Celebrating Family Milestones on a Holland America Cruise to Norway and Scotland

Celebrating milestones together is important for my family. With two momentous occasions to mark this past summer—my husband, Jeff, and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary and our daughter, Grace, graduated from high school (we also have a teenage son, Ben)—we decided that a family trip was in order. My mother also would be joining us. But what sort of trip and to where?

We all agreed that we wanted exposure to new cultures and the arts and wanted to strike a balance between activity and relaxation. We landed on a multigenerational experience with Holland America Line: a seven-day sailing in June to the Norwegian Fjords and Scotland’s Shetland Islands on the 2,668-guest MS Rotterdam, the line’s newest ship. The Pinnacle Class Rotterdam is filled with beautiful art, has an onboard library and features fantastic dining experiences.

A cruise was just what the doctor ordered after the hustle and bustle of high school track meets, prom festivities, college planning and graduation events.

Prior to boarding the ship, we explored the Holland America Line Navigator app to book spa treatments, make reservations at the specialty restaurants and arrange excursions. 

We flew from the US to Amsterdam, where we traveled to The Hague and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for a day of sightseeing before setting sail. We boarded the ship from the port of Rotterdam, which is across the river from the original Holland America Line headquarters, now a hotel. 

Days at sea

Our first stop aboard the ship: the Crow’s Nest. Filled with comfy chairs and outfitted with a craft coffee bar, it was the perfect spot for our son and daughter as first-time cruisers to see the ship sail away.

As a family, we spent the majority of the day at sea at the main pool. It has plenty of space for younger passengers to splash and swim and three hot tubs, which my mom visited each evening to relax. Also on the pool deck, my son enjoyed playing table tennis and eating the pepperoni pizza from quick-service restaurant New York Pizza, while my daughter and I loved our daily treat of chocolate gelato. And because the main pool has a convertible roof that opens and closes, rainy days
didn’t keep us away.

We all found activities around the ship to engage us. At the Greenhouse Spa, my mom indulged in a deep-tissue massage. Grace found origami, watercolor and coloring activities in the game room. (We are now proud owners of a series of adorable origami frogs.) Ben explored the ship’s Kid’s Club for his age group and made a new friend to play video games with. And my husband and I tried out the onboard mixology class, where we learned how to make some of the best cocktails at sea.

Afterward, we met for dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, one of Holland America Line’s specialty dining experiences. The dining room is gorgeous, filled with rich gold tones. We indulged in the candied bacon appetizer, which the whole family agrees is a must-try. With a menu that includes seafood, steak, and classics like chicken breast and por chops, the Pinnacle had an entrée option to please us all.

Ports of call

Our first port of call, Kristiansand, Norway, welcomed us with its idyllic marina. When choosing our excursions, we had been mindful of my mother’s pain management and my son’s ADHD. The walking tour we chose for Kristiansand covered flat terrain, and the guide paused at most locations for questions, which also gave folks time to rest.

We explored the harborfront fish market, which had the largest prawns I have ever seen; the Christiansholm fortress, built in the 1670s; the city square and the early 17th-century Holy Trinity Church.

The tour ended at Kunstsilo, one of Norway’s newest art museums. Housed in a former grain silo, the museum is a phenomenal blend of architecture and art, with more than 8,000 modern works by artists such as Reidar Aulie, Asger Jorn, Lars-Gunnar Nordström and Anna-Eva Bergman. 

From Kristiansand, we cruised overnight to Leirvik, Norway. We tendered to shore and then visited a coffee and pastry shop with the most delicious warm chocolate croissants, which took the chill out of the rainy morning. Before our scheduled afternoon bus tour, we explored the harbor, local street art and shops before hopping on board to see more of the lush green landscape.

The bus tour wended through the countryside, complete with expansive views of the fjords. According to Norwegian folklore, our guide told us, the towering rocks we saw are viewed as magical gnomes or trolls—playful beings who help those in need but turn to stone when exposed to sunlight. Both of my children were mesmerized by the story as the landscape clearly inspired the tale of the ice princess and her sister that’s told in Disney’s Frozen movie franchise. They laughed and giggled as they did when they were toddlers, a memory I will hold dear for years to come.

In Skjolden, Norway, we saw some of the most spectacular sights of nature. While my teens, my husband and I opted for a walking tour with llamas, my mom chose a bus tour to Jostedalsbreen National Park. (Using the Holland America Line app had allowed us to understand that the llama walking tour was about five miles round trip, which made my mother concerned about her ability to keep up.) During our all-afternoon walking tour, we learned about how stubborn llamas can be and that they typically only spit at each other—thankfully—and we saw glacial waters in the creek alongside the llama farm, with the aqua waters’ luminescence creating a sparkling effect.

Dining delights

As we sailed from port, the ship’s bow was open for passengers to view the fjords and the snow-capped mountains. Later, we talked about our day with my mom and shared pictures over a delicious dinner at Canaletto, the ship’s Italian-themed specialty dining experience.

What made the dining experiences beyond special is that the crew strives for everyone in the party to have an amazing experience. In addition to ADHD, my son also has some food aversions. He loves pasta, though, so he was thrilled when he found out that we were dining at Canaletto. Ben was so comfortable with the waiter that he spoke to him about his likes and dislikes and asked if he could order off-menu.Per his request, the kitchen cooked up a delicious plate of buttered spaghetti, his absolute favorite dinner. The smile on Ben’s face was so beautiful, and the waiter catered to him for the balance of the meal to ensure his dinner was as magnificent as the rest of the family’s. Our hearts and bellies were full that night.

A final stop

At our last port of call in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, the whole family spent the morning exploring together on a bus trip around the island, the highlight of which was a visit with Shetland ponies. We met a four-week-old foal, who fell in love with our daughter. The ponies, with their short legs and heavy fur coats, were friendly and loved the attention of our children and the other visitors. This tour is a must-do. 

Because the tour ended at midday, we had time to lunch at a café, explore the port and 17th-century Fort Charlotte, and do a bit of shopping. It was this way at each of the ports: the excursions we chose allowed us to balance experiencing the local culture and immersing ourselves in one of the more well-known aspects of the destination.

Each night, we returned to the ship for a delicious meal and great conversation. Many of our evenings extended beyond dinner with music in B.B. King’s Blues Club
or the Rolling Stone Lounge, a nightcap for the adults at the Grand Dutch Café,
or a game of Scrabble in the game room next to the Crow’s Nest.

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Whether you are planning a family celebration or your annual vacation, know that the service on Holland America is stellar, elegant touches abound, and excursions showcase the best of the ports of call.