Arriving Beneath the White Cliffs. This morning we sailed into Dover, and there they were — the White Cliffs, gleaming in the sun just as they’ve greeted travelers for centuries. It was a big changeover day at port: 700 passengers disembarking, 700 new guests boarding to continue the journey. Not us, though — we stay aboard for one more night before our own disembarkation tomorrow in Rotterdam, the final port of “In the Wake of the Vikings 2026.”

Up to the Castle. After breakfast we caught the shuttle from the port up to Dover Castle, perched high on the cliffs above the town. Known for centuries as the “Key to England,” it’s the largest castle in the country, and it’s easy to see why — this hill has been fortified since the Iron Age, standing watch over the shortest crossing to the European continent.

Papa’s Puppet Show. Papa did an impromptu puppet show for Nana. Nana was missing all the grandchildren so Papa had to cheer her up.

The Keep and the View from the Top. We explored the Great Tower — the keep — built for Henry II in the 1180s at an extraordinary cost for its time. We climbed all the way to the roof, and the view did not disappoint: the harbor below, the town of Dover spread out, and on a clear day, France itself visible across the Channel. It’s the same view Henry II and his sons would have looked out on, watching for ships from their lands across the water.

Into the Tunnels. The last stop was the most unexpected — the extensive tunnels carved into the chalk beneath the castle. First dug in the Napoleonic era as barracks for troops bracing for a French invasion, they were pressed back into service in 1940 as a secret wartime command center. It was from deep inside these tunnels that Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay directed Operation Dynamo, coordinating the evacuation of over 300,000 British and Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. Walking through those dim, narrow passages, it wasn’t hard to imagine the tension of those ten days in 1940.

A Good Day for Walking. The weather cooperated beautifully, and between the keep, the roof, and the tunnels, we logged plenty of steps. A fitting way to spend our last full day of exploring before the ship turns for home.

Next stop: Rotterdam, and the end of our Viking voyage.

As a footnote: we are still getting so much thanks from all the crew for diner. I cannot believe how thankful the crew is, it is very heartwarming and just shows you how great the crew here is on this Holland America ship.