Iceland Cruise With Kids: What Our 7-Day Holland America Cruise Was Really Like

After five days in Paris and two sightseeing days in Amsterdam, boarding a ship felt like someone had finally pressed the reset button.

We took a seven-day Holland America cruise aboard Rotterdam, sailing June 7–14, 2026 from Rotterdam through Scotland and Iceland and ending in Reykjavík. The itinerary gave us something I didn't fully appreciate until we experienced it: rest and exploration were built into the same trip.

Embarkation: Amsterdam to Rotterdam

We took the train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and boarded that afternoon. This was the moment our trip changed gears. Paris and Amsterdam had involved museums, landmarks, walking, transit and constant decisions. On the ship, the decisions got easier.

Sea days became actual downtime

There were other kids aboard, but the ship didn't feel overrun with children. Jade and Enzo used the heated pool every day. While they swam, I could crochet or sit and read my trip magazine. Everyone was together, but nobody needed me to create an activity.

Scotland: split up

Our first port was Invergordon. We both chose afternoon excursions rather than rushing off the ship in the morning. Then we did something families sometimes forget they're allowed to do: we split up.

I went to a Scotch distillery. Roberto took Jade and Enzo on a castle and Loch Ness tour. Their tour was great, and it also ran late. Because they were on a Holland America excursion, the ship waited for their group on our sailing.

Splitting up meant I didn't have to drag two children through a distillery experience designed around my interests, while I didn't have to give up something I wanted to do either.

Seyðisfjörður: chasing waterfalls

Seyðisfjörður was Roberto's birthday. I ended up booking an afternoon excursion that involved a strenuous hike to three different waterfalls. It was magical.

We had sunny Iceland weather and actually warmed up enough while hiking to take our coats off. The hike and scenery were so engaging that Jade and Enzo didn't need anything else layered onto the experience.

I was the one who played the Iceland Waterfall Adventure in Adventure Quest. It gave me another way to interact with what I was seeing and produced a recap afterward that became a beautiful record of the experience.

Akureyri felt like three excursions in one

The next day was completely different. It was cold. We had a major excursion covering Goðafoss Waterfall, volcanic landscapes and geothermal hot springs. The tour served lunch extremely early—around 10:30 in the morning—which surprised us, but the day itself was very well organized.

Our guide gave the kids and me some freedom to take a path that met back up with the group a little later, giving Jade and Enzo time to climb on volcanic rock rather than simply follow a tour group. That small amount of autonomy made the experience much better.

Goðafoss was beautiful—and freezing

Goðafoss reminded me of Niagara in its scale and power. It was gorgeous. We were also not dressed well enough for the temperature and wind.

The previous day we'd been hiking in sunshine and taking our coats off. At Goðafoss, the exposure and wind made us painfully aware of what we hadn't brought. Pack layers for the specific excursion, especially exposed waterfall viewpoints.

The geothermal area divided the family

The sulfur smell was too much for Roberto and Jade. Enzo and I stayed. We loved it. Standing there with him brought back memories of visiting Yellowstone when I was a child—one of those unexpected moments when taking your own children somewhere brings back a travel memory you hadn't thought about in years.

Ísafjörður: we did almost nothing—and that was fine

By Ísafjörður, we didn't have a major excursion. We explored around the port and did some shopping. Sea kayaking had been an option; I had basically forgotten about it, and once we were there it felt chilly enough that I wasn't particularly heartbroken.

After the waterfall hike and the big Akureyri day, a simple port day was welcome. Not every Iceland port needs an epic excursion.

Reykjavík: don't fly home immediately if you can avoid it

Our cruise ended in Reykjavík, but we stayed one additional night. That gave us the afternoon for the Blue Lagoon, and it was the perfect finale. Jade and Enzo enjoyed the spa, so it became something the family could genuinely experience together.

Transportation provided the comedy: on the return, our bus drove right past us, and we eventually had to find another bus back toward the hotel. Travel happens. The Blue Lagoon was still worth it.

The most expensive hot dogs

Afterward we had what felt like some of the most expensive hot dogs imaginable. They were also delicious. Both things can be true. It was Sunday, so many other things were closed, and we did our final shopping before finishing the trip.

What I'd tell another family about cruising Iceland

• Don't treat the itinerary like seven consecutive sightseeing days. The sea days matter.
• Pack for wind, not just temperature.
• Don't assume every port needs an excursion.
• Let family members split up when interests differ.
• Give kids some autonomy inside structured tours when it's safe.
• Consider staying one night after the cruise if Reykjavík is your endpoint.