The cruise starts in Rotterdam. Ideal for me, because this means that I don’t have to fly to the destination. The public transportation you can quickly reach the cruise terminal. You can take the train to Rotterdam central and get into a metro to Wilhelminaplein. From the metro station it is a short walk to the cruise terminal. Outside you can already see the staff, ready to accept your luggage. Without heavy luggage, you are free to embark the ship. Let the cruise begin!

From Rotterdam it is quite the trip to our first destination; Eidfjord. The ship takes at least one full seaday. Enough time for you to discover all the facilities the ship has to offer. There are plenty of activities during the day, so you won’t get bored. It is also possible to go your own way and relax. Outside on the deck, or inside in one of the open spaces. Crossing the North Sea can be chilly, so after a short stop outside we are going to our first activity of the day; winetasting. This was the only activity of the day, because that wine made us want some more.

Eidfjord is worth setting your alarm early. The ship sails with the sunrise through the most amazing fjords. The village looks beautiful in the morning. There is a mist above the buildings and it is not the standard harbor where you would expect the ship to moor. Via the cruise line you can book excursions, just like any other harbor, but we decided not to do this.

We decide to get on a hop on hop off bus to see the surrounding area. There are only two stops; the ship and the waterfall. This helps, because the ship will only be half a day in the harbor. Just to be clear; the ship doesn’t wait. I have seen plenty of departures where tourists came to late and could wave the ship goodbye. You don’t want that. After a short photo session at the waterfall we return to the village. There is plenty of time left to go for a walk. Good for your health, but also an opportunity to make great pictures from the surrounding area and the ship.

The ship sails away in time and this is followed by a sightseeing cruise through the fjords. There is only one waterway to Eidfjord. On the way to the village, it was still a bit too dark. Now it is bright and sunny. Everyone is on the deck looking to the amazing surroundings. Via the speakers there is some information about this area. After we sailed out of the fjords, we prepare for dinner. At the Holland America Line you can choose if you want a fixed time and table, or if you want to dine flexible. This means that you can decide by yourself when you want to eat, but there is a chance that you have to wait for a table. We didn’t have a fixed time and table, but never had to wait for a table.

The next day we arrive at Alesund. The ship will stay here for the full day so we decide to take it slow. At the beginning of the day, the village is still quiet. A good time to take a walk and discover the village. Around lunchtime you can decide to stay in the village or go back to the ship. We decide to go back to the ship to enjoy a lovely lunch. Holland America Line is known for its quality in food. We do not want to miss that. After the lunch, the row at the hop on hop off bus non-existing. We decide to hop on. This route has more stops, but the most interesting is look-out above the village. After a full day, you can relax at the ship.

Geiranger is the next destination. The ship cannot moor in the harbor and therefore we have to use tender boats to get to the village. There is a short traffic jam on the ship because of this, but it is worth the wait. Just like before, we decide to go for the hop on hop off bus. It was a good decision the other days and this one looks promising as well. It has two photo stops where you have enough time to make the iconic pictures of Geiranger. After the busride we have still time to take a walk through the village, where you can find the most beautiful nature.

Bergen is the last destination of this cruise. The city has enough to offer. It isn’t a big city, so you can do this by foot. Our walk brings us to Bergenhus. This is a fortress which has been founded in the eleventh century. The fortress is beautiful and well maintained. Here the Norwegians have defended a Dutch merchant fleet. And this all happened because the messenger of the king came too late into the city. If this has spiked your interest, you can find the whole story when you search for ‘Battle of Vagen’.

The route brings us to Bryggen. This is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in the middle of the city. These buildings were part of the Hanseatic League. Officially Bergen was never part of the Hanse cities, but this part was occupied by the Germans. There are a lot of shops which are all worth your time to visit. Close to Bryggen is the fishmarket. Personally not the nicest scent in the world, so we continue along the water quay. We arrive at Nordnes Park and enjoy the sun. This sunlight is very special, because here in Bergen it rains for a minimum of 200 days a year. The rest of the city also has enough to offer, too much for just one day. We are on our way home, we return to Rotterdam. We have one seaday left and take the time to relax. Rotterdam is waiting for us. We are back home.