Welcome to Single Step Travel Planners LLC

The Netherlands’ second-largest city and Europe’s busiest port is home to some of the 20th and 21st centuries' most important architectural feats, which is particularly impressive when you consider that nearly all of Rotterdam was razed to the ground during World War II. Sometimes referred to as “Manhattan-on-the-Maas,” the city lives up to its reputation as a forward-looking metropolis with fascinating design and some of the Netherlands' finest museums and most trendy shops.

Marvel at buildings by starchitects Rem Koolhaas and Norman Foster or get lost in the maze of gabled homes in historic Delfshaven, the point from which the Pilgrims set sail for the New World aboard the Speedwell in 1620. In the postwar years, Rotterdam has also become one of the most diverse cities on the continent as waves of migrants from elsewhere in Europe, North Africa and Turkey have come to work in the shipping industry, concentrated here thanks to the city’s location on the deltas of the Rhine and Maas rivers. With its sweeping harbor and massive Europoort, the city has quickly grown to become the largest port in all of Europe.

A cruise to Sandnes, Norway, shows off the country’s natural splendors, from North Sea beaches to snow-capped ridges and glistening fjords. On the southern point of Gandsfjord and a brief train ride from Stavanger, Sandnes caters to outdoor enthusiasts. Swimmers can cool off in the fjord; cyclists and hikers will have plenty of mountain trails to explore. Pulpit Rock excursions are possible, as it is about an hour’s drive. Nearby Dalsnuten offers an easier trek. Sandnes is a pleasant town with shopping and dining along wide pedestrian streets. Geek out at the Vitenfabrikken, a science museum with a solar telescope and interactive exhibits. Take the kids to Kongeparken, which offers more than 60 rides and other activities for ages 3 to 12. The Tryggvi Icelandic horse farm is another top thing to do in Sandnes, as you can trot through the countryside astride these endearing horses. Whatever you do in Sandnes or nearby Stavanger, you’re in for a fantastic time. 

Oslo, Norway’s charming capital city, is a vibrant mix—modern architecture and world-class museums dwell alongside 10th-century Viking history, with indigenous Sami culture woven throughout. This cosmopolitan center, with its coveted quality of life, caters to every interest from history buffs and literary types to students of modern Nordic design and aspiring arctic adventurers.

Choose the Oslo you want to visit. Take in the much-talked-about Opera House, with its otherworldly angles, or trace the steps of Nobel Peace Prize laureates and literary masters like Henrik Ibsen. Journey to the Bygdøy peninsula to absorb Nordic culture at the Viking Ship Museum, the Fram Museum and the Folk Museum. Savor fine restaurants and luxury boutiques along the Aker Brygge waterfront, or dive into the eclectic neighborhood of Grünerløkka for vintage shops, microbreweries and corner cafés.

In Oslo, the peace and repose of the great outdoors can be found just minutes away from the city center. The city is framed by the 100-kilometer-long Oslo fjord and surrounded by rolling hills, vast parks and lush forests, which means that the pure pleasures of nature are easily accessible.

With its marvelous vistas, fascinating museums, cozy cafés, bustling waterfront and lively cultural scene, Oslo offers rewards for Nordic explorers of all kinds.

Not a fjord in the geological sense, the Oslo Fjord is actually a vast expanse of water stretching south from the Norwegian capital for nearly 100 kilometers (62 miles). Almost half of Norway's population lives within an hour’s drive of the fjord, so there’s plenty to see along the shoreline, from islands and skerries to major towns and cities. 

The picturesque coastal town of Drøbak marks the entrance to the inner Oslo Fjord, where the waterway narrows and the islands are increasingly inhabited. Seagulls, oystercatchers, terns and geese are commonly sighted along these waters, as are countless fishing vessels.

The Oslo Fjord region is the warmest part of Norway, and on summer days locals dash to their boats to make the most of the sunshine. Many Norwegians own distinctive wooden cabins on the coastline or islands. The agreeable climate has attracted settlers since the days of the Stone Age and Bronze Age: Some of the world’s best-preserved Viking ships were discovered on these shores. 

The fjord was a strategically important waterway in World War II, and as such, historical monuments and former military installations are commonplace.

Denmark’s second city often seems to sit modestly in the shadow of its better-known big sister. But this picturesque town of winding canals and cobbled streets has many of the capital’s charms without its crowds of tourists. As well as dictating its waterside confines, Århus’s location on the east coast of the Jutland Peninsula yields a rich natural bounty that the city’s restaurateurs have exploited with aplomb. Dishes such as caviar and wood smoke at Frederikshøj, or rye and rabbit ravioli at Restaurant Substans, have helped win a clutch of Michelin stars for the region’s pioneering chefs and cement it as a frontrunner of the New Nordic food scene; its affordable street food offerings are no less exciting.The city also holds its own on the design and architecture front, boosted by its 2017 designation as a European Capital of Culture, which resulted in a collection of waterside developments that are architecturally innovative, but anchored by a simple and pleasing Danish aesthetic. In short, this is a city in which to relax, imbibe, and enjoy both the bracing Danish sea air and a touch of laid-back metropolitan class.  

Explore Berlin and visit historical sites, art galleries, and museums. Berlin can feel like the exception among Europe’s capitals. While Rome, London and Paris emerged as important cities under the Roman Empire, Berlin wasn’t established until the thirteenth century and only became a significant commercial center in the nineteenth. During the century and a half that it has been on the world stage, its history is almost unbelievable. This was a city that was synonymous with the glittering excesses of the Weimar Republic and then served as the capital of the Nazi regime. For 45 years, it was divided by an infamous wall, with half its citizens living in communist East Germany while West Berlin was an island of capitalist and western values located behind the Iron Curtain.

In 1990, Berlin resumed its role as the capital of a unified Germany. For the visitor today it’s an intriguing, vibrant city. While devastated by bombings in World War II, its museums are still filled with cultural treasures. Thoughtful memorials and museums acknowledged the darker moments of its history, though it is the city’s restaurants, bars, boutiques and galleries that tend to impress most visitors. Explore historical sites like the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral, and Reichstag. Not only is Berlin filled with history, Berlin it enthusiastically embraces its artists and entrepreneurs, creating an exciting atmosphere of possibility.

On the shores of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn, Estonia’s largest city, is impossibly charming. Northern Europe’s oldest capital—it dates back to the 12th century—is also one of its best preserved, with much of its Old Town constructed when it was a bustling port in the Hanseatic League.

Explore the upper portion of Toompea Hill, where there is an impressive castle and the 19th-century Alexander Nevsky cathedral, a vestige from the Russian Empire, then head to the lower section for churches and merchants’ homes off twisting medieval streets.

Tallinn isn’t, however, simply a historic showpiece. Just a short walk from the UNESCO World Heritage-designated core is a dynamic, future-facing city of glass buildings and trendy restaurants and boutiques catering to the city’s young professionals—as well as visiting travelers.

Finland’s capital, Helsinki, is sometimes overshadowed by its larger Scandinavian counterparts, Copenhagen and Stockholm, but the city has its own singular style and appeal. A lively arts and music scene thrives amid splendid Art Nouveau buildings and classic cafés.

The city's modern architecture is especially exciting: Buildings by Alvar Aalto and Eero Saarinen should be at the top of your must-see list. Finland’s design output, too, goes far beyond familiar Marimekko prints. Wander into the shops in the city’s Design District or check out the exhibits at the Design Museum (Designmuseo). If the weather is good, you’ll want to hop a ferry to a nearby island or enjoy the catch of the day at a harbor-facing restaurant.

If you are lucky enough to be here in the summer, it's a magical time of the year, when the days last for up to 19 hours and the entire city sparkles from the sun reflecting off the water.

Spread over more than a dozen islands linked by bridges, the Swedish capital of Stockholm is one of the most effortlessly enjoyable cities in Europe. Go sightseeing in Stockholm's elegant Östermalm with its chic interior design stores; verdant Djurgården with its museums, cultural sights and acres of rolling parkland; ancient Gamla Stan with its cobbled streets that surround the Royal Palace; and trendy Södermalm with its cool neighborhoods and even cooler inhabitants. Stockholm is easy to navigate on foot or by public transport, and wherever you roam, you’re never far from water or parkland attractions in Stockholm.

Food and drink in Stockholm are of a high standard, and recent years have brought a marked improvement in the range of dining options—though it’s hard to resist traditional favorites such as meatballs or herring washed down with a cold beer. The friendly locals speak faultless English, and the only crime you’re likely to encounter is a dragon tattoo which can be found in the bestseller section of a bookshop. And in the unlikely event you ever get bored sightseeing in the stunning city of Stockholm, there are thousands more islands each with many things to do just an easy ferry ride away.

When approaching the Swedish capital by sea, spare a thought for the captain. It can't be easy to carefully navigate the narrow channels of the Stockholm Archipelago—channels densely dotted with somewhere in the region of 30,000 islands. Many of these islands are little more than granite outcrops inhabited only by seabirds. Some have thriving communities year-round, but many more see their populations rocket in the warmer months when ferry service from the city resumes and Stockholmers escape to spend time at their summer homes and on their boats.

The larger islands have distinct personalities: Sandhamn, for instance, becomes a major sailing hub, its harbor packed with yachts, while Grinda has a famous värdshus—an old-fashioned inn—where people come for dinner and to spend the night. Whatever time of year you visit, the journey through the archipelago to reach Stockholm—which is itself composed of 14 interconnected islands—is always spectacular and helps you understand why Stockholm’s residents are so proud and protective of this area of outstanding natural beauty.

Ask Stockholm residents about their favorite summer escape and many will tell you about the wide beaches of Gotland, a 176-kilometer-long (109-mile) Swedish island in the middle of the Baltic. Visby, Gotland’s capital, is a historic city and site of a former Viking settlement that is today an impossibly pleasant town of 22,000 residents, with ancient forts, churches, and pretty bricked streets lined with cafés and postcard-perfect cottages. Remnants of the city walls, which date to the 13th century, run for 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) and are punctuated by 36 towers. In fact, the entire city has been recognized by UNESCO as the best-preserved medieval commercial center in Northern Europe. Visby’s Gotland Museum puts a spotlight on the history of the Viking settlement, as well as the city’s medieval era, with a fascinating collection of artifacts that includes gravestones, skeletal remains and Viking silver. In the town’s lush park, Almedalen, you can picnic on the grassy lawns or spot birds along what was once Visby’s bustling Hanseatic-era harbor. After you’ve explored the sights, settle into one of the many cozy cafés for that most Swedish of traditions, fika, with a strong cup of coffee and a slice of something sweet to eat. 

Bornholm is Denmark’s easternmost island, a rocky outpost in the Baltic Sea located 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Copenhagen, and its sunny climate and exceptional light have drawn generations of artists as well as holidaymakers. The craggy granite shoreline is home to picturesque fishing villages, and the capital, Rønne, is known for half-timbered houses dating to the 16th century. Fringed by white-sand beaches, the improbably magical island also has beautiful places to hike or bike, craftspeople making glass and ceramics and a well-developed local culinary scene. Bornholm's specialty, wood-smoked herring, is a must-try, as is the local blue cheese. If your tastes run to New Nordic cuisine, there is even a Michelin-starred restaurant on the island. Across Bornholm, visitors will find four rundkirke—historic whitewashed round churches constructed in the 12th century, as well as the medieval fortress of Hammershus, the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe. In the fishing villages, notably Gudhjem and Svaneke, generations of mariners haul in herring, mackerel and salmon to be smoked or cured in traditional smokehouses.  

Located a short 90-kilometer drive or train journey from the seaside port of Kiel, Hamburg is one of Germany’s most cosmopolitan cities. The city’s character is powered by the mighty River Elbe, which passes by Hamburg’s stylish neighborhoods on its way to the North Sea. Often referred to as Germany’s “Gateway to the World” due to its position as the biggest commercial port in the country, the city is filled with an air of maritime mystique and excitement. The city has launched ships since the reign of Charlemagne, but it was also instrumental in launching the musical career of The Beatles, who played in multiple venues in the city before releasing their second single, Please Please Me, in 1962 and rising to fame.

Today, with a newly named UNESCO World Heritage Site, upscale shopping districts and a distinctly European flavor, Hamburg retains an energetic and eclectic atmosphere where historic and modern charm meet.

Copenhagen is one of the easiest European capitals to fall in love with. The sights of old buildings, cobbled streets and the tower- and turret-dotted skyline lend fairy-tale charm—this was, after all, the home of author Hans Christian Andersen. But make no mistake: This is a thoroughly modern city with international clout.

Restaurants around the world draw inspiration from the New Nordic cuisine pioneered by Noma and other Copenhagen restaurants, while Danish design from this century and the last is universally admired and coveted. Urban planners flock here to try to work out just how the city remains so livable and yet so functional, and despite its wealth of old buildings, Copenhagen’s not locked in the past; there are also thrilling examples of modern architecture.

Copenhagen is a city that’s easy to find things to do and explore on foot or by excellent public transport, where everyone speaks perfect English, the food is fresh and innovative, and there’s plenty of locally brewed beer—which, of course, is best enjoyed sitting by the water on a sunny day.

$600 for Verandah and Vista Suite; $1,200 for Signature, Neptune and Pinnacle Suites

Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure:  February 25, 2024.  It is highly recommended to authorize Christine Kelly to process your final payment 3-5 days prior to the final payment date.

 In the case that you need to cancel your cruise vacation, you may be charged a fee based on the standard Princess Cruises cancellation policy. The following amounts are based on a 14-day cruise.  

90-76 days before commencing travel: an amount equal to the deposit requirement;
75-61 days before commencing travel: 50% of gross fare;
60-31 days before commencing travel: 75% of gross fare;
30 days or less before commencing travel: 100% of gross fare. 

Yes, absolutely!  Please contact Christine Kelly for updated pricing on any desired upgrade.

No.  Both people in the cabin need to purchase the Have It All Package. If one of the passengers does not drink alcohol, non-alcoholic drinks are included in the Have It All Package.

Yes.  If you would like to have a different stay than others in your group, please advise Christine Kelly at the time of booking.  This includes travel stay in other countries as well.

You will need a valid passport valid for six months after the completion of your travel.   The name on your booking must match the name on your travel document exactly.  Citizens of the United States (holding an American passport) do not need a visitor's Visa unless you plan to stay longer than 90 days. 

Yes.  In appreciation of your loyal and selfless service, we're extending a special offer to active, retired, and veteran military personnel.  Book a new cruise with Holland America and receive an Onboard Credit of $100 per stateroom. To receive this offer, please notify Christine Kelly at the time of booking and she will assist you in verifing your military status with Holland America.

Information Christine Kelly at the time of booking and she will assist you in any forms that will need to be completed prior to travel.

 Vaccination requirements change frequently. These requirements are established by the countries you are visiting and not by Holland America Line. For this reason, you should contact your local physician, Health Department and/or travel medicine clinic to discuss vaccination requirements for all countries on your itinerary. 

You can travel to The Netherlands and Norway without having to worry about anything more than having a good time!