Learning in Luxury: 3rd-Annual TMP on the River Explored Belgium & the Netherlands

The sun shone on the third-annual TMP on the River cruise aboard AmaWaterways’ AmaCerto. 

In fact, the sun never stopped shining for 10 days in a row in March — an unusual stretch in the Netherlands and Belgium, where frequent spring showers fuel an annual explosion of spring flowers. Don’t worry, the flowers are still coming! We just got a lucky weather break.

Over the entire trip, there was nary a drop of rain until the buses carrying Canadian and American travel advisors were pulling away from the luxurious river ship enroute to Schiphol for flights home.

“The sky is crying,” said one advisor on the bus. “Who’s going to buy all that chocolate and all those tulip bulbs with us gone?”

The nine-night, 10-day cruise was a custom itinerary combining the popular 7-night roundtrip Amsterdam Tulip Time cruise with a couple of added ‘test’ stops at the beginning in lesser-known ports like Zaandam, Nijmegen and Bruinisse.

The sold-out cruise was the third-annual iteration of an idea birthed by Sandra Gardiner, AmaWaterways’ long-time Director of Sales for Canada. 

She approached Travel Market Report SVP and Publisher Brian Israel with the concept of taking TMR’s popular Travel Market Place (TMP) educational conference onto the rivers of Europe, where advisors would enjoy professional development and networking combined with the joys of river cruising and in-depth learning about the AmaWaterways product.

“I think TMP conferences offer a wonderful program of education, and I wanted to bring that concept to the river. Brian and I put our heads together and TMP on the River is the result,” Gardiner said.

Previous journeys included last year’s week-long Best of Danube itinerary and the 2024 inaugural Amsterdam-roundtrip Tulip Time cruise. Gardiner was given the challenge of enticing advisors on a 10-day trip for 2026, and there were worries that it might be too long for advisors to be away from home and business. 

“A lot of people were concerned about 10 nights, but we sold out. The combination of the wonderful experience on our ship with the educational component TMR brings was just too attractive,” Gardiner said.

TMP conferences have been held in Canada for a decade now, and the inaugural TMP on the River attracted about 95% Canadian advisors. Last year it was 70%, and this year saw close to a 50/50 mix of Canadian and American participants. Gardiner sees the shift as a positive, reminding participants of the close relationship between people of the two nations.

“We all learn from each other,” said Gardiner. “I see people making new friends from across the border and I haven’t heard a single issue about geopolitical concerns. Advisors are here to learn, network and enjoy.”

TMR’s Israel likened the value of the experience to “a FAM trip on steroids.”

“There was a lot of impactful education on things like photography, social media and how to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Everyone was really engaged. I think we have really found our stride after three years, and year four is only going to be better.”

Participants spent a few mornings learning in the AmaCerto’s comfortable Lark Lounge. Key educational presenters on the cruise including Rita M. Perez, founder of the popular Strategic Travel Entrepreneur Podcast, Dori Saltzman, TMR Cruise Editor, and Dan Galbraith, well-known industry photographer.

Galbraith’s presentation on photo composition was a hit. So was the ensuing photo contest where AmaWaterways generously offered a pair of river trip packages for two as prizes. More than 4,000 photos were entered, and their high quality reflected both active listening to Galbraith’s photo tips and the highly photogenic sites visited in the Netherlands and Belgium under the early spring sunshine.

As always on an AmaWaterways river cruise, high-touch service was a highlight. Despite it being the first voyage of the year for the AmaCerto – and with many first-time staff aboard – the service on the ship was warm and efficient, and the food was superb.

All of the participants would agree that Cruise Manager Rachel Coutu Gomes was a highlight of the trip all by herself. Funny, engaged and tireless, she had answers to every question and kept guests fully informed as the days passed. She clearly enjoys beginning her season with TMP on the River – she’s been Cruise Manager for each one, and will join again next year for an eight-day Lower Danube trip.

Dates for next year are TBD, but Israel says the timing will be similar and sales will be open to Canadian and U.S. advisors.

“I love the fact we’re bringing everyone together. It’s a reminder that we are all family and it doesn’t matter if you’re north or south of any border. We have a great partnership with AmaWaterways and there are no signs of it slowing down.”