28 Night Cruise sailing from Rotterdam return aboard Volendam.

Elegant and spacious, Volendam takes her décor cues from the garden. Her grand public spaces are graced with floral fabrics and tapestries, as well as huge vases of fresh floral arrangements. While on board, explore the wonders of nature in BBC Earth Experiences. Enjoy a cooking show or hands-on workshop with America’s Test Kitchen. Relax with a spa treatment at the Greenhouse Salon & Spa. Or dine in one of our selection of fine restaurants.

Highlights of this cruise:

In partnership with HAL and AFAR.

Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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.

Dover (London), England, UK
Dover, in the county of Kent in southeast England, has understandably been one of the most important ports of entry to the country for centuries, given its location on the English Channel across from France. The famous White Cliffs of Dover greet you as you arrive, and the city has a number of historic sights, including a medieval castle. For many travelers, however, it is primarily a gateway to London. Few places can compete with England’s capital for sheer energy, atmosphere and variety. London’s vibrancy—in art, in music, in architecture—is formidable. It’s a city with not only multiple attractions, grand structures and great cultural institutions (though there are plenty of those) but also scenic parks, walkable villages and striking modern additions.Culinary pioneers are reviving traditional techniques and introducing menus that are at the forefront of the world’s premier restaurant experiences. Leg-powered sightseeing (by bike or on foot) around London maximizes opportunities for stumbling across secret alleys, courtyards housing quirky art galleries and tiny old pubs serving fresh British ales. Shoppers will want to check out the items at some of the retail emporiums known the world over as well as diminutive boutiques stocking unique souvenirs.

Rouen (Paris), France
When you arrive in Rouen, opportunities to see some of France’s key historic sights await as soon as you leave your ship. The city is home to one of the country’s most famous Gothic cathedrals, beautifully captured on canvas in a series of paintings by Claude Monet, as well as the remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Beyond the city limits, Giverny, where Monet’s house and gardens have been lovingly preserved, is an hour away. Paris, which needs no introduction, is roughly two hours by car or train. Closer to Rouen, Honfleur’s Old Port is lined with restaurants, shops and 300-year-old houses. If you want to make the journey to Paris, the TGV leaves early in the morning and takes you from Rouen to the Gare du Nord, in the heart of the City of Light. From there, you can stroll along the Champs-Élysées, have lunch in a restaurant in Montmartre with a view of the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur and then explore the world-famous Louvre museum, with enough time to see several of its highlights. At the end of a full day in Paris you can catch a late-evening train back to Rouen.

Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany
Explore Berlin on an European cruise 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 Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral, and Reichstag on a Berlin shore excursion. Not only is Berlin filled with history, Berlin it enthusiastically embraces its artists and entrepreneurs, creating an exciting atmosphere of possibility.

St. Petersburg, Russia
St. Petersburg, Russia, emerged from the vision of one man, Czar Peter the Great, at the beginning of the 18th century and was the country’s capital for 200 years, until the Russian Revolution. Pushkin called it Russia's "window to Europe," and like Venice and Amsterdam, two cities that inspired Peter, the city was built on a network of canals. Explore one of St. Peterburg many canals and bridges on a European cruise to the Baltic Sea.

Among the city's tourist attractions, the Hermitage is its most famous. It is one of the world’s greatest art museums, and the largest museum in the world—with almost three million objects collected in five buildings. Performing arts, too, abound: Many of Russia’s greatest ballets, plays and operas have premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre. Nearby, the summer residences of the czars, including Peterhof, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are dazzling gilded Baroque palaces for sightseeing in St. Petersburg. Cruise to the Baltic Sea and tour beautiful palaces during the day and in the evening experience the beautiful sound of opera or the graceful art of the ballet on a shore excursions in St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg is at its most beautiful during the famous White Nights, when summer days stretch late into evening hours. Residents make the most of the period with festivals and concerts and fun things to do, and the city’s many pastel-colored buildings and neoclassical palaces glow in the warm light of the long days. Enjoy St. Petersburg and many different countries on a Baltic Cruise with Holland America.