Disclosure: Holland America hosted our cruise. All opinions expressed are based on my personal experience and are my own.
My husband and I have traveled throughout Europe, but cruising Northern Europe was a completely different experience.
We recently spent two weeks aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam, sailing through the Baltic and Northern Europe with stops in places like Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm, Visby and Oslo, along with scenic cruising through Norway’s fjords.
Before we boarded, I thought I knew what to expect. Busy port days. Lots of sightseeing. Plenty of food. A few relaxing days at sea.
I was wrong about quite a few things.
Here are eight things that surprised me most about our Holland America Northern Europe cruise.
1. We Loved the Sea Days Almost as Much as the Ports
This became our favorite place to spend a sea day. My husband and I could settle into lounge chairs by the adults-only pool, read, relax and watch the ocean drift by with absolutely nowhere we needed to be.
(Shelly Peterson)
We were excited about this cruise for the destinations. I certainly didn’t expect some of my favorite days to be the ones when we didn’t get off the ship.
After walking miles through European cities, sea days became a welcome reset. There was always plenty to do, from watercolor classes and destination lectures to trivia, pickleball and ping pong, but what I loved most was that the ship never made us feel like we had to be doing something.
My husband and I especially loved the adults-only pool area, where we spent long, lazy afternoons reading, relaxing and watching the sea go by. Other days, we’d work out, walk laps around the ship or join an activity when we felt like it.
There was plenty happening if we wanted it, but also plenty of space when we craved quiet. After several busy days of sightseeing, that balance felt pretty perfect.
What surprised me: Sea days didn’t feel like wasted vacation days. They felt like vacation.
2. Northern Europe Was Much Warmer Than I Expected
My husband and I loved exploring Tallinn on foot, wandering the cobblestone streets and colorful corners of its historic Old Town during our Northern Europe cruise.
(Shelly Peterson)
When I pictured a Baltic cruise, I packed for chilly weather.
Sweaters? Check.
Jacket? Check.
Layers? Lots of them.
What I wasn’t expecting were warm, sunny days when I was perfectly comfortable in a sundress or shorts.
The weather changed constantly throughout our two-week cruise, sometimes from one port to the next.
What I’d pack for a Northern Europe cruise:
Comfortable shorts and pants
T-shirts and lightweight tops
Comfortable walking shoes
A few warm-weather outfits
Layers, layers and more layers
Don’t assume “Northern Europe” automatically means cold.
3. The Smallest Port Became One of My Favorites
Visby was the port I knew the least about before our cruise, and it ended up completely charming me. Its historic homes, cobblestone streets and medieval atmosphere made this little Swedish city one of my favorite surprises of the trip.
(Shelly Peterson)
Before our cruise, Stockholm and Oslo were the names I was most excited about.
Then we arrived in Visby, Sweden.
I knew almost nothing about it beforehand, which may be exactly why I loved it so much.
Visby is a beautifully preserved medieval town on the Swedish island of Gotland. We wandered cobblestone streets, walked past centuries-old walls and explored without a long must-see list.
It was one of those places that made me think, How did I not know about this?
My takeaway: Don’t overlook the smaller cruise ports. Sometimes they’re the biggest surprise.
4. We Didn’t Need an Excursion in Every Port
One of our favorite things about this cruise was simply stepping off the ship and exploring each new city together on foot.
(Shelly Peterson)
This was a big one.
When you’re planning a European cruise, it’s tempting to book a shore excursion everywhere. After all, you only have one day in each destination.
But some of our favorite days involved simply walking off the ship and exploring.
We wandered old towns, stopped when something looked interesting and explored at our own pace.
Other destinations made more sense with a tour, especially when we wanted to cover more ground or learn about the history.
Our strategy became simple:
Book an excursion when it gives you access to something difficult to do independently.
Explore on your own when the port makes it easy.
Don’t schedule every minute of every port day.
That balance made the trip much more relaxing.
5. Holland America Was More Casual Than I Expected
Some of our favorite cruise moments were the simplest ones. My husband and I loved heading outside at sunset, watching the water stretch behind the ship and realizing there was absolutely nowhere else we needed to be.
(Shelly Peterson)
I’ll admit it. I wondered if a two-week Holland America cruise would feel formal.
It didn’t.
There were Dressy Nights, and plenty of people enjoyed getting dressed up, but we never felt like we needed tuxedos or evening gowns.
Most nights, the atmosphere felt polished but comfortable.
That suited us perfectly. After spending the day walking around a European city, the last thing I wanted was to turn dinner into another production.
What I packed but didn’t need: Anything overly formal.
6. Live Music Became Our Nightly Routine
We rarely headed straight to bed after dinner. Nights like this, dancing to the live band at B.B. King’s Blues Club, became some of our favorite memories aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam.
(Shelly Peterson)
This may have been the biggest onboard surprise.
My husband and I didn’t go into the cruise thinking much about entertainment. By the end, we had developed a nightly routine around it.
We’d finish dinner and tell ourselves we’d stop by the dueling pianos for a little while.
Then we’d look at the time and realize we’d been there for two hours.
We also caught rock, blues, stage shows, a magician and even a singing harpist, which I especially loved because I play the harp.
Instead of heading straight back to our cabin after dinner, we found ourselves asking, “What music is playing tonight?”
7. Cruising Through the Norwegian Fjords Was Completely Different From a Normal Sea Day
Bathrobes, our private balcony and the sea just drifting past. Some mornings aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam were so beautiful that my husband and I had no desire to rush anywhere.
(Shelly Peterson)
I’ve spent plenty of days at sea.
Cruising through Norway’s fjords was nothing like them.
At one point, my husband and I were sitting outside at the back of the ship as enormous cliffs rose around us and waterfalls spilled down the mountainsides.
We weren’t racing to an excursion.
We weren’t taking a tour.
We weren’t even trying particularly hard to take photos.
We were just sitting there watching Norway pass by.
Of all the experiences on our two-week Northern Europe cruise, that’s still one of the first memories that comes to mind.
Tip: If your itinerary includes scenic cruising, don’t treat it like an ordinary sea day. Get outside.
8. The Cruise Made Us Want to Come Back and Do Northern Europe Differently
Helsinki was an easy city to explore on foot, giving us the freedom to wander, take in the sights and experience the city at our own pace.
(Shelly Peterson)
Maybe this was the biggest surprise of all.
I wondered whether visiting so many destinations on a cruise would feel rushed. Sometimes it did. One day simply isn’t enough for cities like Stockholm or Oslo.
But instead of feeling disappointed, I left with something I hadn’t expected: a new travel wish list.
There were places my husband and I would happily return to for several days or even several weeks.
That’s what I now think a Northern Europe cruise does exceptionally well.
It gives you a taste.
You don’t have to plan trains, flights and hotels across multiple countries. You wake up, step off the ship and start exploring.
Then you figure out where you want to come back and stay awhile.
Would I Take Another Holland America Northern Europe Cruise?
Between busy days exploring Northern Europe, we appreciated having a comfortable stateroom to come back to, put our feet up and recharge for whatever adventure was waiting the next day.
(Shelly Peterson)
Absolutely.
But I’d approach my next one differently.
I’d worry less about filling every port day. I’d leave more room for wandering. I’d pack for warmer weather. I’d protect those lazy sea days instead of thinking I needed to be doing something.
And I’d pay a lot more attention to those little dots on the itinerary I’d never heard of before.
Because sometimes the place you know the least about becomes the one you can’t stop thinking about.