Several cruise lines are taking guests to the Netherlands' Floriade Expo: Travel Weekly

There are cruises that include visits to the once-in-a-decade Floriade horticulture expo in the Netherlands.

The Floriade is accessible on half-day and full-day visits with several river cruise companies.

The expo runs from April 14 to October 9. The event will feature presentations from 40 countries, a cable car that takes visitors above the park, a greenhouse complex, and a vibrant array of flowers, plants and vegetables spread over 150 acres.

Avalon Waterways, Amadeus, Uniworld and AmaWaterways are all returning with itineraries this year, as well as Riviera River Cruises for the first time. Most lines offer packages from April to October.

There are nine different packages that include visits to the Floriade. The luxury cruise line has multiple destinations around Europe with its voyages. Most of the cruise lines making trips to the Floriade this year are making port calls in Belgium and Germany.

In addition to the Netherlands, Ama Waterways will make calls in Luxembourg, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany on seven of its itineraries.

The River Empress of Uniworld will host Dutch Delights and Remarkable Rhine and Historic Holland itineraries. The photo is courtesy of Uniworld.

The cruises range from eight to 16 days. The European Jewels itinerary begins in Hungary and will make several stops in Austria, including Vienna, before ending in Amsterdam. Guests will have the option of visiting either the Van Gogh Museum or the Rijksmuseum while on a canal cruise.

Three eight-day sailings and a 15-day sailing are offered by Amadeus. The eight-day Rhine in Flames package begins in Basel, Switzerland and ends in Amsterdam, with stops in Strasbourg, northeastern France, and several German cities along the Rhine. The other eight-day sailings that visit the Floriade are Tulip Season, which sails from Amsterdam, and Classical Rhine, which sails from Amsterdam.

The 15-day Across Europe package includes visits to Hungary, Austria and Slovakia as well as Germany and the Netherlands. Guests must book the package that leaves from Budapest and ends in Amsterdam in order to visit the Floriade on an Across Europe itinerary. There are select departures throughout April and July and September.

The Central Square is seen from the show's aerial cable car. The photo is courtesy of the Floriade horticulture expo.

The new Amsterdam, Cologne and the Best of Holland and Flanders package is an eight-day itinerary that includes full-day and half-day visits to the Floriade. Guests can either visit the event in the morning or spend the entire day at the expo, and then explore Amsterdam in the afternoon. All departures include visits to the expo on this itinerary.

There are two new itineraries this year. The Best of Holland and Belgium is an eight-day Flemish experience that sails from Amsterdam. Land excursions in the Belgian cities of Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent highlight Flemish history and culture.

The Rhine Castles and Swiss Alps itinerary is one of the new AmaWaterways packages. After arriving in Amsterdam, guests have the option of visiting the Floriade on Day 2 or spending time cruising some of Amsterdam's 165 canals, before heading out to Cologne and several cities along the Rhine. A visit to Strasbourg in France's Alsace region will give guests a taste of both Germany and France before moving on to Switzerland the next day.

On each of Uniworld's sailings starting in July, you can visit the Floriade, an experience that is included in the eight-day Dutch Delight package.

Guests will be taken to Floriade by the Avalon Tranquility II. The photo is courtesy of Avalon.

The Active, Discovery and Classic excursions will keep the flower power going. Guests can browse through 20 million flowers at the Aalsmeer Flower Auction in Amsterdam, the largest in the world, and also make half- or full-day visits to nearby Keukenhof garden in Lisse, known as the Garden of Europe.

Guests will be accompanied by a guide on their visit. During the line's Floriade itineraries, you can visit the gardens of Appeltern and meet a tulip grower.

Steve Born, Avalon's chief marketing officer, said that this year's Floriade event will be special.