The last port of call for our cruise was Skagen (pronounced without the G like "Skain") in Denmark. It is a small town of 9,000 people and everything was relatively close by, but there weren't many transportation options.
We got some typical Danish weather (cold, rainy, and windy), which probably dissuaded many cruise passengers from getting off the ship, but we braved it ("THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER, ONLY BAD CLOTHING AND BAD ATTITUDES!" I kept repeating).
We rode a bus to Grenen, the northernmost tip of the peninsula of Jutland which includes the town of Skagen. The last couple of kilometers included a ride on the Sandormen ("Sandworm") sand tractor.
The attraction of "Grenen" is that one can put a foot in each of the two seas (Where the North and Baltic seas meet- Skagerrak and Kattegat). The waves actually appeared to collide from two different directions!
The other main attraction in Skagen (the town of "Skagen yellow" houses and red roofs and inspiration for many artists) is Den Tilsandede Kirke (or The Buried Church), a 14th-century church which was gradually buried by drifting sand dunes between the 14th and 19th centuries. Only the church's solitary white bell tower remains visible today.
Danish snail enjoying the air's moisture.
The cruise had a pretty busy itinerary, and we got to see some amazing places. Nevertheless, with most afternoons and evenings on the boat, the kids found a ton to do on their own. We all had cruise "medallions," which was our tracking system to get on and off the ship, but also served as door keys, and as "trackers" for shipmates, so the kids could go off on their own and we could figure out where on the ship they were!
We enjoyed "fancy" multi-course dinners with my parents at the international dining room, served by the incredible wait staff of Renz and Cuthbert (we hit the buffet at other times for ease with the kids).
Dinner parade with Baked Alaska on our last night (Iver was the only guest invited to join the procession!).
We had wonderful food and a generous drink package allowed us to enjoy some delicious treats including a couple of premium desserts.
This kid loves cruising!
The top deck of the ship included a pickleball court and we spent quite a bit of time up there (except when there were private events) playing with other guests, who were quite impressed with both kids’ skills.
Iver also got very good at ping pong, competing in a couple of tournaments on ship (he can consistently beat Kelvin now!).
The kids even got Grandma to play!
Comparing Wordle tactics
The kids enjoyed the pools and hot tubs...
...including for movies and World Cup-watching under the stars! (I'm so glad Spain beat Argentina!)
We enjoyed some trivia in some of the bars, watched several World Cup matches, and caught some good musical performances (tribute to Whitney Houston, sea shanties, dancing, and more) at the Princess Theater. While the rest of us retired fairly early, Kelvin enjoyed some late-night comedy.
Our room was super cozy for resting and movie-watching when we had downtime.
Where's Niall?
Unfortunately, my mom, Iver, and I are prone to seasickness. While my mom wore a scopolamine patch (and I risked it), Iver had one vomiting incident on the Wheelhouse floor on one rocky night at sea. Fortunately, it was just the one time, and he didn't really need dramamine again. The scene of the incident was cleaned up quickly!
Cruising is a great way to see a different part of the world with efficient transportation but a central "hotel" room, and is great for multigenerational families! Although I miss “getting to know” countries well with such short port days, I appreciated all the new places we got to see. After this cruise, I'm up to 70 countries visited (Kelvin = 50, Iver = 21, Niall = 18)!
Formal photos to celebrate the occasion.
We all had a great time on the cruise seeing some beautiful European cities and hanging out as a family. Cheers to 50 years!
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