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A Girls’ Trip Full of Firsts: How 3 Friends Made Memories in Norway

Longtime friends travel across the pond for a cruise, fjords and new experiences

Writer Susan B. Barnes with her friends in front of the 'Rotterdam.'
Writer Susan Barnes and her two best friends traveled to Norway for a cruise. Here they pose for a photo in front of their ship, the ‘Rotterdam.’
Photo Collage: AARP (Source: Shutterstock; Susan Barnes)
By

Susan B. Barnes,

 
AARP
Published July 30, 2024

“How is this even real?” That was the question my friends Stephanie and Melissa and I asked each other time and again as we sailed through the Norwegian fjords this spring aboard Holland America’s Rotterdam. Sitting on our balcony, sipping champagne, we were in awe of the towering, rugged coastline passing by, not to mention the quiet, with the only sounds an occasional waterfall spilling into the deep turquoise water and the gasps of our fellow passengers as they took in the gorgeous landscape from their balconies.

The voyage was full of firsts. Not only was it my friends’ first time in Norway, it was Stephanie’s first time in Europe and Melissa’s first cruise. As a 52-year-old avid international traveler and longtime cruiser, I was excited to share these firsts with them, experiencing it all through their eyes and new perspectives. The cruise was also our first time spending an entire week together.

Our friendship goes back more than 20 years, when I was new to Tampa, Florida, and met Stephanie, 49, in a Pilates class at our local YMCA. She was wearing a T-shirt with the Greek letters of the sorority I had joined in college. We hit it off immediately, and Stephanie soon introduced me to Melissa, 49, another sorority sister she’d met the year before.

We traversed our early adulthoods together, through marriages and career changes. Stephanie and Melissa have children; I do not. Through the years, we made time for each other, meeting up for brunches, lunches, dinners and drinks. We eventually graduated to beach weekends away — a welcome retreat from our increasingly hurried lives.

As Stephanie’s and Melissa’s kids have grown, not to mention our careers, so have our hectic schedules. It was even more special, then, when I invited my two friends to join me on a cruise and they enthusiastically said yes.

Stephanie (left), Melissa and Susan aboard the cruise ship ‘Rotterdam' in Norway.
Stephanie (left), Melissa and Susan stop to snap a photo before dinner on the cruise ship ‘Rotterdam’ in Norway.
Courtesy of Susan Barnes

After choosing Europe for our cruise, then browsing itineraries and consulting our family and work calendars, we decided on a destination that would work for all of us: Norway.

We landed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, dropped our bags at the hotel and set off on our preplanned exploration, popping into shops that caught our attention along the way. I’d been to Amsterdam before, but experiencing the city with Melissa and Stephanie made it feel like it was my first time in the city too.

A few weeks before our trip, Melissa had bought tickets for the Anne Frank House and Stephanie had found the perfect canal cruise, complete with wine and cheese. We were a bit disappointed that our day in the city was gray and drizzly, but we put on our raincoats and didn’t let the weather stop us. It was fun to watch my friends’ faces light up seeing the vibrant tulips in bloom in storefronts and planters throughout the city and — making sure to look both ways twice before crossing streets — watching people whiz by on their bicycles.

After an expectedly somber visit to the Anne Frank House, I attempted to cheer Stephanie and Melissa up with french fries from a charismatic vendor I had found during a previous visit. With his large-rimmed glasses and vivacious personality, he didn’t disappoint as he handed us cones of fries (mine drenched in mayonnaise, ketchup for my girlfriends).

The next day we took the train to Rotterdam to board, well, the Rotterdam. We were surprised to find our veranda cabin had plenty of room for the three of us, and we quickly felt right at home. After settling in, it was time to explore the ship. Walking the corridors and public spaces, Melissa was in awe of all we found, from the shops to the pools, restaurants and bars. We weren’t onboard long before she decided that she may just be able to get her family, including her twin teenage girls, on a cruise after all.

Arriving at Eidfjord, our first port of call, Stephanie and Melissa both remarked on how small it was, jokingly wondering how the locals “get their Amazon packages.” Our subsequent ports of call were even smaller, until we reached Bergen.

Hoping for a Nordic spa experience to enjoy during the cruise, I had found a day spa in Geiranger where we could cold plunge, soak in hydrotherapy pools and let any of our remaining cares slip away with massages. Unfortunately, the day before our arrival, the spa and most of Geiranger had a power outage — thwarting the hydrotherapy portion of our day. Undeterred, we simply sat in the quiet of the relaxation room, allowing the peace of the surrounding mountains to wash over us before and after our massages.

Susan (left), Stephanie and Melissa pose with the ‘Rotterdam' in the background
Cruisers can take many different excursions to explore Norway’s unique terrain. Here are Susan (left), Stephanie and Melissa, with the ‘Rotterdam’ in the background.
Courtesy of Susan Barnes

It was nice to sit together and just be, not hurrying from one activity to the next, without phone calls and texts to interrupt us. Afterward, wandering around the small village on the way back to the ship, the quiet, breathtaking scenery and lack of hurriedness winning them over, they both proclaimed, “OK, I could live here.” I was thrilled they were falling in love with Norway — and Europe — just as I have.

Onboard, Stephanie, Melissa and I laughed, cried, napped and relaxed. We had the time to really talk and catch up on each other’s lives. We also made the most of our time in the ports of call. In Eidfjord, we joined a shore excursion and heard the thunder of the 600-foot Vøringsfossen waterfall, then stopped at a mountain lodge surrounded by snow to enjoy a traditional Norwegian waffle served with local jam and sour cream. We walked around the city of Molde and marveled at the Viking-era architecture and traditional farmhouses, delighting in watching the schoolkids watch us tourists. In Bergen, our first stop was Baker Brun for a skillingsbolle, a Norwegian take on a cinnamon roll that my husband and I discovered during a visit a few years prior and that’s been the city’s favorite pastry for more than 500 years. Afterward, we shopped at the boutiques and wandered through Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s been a part of Bergen since the 12th century.  

As we neared the end of the cruise, Stephanie mentioned a possible return trip to Amsterdam, and Melissa said again that a cruise may be on the horizon for her next family vacation.

And we asked each other: Where to next?

Susan B. Barnes is a Florida-based independent journalist with a passion for travel, wellness and the environment.

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