What a Trip: Cruising with friends around the Norwegian fjords

Who: Bill Huber and his wife, Steffi, of Atlanta

Where, when, why: Our plans for a Norwegian cruise were sparked when we were deciding how to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Since our children were occupied for the summer, we decided upon a luxury cruise and soon heard that my wife’s Dutch sister, Monique Steffen, and her husband, Piet Bakker, and Peter van Arkel, my friend of 35 years from Nijenrode University in the Netherlands, and his wife, Anne-Marike, wanted to join us. What a wonderful treat to have the six of us sharing a cruise and ending each day on our enormous balcony, watching the Norwegian summer sun that never set.

Highlights and high points: The Norwegian fjords are simply majestic, and the sights and sounds of the waterfalls and the reflections where water meets mountain were breathtaking.

Cultural connection or disconnect: The Holland America Line, on its ship the ms Rotterdam, provided a world-class adventure where there was nothing you could not ask for and where you could enjoy endless hours of relaxation while everything around you was in constant motion — the captain, crew, state room staff, restaurant and kitchen staff, and of course Michael, our purser, making all announcements in Dutch and English.

Biggest laugh or cry: We decided to take the cable car to the top of the Bergen fjord mountain and hike down. “Don’t take the umbrellas,” all the women said. And of course it poured for the entire two hours we hiked down the mountain and through the town of Bergen back to the ship. The water rats were luckily allowed back on board, and we had a lot of fun warming up with good friends and good wine.

How unexpected: The Norwegian fjord cruise was everything we imagined in terms of the breathtaking scenery. It was a trip worth taking, but as global travelers with endless wanderlust, we found that though it’s a place we were happy to visit and experience, and one we would recommend to any curious explorers, it will be a while before we return to these fabulous outer reaches of the northern world.

Fondest memento or memory: Traveling with friends and family makes the world an even more magnificent place to visit.

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