We did a back to back , 30 day , tour of the Baltic and North Atlantic . We left Copenhagen on August 15th , 2014. Arriving 3 days before the sailing we stayed at the Hotel Anser and rented a car . The hotel was centrally located near Tivoli Gardens and was a good base from which to explore. After 2 day driving trips to explore Denmark we shared a taxi with other hotel guests to the ship .
The embarkation process was fast and efficient considering the large number of passengers. Pre boarding procedure certainly quickens this process.
I will not go into all the details about the ports we visited but we enjoyed everyone of them . In each port , except St Antony Newfoundland , we did our own thing and did not rely on the overpriced , poorly managed tours offered by Holland America. As seasoned cruisers, we know fair well that most of these tours are waste of time and money . Numerous times in the past , because of our port research , we have accomplished more , seen more and been far more satisfied by doing our own thing . Again , as we have heard many times before , purchasers of ship tours were completely dissatisfied with their over priced ship tours .
Our cabin ( 4061) was well appointed and roomy , with adequate storage space for the long voyage . A full tub/shower was appreciated . With floor to ceiling window , the stateroom was always bright and inviting and although it was designated as a fully obstructed room , we had a partially obstructed view between lifeboats. Being located near mid ship was a good decision when it came to walking from one end of the ship to the other . To assist us more we actually put up notes outside our door with arrows that pointed to Food - Blunt End ///// Entertainment - Pointy End . In addition we hung a Viking Helmet from our hall message bracket so that we could spot our room from a long distance . We received numerous thank yous from fellow passengers on both our directive signs and the ability for them to use our " Viking Signpost" to locate their own room and destinations. A hint - bring magnetic clips to attach notes etc. as all walls / doors are metal.