On a dull and wet June day, setting foot on Hebridean Spirit at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam feels a bit like coming home. Immaculately maintained, this vessel looks like a private yacht and is obviously treated with care by her crew. Incidentally, Hebridean Spirit carries British officers and mostly Eastern European service staff. As the vessel operates on an all-inclusive basis, tipping is actively discouraged.  

We start our Ship Tour topside. Panorama Deck is the highest of Hebridean Spirit's five passenger decks. All the way forward is a delightful sheltered sunning area with wooden lounge chairs and a raised lookout section. Sadly the area is decked in bright green Astroturf - on a ship of this caliber we would have expected a full teak deck!

The forward sun deck gives way to on of the most attractive rooms of Hebridean Spirit, the utterly charming Panorama Lounge. Colonial in look and feel, the semi-circular room makes you want to settle with a good book from any of the book shelves and a refreshing drink from the honor bar. Coffee, tea, fresh fruit and a well-stocked liquor cabinet are always available here, as is a photo book with pictures of Hebridean Spirit's christening and her many exotic travels. Down the corridor, there is a card room and an exquisite little Travel Library, featuring all the reference material you would need to read up on any of Hebridean Spirit's unique ports of call.