Jeannine Williamson sets sail on a new Icelandic and Scottish itinerary with Holland America Line
On a cruise line with Holland in the name it seemed rather fitting to be creating a miniature tulip. However, while others around me carefully folded their pieces of paper and ended up with a ‘ta-da’ moment as everything unfurled to create a beautiful bloom, mine had a very definite list to it – and it was nothing to do the movement of the Atlantic outside.
Waking up too late on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam to go the early morning Tai Chi, yoga or walk a mile exercise class, I scanned the packed programme of activities to see what else was on offer. Which turned out to be a lot! Pickleball seemed a bit too energetic so soon after breakfast, so decided to drop by the origami class to see what was going on.
The craft teacher waved me to a seat and I sat down and stared at the small squares of paper on the table. The last time I’d tried paper folding was when I was child, trying (and failing) to follow the fiendishly difficult origami instructions in the Rupert Bear annuals. How many silver travellers remember them?
Despite my tipsy-looking tulip, the session was great fun. I’m reliably informed more dexterous fellow passengers returned each day to shape a bird, dragon, seahorse and whale. But my excuse, as it was my first-ever cruise on Holland America Line on an all-new Iceland and Scottish islands itinerary, was that I wanted to pack in as many different experiences as possible.
The cruise started in Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital. To ensure there was no danger of, quite literally, missing the boat, Holland America Line organised a hotel the previous night. We travelled in June, and it was a real novelty to walk around the streets at night when the city was bathed in almost 24 hours of daylight under the Midnight Sun.
A bit of advice for silver travellers staying in Reykjavik. The price of drinks is eye-watering but you can cut the cost by heading out during the happy hour running in most restaurants and bars from 5pm to 7pm. There’s even an ‘Appy Hour’ app to plan a slightly cheaper night on the town.
The 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam, launched in 2017, is an elegant ship which will appeal to fans of a more classic style of cruising. Indeed, it reflects the pedigree of one of the world’s most historic maritime companies.
One night we listened to an insightful talk in the theatre charting the history of the line. It was a combined shipping, passenger, cargo and cruise company until 1970, when it began focusing solely on cruises. In the early 1900s Holland America Line competed with other lines to transport thousands of hopeful Dutch immigrants to a new life in the New World. It was fascinating to learn how the line put fake funnels on its ships as people, fearing seasickness, thought if a ship had more smoke stacks it would get them to New York more quickly.
There’s nothing false about Nieuw Statendam, the sixth Holland America Line ship to bear the Statendam. I loved authentic touches that give more than a passing nod to the line’s heritage, such as the Grand Dutch Cafe with its apple cake, pancakes, herring, pea soup and other dishes from the Netherlands all included in the fare.
While Nieuw Statendam offers traditional set up in its stylish main dining room, it’s well worth treating yourself to a meal or two in some of the speciality restaurants. My particular favourite was Asian-themed Tamarind, situated in a lovely spot at the back of the ship on deck 10 and costing an extra $35. The scene was set with a yuzu juice and Dutch gin-based cocktail followed by an array of beautifully presented dishes.
Most nights I headed to a show, the most memorable being multi-talented Spanish illusionist Ruben Vilagrand. “How did he do that?”, cropped up in virtually every conversation after the intriguing performance which ranks as one of the best I’ve ever seen at sea.
Our sailing to Copenhagen featured several excursions in every port, from leisurely coach trips to walking tours and activities. To avoid disappointment, it pays to reserve them well ahead of the cruise as by the time we got onboard many were fully booked.
While choppy seas prevented a planned stop in Djupivogur, something that can happen on any cruise, it was all credit to the crew who quickly pulled together a day of onboard activities to offset some low-level grumbling at the sight of another cruise ship running tenders to the shore. The final decision is down to the captain.
Nevertheless, an Icelandic highlight was the stop at the volcanic island of Heimaey in the Westman Islands, home to Iceland’s largest puffin colony and the only puffin hospital. I opted for a boat trip around the craggy coastline to spot the birds which are so comically clumsy on land but are incredible deep-sea divers, plunging down up to 200ft to catch fish.
Reaching Scotland and the Orkneys, we caught a local tour bus in Kirkwall to see the sheltered Scapa Flow, variously used by Viking longships and as the UK’s wartime naval base, and the impressive Ring of Brodgar stone circle. The next day, in Invergordon, some passengers set off on the excursion to Loch Ness. While they didn’t spot Nessie, they returned back to the ship with plenty more tales to tell on a cruise that provided as much to do onboard as it did on dry land.
Find out more
Holland America Line operates a fleet of eleven mid-sized ships carrying up to 2,668 passengers. Itineraries visit nearly 400 ports in 114 countries and Holland America has sailed to Alaska for more than 75 years – longer than any other cruise line.
Next steps
To book a cruise with Holland America Line and get further information from our Silver Travel Advisors, call 0800 412 5678.
