Dave Koz & Friends at Sea Cruise, Part 3: All Ashore! The Cruise Reaches Norway and Iceland

by Kevin Wierzbicki

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One of the reasons that people like to take cruises is because the ships often call at exotic ports. In the case of the Dave Koz & Friends at Seas cruises, which sailed back-to-back in mid-June 2025, the ports of call were exotic indeed as the Holland America Line ship "Rotterdam" stopped at four lesser-visited ports in Norway and Iceland. And to get to Iceland the "Rotterdam" crossed the Arctic Circle! Every cruiser got a certificate signed by the ship's captain indicating that they had crossed the Arctic Circle.

The Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruises were jam packed with excitement, understandable since the "friends" joining Dave on the journey included countless stars of smooth jazz like Adrian Crutchfield, Adam Hawley, Mindi Abair, David Benoit, Peter White, vocal trio DW3, Jazmin Ghent, Ilya Serov, Haley Reinhart, Jonathan Butler, Javier Colon, Kim Scott, Oli Silk, Michael Lington and many others. Every artist performed multiple times during each cruise but they all got a bit of a breather when the "Rotterdam" made port as on those days the music began in earnest mid-afternoon instead of mid-morning on non-port days, the idea being that fans didn't have to miss any shows while they were ashore.

The first of the two cruises, which we were able to sail on, sailed from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to Leirvik and Maloy in Norway and Husavik and Isafjordur in Iceland, ending at Reykjavik (the second cruise retraced the route back to Rotterdam.) The four ports are all small and not often visited by large cruise ships as most of them have no piers for large ships, meaning that fans needed to take the "Rotterdam's" small tender boats to get ashore. It made it all the more thrilling for fans to visit these ports that weren't clogged with thousands of tourists. Each port had quite a few options for shore excursions and we had lots of fun in the adventures that we chose.

Leirvik, Norway

Leirvik is a small town that has historically been and is still dependent on the fishing industry; it is a major player in Norway's catch of mackerel, herring and salmon, and in freshwaters, trout. So much of what you'll see in the city is buildings that house these industries; you really need to take a tour out in the country away from the town to enjoy the area and see some fabulous things, and this is exactly what the ship's official shore excursions offer. You tour bus will ride through stunning scenery that includes red sparkly granite boulders and views of countless fjords; you'll likely see some giant wind turbines along the way too (Norway exports electricity to the UK and elsewhere in Europe.) Stops can include the old church at Moster; the limestone building has history going back nearly 1000 years. There are many tombstones in the area surrounding the church which make for good photo ops, some of which are so old that all of the information on them has been eroded, leaving just a weathered stone. One can only imagine what the lives of these long-gone folks was like. Especially nice for cruisers is the fact that the Stord Maritime Museum is located right where the ship's tenders dock, only steps away. The museum is packed with relics of Leirvik's shipping history and visitors can see models of ships, tools used in building and maintaining ships, ship's radio and navigation equipment, ship's bells (some are shining in silver), historic photographs and much more. There's even an assortment of engines that powered some of the ships, including one that "runs" and shows some of its inner workings. There is a small admission fee to the museum which takes Euros and credit cards in addition to Norwegian money. For folks not taking a shore excursion the museum is something that makes it worth coming ashore for.

Maloy, Norway

Like Leirvik, Maloy is a small town and it can be explored on foot but it is best to take one of the ship's shore excursions and venture outside the town to see some interesting sights. One of the most unique sights is located at Kannesteinen where, right on the sea, stands an oddly-shaped pillar that has been eroded by the ocean and that now looks like a big mushroom. Standing about 11 feet tall, the pillar at Kannesteinen makes for an incredible photo op that you won't find elsewhere in Norway, or the world for that matter. Another great photo op is found at Krakenes Lighthouse, the western-most lighthouse in Norway. This particular part of the Norwegian coast is known for nasty weather and, once you have visited it on a calm day, it is shocking to watch a livestream when the ocean is really roiling. Be prepared here for a bit of a walk up the hill to where the lighthouse and the keeper's quarters are located. Another stop often included on a Maloy sightseeing adventure is at Refvik Beach which rather than being rocky as you might expect from the local terrain is sandy with the sand being a chalky white color. The Maloy countryside is geared to agriculture and you'll see lots of bucolic scenes, including livestock, on your way to the above attractions.

Husavik, Iceland

Known as the "Land of Fire and Ice" for its volcanos and snow-capped mountains, Iceland is a visual treat for visitors and the area around Husavik is a good example; the ocean is always nearby, snowcapped peaks lurk in the distance and the land, made up of volcanic residue, sometimes seems otherworldly. Touring the countryside outside of Husavik brings vistas of farms and if you're lucky you might spot a wild Icelandic horse on a hillside (we saw one!) or steam rising from a place where magma lies near the surface (farmers tap into it for geo heating.) And there's lots to do in this setting that's so foreign to many. Husavik is known for whale watching excursions and many cruisers went out into the sea with hopes of spotting the huge mammals but we chose to stay on land. One of the most curious things we saw was the Icelandic Turf House at Grenjadarstadur, a well-preserved example of a typical turf house where Icelanders once lived. Now a museum, the turf house is deceptively large; it looks like a series of small homes abutting each other from the outside but once you enter you'll find out it is a warren of connected rooms and passageways that form one large home. Visitors will see a pantry room, hearth kitchen and stove kitchen, bedrooms and more, all outfitted with relics of the day. Among the most interesting of the hundreds of artifacts is the grandfather clock, generally called a Bornholm clock in Iceland. In a modern building adjacent to the turf house visitors can buy souvenirs like lava salt (we love it!) and sample traditional Icelandic food and drink. Another not-to-miss attraction in Husavik is the Husavik Museum that focuses on the area's maritime history and that includes a display of ships, some completely intact and others just remnants. There's lots more in the museum too including a real, stuffed polar bear. There are no polar bears remaining in Iceland at this time and it is really cool to see this big fellow and check out the size of his paws!

Isafjordur, Iceland

We experienced something in rural Isafjordur that we really enjoyed and that was right up the alley of music-loving cruisers: a live performance of Icelandic music! This took place in the quiet setting of a church (a Lutheran church built in 1899) out in the countryside and featured a young man playing acoustic guitar and singing self-penned songs in the Icelandic language. Before each song he explained what the songs were about; he opened his three song set with what he called a "groove" that was about heartbreak, followed that with a love ballad, and ended with an encouraging and positivity-filled song about moving on from difficulties. Another awesome experience took place at the Sudavik Arctic Fox Center where cruisers got fairly close to Arctic Foxes; they look soft and cuddly but they are wild animals and when they yawn you can see what fierce sets of teeth they have. If you want to take one home with you you can, well a stuffed one that is, from the gift shop where they also have many other souvenirs.

We have to say our time ashore in Norway and Iceland added more unforgettable memories to our Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruise adventure but of course many more were waiting back on the "Rottedam" which came to life with show after show in the evenings after the shore days.

In the next in our series of articles chronicling our experience aboard the Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruise we wrap things up with more onboard fun.

Find information on upcoming Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruises and Dave's live tour dates here.

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