Holland America’s newest and biggest ship the Nieuw Statendam, looked huge as it sat in port alongside the harbour buildings prior to sailing from Amsterdam. Once on-board it was fun to spot all the buildings in town and all the bicycles on the quayside.
The sail away from port was slow and smooth. Amsterdam is a city below sea level and built on reclaimed land. A powerful cruise ship could cause flooding in the city if it went too quickly and caused a wake. The ship had to sail slowly and exit through a lock about two hours after leaving the port.
The first day on-board was a sea day which gave us time to visit the ship and the kids club. We read books, played in the sports court, listened to music etc. After dinner the boys went to the club for the evening program while we went to meet the captain at a champagne reception. It was a pleasure to meet Captain Noel O Driscoll from Castletownbere! An amazing achievement for a young Cork man to captain the largest ship in the industry.
The day started with breakfast with a view! Then we headed off the boat to explore Eidfjord. It was a cute Norwegian town with tourist shops, trolls and a white mist hanging over the sea. It’s a major cruise ship port of call with a population of 900 people, this drastically increases when the ships are in port!
Sailing out through the fjord the cruise ship had to pass under the Hardanger Bridge, the largest suspension bridge in Norway. The captain explained that the ships antenna had to be removed in order to pass it safely. We had about a meter to spare but it looked quite close!
Ålesund was the next port of call. We climbed the 420 steps and had a great, if slightly wind blown, view of the harbour below. There were bunkers from WW2 with a clear view of the sea and surrounding land.
Back in the town we walked around the harbour. In 1904 there was a big fire. The town which would have been mainly built of wood, was destroyed. Residents had to leave their homes and 10,000 people were left with out shelter. The town was subsequently rebuilt in stone and brick in art nouveau style.
Next day we stopped in Geirangerfjord. We had to take a tender to the shore. It was a tiny town, also popular with cruise ships. With put on our rain gear and headed off the boat for a walk. The turf roofs on some of the shops and houses was interesting. The water was crystal clear. Interesting when it’s so deep at 13,000 meters compared to the North Sea which can be as shallow as 35meters!
The sail through the Geiranger fjord, a UNESCO World heritage site was a highlight of the trip. Stunning views of cliffs, waterfalls and troll faces surrounded us as we made our way slowly through the narrow channel. The Captain helped ensure that passengers didn’t miss anything by doing a 360degree turn in the fjord when we reached the Seven Sisters and Suitor waterfalls.
Last day in the Fjords we stopped in Bergen. A headache had left Shea incapacitated and needing some minding so we reverted to Plan B and visited the town in turns. Home of another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bryggen, the colourful wooden houses on the Old Wharf was once the centre of the Hanseatic Leagues trading empire. Bergen was a nice town to walk around through the park, the fish market and past the old wooden houses.
Our last day at sea we attended the Mariners Lunch where we were welcomed by the Captain and offered some champagne and a gift of a Delft tile. Then we visited the Bridge where we had a special private tour with Captain Noel O’Driscoll. It was another cruise highlight to see operations of the ship. The boys got to blow the fog horn and we took some pictures too. The Captain spent about an hour with us chatting and swapping travel stories. We saw the maps showing the route and learnt a lot about how the ship operated. Up Cork!
The cruise was great. It was busy with lots of stops so we ran out of time to so some on-board stuff. The seas were rough a couple of nights which wasn’t great but we had every confidence in our Cork Captain. The music in the piano bar and Lincoln stage was great. We didn’t get to a quiz. We watched Bohemian Rhapsody on the deck one evening while enjoying some Norwegian fish n chips. The balcony in the room was great, a definite advantage for admiring the passing scenery.
Nearly time to leave the majestic Nieuw Statendam. We had time to admire some of the funky artwork and enjoy one last dinner in the dining room and one last party in the kids club before packing the bags ready to move on ……
One last cruise sunset and night sky….
Hairylambthewanderyears 