Ports of Timeless Wonder: London, Normandy and Scandinavian Gems - 2023

Your European journey is underway — today you’ll fly overnight to Copenhagen, Denmark.

You’ll land in Copenhagen today. If you purchased your airfare from Vantage, a Vantage representative will meet you and arrange transfer to your centrally located hotel. Enjoy a short orientation walk near your hotel, then you will be joined by fellow travelers who arrived a few days early and are still enjoying their pre-trip extension. They will rejoin you on Day 4.

Why do Danes consistently rank as “the happiest people in the world,” according to the UN’s World Happiness Report? Your panoramic tour of charming, friendly Copenhagen may give you a clue, as you view the famed Little Mermaid statue on her watery perch, visit the Nyhavn canal district, swing by towered and turreted Rosenborg Castle, and contrast that with the more-dignified Amalienborg Castle where Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II resides today.

From renowned Noma restaurant to an up-cropping of other Michelin-starred gems, food has become Copenhagen’s main attraction! On a visit to a local food market, you’ll see what the locals are cooking up. Lunch is on your own here, too, among more than 60 stalls selling everything from tacos to tapas, sushi to salad. 

After, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure, with dinner on your own in one of this city's numerous celebrated restaurants. 

Included Feature:

• Copenhagen city tour

Cultural Discovery: 

• Visit a local food market

After a morning at leisure, we’ll check out of the hotel for a private and scenic canal boat ride, during which you’ll see how Copenhagen’s residents make use of these historic channels.

Afterward, we embark the Ocean Odyssey. Get settled in your cabin, then take some time to explore its amenities, including the onboard boutique, spa and gym. Stop by the Destination Manager desk and discover all of the services available to you — from securing tickets for onshore excursions to organizing a group dinner with your travel companions. Hungry? Ask about the several dining options onboard, from a sit-down dining room to a restaurant that allows you to prepare your own meal with the ancient art of hot-rock cooking. Best of all, the small size of your ship allows you unparalleled access to your destinations. In many instances we’ll be able to dock right in the port; while for others, we’ll anchor and use Zodiacs or tenders to cover the short distance to the shore. Later, gather for a port talk to learn about what’s happening tomorrow. In the elegant dining room, savor a special Captain’s Welcome Dinner. The ship departs for Gothenburg this evening.

Included Feature:

• Canal boat tour

Enjoy breathtaking scenic sailing this morning as you make your way to Gothenburg. After lunch onboard, disembark and dive into Swedish tradition and fun with a city tour. Your experience will include a visit to the popular indoor fish market, Feskekôrka, as well as the main indoor market called Store Saluhall. You'll have the opportunity to try some savory and sweet samples at some of the stalls in the markets.

In addition to the market visit, you'll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour that takes you on a combined motorcoach and walking tour. Begin with a panoramic tour through some distinct neighborhoods, then past major attractions such as Maritiman, Gothenburg Opera, Feskekôrka, Liseberg Amusement Park, and many more. We'll take a closer look at the neighborhoods of Haga, full of wooden homes, and Vasastan, boasting neo-renaissance stone houses, on the walking portion.

Enjoy a delicious dinner tonight, followed by onboard entertainment.

Included Feature:

• Afternoon tour of Gothenburg

Cultural Discoveries:

• Visit to local food market with tasting
• Evening onboard entertainment

This morning, you'll have a choice of two tours: either a visit to the massive vehicle collection housed at the Volvo Museum, or the Botanical Garden, full of more than 16,000 species of local and exotic plants.

After lunch onboard, your ship will depart for its next destination. Enjoy an informative lecture onboard tonight before dinner.

Included Features:

• Your choice of tours: Visit Gothenburg’s Volvo Museum OR Botanical Gardens

Cultural Discovery:

• Evening onboard entertainment

Today is reserved for exploring one of Europe’s most eco-friendly and innovative cities: Oslo. You'll have the chance to truly immerse in local life, beginning with a panoramic tour that includes the stunning Oslo Opera House, where you can see its famed, sloped roof that visitors can walk along. Next is Aker Brygge along the water, the Nobel Peace Center, and Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle dating back to 1300AD. You’ll then visit Vigeland Sculpture Park, with more than 200 works of art depicting humans in many unusual forms. You'll conclude your tour with a walk through the historical center of Oslo, called Kvadraturen, and a visit to Oslo City Hall, where they hold the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

Lunch is back on board. After, indulge in an afternoon at leisure in Oslo. Perhaps you'll discover Oslo on foot or explore Bygdøy and visit one of the many interesting museums, such as the Viking Ship Museum or Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. You may also ask your onboard Destination Manager to book a boat tour so you can explore the diverse and unique islands and colorful houses of the Oslo Fjord, discovering charming landscapes and amazing city views.

Included Feature:

• City tour of Oslo

Cultural Discoveries:

• Visit to Vigeland Sculpture Park
• Onboard entertainment after the Captain’s Dinner

Enjoy the morning aboard the Ocean Odyssey and the ship makes its way to Kristiansand. After a lecture, followed by lunch, we’ll disembark to explore Kristiansand, known as “Norway’s Floral Town,” on a leisurely guided walking tour. During your walk, visit Posebyen, one of Northern Europe’s largest collections of charming, old, white wooden houses. Later, you'll have the pleasure of attending a private organ concert at the Gothic-style Kristiansand Cathedral, built in 1884.

Enjoy a lovely afternoon at leisure onboard or explore more of Kristiansand. Perhaps you’ll visit the lively Fiskebrygga Harbor with its stunning canal scenery — a favorite among the locals, especially on a sunny day.

Included Feature:

• Walking tour of Kristiansand

Cultural Discoveries:

• Private organ concert
• Onboard lecture

Enjoy a day at sea to unwind and take advantage of the ship’s facilities. By this time, you’ve likely familiarized yourself with the onboard Destination Manager, who can help make spa appointments or plan activities on land. Head to the spa for a soothing treatment, get in a workout at the fitness center, or take in some sightseeing from the sun deck. You can also soak in the hot tub, check out a book from the library to read in the multistory lounge, and enjoy curated lectures we’ll be providing throughout your journey.

Cultural Discoveries:

• Two onboard lectures

Onboard Enhancement: Customize your journey when you add an optional onboard experience. Enhance your time on board with one of our Vantage-exclusive activities, including wine and whiskey tastings, a multicourse Chef’s Table Dinner, or an exclusive wine-pairing dinner. Learn more

Today we wake up in Amsterdam to discover the city’s WWII history on a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter. See the Hollandsche Schouwburg National Holocaust Memorial, which was used by the German occupying forces as a collection center for Jews. From here, tens of thousands of women and men were deported to concentration and extermination camps. It is now a place of commemoration. We’ll also view the Portuguese Synagogue and Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed 17th century canal ring.

Lunch is back onboard, with afternoon shuttle service back into Amsterdam. If you’re interested in visiting the Anne Frank House, you’ll want to make a request with our Destination Manager months before your trip departs — tickets sell out quickly. This evening, we’ll hear another lecture before dinner onboard.

Included Feature:

• Jewish cultural tour of Amsterdam

Cultural Discovery:

• Onboard lecture

Today, choose between two unforgettable experiences in two of Belgium’s most endearing cities.

Set off for Bruges on an excursion to one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A walking tour takes you to Begijnhof area and the historic center, where you’ll see highlights such as the Church of Our Lady and Grote Markt. You’ll also get a chance to taste some of the city’s famous waffles along the way. We’ll also provide you with local currency to enjoy lunch before we return to the ship.

Calling all beer lovers! Our next option whisks you to lively Ghent for a guided walking tour that includes a tasting of one of the local brews. Ghent is a vibrant college town, and you’re sure to fall in love with the canal-side medieval and classical architecture!

Back on the ship this afternoon, we’ll gather for a chocolate making demonstration and tasting.

Included Feature:

• Your choice of tours: Bruges tour provided lunch money or tour of Ghent with included beer tasting at a local brewery and provided lunch money

Cultural Discovery:

• Chocolate making demonstration

After breakfast, we’ll transfer from Le Havre to Honfleur and embark on a guided walking tour of this picturesque town — birthplace of the early Impressionist painter Eugene Boudin and a favorite of Monet, Courbet, and other artists, who maintained studios near the harbor. Here, you’ll also be treated to a delightful tasting session of Normandy’s famous oysters. (We’ll also have local cheeses for those who prefer it.) We’ll return to the ship for a late lunch onboard and an afternoon at leisure. Take in another lecture this afternoon before dinner. After, enjoy more onboard entertainment.

Included Feature:

• Guided walking tour of Honfleur

Cultural Discoveries:

• Oyster or cheese tasting
• Onboard lecture
• Onboard evening entertainment

On your second day in France, you’ll have your choice of tours, depending on your interests.

If you’re a history lover, embark on a full-day tour of Normandy’s beaches where Allied troops landed on D-Day — June 6, 1944. We’ll drive to the coastal village of Colleville-sur-Mer and the Normandy American Cemetery & Memorial, burial site of nearly 10,000 soldiers, for an exclusive wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of American lives lost. You’ll have a little bit of free time to explore; then, enjoy le goûter, a traditional French snack time, in a local restaurant. Next, we’ll visit the coastal promontory of Pointe du Hoc, site of a German battery that was destroyed by U.S. Rangers who scaled the sea cliff in a daring attack. Finally, we’ll continue to Omaha Beach, where U.S. Army infantry prevailed in the face of fierce resistance.

Alternatively, you might elect to join our half-day Taste of Normandy tour. We’ll drive out to the Fécamp Benedictine monastery to see how the famous Benedictine liqueur, with its traditional blend of 27 spices and herbs, is produced. A scenic drive will next bring us to Étretat, an iconic site on France’s Normandy coastline, for a photo stop and light exploring. Afterward, we’ll transfer back to the ship where a late lunch onboard awaits us.

Dinner is on the ship tonight.

Included Feature:

• Your choice of tours in Honfleur: Full-day tour of Normandy’s D-Day Beaches OR half-day Taste of Normandy tour

Cultural Discovery:

• Le goûter experience (D-Day beach only) OR Benedictine tasting

The ship arrives to England just as you're enjoying breakfast this morning. You'll disembark in Poole, and we hope you enjoyed your time on Vantage's second small ship oceangoing small ship! 

En route to London, you’ll set off on a guided tour of Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Today, the British royal family spend most of their private weekends at the castle, which has housed 39 monarchs since its founding by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Afterward, enjoy lunch on your own before transferring to London where you’ll check into your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure in London, with dinner on your own. Do as the locals do and head to the local pub! Our local experts can recommend many restaurants and activities in the area surrounding your hotel, thanks to it's central location.

Included Feature:

• Tour of Windsor Castle

Today’s half-day guided city tour by coach and by foot includes some of London’s most notable landmarks — Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and more! You’ll also be delighted by a visit to the Imperial War Museum. Lunch is on your own; tonight, reunite with your fellow travelers for one last toast at the Farewell Drink and Dinner at the hotel. 

Included Feature:

• Half-day London city tour

You’ll head to London’s airport today for your return flight back to the U.S. Or, extend your journey with a few days in Dublin, Ireland.