I’ve sailed with my kids in Alaska and Costa Rica, and while those were unforgettable experiences, sailing without kids with Holland America offers more opportunities to relax and explore cruise ports in a different way. I booked a seven-day cruise with stops in Norway and the Shetland Islands, both places I’ve long had on my must-visit list. In addition to traveling without kids, I also travel alone; way to celebrate my recent 50th birthday.
Vacation before cruise
I took this opportunity to extend my trip and add a few days in Amsterdam before my cruise began. I took a food and canal tour which included pickled herring and pancakes (the latter is definitely preferable), and I also took a fascinating tour of the red light district with ToursByLocals, led by Salomé, a local chocolate shop owner with a unique perspective on the ever-changing area. Traveling alone means I can stop for a glass of sparkling wine when the urge strikes, and spend the afternoon browsing antique markets without complaint.
When it was time to leave for Rotterdam, I caught a ride from DayTrip that included a stop in the ancient city of Leiden. The beauty of this car service was that my driver waited for me with my luggage while I explored the Windmill Museum and enjoyed a limoncello spritz and truffle fries at a canalside cafe.
I had almost a full day to explore Rotterdam, from the Cube Houses to the street art scene. I even met people learning to surf (in town!) as I walked to the hotel.
Rotterdam to Norway and the Shetland Islands
The next day, I started Rotterdam and set off to explore Norway and the Shetland Islands. Here’s what makes it so great as a solo traveler:
1. History of Rotterdam Holland America
The city of Rotterdam has a long history with the Holland America Line (HAL), as it was here that the shipping line first began carrying emigrants from Rotterdam to New York. Rotterdam serves as the cruise line’s headquarters, and today, you can even book a stay on the decommissioned SS Rotterdam (HAL has seven ships named after port cities) which is permanently docked at the port.
2. Health Experience
I knew I wanted to take advantage of the health deals the ship had to offer, as I usually skip them when traveling with my kids. Once aboard, I headed straight to the Greenhouse Spa and booked a massage with the addition of a hydrotherapy suite, which I had access to throughout the week. Booking early means I get a choice of appointment times and also get a discount on my services. Access to a hydrotherapy room was a highlight of the trip, especially after a day of walking in the port cities.
3. Entertainment
My son and I sailed on HAL to Alaska. While I was able to convince him to take part in discussions about the Iditarod, he wasn’t too interested in looking at entertainment offerings beyond that. Traveling alone means I can take a mixology class or enjoy a port talk to learn about the cities we’ll be visiting.
4. Beach tourism
I booked my shore excursions in advance so I could avoid being sold (I highly recommend you do this). Traveling without kids means that when new excursions are added, I can spend a dime without considering other people’s opinions. I also don’t have to worry about age restrictions.
More adventurous options, like a RIB boat tour in Skjolden, were quickly added to my list. We passed through amazing fjords, and I didn’t have to worry about whether my kids were enjoying it (of course they were!).
5. Upscale dining
While I love a good buffet or poolside pizza joint as much as anyone, I could really take advantage of all the upscale dining on my Holland America cruise. I had truffle-glazed pasta at Caneletto, a delicious lobster dinner at Rudi’s Sel de Mer, and candied bacon at Pinnacle Grill (don’t miss this!). Although children are allowed to dine at these places, the food tends to last longer, which can be a challenge for young children.
6. Flexibility in ports
One of my favorite activities in Norway is booking a sauna experience in the small town of Leirvik. When I first booked this Norway cruise, I was hoping there would be a sauna excursion offered, as this is a popular activity for locals. But when there was nothing on offer, I took matters into my own hands and booked a session at Sauna Stord. I invited some new friends to join me, and we plunged into the icy water and then jumped into the comfort of the sauna. Weather wise, it was a gloomy day, so this activity was a good choice.
When we visited the Shetland Islands, my shore excursion was a walking tour that took us through narrow alleys and to places like Fort Charlotte. Afterwards, I headed off on my own to Fjarå Café Bar, featured in Shetland series. I ate with delicious bread and Cullen’s lizarddelicious fish soup filled with smoked haddock and potatoes. I was forced to take bribes if I took my children for a walk back and forth.
After an excursion on a RIB boat in Skjolden, I followed a group of fellow explorers on a hike to a viewpoint recommended in a beach talk the day before. Talk about an epic view (first photo of the story from this point of view). Then I walked down the hill, past llama farms and strawberry meadows. I’d seen the Hauge gård cafe on the map, so I headed to this seaside spot for a strawberry mead and pavlova topped with the perfect strawberry.
A pep talk for any parent considering a solo trip
Will my kids enjoy this HAL Norway cruise? Of course. However, traveling alone allowed me to experience cruise lines and port cities in a very different way, which I highly recommend to any parent.
More from FamilyVacationist:
PakarPBN
A Private Blog Network (PBN) is a collection of websites that are controlled by a single individual or organization and used primarily to build backlinks to a “money site” in order to influence its ranking in search engines such as Google. The core idea behind a PBN is based on the importance of backlinks in Google’s ranking algorithm. Since Google views backlinks as signals of authority and trust, some website owners attempt to artificially create these signals through a controlled network of sites.
In a typical PBN setup, the owner acquires expired or aged domains that already have existing authority, backlinks, and history. These domains are rebuilt with new content and hosted separately, often using different IP addresses, hosting providers, themes, and ownership details to make them appear unrelated. Within the content published on these sites, links are strategically placed that point to the main website the owner wants to rank higher. By doing this, the owner attempts to pass link equity (also known as “link juice”) from the PBN sites to the target website.
The purpose of a PBN is to give the impression that the target website is naturally earning links from multiple independent sources. If done effectively, this can temporarily improve keyword rankings, increase organic visibility, and drive more traffic from search results.
