With its rich history and culture, visiting Europe by cruise ship for two weeks is an incredible experience.
That's why I planned to take full advantage of our time by doing a back-to-back cruise on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. If I'm going to spend the time and money to fly across the Atlantic, I wanted to get the most out of it.
Our cruises took us to the cities of Northern Europe, followed by a Norwegian fjord cruise. Each had its own appeal: metropolitan offerings and natural beauty.
Here are the four best things I did during my trip and the two I'd skip next time.
Hands down, one of the best things I did was booked an independent tour on the Skylift
Olden was my favorite port of the Norwegian fjords cruise because of how picturesque the landscape was surrounding us.
Prior to my cruise, a friend strongly recommended we try the Loen Skylift up to Mount Hoven. At the time, the Royal Caribbean excursion was sold out, so I booked an independent tour to get me there.
Not only was the recommendation fantastic, but I did myself a great favor by booking it on my own instead of the cruise line.
The company we booked it through had continuously running shuttle service every 10 minutes, which meant very little time wasted waiting for transportation.
Plus, being on our own schedule meant we beat the crowds that descended later in the day when the cruise line excursions arrived.
And then, of course, are the views.
The Skylift takes you over 3,000 feet up and is an incredible vantage point. The photos you see here do not do the spectacle justice.
If I had a heavier jacket and an Adirondack chair, I'd have been content to sit there all day.
When it comes to exploring cities in Europe, don't overlook independent tours as a great choice.
I drank with friends at a German beer garden
In every port we did a lot of walking and sightseeing, except in Hamburg, Germany, where I wanted to do one thing: experience a German beer garden.
I'd never been to a real one before (only the facsimile that is found in Walt Disney World) and I wanted to do it right. A group of 30 friends joined me, and we went to a beer garden that's well-known around Germany.
Thanks to friends that lived in Bremen, Germany, we had the perfect introduction for what to expect.
We drank, sang, ate, and it proves the old saying that everything is better with friends.
Our time in Hamburg was rather short because of the port schedule, but the few hours we were there were well worth it, and I'd it's the perfect activity for a group to enjoy together.
I'm glad I included time in our schedule to wander
It's so easy to over plan for a cruise, but in my experience, including time to wander is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Every port day, I purposefully left open time in the schedule to simply walk around and see what was around the next street.
This strategy not only helped reduce fatigue, pressure, and stress, but it's often led to unique discoveries.
In Molde, Norway, we stumbled upon a cart selling fresh strawberries. In Copenhagen, we had beers and lunch at an open-air food hall.
Including time to wander and explore gave us a chance to truly soak in the atmosphere and feel more connected to each port and its people.
I'd add it's important to have a cellular connection while wandering.
I purchased an eSim to use in port, and it was so helpful being able to search Google Maps where we were, what was around us, and how to easily get to and from anywhere.
My favorite one to use is Orange sim (this is an affiliate link, that costs you nothing extra but I make a small commission).
Buying a dining package was the perfect add-on
I really like Royal Caribbean's food, but buying a dining package to mix things up was a great idea.
I like variety anywhere I eat, so two weeks between the Main Dining Room and the Windjammer buffet wasn't going to be ideal.
I purchased the 3-night dining package before my cruise began, and having a few nights out on each sailing to enjoy specialty dining ended up being a great idea.
I loved getting new cuisines, and breaking up the usual food options I saw.
Plus, I bought it pre-cruise, and got in on a good sale. I paid just $228.88 for both me and my wife for the 3-night package.
I instantly regretted the bus tour
The only excursion I booked through Royal Caribbean was a bus tour of the fjords in Olden, and from the start it disappointed me.
The scenic spots we visited were lovely, but it embodied everything I dislike about cruise line excursions: lots of waiting, a slow pace, and wasted opportunity.
The tour said to arrive at 12:10pm, but we didn't actually board the bus and depart until 1pm. That's almost an hour of time completely wasted.
In retrospect, I should have booked a small group or private tour to take us around the fjords. I think it would have moved at a pace more conducive to our needs so we could have seen more in less time.
I think cruise line excursions have a role to play, especially if you have mobility issues, but next time I'll search for a third party option to take me around.
I also need to double check how strenuous a hike will be
A friend and I spent hours looking up what to do in Molde, Norway, and we thought we found the perfect outdoor activity: a leisurely hike to enjoy a great view.
It sounded great, but we didn't take the extra step to cross reference the hike with a hiking website, such as AllTrails.
Had we done that, we would have seen it was rated as "moderately challenging" with steep sections.
It became clear very quickly this was not a trail for people that never go hiking.
Never trust just photos, and do your due diligence so you can avoid your quads feeling like they're going to explode.
