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.
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 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.
Tulip expedition, Northbound
April 03 - 09 / 2026
Tulip expedition, Northbound
May 01 - 07 / 2026
Rhine, Moselle & Saar 3-river tour in Germany
May 17 - 25 / 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 the future we add 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
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.
Friday 21 november 2025
Closing this season with gratitude
What a remarkable season we have had!
Now that we have completed the final journeys of the year, we want to express a personal word of thanks to all our guests. Thank you for your enthusiasm, your warmth, and the trust you place in us time and time again. Because of you, Merlijn continues to grow, and our work never feels like work, it feels like an adventure we get to experience together.
We already look forward to welcoming you back on board in 2026 or 2027.
Warm regards,
Cristina & Coen
Friday 21 november 2025
Our staterooms are a guest favourite
At the beginning of this year, all staterooms on board the Merlijn underwent a complete renovation.
It was a major project, but with a beautiful result: we received an incredible number of compliments from everyone on board this season. The new interior, the fresh look and the added comfort have been enjoyed throughout the entire season and were clearly very well received.
We are proud and delighted that the renewed staterooms are such a success!