German and Dutch are spoken on board.

Itinerary and programme

The 2027 “Boat & Bike South Holland” programme begins and ends in Amsterdam and lasts eight days, with seven nights on board. It combines daily cycling tours with boat trips; guests who prefer not to cycle can stay on board. The tour operator’s overview describes a flat route, with daily stages of around 20 to 58 kilometres, mostly on paved cycle paths.

The day-by-day itinerary illustrates how the route is divided between land and water: on day two, a cycle tour leads to Utrecht, followed by a boat trip to Rotterdam. Day three includes a circular cycling route to Delft; on day four, the programme features Kinderdijk and, depending on the route chosen, Gouda, ending in Schoonhoven. The remaining stages lead to Utrecht and Haarlem, followed by a trip from Zaandam back to Amsterdam. Not all of these places are ports of call: some are visited by bicycle, while others are on a boat leg. Saturday departures are listed from 27 March to 9 October 2027.