A Private Canal Small Boat trip with Parkinson's Disease
Both my partner and I had an amazing experience on our 3-hour private canal boat trip on the small open-top boat Geertje last week
We had explained my condition and expectations during the booking process, and they assured us they could accommodate my limited mobility and need to wear a life vest (as I can no longer swim/tread water). I also added some champagne and nibbles to keep us going (there are lots of other options to pick from). Overall the booking process was excellent, you even get an e-ticket for your phone wallet
It was a very wet start, but we easily found the boarding point using the link provided in the booking confirmation. Once we were onboard, our captain Jan was so amazing at making sure we were both comfortable and warm, then fully explained our trip ahead and even provided a taste of local music to accompany us on the trip. As promised, he had been fully briefed as to my condition/needs and provided help boarding as needed
Comfort breaks are provided as needed by just letting the Captin know and he will then dock at the next convenient location, which was a relief to hear as fellow PD suffers will understand
As it was still raining the boat rain cover was still on, but this meant we were dry and warm and it did not restrict the view too much as the plastic cover was clear all around
He served our drinks; the nibble platter was perfect and even the sun made a rare brief appearance at times. We were both made to feel so comfortable and relaxed
Our Captain's knowledge and commentary on the sites we saw during our journey were excellent and informative (we learnt so much about the history of Amsterdam) and before we knew it our 3 hours were up, we had explored all the canals and were back at the boarding dock. He even gave us a map of the route our journey took, to take home with us
Of all the trips we did during our short stay in Amsterdam, this was by far the one we will remember forever, mainly due to Jan our Captain