I haven't been everywhere, but even if I haven't been on the exact cruise you are taking, I am still happy to help you find how to get the most out of each port. For example, my friend Bill is taking his family on a cruise to their ancestral home of Norway this summer, and here is some information I put together for them:
Norwegian Fjords from Southampton
MSC Opera embarking June 28, 2011
The MSC shore excursions are probably quite informative and well done, but I personally am not big on gathering in a room to go out on an excursion with a large group if I can figure out how to do the same thing on my own for less money. I will say, however, that the ship sponsored tours include a lot of great information about the history and culture of the area presented by guides, and that insight by a local expert often may not seem as obvious from reading books.
That being said, I am most concerned about engaging Patti in the ports, as she has voiced a definite concern about not having time to really enjoy the places you visit. At the same time, I don't want any of you to feel regimented, since you are used to being free spirits in foreign lands.
First, before you get on the cruise, you must get to the cruise port from London. One of the most fun ways to travel in Europe for me is by train, which always seems special. You can take the Megatrain for 4 pounds each way (about $8 per person). More info is available at http://uk.megabus.com. I generally find it easier to buy rail tickets once I'm there, just in case something comes up to change plans. Allow yourself a good amount of time for the 1 ½ hour trip. I'd aim to get to Southampton around 12 noon for the 4 PM departure like you have. That allows you to miss the train by an hour or more and still make it on time. Also, while trains are generally great, sometimes they break down.
1 Tue Jun 28 Southampton 16:00
2 Wed Jun 29 Amsterdam 13:00 to 20:00
3 Thu Jun 30 At Sea
4 Fri Jul 01 Oslo 08:00 to 16:00
5 Sat Jul 02 Stavanger 09:00 to 17:00
6 Sun Jul 03 Flaam 10:00 to 19:00
7 Mon Jul 04 Bergen 07:00 to 14:00
8 Tue Jul 05 At Sea
9 Wed Jul 06 Southampton 09:00
AMSTERDAM
You want the trip to start out with an amazing port, and Amsterdam should fill the bill. You want to enjoy your experience, and that always takes priority over how much you see, so prioritize based on your family's personal interests. I would strongly recommend a canal boat tour or a hop on/hop off boat tour. The boat tour lasts an hour to 75 minutes and takes you on a tried and true route. This is a great introduction and a good way to start in a scenic, relaxing way. Obviously be sure to get an English speaking boat. Hop on/hop off allows you to get on and off as you please, but my experience is often that I spend my time off at one or maybe two spots, making the set tour a better option in a place like Amsterdam. Depending on the exact vendor, those seem to be around $12 to $22 per person.
I like the idea of taking a bike tour out in the countryside by the windmills, if your family likes biking, and there are tours for about $35 per person available independently, or you can bike around the city for less than that (maybe about $28 pp), but that seems less interesting.
If you don't like either biking or forking out the money for biking, it is an amazing city to walk around, but you should have definite goals to walk between, like maybe the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, diamond cutters, cheese makers or some other points of interest. I doubt you want to accidentally walk through the infamous red light district, although you might want to see it just to say you did, so either way a walking map is essential.
Again, these are just my personal ideas, but you get the idea. You can leave it totally as walking around on your own for free, but definitely have the structure of knowing where you are going. You can enjoy some local cuisine or head back to the ship for lunch at all of the ports.
OSLO
As a family searching for your roots, you'll definitely want to go to the Viking Museum, so you can take the short walk to catch the ferry there. The Kon Tiki Museum is also supposed to be interesting, but maybe not as important for your first visit to Oslo. Take the ferry into downtown, where you can walk past Town Hall, Parliament, National Theater, etc. There's an Ice Bar built by the company that is famous for the Ice Hotel as seen in the James Bond movie, but I found the drinks overly sweet and overpriced.
STRAVENGER
Stravenger Domkirke is the oldest cathedral in Norway, and it is located on Lake Breiavatnet.
Pick up some French bread, cheese, wine and fruit, so you can have a picnic on one of the lakes, but be sure to save time for the Norwegian Immigration Center, which Jessica will definitely want to visit, since she is so interested in your heritage and, I would guess, migration to America.
You could also start by taking a boat tour to Lyselfjord, possibly instead of something else. Obviously, if you are definitely going to do something that takes you further away from the port, you probably should do that first so that you have plenty of time to find your way back.
FLAM
If you're like me, you might want to rent a car somewhere on your cruise to drive out into the country or see some other sights. The village of Flam is pretty and quaint, so you don't need to get behind the wheel, but you could drive into the countryside to go hiking in the Flam Valley, which is an awesome natural experience.
BERGEN
There's a funicular tram station near the fish market, a short walk from the dock, and you can ride that up the mountain and then enjoy a breathtakingly scenic hike back down the mountain. I know I always enjoy the down hill hikes, but the up hills can wear me down. Once back in Bergen, you can go to the Hanseatic Museum or historic home of composer Edgar Grieg (Troldhaugen).
Alternatively, you can just spend a leisurely day in this scenic town soaking up Norwegian life for your last day in Norway.
In any case, you get the idea: mix it up, but choose things you want to do.
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