A Pre-cruise Trip-Why It's a Great Idea

The Angry Boy at Vigeland Park in Oslo (rub his left hand for luck)

If you were given a lump sum of money for one trip, which would you choose:

A seven night cruise on a luxury ship including butler service,

or a seven night cruise on a luxury ship without the butler and with the money saved, you can vacation for an additional week?

Did we make the best choice for us?

Friend Kristin and I have taken several “birthday” trips over the past 14 years to celebrate significant milestones and 30 years of friendship.   In 2024, Kristin asked if I’d travel to Norway with her to celebrate her next “big” birthday.   Of course I said,  “Absolutely!”.

After a failed booking with another cruise company, we chose to tour Norway and Scotland on a Smithsonian sponsored cruise with Ponant.   I traveled with Ponant in Tahiti in 2019 and love this top of the line small ship cruise line.

The money we saved by not going with one of those super luxurious outfits allowed us to do a week of touring around the Netherlands and Oslo, Norway before our seven night sail.  I learned beforehand about a terrific train ride between Oslo and our city of cruise embarkation, Bergen. I booked tickets the day they became available (roughly 3 - 4 months before our trip).   Why not do more for the money?   And just like that, we had a pre-cruise itinerary.

Traveling tip:  Adding a pre-cruise junket before your sail date also facilitates time for your jet lag to resolve before the main event.

We really enjoyed our stay at the reasonably priced Zaan Hotel Amsterdam in Zaandam located near a train station for easy access to Amsterdam without needing a taxi

Kristin and I flew to Amsterdam from Philadelphia on June 27th, 2025.   We arrived at Schiphol Airport early morning on the 28th.  Because I’m fairly familiar with more than a few Dutch cities by now (son Phil has lived in the country since 2016), I suggested we take the easy train ride to Haarlem for the afternoon.  Pete, Phil and I stayed in this charming city in Sept.2020 (during Covid) and loved the vibe.

Haarlem offers loads of great shopping, restaurants, a fantastic wine bar called Vinq and the Grote of St. Bavokerk, a stunning cathedral featuring a magnificent organ where Amadeus Mozart and George Frederik Handel once played. 

A visit to Haarlem must include a stop at the Grote of St. Bavokerk - check their website for upcoming concerts at https://www.bavo.nl/

We enjoyed touring the inside and admiring the bride and groom who had apparently just married moments before our arrival ( we were a tad underdressed to crash the reception).

If you have limited time,  you can book a Tripadvisor sponsored day trip allowing a fun taste of Dutch culture.   We chose;  

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g188590-d23424681-Giethoorn_Afsluitdijk_Zaanse_Schans_Day_Tour_Incl_Hotel_Pick_Up-Amsterdam_North_Ho.html   and weren’t disappointed.  

Boating in Geithoorn is a relaxing way to spend a 1/2 day

   Our day trip included a boat ride in and out the canals of Giethoorn, a short stop at the Afsluitdijk, and a few hours in Zaanse Schans; a totally touristy but interesting village where old fashioned windmills spin galore, wooden clogs are carved before your eyes, and cheese production is demonstrated. 

What would a visit to the Netherlands be without a tour of the windmill city, Zaanse Schans

To finish off the jet lag, we spent an extra day in Amsterdam exploring with my son Phil and his girlfriend Mozhde.  Having this built in extra time made it easy to be prepared for our flight out the next afternoon to the city of Oslo, Norway.

Phil and Mozhde's view from our table at De Haven van Texel restaurant

Taking Norwegian Air, we arrived in Oslo in the late afternoon of June 30th.

Traveler’s Tip:  Norwegian Air is a bare bones airline.  Fares can be inexpensive but bring your own food and drink.  I had to pay almost 10 USD for a small can of  diet soda.

   Kristin found a great hotel , the Karl Johan, within walking distance of the train station in Oslo.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a lovelier elevator than this one at the Karl Johan Hotel

In a nutshell, Oslo is fantastic.   Plan your time so you can enjoy the National Museum (home of Munch’s Scream), the Opera House, and Vigeland Park ; featuring the sculpture works of Gustav Vigeland.

Munch's Scream at the National Museum in Oslo

Travelers Tip: Plan at least 2-3 hours to stroll the amazing Vigeland Park.

It was a hot June in 2025; the roses were in full bloom

At Vigeland, everywhere you look, you can't help but be mesmerized by the acres of fascinating sculpture

What more can I say about Oslo?

Forget NYC, this city truly doesn’t sleep in the summer.  I’m not sure the sun ever really set during our visit in June. With pleasant warm temperatures abound, visitors and locals stay up into the wee hours of the "morning". Keep this in mind when booking your hotel.  We heard a rock concert raging away in the park across the street from our room until 3 am.   White noise and ear buds never completely blocked out the vocally expressive lead singer.   Lucky for us, we built in time to sleep in. 

Travelers Tip: I recommend reserving a room not facing the front of any hotel on Karl Johans Gate, a major pedestrian thoroughfare from the Oslo train station. Nights can be quite noisy.

All in all, Oslo should be on your list of cities to visit when in Scandinavia.   We covered a lot of ground by foot, feeling completely safe.    After buying a ½ day Hop On Hop Off Bus ticket, we discovered quickly that it’s almost as easy to walk or take a taxi to many of the city’s best tourist spots. 

Keep this in mind when visiting Oslo----

Kristin and I didn't hit the duty free hard enough

Alcohol is very expensive and can be difficult to buy in the city.  A flight attendant in Amsterdam gave us great advice when she told us,  “Hit the duty free shop hard when you arrive in Oslo!”.   We didn’t take her seriously enough, choosing to purchase only one bottle to take to our room. We later ended up splitting $100 bottles of wine during our two dinners (choosing the least expensive on the menu).   A glass of wine at a restaurant runs on the average of  $36-$65 USD per glass making the purchase of a whole bottle make more sense. For you beer lovers, a glass of beer costs around $21-25 USD. 

Over imbibing was not an issue.

We chose to use medium rollaways and backpacks to navigate the multiple trains and planes during our trip

On Wednesday July 2nd, Kristin and I walked to the Oslo train station in plenty of time to catch our magical ride on the Bergensbanen (Vy rail).  

A train ride to remember!

Yes, it is definitely worth including a Oslo to Bergen or Bergen to Oslo rail journey in your itinerary.   You’ll experience stunning views such as the Hardangervidda Mountain range as your train climbs to a breath-taking (literally) elevation of 4,058 feet (highest in Europe).

Passengers are allowed to hop off for incredible photo ops during the journey.

Traveler’s Tip:  Use the Vy website directly to purchase your tickets (many online reviews warned me not to use rail ninja). . Have patience and take your time. It took me a while to figure out how to navigate the details. You get to choose your seat. I googled which side of the train to sit on and can vouch that both sides offer incredible views.   If you are flexible, you can buy your tickets at the stations in Oslo and Bergen.

Already, we felt like we had gotten away for a fun, relaxing vacation and our cruise hadn’t even started yet.   We still had days before our sail. What more would we see?

Stay Tuned