Princess 12-Day European Capitals Cruise

[GolfGuy1948]

My wife and I are considering Princess Cruise's 12-day European Capitals cruise next May.  Ports-of-Call include Southampton, Brussels, Rotterdam, Oslo, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Aarhus (Denmark), Hamburg, and Paris/Normandy.  We are experienced cruisers but, except for Paris and London, we have never been to that part of the world.  If anyone has been on this cruise we would appreciate any feedback you can give us.  One thing in particular we are interested in is how rough the North Sea might be at that time of year especially sailing from Rotterdam to Oslo.  We have been in rough waters before in Northern California and the Atlantic coming out of the St. Lawrence River but we aren't sure of conditions in the North Sea.  Opinions on shore excursions are also welcome.

 

Thanks in advance.

GolfGuy1948

[hallasm]

23 minutes ago, GolfGuy1948 said:

Ports-of-Call include Southampton, Brussels, Rotterdam, Oslo, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Aarhus (Denmark), Hamburg, and Paris/Normandy.

Quite a few capitals Copenhagen, Oslo) and check where the ports of Brussels and Paris are located - can be a long transport.
 

25 minutes ago, GolfGuy1948 said:

One thing in particular we are interested in is how rough the North Sea might be at that time of year especially sailing from Rotterdam to Oslo.

Impossible to predict - but the North Sea can be rough at times - also Skagerak between Denmark and Norway. often fine weather in May.

[CruiserBruce]

Any body of water can be rough at any time. None are exempt. If you have sea sickness issues, you must be prepared every time you are at sea.

[kaisatsu]

The 1½ hours closest to Oslo will be incredibly smooth as you’re sailing through the narrow inland Oslofjord.

 

Every time I’ve crossed the North Sea, there has been noticeable ship movement, but I’ve only crossed between the UK and the Norwegian west coast. I would definitely plan for a bit of movement, because you never know what the weather and sea conditions will be like in any open water sailing. It’s very rarely at extremely dangerous levels, but if you’re prone to seasickness, statistically speaking you should be prepared for a bit of sway.