Making the Most of the Maiden Voyage

The Oseberg ship, which was built about 815 A.D., at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.

ENB recently sat down with Blog Board member Simon Douwes, director of deployment and itinerary planning for Holland America Line, to discuss Eurodam’s maiden voyage itinerary and how to make it a truly memorable vacation.

The 10-day westward Baltic itinerary, which was outlined in a previous post, was designed to be combinable with the following 10-day eastward cruise for those who wish to take a longer, 20-day voyage. The itinerary planning team also planned the voyage to be totally different from past offerings, including a maiden port, extraordinary scenery and passenger favorites.

In this post we’ll discuss how to get the most out of the first four ports of call.

Copenhagen: The ship embarks guests in the beautiful and cultural city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Guests joining the ship on July 5, 2008, should arrive the day before to allow time to fully explore the city. Tivoli Gardens, a famous amusement park and pleasure garden that opened in 1843, is a must-see for all visitors.

Castles abound in Denmark, and a visit to Copenhagen affords guests the opportunity to go to Kronborg Castle at Elsinore, the setting of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” and Fredensborg Palace, which was built to commemorate the 1720 peace treaty with Sweden and is now the summer residence of the Danish Royal Family. Look out for the “Little Mermaid” celebrating the tales of the city’s own Hans Christian Andersen.

Oslo: Norway’s capital and largest city is one of Douwes’ favorite ports. “It’s one of the nicest berths I know; you’re right in downtown,” he said. “One of the most attractive things in Oslo is the sail into the city. It’s through a very long fjord with lots of interesting history and it’s very scenic.”

In Oslo a visit to the Viking Ship Museum is a must. The museum houses authentic longboats dating from 900-1000 excavated from the mud banks along Oslofjord. Art lovers should stop by the Munch Museum, which contains 5,000 of the artist’s sketches and paintings. The Vigeland Sculpture Park features more than 150 stone and bronze sculptures, symbolizing different stages in the lifespan of mankind. The Parliament building, Royal Palace and Nobel Institute also make interesting stops.

Alesund: One of Norway’s most charming and scenic ports, Alesund (pronounced Olesund) is home to one of the country’s largest fishing harbors. In 1904 the city was devastated by a fire and rebuilt with stone instead of wood, making it one of the few art nouveau towns left in the world. Guests can remain in the city and take the 400 steps up to the Kniven Overlook on Mount Aksla for a stunning panoramic view, or head out toward Trollstigen — the Troll’s Path— passing the impressive Gudbrandsjuvet Gorge. On top of the mountain you can still trace signs from the old road built in 1028 by the Viking King Olav.

Vik/Flam: The ship calls at Vik to drop off guests on specific shore excursions and then continues on to Flam. The spectacular train tour is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for those not afraid of heights! Although the railway is only nine miles, it offers one of the most dramatic train rides in Europe. The valley is very narrow and steep, and the train descends from 2,500 feet to sea level, crossing back and forth across rivers and through 20 tunnels. For those looking for something less daring, explore the region’s rich folk history or visit one of the spectacular waterfalls in the area, including the Tvindefossen and Stalheim falls.

Look for details on the remaining four ports on Wednesday.