The Owners
We are Coen & Cristina, here is a short introduction about us, the proud new owners of Merlijn.
A dream coming true, that is how we felt when we started of in april 2019. After working for years as Captains on big 5-star river-cruiseships (150 pax) we dreamed of something else; something smaller, more personal, specialized cruises, running our own business, the list of superlatives is long! We searched and had several ideas untill we coincidently ran into Merlijn. that was it, that was the ship that filled in all the blank spaces! We went a 100% for it, sold our first house, quit our jobs and moved to the Merlijn.
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Coen Captain, Engineer, Guestcontact. |
Cristina 2nd Captain, Host, Chef. |
What is the difference between 'Bike & Barge" and Bike, Barge & Cruise?
Some ship owners call it Bike & Barge, but we at Merlijn feel that term does not tell what a vacation aboard the Merlijn is all about!
Because in addition to cycling (Bike) and staying and dining on board (Barge), we also often sail with our guests on board. Imagine yourself enjoying the sailing during breakfast or after a strenuous bike ride, with or without a drink on one of our terraces.
That is what we mean by "Cruise".
2026 Cruises
With great care, the Merlijn team has put together its season. We face a luxury problem, we have more routes to choose from than we can fit into a single sailing season! Where do we go, what experiences do we want to offer our guests, and what is in demand? In addition, new routes have been developed, Merlijn guides were sent out, and owners Coen & Cristina traveled to Eastern Europe to map out a new route. Closer to home, a new Tulip Route was created, and Merlijn was so excited about it that it was named the "Tulip Expedition"!
Beyond these popular new routes, we have also worked on improving existing ones. We always look for ways to make them even better, cycling routes, sailing routes, harbors, excursions, every trip undergoes adjustments. The routes introduced in 2024, which were operated for the first time, have also been reviewed and refined where necessary.
Here you can find Merlijn's 2026 schedule in a handy overview
2027 Cruises
Every winter, we put together the big puzzle for the next cruise season. Where will Merlijn go, which cycling routes will we offer, and what will our guests want most?
In 2027, Merlijn will return to northern Germany and Poland, a sailing area with Merlijn's most special routes, which we haven't visited for two years!
These routes are in high demand and Merlijn's crew is eager to return! Places such as Bremen, Wolfsburg, Berlin, Szczecin (Stettin) and Malchin will once again feature on the itinerary schedule.
The 2027 season is now open for group bookings where the entire ship is booked by one group. For individual bookings, we ask for your patience; we will launch the tours on the website on February 14, 2026.
Here you will find a handy overview of all 2027 routes.
information about the cycling portion
Please note that a good condition as well as cycling experience is requested. Estimated daily cycling distances can be found in our detailed tour descriptions, usually specified per day but at least an average per trip. The average speed we usually ride depends on the abilities of the group, but you can count between 14 and 17 kilometres per hour. In addition, there are several short and longer stops. Short stops include photo stops, water stops and technical stops. Longer stops are for coffee, picnic lunch and sightseeing.
Cycling with the group
Our daily guided bike tours are always with the whole group, it may happen that not everyone has the same cycling level. Our professional guide can handle this well and will do everything possible to give everyone a great experience. Hereby the very experienced cyclist should take into account the leisure nature of our tours, the opposite for the inexperienced cyclist; remember that the daily bike tours are no walk in the park. We do not offer opportunities to cycle on your own. If you do not have the minimum required level, you may be asked to take a day of rest. In extreme cases, you may not be able to participate in the ride. We recommend everyone, well in advance of your trip with us, to go on several bike rides, bike more then the longest distances that will occur in your trip. It is important to spread these distances out over an entire day so that the bum is also trained to spend this time on the saddle.
What does an average cycling day look like?
8AM, A delicious breakfast buffet is opened by the chef. The ship is still docked or already cruising. Your guide may tell you a little more about the day.
9AM, Merlijn docks and the crew bring all the bikes ashore for you. You've already packed your supplies for the day in your waterproof Merlijn bike bag, filled your water bottle with cold water and head ashore. The bike tour begins and you will not return to the ship until the end of the ride. There will be several short and longer stops depending on the group, guide and scenery. Short stops include photo stops, water stops and technical stops. Longer stops are for coffee, lunch and sightseeing.
1PM, Lunch! of course, this time is very dependent on the route, weather and other conditions. However, somewhere there will be a picnic lunch, the kitchen team has prepared a delicious packed lunch for you to enjoy. Depending on the route, there will also be stops at restaurants or other places where you can buy something to supplement your lunch with local delicacies. You hit the road again, letting the beautiful landscapes take effect on you as you sit on the saddle.
The end of the bike ride is approaching, very much depending on the program you will arrive at the ship around 3PM or 4PM, this could also be 2PM or even 5:30PM. And then around the bend you suddenly see the Merlijn, your home during the vacation.
Fulfilled, with many new experiences and maybe a little tired, you get back on board, the crew welcomes you with a nice refreshment and takes care of your bike. The bikes will be stored an locked onboard, they cannot be used for individual rides.
The ship stays docked, or cruises even further. You can enjoy everything the Merlijn has to offer, have a drink in the lounge, relax on the terrace, read a book or if you still have energy; visit the place where the ship is docked.
6:30PM, the chef lets you know that dinner is being served and you take a seat with your new friends in the dining area (free seating). Towards the end of dinner, the guide will give a briefing about tomorrow's day, what to see, maybe something about the culture and the bike tour.
After dinner you can fill in the evening yourself, sometimes an excursion is planned in the evening. The ship is generally already docked and you can go for a walk. The bar will be open for a while until we wish you "good night”.
rest day from cycling, or no cycling at all?
Sometimes the cycling can all get too much for a while, or maybe you'll cruise with us but don't want to cycle at all. We want you to know that all of this is possible during a trip with the Merlin. We often hear that guests are afraid of missing something if they stay on board for a day, and we won't deny that. However, in return you get a very nice cruise, it is wonderful to see the landscapes slide by while the ship quietly glides through the water (ask the captain if this is true!). So you get something else in return, and rest, of course. Should you stay on board for a day or more, it's worth noting that there will be less service when the cycling group is underway. The staff has other duties and is enjoying a break. You can use the self-service coffee pantry throughout the day, you enjoy your packed lunch. The bar will open when the cycling group returns to the ship.
Cycling Technique
Cycling technique
Most important to us is your mastery of cycling technique. For instance, how to control the bike, you will encounter many obstacles along the way. You need to be able to take short turns or avoid an unexpected pole. You control the bike and decide where to go, not the other way around. Being able to use the brakes properly is important, to decelerate or gradually bring the bike to a stop.
In addition, it is desirable if you understand the operation of gears on the bicycle, this will help you tremendously in getting less tired of cycling. A lighter gear to start from standstill and then shift to a heavier gear as you gain more speed. A lighter gear to go up a hill, and a heavier one to cycle back down. And so on.
Once on board we will explain to you how to operate our bikes, as this is different for each bike. We are happy to do this on the first day. The guide can also give you a suggestion about your cycling technique during the bike tour. However, please note that we cannot teach you how to ride a bike.
Riding an e-bike
If you want to rent one of our electric assisted bicycles, this section is for you! The fun and freedom of a bicycle, with a little leg support, is what you can expect from an e-bike. There are quite a few different types on the market, so we want to briefly explain what you can expect from our e-bikes.
It is a pedal-activated system; when you start pedaling, the motor will start assisting. You can set the level of support with plus and minus buttons on the handlebars. When you stop pedaling, the motor stops. In short, it is not a scooter.
The e-bike is heavier than a regular bicycle, nevertheless, it is easy to handle. The extra weight is cleverly distributed making the bike balanced, and as easy to handle as a regular bike. It is very important to know that the bike will only support you in moving forward, it will not help you with the cycling itself. This may sound logical, yet we often see this misconception.
Earlier we described the necessary cycling technique, this is perhaps even more important for using our e-bikes. Because of the support, you will probably cycle faster than normal, accelerate faster, go through turns at more speed and have to brake harder. So you also need good cycling skills to ride an e-bike. We will explain more on the first day of cycling, if you want to look up information beforehand you can search the web for "Bosch smart system”.
Easy, moderate, challenging or expert?
Elsewhere, all cycling tours are usually described with a single rating "easy".
Merlijn likes to use two distinct ratings: Endurance and Agility.
- Endurance is generally rated as "easy." Only tours with significantly longer distances or more hills will receive a higher rating.
- Agility is set to "moderate" by default. Riding in a group and navigating busier paths requires more agility than you might think.
Only tours that demand more agility than you may have experienced on previous Merlijn tours (or other bike & barge tours) will receive a higher rating. Tours with a higher agility rating are not extreme or vastly different from our other routes. Bike paths are sometimes of slightly lower quality than what we are used to, difficult surfaces, local traffic situations and intersections can be less clear, and it is more common that there is no separate bike lane. We believe it is important to mention these aspects in the tour descriptions and ratings.
Most of our trips are marked as 'easy endurance' what does this mean? It means it is easy for a healthy person who rides a bike regularly. A tour marked 'moderate endurance' has this status mainly because of longer distances on avarage or roling hills on the route.
Most people's stamina is fine for our rides, the bike tours are spread throughout the day (usually from 9AM to 3PM or 5PM) and there are several short and longer stops. Sometimes we even visit things along the way. In this way, the tour is also manageable for the less trained cyclist. It is leisure cycling, not a Tour de France.
Single traveling
Merlijn does not have single rooms, but you can book a double room for sole use. You will get a small discount on the room price, the room price is the rate per person, times 2. We will give you a 10% discount on the room.
Here's a fictitious amount as an example; the per person rate is €2000, the room rate is then €4000, the single rate is then €3600.
Perhaps it is good to know that our rooms are also very suitable for sharing with a travel partner, such as a friend or family member. The beds can be placed apart if you indicate this when booking. double the number of people is double the fun!
You can book your cabin for single use directly via our website.
What does “all staterooms booked by a travel agent” mean?
We receive this question often, and understandably so!
Merlijn works with a small selection of travel agents and tour operators, but we sell most of our staterooms ourselves.
If you see this message on the tour of your choice, it means that all staterooms (usually the entire departure) have been allocated to a travel agency. It may also indicate a private charter.
In most cases this also means that the departure is fully booked, but please feel free to contact us so we can double-check. We know exactly which agency has purchased that specific tour and can verify availability on their side.
If it turns out that the staterooms are indeed no longer available, we will gladly help you find a suitable alternative, so don’t hesitate to reach out!
Experience Merlijn’s slow cruising on YouTube
When you’re on board the Merlijn, a big part of the adventure is of course cycling. That means you don’t always get to experience the full view of the cruise itself.
To make sure you don’t miss out, we’re excited to share something new: you can now enjoy our slow cruising videos on YouTube!
These relaxing recordings, filmed from the bow of the Merlijn, let you see the landscapes glide by – just as if you were standing there yourself. Whether you’re preparing for your trip, looking back on your journey, or simply wishing for a quiet moment at home: these videos bring the Merlijn experience to you, wherever you are.
When is the best time to travel our way:
We can be brief in our advice; arrive a few days earlier! It is important to start your active vacation well rested and to be on time for embarkation. The daily bike rides can be quite strenuous for you. If you are still tired from your journey to the Merlijn, you are already starting 1-0 behind. You even may be traveling from a different time zone and need to give your body time to adjust to the new time.
The embarkation location is always carefully selected. It will be a larger city, with good connections and there is a lot to see (some exceptions aside). Embarkation itself is usually in the afternoon and then we sail right away, so we do not visit the embarkation site during your cruise. The perfect opportunity for you to visit this city on your own beforehand. Book 2 or more nights in a local hotel, and already get used to the customs of the country. These days also allow time for unexpected events. Your plane might just be delayed or rebooked, the ship doesn't wait and you would miss (part) of your trip with us.
After your cruise:
If you book with us, this moment will come too: your Bike, Barge and Cruise with Merlijn is over and we arrive at the disembarkation port. This location is also chosen so that it is attractive to stay in the area for a while. We usually arrive at the port in the afternoon of the last cycling day. After the bike ride you might have a drink with your new friends and then there is a farewell dinner, little or no time to visit the city so. After one last night on board you leave the ship. How relaxing will it be if you then only have to take a short trip to your local hotel? Exactly; so stay one more night in the area and then travel on, to the nearest airport or another hotspot nearby!
Booking a hotel:
We have inspired you to stay in a local hotel, how can you book it? Our knowledge lies mainly in Bike, Barge and Cruise, hotels booking we leave to you. Everyone also has different wishes in that regard; simple, luxury, in the city center or just not. We recommend the website www.booking.com , there you will find almost all hotels in Europe and you can filter by location and wishes. Once you have found your hotel, see if you can book directly with the hotel, it sometimes makes a difference in price. Even if the price is the same, I can tell you from my own experience that the hotel entrepreneur will earn more from your stay.
The best way to travel in Europe:
For travel within Europe, you can use the Intra-European airports, however, often the train network. It is very common in Europe, to use the train if the distances are not that great. For example, you can travel from Paris to Amsterdam within 3 hours. A principle you can apply: Train travel time shorter than 5-6 hours? take the train! or vice versa; Flying time longer than 1.5 hours? take the plane. Flying may seem like the fastest way, however, remember that you also have to travel to, and from, the airport, and be at the airport 1.5 to 2 hours before the flight. When choosing between the train or the plane, you may also consider the environment, flying has a much greater burden on the environment.
Taste of Eastern Europe
August 01 - 08 / 2026
Blue Danube tour of Germany & Austria
August 09 - 16 / 2026
Rhine & Neckar, Germany’s best kept secrets.
September 19 - 26 / 2026Where we sail
The no. 1 in bike and barge cruises across Europe
The Merlijn sails on:
- All rivers & lakes of Holland/Netherlands, including the IJssel, Meuse, IJssel Lake, inland lakes of the Randmeren, the Waddensea, the Groene Hart van Holland (Green Heartlands) commencing in Amsterdam and running via Gouda/Delft to Kinderdijk.
- In Germany we sail the Rhine, Moselle, Saar, Main, Main-Danube-canal, Danube, Neckar, Midlandcanal, Havel, Weser, Oder, Peene & more.
- In Belgium we sail the Schelde and several canals to Bruges & Brussels, from there to Maastricht.
- In France we sail the Moselle, as far as to Nancy.
- In Poland we sail the West-Odra and cross the Lake Stettiner haff, also we dock in the city of Szczecin.
- The Danube deserves a special mention: from 2022 we will sail on this river through Germany & Austria until we reach Vienna.
- In 2026 we have added a little more and we also cross Slovakia to sail as far as Budapest in Hungary.
Merlijn's Captain knows all these waters & their natural surroundings well, and knows where the most tranquil spots are to be found.
The last news
Tuesday 03 february 2026
Looking ahead to 2027
Dear friends,
Over the past months, we at Merlijn have been spending a lot of time looking ahead.
On board and behind the scenes, we have been working on finalising our programme for 2027. Routes have been carefully reviewed and developed, and the cycling routes in particular have been thoughtfully mapped out and refined, always keeping a good balance between cycling, cruising and time ashore.
It is a process that takes time and attention, and one we have truly enjoyed working on.
On 14 February, we will share the result and launch our 2027 season.
Please mark this date in your calendar and feel free to share it with friends and family, we can’t wait to share it with you!
Warm regards,
The Merlijn Crew
Sunday 23 november 2025
2027 Cruises
Every winter, we put together the big puzzle for the next cruise season. Where will Merlijn go, which cycling routes will we offer, and what will our guests want most?
In 2027, Merlijn will return to northern Germany and Poland — a sailing area featuring some of Merlijn’s most special routes, which we haven’t visited for two years! These routes are in high demand, and Merlijn’s crew is eager to return. Places such as Bremen, Wolfsburg, Berlin, Szczecin (Stettin) and Malchin will once again appear in the itinerary schedule.
The 2027 season is now open for group bookings (where the entire ship is booked by one group). For individual bookings, we ask for a little patience — we will launch the tours on the website on February 14, 2026.
Friday 21 november 2025
Who is responsible for Merlijn’s mooring spots?
Hi! I’m Petra, and within Merlijn I am responsible for arranging all mooring locations for the ship. Every time the Merlijn docks somewhere, a reservation needs to be made — for overnight stays, but also when guests return to the ship during the day with their bikes, or when they disembark. It’s important that everything is arranged in advance, so the Merlijn can dock with peace of mind, without stress about whether a spot is available.
Over the past years, I have built many important contacts in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany/Poland, France and Austria. This allows me to react quickly when something changes along the route, such as a blocked lock. In that case, I contact the relevant harbors to cancel or reschedule. Sometimes a phone call is needed, but most communication goes through email or online booking systems.
What I enjoy most about my work is planning more than a hundred different harbors, each with their own contact persons. In small towns I sometimes call or email directly with the mayor, who is often delighted to welcome the Merlijn. In larger cities, reservations go through booking systems, but even there I have regular contacts I can coordinate with. I love that variety. And how nice is it when Coen sends a message with a beautiful photo of a mooring spot he is happy with! Then I know it’s all well arranged for our guests.
I joined Merlijn when Coen and Cristina were looking for someone to handle the mooring reservations. Since my husband and I have sailed for many years on our cargo ship between the Netherlands and France, I already knew a lot about the waterways — also from my childhood, when I grew up on my parents’ cargo ship sailing through Germany. Coen is my youngest brother and Cristina my sister-in-law, which makes working together even more enjoyable. Before becoming a skipper, I worked in the tourism sector, so it’s great to combine those worlds again. I started working for Merlijn in 2019, when both our sons started school and I had a bit more time for a new challenge — something I still enjoy doing every day.
In my free time I love to be active: running, cycling, sailing and really anything that has to do with water and ships. I play guitar, teach swim training at our children’s sports club and am active in the school’s parent council. I also enjoy good food, good wine and visiting the theater.
My favourite Merlijn memory so far is the trip from Merzig to Cologne, where I joined for three days together with my sister. I especially loved Traben-Trarbach, with its cozy evening wine tasting. Cycling along the Moselle, cruising and dining on board — it was a wonderful experience. So special to see how everything works on board, to meet the guests, and to see the mooring locations I arrange come to life in real time.
I always wish the Merlijn and her crew a safe journey, I wish our guests many beautiful trips, and of course I hope everyone enjoys the wonderful mooring spots I book for Merlijn!
Love, Petra