Thank you for your response. Although we've taken about 40-45 cruises, this will be our first 'river cruise'. Even though most of the markets will be closed during our cruise, we think we'll still be able to enjoy the holiday decorations and the experience in general. I'm not sure if we'll fly in early or not...if we do, we'll probably stay in the Amsterdam 'historic district'. With only 190 passengers, I'm sure we'll meet on board. (We are two senior citizens from Montana who enjoy visiting new places, meeting new people and making the best of whatever surrounds us.)