DAY 1 – LONDON
Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. Situated on the north bank of the Thames, Tilbury is steeped in history. The town is most famous as the site of a fortress built by Henry VIII to defend London from invasion by ships coming up the Thames. Upriver, the city is home to iconic power centers—Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey—from which the fate of the British Empire rose and wavered. Today, the city thrives amid a long tradition of arts and architectural innovation—from Shakespeare’s Globe Theater to West End musicals, from Tower Bridge to the London Eye.
DAY 2 – AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Ijmuiden is a small port city in the province of North Holland and connects to the Dutch capital via the North Sea Canal. Amsterdam is just 11 miles from Ijmuiden, and is famed for its patchwork of charming waterways, elegant gabled houses and splendid museums. The legacy of the Dutch Golden Age lives on in gilded manses and in the lush paintings of Rembrandt and other Dutch masters that adorn the Rijksmuseum. Discovering Amsterdam is a pleasure best pursued on foot; visitors line the tranquil canals and linger over Dutch pancakes, or take a stroopwafel to go.
DAY 3 – SAIL THE NORTH SEA
Cross the North Sea, where Vikings sailed as they established colonies on Scottish islands, coastal France and beyond. As you sail, explore our well-curated library, tucked in a private alcove of The Living Room, and select from a broad range of titles. Read a book by the Main Pool, a calming oasis in any weather with its retractable roof, allowing for year-round swimming.
DAY 4 – NORWEGIAN INSIDE PASSAGE
The Norwegian Inside Passage is a protected shipping lane that runs from Norway’s capital of Oslo, down the Skagerrak coast and around the country’s southern tip. It continues north along the coastline of the Norwegian Sea, before eventually terminating in the Russian waters of Siberia. It has been used by mariners for centuries, its channels protected from the dangers of the open water by countless skerries and the rugged coastline presenting opportunities for shelter in its many natural bays and inlets.
DAY 5 – NARVIK, NORWAY
Narvik is situated on the innermost shores of the Ofotfjorden, within the Arctic Circle. The small town enjoys a dramatic backdrop, encircled by mountains and a glacier that spills right to the water’s edge. The town served as a port city for the early Viking settlers. Much later, the discovery of iron ore in the nearby Swedish town of Kiruna forever shaped Narvik. Kiruna needed a year-round ice-free port from which to ship its new discovery, and so a rail link was built directly to the water. Still today, Narvik is a major exporter.
DAY 6 – TROMSO, NORWAY
Tromsø is Norway’s most northerly city and has long been considered the gateway to the Arctic. During the summer months, pretty wooden houses exude an air of sophistication as they bask beneath the glow of the Midnight Sun. Winter brings pristine landscapes surrounded by snowcapped peaks and the aurora borealis, whose magical lights dance across the nighttime skies. World-renowned explorers have set sail from Tromsø’s shores; Roald Amundsen, Norway’s first son and the first explorer to reach both poles, is commemorated with a bronze statue in the city.
DAY 7 – TROMSO, NORWAY
Tromsø features an array of French Empire, Swiss and neoclassical architecture, earning its nickname “Paris of the North.” Visitors from Southern Europe were surprised that an Arctic city encircled by snowcapped mountains could exude such a cosmopolitan air. By the 19th century, the city was recognized for its polar exploration know-how; expedition crew members were often recruited from here. The 1970s brought a renewed interest in protecting the language and traditions of the Sami culture, ensuring that its cuisine and pastimes are now celebrated cultural treasures.
