Live (soon) from the Prinsendam at the Top of the World [Archive]

SharonN

July 17th, 2009, 03:50 PM

Well now am really live from the Prinsendam. We were on the 2nd shuttle to the ship which loaded up about 10 and arrived in Dover about 12:30. Check-in was pretty easy with the only real wait being for the XRay machine. It was very windy when we arrived so everyone’s pictures should be interesting with the wind-blown styles.

As expected the cabins weren’t ready so we headed up to the Lido for lunch. It was extremely crowded and took us quite a while to find a table where we could park our carry-ons. Hopefully this was only crowded because of everyone just boarding but suspect this could be a problem for my sister and others in wheelchairs since there is not much navigation room. The rooms were ready about 1:45 (I think) so once we finished eating we headed down. One of my mother’s bags was already there and her other one arrived shortly thereafter but mine were nowhere to be seen. Our cabin is small but well laid out with a very large walk in closet.

Our cards indicated we had Open Seating but we were supposed to be confirmed for early fixed at a table with my sister and brother in law. They arrived later in the afternoon since they flew last night and they did have fixed dining so we met her at the Dining Room. Apparently it was correct in the computer and wrong on our cards so that was easily settled.

We were due to sail at 5 but were delayed because a squall was approaching so they wanted to wait till that was past. The sail away party had been moved from the Lido Pool to the Ocean Bar and it was crowded in there so Mom and I sat in the Half Moon Room and watched the view. Once the rain passed we went outside to get a few pictures of the “white cliffs”. Ok I’ve always heard of the White Cliffs but don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture so not sure what I was expecting. There are definitely some cliffs and they are white (except when the squall is over them dumping rain and then they are gray or black) but I think I was expecting them to be much higher.

It was now time for dinner so we headed in and found our table. A round table for 8 but only 6 of us tonight. The other couple is from Maryland and they were also on board for the previous 2 week cruise of Ireland/Scotland.

My bags finally arrived and I’ve unpacked everything but need to rearrange it a bit tomorrow. No show tonight but they’re playing the Pink Panther movie so decided it was time to sign up for internet access and get this written.

Well that’s it for the first day on the Prinsendam. Tomorrow is a sea day so hoping to get the closet straightened out a bit (I brought way too many clothes) and see the rest of the ship.

SarasMommy

July 17th, 2009, 03:57 PM

You must be joking.....British weather improving?????

If you don't like the British weather when you look out your front window, look out your back window instead! ;)

RuthC

July 17th, 2009, 04:21 PM

I'm so glad that you're aboard, and settling in, and that you got your dinner arrangements fixed. And that you posted all about it! Thank you.
Once the rain passed we went outside to get
a few pictures of the “white cliffs”. Ok I’ve always heard of the White Cliffs but don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture so not sure what I was expecting. There are definitely some cliffs and they are white (except when the squall is over them dumping rain and then they are gray or black) but I think I was expecting them to be much higher.
Were you able to see the doors in the side of the cliffs? (I expect they're still there, anyway). I hadn't known about them, and was intrigued.

Mary Ellen

July 17th, 2009, 04:26 PM

Thank you for letting us know you've safely arrived on board. Now the fun really starts!

Are you in the larger (aft) dining room?

Susie51

July 17th, 2009, 09:05 PM

Thank you for posting. I'm glad your dinner seating worked out for you as planned.

When I sailed from Dover, England for a British Isles cruise, I was surprised by the white cliffs, also. I don't know what I was expecting, but I definitely thought they would be taller.

Steve Q

July 18th, 2009, 01:11 AM

Sharon,

We are so excited to read your posting. We board the Prinsendam in Amsterdam on August 7. We would very much like to hear your comments regarding the food, entertainment, condition of the ship, etc. Thanks in advance.

SharonN

July 18th, 2009, 04:00 PM

Today was our first sea day and we kept very busy. Mom and I went to the Dining Room for breakfast after mass with a woman (another Sharon) that we met there. Don’t think I’ll try their blueberry pancakes again. I’ve always thought blueberries were sweet but these were kind of sour.

We then headed up to hear the end of the lecture on Oslo before heading up to the Crows Nest for the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. Probably only 10 of us there but it was funny to find that one couple was from our dinner table since it hadn’t come up at dinner last night. We had a nice talk with everyone then headed down to see if my sister and husband were at Trivia but they weren’t. But we were able to find them in the Lido so it was time to eat again. We decided on hamburgers which we later found were not really cooked in the center but the edges were good.

We went back to our cabin for a couple of hours where I tried to show Mom how to play Rhythm Heaven (now she really knows her eldest daughter is crazy). She was going to meet my brother in law for Tea at 3 (this is their tradition when cruising together). My mother is a big tea drinker going back to having it with her grandmother when she was growing up. My sister’s determined that the Tea gene skips generations since neither of us ever drinks it.

We all met in the Queens Lounge for Bingo then saw the other Sharon who had met Polly from the roll call who hadn’t been able to get to the M&G this morning. When she learned her name was Sharon she was trying to determine if it was me but told her she’d met another Sharon that might be. They were in line for Bingo with my sister Erin so we finally all met and sat together for the game. I won the first game on my lucky # B13 and we came close a few more times but no more winners in our group. There was another woman sitting with us that hadn’t played before so we put her through apprentice training. After the game was over we found out her name was Karen. Which was funny at least to us since our younger 2 brothers were supposed to have been Karen but obviously weren’t named that when they turned out to be boys. However, our oldest brother married a Karen so we ended up with Sharon, Erin, and Karen anyway.

After Bingo went down to get ready for our first formal night and headed up to the Dining Room for what turned out to be a great dinner. The final couple for our table of 8 joined us and fit right in (we voted to let them come back). Service is very good. Our table is in the center section of the larger Dining Room. The outside tables are Open Seating and the smaller Dining Room is also fixed seating.

We headed to the Queens Lounge just in time for the Captains Welcome and then the show. Was surprised to see the Captain greeting everyone as we entered. He then gave a short welcome and introduced the main officers. I know lots of people prefer the old Captains Welcome but we had stopped going to them years ago to avoid the long waiting lines before dinner and constant picture taking etc. The show was a comic/singer named Jason something (will post the name later when I have a chance to look back at the program) who was pretty good. The beginning part was mostly comedy on differences between men/women. Some decent jokes but somewhat predictable. The last halve was songs mostly from the 50s with jokes and was very good.

So my first impressions of the Prinsendam are good and I’m sure will get better as we go along. It didn’t seem as crowded today so am sure the Lido issues from yesterday were just everyone getting on about the same time.

Tomorrow we’re in Oslo so will try to post again tomorrow night.

RuthC – Haven’t had a chance to get up there yet but the program does show Buddy at the piano in the Crows Nest in the later evenings. I’ll check it out soon and let you know what i think as long as it counts as one of the piano lessons i'm missing on the trip!

Krazy Kruizers

July 18th, 2009, 04:06 PM

Am enjoying your Live thread.

RuthC

July 18th, 2009, 07:23 PM

RuthC – Haven’t had a chance to get up there yet but the program does show Buddy at the piano in the Crows Nest in the later evenings. I’ll check it out soon and let you know what i think as long as it counts as one of the piano lessons i'm missing on the trip!
Sure it counts! Buddy refers to the Crow's Nest as "The Library" due to the people reading in there while he's entertaining. He knows how to read the sea, though. He's very good at it. He spots little things out there, even while he's playing piano and talking.

Have a great day in Oslo. It's a neat city---lots to do and see there.

Susie51

July 18th, 2009, 07:49 PM

Thank you for posting the details about your activities and little tidbits of info about your family. Your live thread is very enjoyable to read. I leave for vacation on Tues. so it will be hard for me to "follow along" on cruise your each day. Have a great cruise.

Harry1954

July 18th, 2009, 08:10 PM

Lisa63

July 19th, 2009, 01:10 PM

I am enjoying your thread, as we disembarked Prinsendam a few days ago in Dover. I hope you have as great a time as we did. (And, to RuthC - "Buddy in the Crow's Nest" was on our cruise...a nice way to end an evening.)

SharonN

July 19th, 2009, 04:24 PM

Today we were in Oslo our first stop in Norway. Mom and I had been here in 2001 on the Baltic where we went to the Olympic Ski Jump, the Norske Outdoor Folke Museum, and the Resistance Museum. This trip we had scheduled the Hadeland Glass Factory and Viking Boat Museum. So we had an early breakfast in the Lido then headed to the Queen’s Lounge just before 9 to get our blue stickers. There was only one bus for this tour and it wasn’t quite full.
We started out with a quick tour of downtown Oslo which was very quiet and almost empty since it was Sunday. We then headed out in the country to the glass factory. The scenery was very pretty lots of farms (with red barns so there’s color during the long dark days in winter) and a couple of lakes they call fiords even though they aren’t. She also told us about Trolls. Since my sister was a troll character at a Calif amusement park when she was in college we found the stories funny.

At the glass factory we watched them make a large plate with tools etc that have been used there for centuries. The differences from when it was originally founded are they now use electricity instead of wood and they use sand from Belgium instead of from the lake. The lake sand was ok for the old medicine bottles but not the art glass they make now.
We then had refreshments of coffee/tea and a Danish that was very good. We then had time to shop but other than a few ornaments in the Christmas shop didn’t buy anything.

The restrooms were interesting. In one room there were 3 stalls for the men on the left and 3 for the women on the right. So the line had both waiting. However, each stall had its own little sink (and I mean little).
We then headed to the Viking Ship Museum as it started to rain. Each time we went thru a tunnel it started to rain harder and by the time we got to the museum it was raining fairly hard so we scurried inside. They have 3 recovered Viking Ships in the museum. One from a queen, one from a chieftain, and don’t remember the third one. She had mentioned during the morning about the Vikings burying people in the ships but had assumed that meant the put them out to sea. But that’s not the case they actually buried them in the ships. We had seen one of the mounds where one is still buried that hasn’t been dug up on the way from the glass factory. They buried them with all the things they’d need in the next life including minerals, fabrics, etc and pointed the ship to the nearest water. The queen’s ship was very well preserved and they said over 90% original. I think it was from the 800s AD. The other thing we learned was that their helmets did not have horns. She said that came from a character in an Opera where they had the singer wear a helmet like that. Since running thru forests with horns on your helmet wouldn’t work well makes sense to me.

After the museum we headed back to the ship with a quick stop in the terminal looking for the birthday card. After a quick bite to eat we headed up to Bingo but they didn’t have enough people to play so we got double stamps instead. We then headed to mass and dinner before the show. This was the first show for this cast who just boarded when we did. They were actually very good. The CD warned us before the show that they often have problems with the microphones when off Norway but they’d switch to the hand-held ones if necessary and they did that about ½ way thru. After the show we made a very brief visit to the casino so my Bingo winnings from yesterday are already gone.
Forgot to mention one thing from last nights show. The CD came out after to tell us about the schedule for today and said he had found something he wanted to show us. He then had them bring out an old Lido Tray which he described as an antique. He mentioned why they are no longer using them (This is apparently the last ship to eliminate them).

Also, another difference on the Prinsendam is that the wake up calls are human not phone recordings. Haven’t had one that way in years.

That’s it for now. Another sea day tomorrow with some scenic crusing so should be a nice day. Will try to post a couple of photos later

SharonN

July 19th, 2009, 04:47 PM

Hopefully these work ..

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/75/75/3/3/24/2737303240081391383XYDhSK_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2737303240081391383XYDhSK)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/74/174/5/38/57/2607538570081391383ixMaTP_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2607538570081391383ixMaTP)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/1/61/41/2319161410081391383WmbeMA_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2319161410081391383WmbeMA)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/8/22/51/2208822510081391383cedovU_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2208822510081391383cedovU)

Harry1954

July 19th, 2009, 08:20 PM

Sharon,
Who is the manager in the PG on your cruise .. will then be cycled off before September Black Seas Cruise.
Thanks,
harry

Steve Q

July 21st, 2009, 11:48 AM

Sharon,

Thanks for the pictures. Keep us updated on the cruise. We cannot wait to board the Prinsendam in August. Has the ship met your expectations?

kenevenpar

July 21st, 2009, 12:24 PM

Thank you for posting Sharon! Many of us follow Captain Albert's blog, so it is interesting to hear about this cruise from the passangers point of view, and to contrast it to the Captain's reports.

Have a great Cruise

Ken

SharonN

July 21st, 2009, 04:28 PM

Sorry Mom kept me out late last night so didn’t have a chance to post until now so will make separate posts for yesterday and today and then hopefully download a few more photos.

Yesterday was our 2nd sea day but we managed to keep busy. My mother and I started out with mass at 8 though the priest was a bit late (he said he was taking a leisurely bath when the crew member that helps called him) then we headed down to the Dining Room for breakfast. The service was a bit slow for some reason but we weren’t in a hurry so not a big problem. My mother then started some laundry while I went up to a lecture.

We were supposed to start scenic cruising of Lysefjord at 1 but they’d come on and told us we’d do some additional scenic cruising at 11. Apparently when they picked up the pilot he suggested also going to another port (began with an S ?). So we headed up to my sister’s cabin to watch the scenery with them on their balcony. It was a very pretty fjord and town with a couple of ships docked there including the Saga Rose.
After that we headed up to lunch in the Lido which was very crowded. Mom and I had turkey which was good but the potatoes and vegetables were cold. We then headed back up to Erin and Dennis’s room for more scenic crusing thru Lysefjord to Pulpit Rock. It was very scenic and we all enjoyed it. Mom and Dennis then headed down for Tea then later we hit the casino for our donation. At least this time she didn’t put a $5 bill in a $5 machine and her $1 lasted almost as long as my $20. It’s gotten to be a joke with the casino manager now since earlier she had put a $5 bill in the $5 slot machine and didn’t understand why she only got one spin. The casino is very small on this ship but still the kind you get coins out of.

We then headed up to the Crows Nest for a coke and then it was time for dinner. The menu was almost all fish so most people ordered off the always available list though I ordered the duck which was actually very good. This was the first time in a week mom and I haven’t ordered the same thing. Then it was time for the show. Nick Lewin was billed as a magician but was really more of a comic and very funny so we all enjoyed it. Then Mom and I headed to watch the line dancing and then up to the Crows Nest for Name that Tune Country which we won and now have HAL luggage tags! Well ok we didn’t have much competition and was originally just going to give us the price but another guy said he’d play. By then it was 11 so figured we’d better get to bed since I had an early tour.

SharonN

July 21st, 2009, 04:29 PM

Well today we were in Bergen and the weather was supposed to clear up but it was cloudy most of the day with a few sprinkles but no real showers. My brother-in-law and I took the 8 hr Queen of the Fjords tour which we both enjoyed as we had a fantastic guide. It started with a tour around Bergen which has a lot of historical houses and buildings. We then headed out to the country including a ferry crossing, stop at an old church, and on to Hardinger Fjord where we stopped at a hotel for a very nice buffet lunch. We’d all be a bit concerned since it was supposed to be a traditional lunch but there was plenty of variety and it was all very good. We then headed over to a waterfall and then back to Bergen thru the tunnels and mountains. We got back to the ship before 4. My sister and mother had taken a short Panoramic tour but were not happy with it. The 2 hour tour lasted at least 15 mins less than that and the guide wasn’t even pointing things out so they’re going to mention it to the Shore Excursions office.

So then it was time for Bingo and they actually had enough people to play today but no luck for the 3 of us. When the game was over it was already time to head to the Dining Room for dinner which was good as usual. Our table mates are all fun and we’re enjoying all of our dinners. We decided to hit the casino again on the way to the show but did a bit better this time. I hadn’t put any money in my pocket so Mom loaned me a 20 which I turned into 40. She put in a dollar and cashed out with 2. Now they did tell us someone won $600 on the $5 machine today so that could have been Mom’s.

Mom and I headed to the show which was a trumpet player named Gary Guthman. He was very good and played songs from the big band era, then some blues, Herb Alpert, and finally Louis Armstrong. Before the show the CD came out and before introducing him mentioned there was an error in the Daily Program for tomorrow. We will be in Kristiansund which is what it says at the top but the description underneath says Kristiansand which is a seaside resort in the south of Norway. So that made for several jokes and will be interesting to see if anyone that wasn’t at the show notices.

RuthC

July 21st, 2009, 04:50 PM

Sorry Mom kept me out late last night so didn’t have a chance to post until now
Yea! Mom! Sounds like she might be fun! :D
We were supposed to start scenic cruising of Lysefjord at 1 but they’d come on and told us we’d do some additional scenic cruising at 11. Apparently when they picked up the pilot he suggested also going to another port (began with an S ?).
Was it Stavenger? It's a pretty area, and there's a few nice things to do there. I was surprised that it wasn't a port stop.

Hope you had good weather heading up Lysefjord. It's such a pretty ride.

Thanks for keeping in touch. I know it won't be long before you lose contact. :(

Love Cruises

July 21st, 2009, 06:19 PM

Thanks for giving your very informative review of your cuise on the msPRINSENDAM so far. I look forward to it each day. By the way, who is the Cruise Director?

RuthC

July 22nd, 2009, 11:51 AM

Sharon, I hope you see this before you lose Internet contact with the rest of the world.
I'd appreciate it if you would do me a favor. When you're in Longyearbyen, if you have a digital camera with you, I'd love it if you would take a picture and e-mail it to me when you return.

I would love a shot of one of the road warning signs about don't go beyond this point without a rifle, due to the danger from polar bears.
I didn't have a camera with me when I was there, and regret that I don't have that.

Thanks a lot if you can do this.

mushroom

July 22nd, 2009, 12:54 PM

Can someone please post a link to Captain Albert's blog? I'd love to read it. Thanks.

DFD1

July 22nd, 2009, 02:12 PM

www.hollandamericablog.com

Then click on Cpt. Alberts blog on the right side of the screen

mushroom

July 22nd, 2009, 03:36 PM

Thank you DFD1.

SharonN

July 23rd, 2009, 10:47 AM

When I checked internet access earlier today it was still available so going to try and get the entry for yesterday and this morning written and posted.

We docked in Kristiansund (not Kristiansand) yesterday morning but our tour wasn’t until 12:30 so we had a late breakfast and then everyone else went out to do some shopping while I uploaded pictures. We met for lunch about 11:30 and then all four of us headed down for our Averoy and Atlantic Road tour.
The elevators were running slowly and the gangway was steps not a ramp so took a while for my sister to get down. By then someone else had taken the front seat so she ended up in the Tour Guides seats and the rest of us were in 3 rows behind each other. The tour started with a Ferry ride over to the island of Averoy. It was a 30 min ride but the few (2 flights of stairs up from the bus) was very nice as was the weather.
We then drove to a Stave Church similar to the one my brother in law and I had been to in Bergen but a bit bigger with more statues etc. We then drove thru the countryside of the island and over to Atlantic Ocean Road which was a series of bridges over a very different type of landscape then we’ve been seeing. Mostly low large rocks in the water and apparently a very good fishing area. After that we ended up on an unplanned detour when one of the other buses decided to stop by the house of the bus driver. The neighbors on this gravel road all seemed to enjoy the unusual site of tour buses and came out to wave.
We then headed over a bridge to another island and then thru a very long tunnel back to Kristiansund. All aboard was 4:30 and we were a few minutes late but since it was a tour they were waiting for us.
Since we were late for Bingo decided to head to mass which got in just in time for dinner. It was another great meal and conversation. We hit the casino on the way to the show and Mom put in her $1 and got back $2.50 so has made back half of her $5 machine bet. I lost most of my $20 for the day. Mom and I then headed for the show which was a variety show with the singer/comedian from the first night and the Trumpet player from the previous night. It was only enjoyable.

We called it an early night and headed to the cabin. We had a cute Elephant Towel animal which
I put up by the window. Sometime in the middle of the night Mom called out to me wondering what type of animals were in this area and peaking in our window. I told her it was an arctic elephant.

SharonN

July 23rd, 2009, 10:47 AM

Today was another sea day and the day we crossed the Arctic Circle at about 7 a.m. Mom and I went up at 6:45 watch the people who wanted to swim across the circle. Well they didn’t actually swim. There are two small pools with a short bridge type thing between them so they “walked” across the Arctic Circle when the ships horn blew indicating we were there. No actual dotted line in the ocean though. The CD was dressed in shorts and a Tuxedo top. Others ranged from shorts to bikinis. I think there were 47 passengers and 8 crew that took part and became members of the blue nose club. Later we all received certificates for crossing the circle.

The rest of the morning consisted of mass, breakfast in the Dining Room, a lecture on Honningsvag and NordKap where we’ll be tomorrow. My mother decided to do another load of laundry while I went to a lecture on Why glaciers Growl. It was pretty good. The first part was done by the grandson of the guest geographer and was based on his 6th grade science project though he’s now probably 18. He’s spent his summers with his grandfather cruising the fjords and studying glaciers. The grandfather followed up with some information on global warming etc.

By now it was time for lunch followed by an afternoon of Napkin Folding instruction, Future Cruise presentation, and of course Bingo. Well Mom went with my brother in law to Indonesian Tea while my sister and I played Bingo but no luck today. So now it’s about time to get ready for another formal dinner and then another cast show. Such is the rough life of sea days.

May not be able to post the next few days due to how far north we are but will keep notes and post again when I can.

RuthC – Saw your post and will definitely try to get a picture of the sign for you.

SharonN

July 23rd, 2009, 10:57 AM

Some more photos

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/74/174/9/5/0/2956905000081391383SPqnjo_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2956905000081391383SPqnjo)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/9/16/61/2137916610081391383jpubPD_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2137916610081391383jpubPD)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/74/174/7/43/17/2264743170081391383VeVIIz_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2264743170081391383VeVIIz)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/8/28/25/2863828250081391383DiNkyv_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2863828250081391383DiNkyv)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/5/67/5/2938567050081391383grdeSu_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2938567050081391383grdeSu)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/96/96/9/51/34/2747951340081391383RsXQlW_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2747951340081391383RsXQlW)

RuthC

July 23rd, 2009, 04:55 PM

RuthC – Saw your post and will definitely try to get a picture of the sign for you.
Thanks, Sharon. I appreciate it.

SharonN

July 28th, 2009, 09:14 AM

I think I finished part way thru our last sea day so will start this entry with that night. It was our second formal night and we had another wonderful dinner with our tablemates. My sister wanted to get our pictures taken while dressed up so we attempted that. The photographer had some problems figuring out how to pose us since we were very different sizes and shapes. He had my mother on a chair for a few shots which didn’t make sense since she’s the shortest already and that just made her shorter. Anyway, we’ll see if any of them come out and if not try again the next time.

The show was another cast show called Escapade and was pretty good. One of the girl dancers had sprained her ankle in rehearsal the day of their first show but she was back tonight. We called it a night after the show.

Friday started with mass at 8 and then breakfast in the Dining Room and then Bathrobe Bingo before we docked in Honningsvag about 11. We were short Bingo players so a couple of us bought 2 cards. So playing 6 plus the free cards for wearing our bathrobes made it hard work. I did win the first game but the other 3 were all won by a couple celebrating their 11th anniversary.

We grabbed a quick bite in the Lido then headed down for our transfer to the North Cape. Well it was only supposed to be a transfer with no narration but our driver was great and told us all about the area which was very interesting. We made a short stop at a Sami Village. The typical souvenir stop but it was mostly hand crafted stuff and they did have some people there in native costumes and a reindeer. I believe there are 5 or 6 tribes left and they are the only ones allowed to manage the reindeer. They bring them over to the island by ferry in May so they can breed and then they swim back in the fall. They mark them by cutting a pattern in their ears. We saw quite a few reindeer along the road (and some in the road). The driver said it costs 6000 Kroner if you hit one so she was very careful. I did buy a sweater here which was much less than we saw in the earlier stops and I like the pattern better.

We got to the North Cape and headed out for the traditional picture at the Globe Statue and some shots from the top before heading into the visitor center to write up and mail some postcards. The North Cape is said to be the northernmost point of the European Continent but there’s actually a spot that can be seen from there that is goes out further. However, you have to hike out to that one so is less used/known. We then went down and watched the 15 min film on the area which was very good. Then it was time to head back to town. We took a few pictures with the trolls by the giftshop at the pier then headed back on board to get ready for dinner.
There was no show since the ship wasn’t sailing till 8:30 (was originally supposed to be 10:30 but they moved it up so the scenic cruising would be at 10 instead of midnight). So Mom and I decided it would be a good time to do laundry and we had it mostly done (a few things are still a bit damp) then headed up to see the North Cape from the sea. It was fun to see the same area we’d been at that day from the ship.

So now we’re up to Sat and another sea day which started with mass and then breakfast in the Dining Room and then a lecture on “Was it murder? The last Traditional Inuit Trial” by Norma Hallendy. He has spent a lot of time with the Inuit people and has some interesting stories to tell.

We were then passing by Bear Island so went out and got some pictures but it was pretty cold and windy and the upper part of the island was covered in clouds/fog (or sea smoke as someone called it later). It was time to eat again so we headed to the Dining room with my sister and her husband. After lunch we went to the demonstration on fruit carving so should all now be able to carve a watermelon into a flower. They had a lecture on whales by one of the Dutch Passengers but it was in dutch so didn’t attend that one. I went to the one on Plate Tectonics 101 by Denis St Onge the geologist who has done a few lectures already while my mother went to tea with my brother in law. Then it was time for Bingo. We had quite a few people today since it was 2 for 1 drinks. Note the Daily Program said bingo was at 4 am so we teased the CD about that. It was originally scheduled for the morning but he asked us yesterday if we wanted to play during scenic cruising or at 4 and we voted for 4. He actually listed it as “2 for 1 Drink Special to take care of the Bingo People for morning Scenic Cruising Jackpot Bingo”. I was close most games but none of us won.

The evening was spent with scenic cruising the southern coast of Spitsbergen but we took all of our pictures from inside since it was very windy/cold outside. Since part of this was during dinner several of us did a photo break between each course. The show tonight was Gary Arbuthnot who is an Irish Flute player and it was very good. He told stories/history before each section which included movie songs from Phantom and Wizard of Oz along with old standards and obviously some Irish Selections.

So these sea days continue to be rough work but someone’s got to do it! Tomorrow we head to the polar ice cap and lots of scenic cruising so should be another great day.

SharonN

July 28th, 2009, 09:15 AM

Well Sunday was our Top of the World day. Mom and I got up about 6 and headed for scenic crusing of Magdelenafjord . We started on the promenade deck and it was not as cold as we expected. So got a few pictures of the glaciers on the island we were passing then headed up to the Lido and grabbed a cinnamon roll and juice while we watched the scenery. We were then pulling into the fjord so I took Mom up to the Crows Nest and I headed up to the deck above to get some photos. There was another ship behind us but not sure of the name yet.
About 8 we headed down to mass and thought we were going to be late but father was heading down at the same time. We then headed to breakfast in the Dining Room. Mom and my sister then headed for a Cooking Workshop while my brother in law and I went to the lecture on “The Arctic Passage, the Principal Explorers”. It was interesting and my Dad would have enjoyed learning that they thought of Beer as liquid bread and it was considered a necessity in those days. One group of explorers headed back to England when they lost the ship that had all the beer because they didn’t think they could make it thru the winter without it.

At this point it had been at least 30 mins since we’d eaten so we headed up to the Lido for lunch as we were approaching the polar ice cap. We then headed up to the Crows Nest to watch that. They stayed there most of the time and I was in and out getting pictures from the upper deck. The ship wanted a crew photo while in the ice so as many crew as could (obviously those steering the ship and serving lunch couldn’t go) were out on the front of the ship. Our certificates indicate we made it to 80 degrees 20.8653 north latitude which is 579 nautical miles from the North Pole. There was quite a bit of ice and we did see a seal swimming about but couldn’t catch a picture of him.

We spent a bit of time in the casino and then it was time for my mother and brother in law to go to tea while my sister and I went to Bingo. I won another game so am pretty much even at this point of the trip.

After Bingo it was time for another Napkin folding lesson before getting ready for another formal night. Dinner was very good.. Marty Brill was the comic for the night and was very funny. He was on the Antarctic cruise I did last year and his routine was similar but still very funny. He used to write for shows like Mary Tyler Moore, Mash, Mork and Mindy, etc.

So another busy sea day is over. Tomorrow we’re in Longyearbyen (don’t ask how to pronounce it since everyone has said it differently).

SharonN

July 28th, 2009, 09:17 AM

We have links to the outside world again! Well at least internet. Satellite TV is still down. So I’ve posted the past few days and will now add yesterday’s port and then hopefully some photos.
Monday we were in the port of Longyearbyen which is on the island of Spitsbergen. We weren’t supposed to dock until 11 as we were sharing the dock with another ship (will have to zoom in on the photo and get the name when I get home). They docked first and then went to anchorage so we could dock and their passengers returned to their ship by tender. Since we had to wait the captain sailed around the area for scenic viewing for most of the morning.
Longyearbyen is named for an American (from Boston as my mother reminds me since that’s where she was born and raised) who founded it in 1906 as part of his Coal Company. There are about 1800 residents.
We were all on the Highlights, Museum, and Wilderness tour at 12:30 along with almost 200 passengers. We had another great guide who has lived here with his family for about 9 years. There are a lot of families in the town and he indicated most only stay for a few years. Our bus headed out to the Sled Dog camp to start with. The couple that run there have been here over 30 years. The puppies were running around us as they explained about the use of dogs and sleds in the area and then showed us some of the adult dogs harnessed up to the sleds. They have kennels closer to town too and use sleds with wheels during the summer and switch the dogs between the two areas. The puppies are kept out where we were so they have more room to run around. They served coffee and some type of pancakes with sugar while we were there.
We then headed back towards town though they did stop when we saw some reindeer on the side of the road so we could get out and get photos. The next stop was the museum which had stuffed animals (polar bear, seal, reindeer, etc) and information on mining. There are 3000 polar bears in the area but we didn’t see any this time of year. It is required to carry a gun outside of town in case you do run into some though you can only shoot if attacked. He said they do occasionally come into town.
After the museum we drove thru the old mining area. The buildings where the mineworkers used to live are now used mostly by students. Then we drove over to the Seed Vault. You may have seen this on the news in the last year or two. No one is allowed in but we did see the entrance.
We then headed back to the ship. Forgot to mention that the weather was beautiful and one of the best days they’d had here. The area is actually very stark with little vegetation but the overall island is actually 70% glaciers and they could be seen across the bay.
We got back in time for Bingo (we didn’t win though I did win the drawing for a Picture Frame), then dinner, and the show was Luke Burrage. He’s a juggler and was very funny. Especially in a theater that has very low ceilings.
Then the evening got interesting. When my sister and her husband got back to their room from the tour they found it had been painted (the door frames in the room, on the balcony, and in the bathroom) and the smell was very intense. My sister has a lung disease and cannot be around that type of smells. They brought up a fan but even after the show it was too much for her. They were told there were no other rooms available and that she could sleep in the lounge chairs in the library. Well obviously we weren’t going to allow that so insisted she come down to our cabin. So we pulled out the sofabed after moving the coffee table to what little wall there is between the desk and bathroom door, put the chair in the closet (knew the walk in closets would come in handy),put the sofa pillows in various places, and pulled the bedding out of the closet to make the bed. I took the sofa which I’ll admit was not the most comfortable place I’ve ever slept but I’ve probably had worse too. Now that didn’t leave much room to get around and there was certainly no place to put my brother in law. He stayed in their cabin with the fan going and the door to the balcony open until he decided it was too cold about 1 am (might have been ok in the Caribbean but we’re still north of the arctic circle.) We had some laughs as we all woke up at midnight, 2 am, and 4 am. Luckily we set the clocks back last night so we had an extra hour of fun!

Now we have 2 sea days before we get to our first port in Iceland. It’s supposed to be Akureyri but the captain was misinformed and said we were on our way to Reykjavik in his post sailing announcements yesterday.

RuthC – I got a picture of the Polar Bear Crossing sign (see next post when I’ll post some photos and I’ll email it to you when I get home) but didn’t see the one about the guns.

SharonN

July 28th, 2009, 09:18 AM

sorry the link is so slow that I'm going to wait till later to try and upload the photos. Would probably take hours the way this is working now!

RuthC

July 28th, 2009, 11:45 AM

Welcome back to civilization! Or, at least satellite service. Isn't it desolate up there! But what a kick being in the Polar Ice Cap. I'm glad to read that the edge of the cap is further south than when I was at it. Perhaps it's the natural ebb and flow of the Cap, and not only global warming that caused it to move north.
Now you've been to both ends of the world. They do look different from each other, don't they.
Aren't those puppies cute! And the pancakes delicious!

RuthC – I got a picture of the Polar Bear Crossing sign (see next post when I’ll post some photos and I’ll email it to you when I get home) but didn’t see the one about the guns.
Thank you! If you took it on the road out to the sled dog camp, it's probably the sign I was thinking of. I can't wait to get it.

SharonN

July 29th, 2009, 01:31 AM

Well Tues was another sea day. Thursday starts our port intensive part of the trip with 6 ports in 7 days. We started the day as usual with mass and then breakfast. While eating we remembered we had the mariner’s brunch. My mother and I had the 10:45 one while my sister and brother-in-law had a 12:45 one. I had expected to get my 100 day medal on this trip but nothing was passed out at the 10:45 one. Later found out they did call my name at the reception prior to the 12:45 one but I wasn’t invited to that one. My sister and her husband did get their medals which they weren’t expecting yet. Apparently they do now count Land Tour days which put them over the 100 day mark. Not sure why I wasn’t invited since I had a few more days then them. Maybe you have to be in suite to be given your medal directly. The captain wasn’t at any of the meetings since it was very foggy all day and when it’s foggy he has to be driving the ship.

We spent part of the afternoon in the casino (I won $20 and Mom lost $2), playing Bingo (My sister won the raffle for the signed photo of the ship and we were all close a few games but no winners this time), and attending a towel folding demonstration. My sister went up after that and got them to give her the rabbit which she proceeded to bring down to our cabin to replace the one she murdered when we were moving the furniture the previous night to get the 3rd bed set up. She did write up a complaint about the painting but hasn’t heard back from anyone yet.

It was then time for dinner. About ½ the table had issues with their meals so ended up with a 2nd selection. We then headed to the Queens Lounge for a game of TV Tune Trivia before the show. While waiting a couple of men went past us and one stepped very heavily on my sister’s foot and kept going without even apologizing. This is a foot she’s had many problems with and is still having treatment for so she was in quite a bit of pain for the rest of the night. Anyway, we managed to tie 2 other teams and won some sort of wallets. We missed the one from something like the Great American Hero. I don’t even remember hearing about the show.

The show was another cast show called Moments to Remember. The singers in this cast are all very good and it was one of the best cast shows I’ve seen. We gained another hour last night so are now only 4 hrs off of Eastern time. Today is our last sea day for a while.

SharonN

July 29th, 2009, 01:40 AM

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/74/174/4/81/16/2207481160081391383SWYRSr_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2207481160081391383SWYRSr)

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SharonN

July 29th, 2009, 01:41 AM

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merecat

July 29th, 2009, 04:40 AM

Thanks for your blog and photos,looks like a great cruise.

I shall be sailing on Prinsendam and HAL for the first time in Sept., can you tell me are the plugs in the cabins a mixture on US & Continental .

Being British ,I will need to bring an adapter.:)

Jade13

July 29th, 2009, 06:33 AM

Jade13

July 29th, 2009, 06:38 AM

We were then passing by Bear Island so went out and got some pictures but it was pretty cold and windy and the upper part of the island was covered in clouds/fog (or sea smoke as someone called it later). I
So these sea days continue to be rough work but someone’s got to do it! Tomorrow we head to the polar ice cap and lots of scenic cruising so should be another great day.

We were just at Bear Island on an expedition cruise where we took a zodiac tour around (lots of birds). Did you see the ship that was stuck there? Apparently the owners are paying to have it hauled out.

I am curious if you see much wildlife on this cruise?

arzz

July 29th, 2009, 01:06 PM

SharonN -- thank you so much for your posts! We will be on board this cruise next summer so we are enjoying your posts with eager anticipation! Please continue to enjoy your experience and please continue to post. Your efforts are being appreciated.

RuthC

July 29th, 2009, 02:44 PM

Did you actually leave the ship? Do you have a photo as I am trying to understand what was done.
The Swim Across the Arctic is always done in the ship's pool.
On the Prinsendam it's done in the Lido pool (which is totally outside). That pool is an odd shape, with a roundish area where you enter, and a narrow funnel to another roundish area. You can only enter/exit in the first round area, so it gets crowded with the in and out traffic during the swim.

It's lots of fun for those who are watching!

Steve Q

July 29th, 2009, 03:28 PM

We board the Prinsendam on August 7th and cannot wait. We just received our cabin assignment. We booked a Category G guaranteed and have been assigned a Category D cabin.

We are enjoying your account of the cruise very much.

SharonN

July 30th, 2009, 11:04 AM

Wed was our last sea day before 3 port days in Iceland. It was to start with scenic cruising of Jan Mayen island which is 400 miles northeast of Iceland and 300 miles east of central Greenland but belongs to Norway. There are 18 people there during the winter and 35 in the summer. They work for the Norwegian Armed Forces or Meteorological Institute. During WWII when Norway was occupied by the Germans the men stationed there defied Germany and sent the weather reports to Great Britain instead. Well as I said our day was to start with a scenic sail by of the island so we headed up to the Lido about 7 for juice (ok and a chocolate croissant) and briefly saw a mountain sticking out of the clouds. I should have taken a picture then since that brief glimpse was all we saw other than fog.

We then headed to mass followed by real breakfast in the Dining Room. The Dining room is on the Promenade Deck and the Shuffleboard Court is on the back which could be seen from our table. Our Asst Waiter (from our Dinner Table) had outside duty with a station of rolls and coffee but very few visitors in the wind/cold. He kept smiling as usual though. We tried to go to the talk on Akureyri after breakfast but the show room was full. We did make it back in time for the Win a Cruise Bingo and though we were all pretty close (Mom only needed 2 more and the other Sharon only needed 1) we didn’t win. By now it was time for lunch of course so headed up to the Lido again.

The afternoon started with a lecture on “A Virtual Cruise Around Baffin Bay and Davis Strait” and then I hit the casino while Mom went to Tea with Dennis. I was still playing the same $10 when they came back and finally cashed out with $30. This was a machine I hadn’t played before but the bonus was based on monkeys (though of you from Work will appreciate that I’m sure!)

It was then time to get ready for another formal night. Mom and I were early so joined our Canadian tablemates in the Ocean Bar for a bit and then into another great dinner. The show was a Variety show with Luke Burrage the Juggler, Marty Brill the comedian, and Gary Arbuthnot the flute player. The juggler started with a film of him juggling all around the world (well everywhere he’d been so far today) that was pretty funny. It included him on the front of the ship in the ice pack the other day as well as one with the penguins (doing the penguin catch) from Chile earlier this year. He then did his cold weather routine where he had his arms going in and out of his jacket etc. It was very good. Marty was funny as usual and the Flute player as good as his earlier show.

Tomorrow we have an early tour to a waterfall and I’m not sure what else. Mom wants to go shopping in the afternoon. So hopefully I’ll have photos etc tomorrow.

Well guess I’ll have to post this later. Apparently we don’t have internet this morning.

arzz

July 30th, 2009, 04:06 PM

Ahh, the monkey machine -- on the Prinsendam -- and you actually made money? It is a cute machine but I was never able to get it to pay on the Prinsendam so I finally stopped playing. Congradulations on making $30 and keep posting.

lettienets

July 30th, 2009, 06:36 PM

The Swim Across the Arctic is always done in the ship's pool.
On the Prinsendam it's done in the Lido pool (which is totally outside). That pool is an odd shape, with a roundish area where you enter, and a narrow funnel to another roundish area. You can only enter/exit in the first round area, so it gets crowded with the in and out traffic during the swim.

It's lots of fun for those who are watching!

http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/lettienets/th_arcticdip.jpg Ruth, I captured this picture from the Carnival page where they have a link to the HAL blog and this picture was there for the Arctic dip, July 23 I think it said. Since I am doing this trip next year I was interested! Got to get my Arctic certificate to match my Antarctic one!
My next cruise is Carnival Dream so I am reading all their posts too.

RuthC

July 30th, 2009, 08:38 PM

Aussie Gal

July 30th, 2009, 10:05 PM

SharonN

July 31st, 2009, 01:55 AM

Go for it, Loretta! I think it would be neat to have a matched set. :D
I have the one for the Swim Across the Arctic, which I did on the Rotterdam in '04. It was my third chance, and I wasn't about to miss it again.

The picture is one end of the Prinsendam pool. Notice on the left, there's a narrow straight lane to something unseen. That's the path to the other round end, and the ladder out.

Unfortunately my picture of the arctic swim across the arctic circle is on the internal memory of my camera and i forgot my camera cable so won't be able to get it till I get home. Lucikly my laptop has a slot for the memor cards or I wouldn't see any pictures till I get home. The pool does have two sections with a small bridge type connector and they walked between them to cross the circle. Almost like the pool was built for that :)

SharonN

July 31st, 2009, 01:57 AM

Sharon,

I too have been enjoying your posts especially as we will be on the Prinsendam in November for 24 days.

I have one question which hopefully you will be able to answer. It is regardarding Laundry. Do you know how much the "stuff it all" bag packages are and does the ship they have a Laundry Package that covers every day of the cruise?

Thanks.

Jennie

I'll check with my sister since i think she's sent out some laundry. our cabin is not far from the laudry room so we've been doing our own (well I've only had to do one load since I brought too many clothes and my mother has done several since she didn't bring enough). The machines are free (both washer and dryer) so can be a bit difficult to get to on sea days but we've found a few times that worked out well.

SharonN

July 31st, 2009, 01:59 AM

Thu was our first port in Iceland. Akureyri is in the northern part of Iceland at the end of a 36 mile long fjord. I think they said it’s the 2nd largest city in Iceland at about 18,000 people. There are a lot of farms in the area and a lot of sheep. Apparently there are more sheep in Iceland than People.

We had an early tour so headed up to the Lido for Breakfast and to get some pictures of the sail down the fjord. It took a while for the ship to be cleared by local authorities so we were a bit late leaving for our Akureyri Falls and Farmland. We started with a drive along the fjord to an old farm (very old) that was built mostly with sod and some stone. There are not a lot of trees here or really many stones so they used to built houses slightly into the ground and then covered with sod and some stone/wood when available. The house was many small rooms which they used to close off so they only had to heat one or two of them. It was very dark inside and difficult to get around because of the uneven floors and steps. We got a few pictures outside but it was raining most of the time we were there so didn’t spend a lot of time.

We then headed to Godafoss which was a very nice waterfall. Probably would have been nicer if the fog hadn’t rolled in just about the time we got there. There was a walk to the other side but it was too cold for most of us so almost everyone rode the bus to the other side to pick up the few that did walk. As we were leaving the fog cleared and we did get a better view of the falls but not able to get a picture from the bus.

The next stop was the botanical garden which is the most northern one in the world. It was pretty but cold and rainy so didn’t spend much time there.

Then we headed back for a drive thru the city before returning to the ship. We had originally planned to walk back into town to shop but found out the Christmas shop Mom wanted to go to was 26 kilometers away and since the weather wasn’t the greatest decided to stay on board for the afternoon.

There wasn’t a lot going on so Mom did some ironing and I uploaded photos etc. There weren’t enough people for Bingo since some tours weren’t back yet. We had another nice dinner including some jokes on our Canadian couple. The casino is closed until we leave Reykjavik on Sat night because of Iceland laws. So between that and no Bingo not sure if we’re ahead or behind for yesterday. The show was an Irish Opera singer named Sinead Blanchfield and she was very good.

SharonN

July 31st, 2009, 02:02 AM

photos from akureyri

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/8/9/33/2806809330081391383eNNgHe_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2806809330081391383eNNgHe)

Sod Farm House

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a foggy shot of Godafoss
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fountain in the botanical garden

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/96/96/5/40/30/2131540300081391383GXKKda_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2131540300081391383GXKKda)

bra1nchild

July 31st, 2009, 07:51 PM

When we were on the Prinsendam this spring for the Grand Med and Black Sea, a bag of laundry was $20. The price had been $12 per bag until the start of the cruise. Folks who stayed on from the Grand South America were surprised when they got their bills, so they were credited with the $8 difference but only for their first bag.

The bathrooms have no electrical outlets. Nada. Zip. Zilch. There are 2 outlets in the cabin proper, one a US-style and one a European-style. There are some multi-outlet strips available from the Front Desk if you get there quick enough. When we sail next year, we are bringing our own so we can charge batteries, phones, etc. BTW, there is a hairdryer in the cabin; it works on the Euro plug.

Aussie Gal

July 31st, 2009, 08:50 PM

bra1nchild

July 31st, 2009, 10:17 PM

The hairdryers on the Prinsendam are hand-held pistol-grip dryers with Euro plugs. In our cabin, they plugged in on the left side of the dressing table mirror, closest to the bathroom. It might be on the right in the mirror-image cabins. I think they used the Euro plugs to keep people from stealing them.

As I said earlier, there are no outlets in the newly refurbished bathrooms. We used a book light [you know, the ones which clip onto a book so you don't disturb your roommate] as a night light in the bath room so we could find our way without turning on the light at 2 a.m. It gave plenty of light because it reflected off the mirror. Just a thought...

Aussie Gal

July 31st, 2009, 11:21 PM

bra1nchild,

Thanks so much for that. One less thing I need to pack!

Jennie

SharonN

August 2nd, 2009, 01:36 AM

We had a great day in Isafjordur Iceland on Fri. Mom and I were up early in the Lido for juice and to watch the scenic cruising of isafjardaandjup and Jokulfirdir. It was a bit cloudy but very pretty. We then headed to mass, breakfast in the Dining Room, and a port talk on Isafjordur and Reykjavik. It was then time to grab a quick lunch in the Lido before heading down for our Fjords and Flowers tour.
We drove quickly thru town (not hard since it was a small town) and then headed towards a tunnel. I know you’re thinking how could a tunnel be so interesting but it actually was. This tunnel is about 6 miles long and links the fjord to two other fjord towns. It’s a one way tunnel so on the way out we had to pull over in the Meeting places to let the cars going the other way thru. It was built in the mid 1990’s and they’re not allowed to build one-way tunnels any longer but our guide said it worked well here since there isn’t a lot of traffic. There was one section of the tunnel where there was a turn off that headed to the third fjord. They built this tunnel in 3 years in spite of finding out the hard way there was an underground river that they had to block off when they accidentally found it during one blast which pushed all of their equipment out with the water.

Once out of the tunnel the scenery was beautiful with sheep all over the mountains, waterfalls, farms, and the fjord ahead. Our first stop was at a garden that had been started by a priest in 1906. Everyone had said he was crazy to try it but he found one spot that was protected from some of the weather because of the mountains etc. It was a beautiful spot.

We then headed to a small fishing village. There is a bookstore there from the late 1800s which sells books by the kilogram. We just bought postcards which were priced normally. The stop included a small café where we were given 3 pieces of traditional Icelandic cakes and coffee. One cake was many layers of slightly crisply cake and jam, another was almost like a donut, and the third was like a pancake folded and filled with cream. This town was hit by an avalanche in the late 1990’s which killed over 20 people (a lot in a town of about 200). They now have an wall shaped like an A that will direct the avalanche around the town. There’s also a big happy face carved into the grass to the side of it.
We then headed to the small church in the town where a local woman performed traditional songs on an accordion. We then headed back to the ship thru the tunnel again (this time we didn’t have to stop). It was a very nice tour and our guide was fantastic.

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday is that Iceland brings the hot water from the thermal areas into the towns which they then use for their hot water and heating. In Akureyri they even used it to fill their local swimming pool.

We had another great dinner topped off with a Chocolate Soufflé for desert before heading to the show. Scotty Mclean is a Scottish magician/comedian who was dressed in a kilt. There was very little magic but he was very funny especially the last section with his wooden duck that picked the cards out of the deck of cards.

RuthC - I did get a photo of the Whale bone arch at the garden on our tour and later learned there was another one in Isafjordur itself but didn’t see that one.

SharonN

August 2nd, 2009, 01:37 AM

Today (Sat) we were in Reykajavik our last stop in Iceland. We docked about 7 am but our tour wasn’t leaving till 11 so since Mom and I were up by 6 we decided it was a good time to do laundry. We did run out to the store at the port to get postcards while things were drying. The jeans still weren’t dry when we got back so we decided to let them dry in the room and went up to meet Erin for breakfast.

We took the Blue Lagoon Tour which started with a drive to an old church right next to the president’s house. We were supposed to have a tour inside but it was locked. There was still a nice view from there so got some photos and then we headed to the Blue Lagoon. Our tour did not include swimming in the lagoon (there were others that did). We started with a small snack (choice of salmon or tomato/cheese sandwich, some fruit, and donut like cakes). We had about an hour here. I did put my hand in the water and it was very warm. The lagoon was made by accident when they opened the Thermal Power Plant next to it. They expected the runoff to filter into the ground but it apparently filled up the holes in the lava and created a lagoon which looks blue because of the minerals. It got a reputation for curing skin diseases of people who went into the water so eventually they created a new lagoon next to it with better facilities and not as rocky from the lava rock.

Next we headed thru a fishing town and then along a fairly long gravel road to the Hot Springs. We had some time there to walk the up to view them and then headed to a very pretty lake before heading back to the city and then the ship.

We got back in time to find something to make crazy hats with for Bingo but there weren’t enough people since some tours were still out but several of us stayed and talked until it was time to go to dinner. After dinner the casino was reopened but neither Mom or I did very well tonight though several others did (Dennis included). Mom and I headed to the show called Caliente by the Cast. It was good but not the best we’ve seen.
I think everyone is ready for a sea day tomorrow after 3 busy port days and we lose an hour tonight so will try to get this posted now.

SharonN

August 2nd, 2009, 01:42 AM

brainchild,

Thanks for the information regarding the Laundry Bags. That is a hefty increase from $12 to $20!!

With regards to the hairdryer, is it a hand held one that you can use sitting at the dressing table in the cabin?

Jennie

It's $20 a bag on our cruise too. The unlimited package is $120 for a 21 day cruise. There have been a lot of people using the self-service laundry probably because it is free.

SharonN

August 2nd, 2009, 02:04 AM

Whale Bone Arch (For RuthC)
http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/75/175/5/55/88/2257555880081391383epiETx_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2257555880081391383epiETx)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/7/66/94/2478766940081391383uiECAo_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2478766940081391383uiECAo)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/96/96/0/86/96/2604086960081391383DlxWyu_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2604086960081391383DlxWyu)

Blue Lagoon
http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/74/174/3/53/19/2770353190081391383LPeXne_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2770353190081391383LPeXne)

Hot springs

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/7/35/90/2097735900081391383drXQeK_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2097735900081391383drXQeK)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/96/96/3/85/97/2755385970081391383FRPQCR_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2755385970081391383FRPQCR)

Aussie Gal

August 2nd, 2009, 02:20 AM

It's $20 a bag on our cruise too. The unlimited package is $120 for a 21 day cruise. There have been a lot of people using the self-service laundry probably because it is free.

Sharon,

Thanks so much for finding this out for me. I am enjoying your posts very much and it has brought back memories of when we did the cruise from Boston to Rotterdam back in 2005 on the Maasdam. That was when I met Ruth C. ;)
We loved our day in Reykajavik and also visited the Blue Lagoon.

Jennie

RuthC

August 2nd, 2009, 02:25 PM

We drove quickly thru town (not hard since it was a small town) and then headed towards a tunnel. I know you’re thinking how could a tunnel be so interesting but it actually was.
Isn't that tunnel amazing! Who would believe that there would be such a thing way out in the middle of nowhere! I'm glad I had the chance to ride through it. And to see the "side street"!
Our first stop was at a garden that had been started by a priest in 1906.
RuthC - I did get a photo of the Whale bone arch at the garden on our tour and later learned there was another one in Isafjordur itself but didn’t see that one.
As soon as I saw that sentence about stopping at a garden, I was hoping it was the one with the whalebone arch. I'm excited for you that you finally got to see one, after missing the one in the Falklands. :D
Thanks for the pic. I'm keeping a copy.

Lisa63

August 2nd, 2009, 04:17 PM

Thank you again for your posts. I see the entertainment has changed from that of our July 3 cruise. That's nice for the pax who booked both segments.

The photos are beautiful! I hope to make it to Iceland someday.

SharonN

August 3rd, 2009, 04:57 PM

Not much to post from our last sea day yesterday. It was pretty much our normal sea day pattern. Bingo was played in the Crows Nest because the cast was practicing their next show in the Queens Lounge. That meant they had the old time cage with the Bingo balls and she had to call it without a microphone and to top it off they had a drink class scheduled at the bar behind us at the same time. Well at least Mom won the first game. We’ve been teasing her that the hair cut she got earlier that afternoon made it easier to see the board! It was another formal night followed by a Ventriloquist named Don Bryan. He was very good but could update some of his material. He did a small section with a Tennis Ball that I thought was very funny. He had cut a mouth in it and then added eyes with Velcro (above or below the mouth depending on whether he was smiling or frowning).

Today we were in Torshavn the capital of the Faroe Islands which are part of Denmark. However, they have their own language and currency and like Iceland were settled by the Vikings. The weather was fantastic. Probably in the 60’s with mostly blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Erin and Dennis didn’t have a tour scheduled so just took the shuttle into town. Mom and I had the Countryside of Gota tour which was a 5 hr tour of …. The countryside. It was very scenic and though similar to some of our tours in Iceland it was interesting to see the differences. We drove out of the city and along the fjord where there were many beautiful waterfalls just coming off the mountains to the road (they must be so used to them they didn’t even point them out) and lots of sheep (though these are Faroese sheep which are different than the Icelandic sheep we’d already seen). I’d always thought sheep were white and curly but these had long hair and were all sorts of colors even black/white striped or spotted. They have more sheep in the Faroe islands than people but they don’t export them (except the wool) and actually import more lamb meet since they eat so much of it. I actually like lamb but not sure I’d eat it that often.

After driving thru 2 tunnels and over the only bridge that goes over the Atlantic our first stop was at a modern church. It was very unusual and all of the decorations were done in glass by a local artist. Even the pulpit was done in blue glass. The alter was all clear class so as not to distract from the large Art glass behind it. Hopefully the picture came out and I’ll post it. The church took 10 years to build as they had to raise the money for it. The pews were made from imported Oregon Pine which Mom appreciated. They raised the money for them from Bingo. We then headed to an old farm house from the 1700s (I think) that was still lived in till the late 1950’s. Actually they didn’t have electricity in the islands till the late 1950’s. Hard to imagine since that’s even after I was born. There was also an old church similar to the ones we saw in Norway and Iceland. We then headed to the Wool Mill. I saw a sweater I liked but their credit card machine wasn’t working and though I could have borrowed cash from Mom didn’t want to use that much cash at this point in the trip. He offered to drive me to the ATM but I really didn’t need the sweater that bad. Must have really hurt business to not have that working.

We drove back but instead of the tunnel we used the old mountain route and made several photo stops. All in all a very pleasant day.

We made it back in time for Bingo but none of us won so headed to dinner then a quick trip thru the casino (very quick neither Mom or I hit anything there tonight) and then to the show. It was a singer named Jeff Hooper who did a lot of old Swing and Big Band songs. He also did a few impressions and it was a very enjoyable show (well more for my mother due to the age of the songs but still good). Tomorrow we have an early arrival/tour in Scotland and have to tender so will try to get this posted now.

won't have time to post photos tonight but will try when we get back tomorrow

SharonN

August 4th, 2009, 04:49 PM

Today we were in Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands which are part of Scotland. There are 70 islands but only 20 of them are inhabited. 15,000 people live on the “Mainland” with another 5000 on the other islands. We were supposed to tender into the port but it was too windy so we docked instead. Since the tour times were based on tendering they made announcements with the new tour times. We had gone up to the Lido to get breakfast just before 7 since we had to be in the lounge at 8:10 but that was changed to 8:50. My brother in law was scheduled for the WWII & Scapa Underwater Adventure by Remote control Camera. However, they had to cancel the tour because of the winds so they took the shuttle into town.

Mom and I had the Skara Brae & Skaill House tour. The drive thru the area was very beautiful with rolling hills and lots of cattle farms (a few sheep thrown in here and there). Our guide was an older English gentleman named Roger who had been a school teacher and moved here when he was about 60. He was very good and we had a great tour. Our first stop was at a small stone circle where a few of the stones were still standing. There was a bay across the street with some seals on the rocks. We then drove by a site where they’re still excavating what appears to be a wide wall that they think is the width of the peninsula and is thought to separate the Live from the Dead areas. These ruins are 5000 years old. We then stopped at Ring of Brodgar which is a World Heritage site originally composed of 60 stones 27 of which are still standing. We kept running into our tablemates from Canada who had rented a car with another couple but stopping at the same places.

Our main stop was at Skara Brae which is a stone village from 5000 years ago that was uncovered by a storm in the late 1800s. It was very windy so Mom and I headed back to the visitor center/gift shop instead of heading to Skaill House. Of course it ended up costing me money as I purchased some earrings and a necklace from a local artist. We then drove by Scapa Bay and around the town of Kirkwall before heading back to the ship.

We headed up to the Lido for lunch and later headed to Bingo and Mass before getting ready for our last formal night. My sister finally won a Bingo game! Not sure I mentioned that the priest fell on his excursion in Reykjavik. They were able to find a dr in Torshavn yesterday so it’s now in a cast and he’ll need surgery when he gets back to Oklahoma.

Dinner was very good. Mom and I really enjoyed the Beef Tenderloin and those with the lobster tails Most of us had pre-ordered dessert last night (Mud Pie) when my sister was making her selections. We didn’t do so well in the casino (I lost on the first machine but made a bit on the pokier one) then Mom and I headed to the show. Vladimir Zaitsev played mostly classical pieces on the piano but also did an arrangement from West Side Story and a medley of Beatles. He was very good and had some good jokes along the way too.

Well tomorrow is our last port. Can’t believe the trip is almost over.

SharonN

August 4th, 2009, 05:01 PM

Here are a few photos from yesterday. don't have today's downloaded yet.

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/96/96/4/72/47/2975472470081391383RPEYzC_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2975472470081391383RPEYzC)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/74/174/2/51/11/2264251110081391383YAjpZQ_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2264251110081391383YAjpZQ)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/2/63/40/2216263400081391383bIkoDl_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2216263400081391383bIkoDl)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/75/75/1/12/37/2528112370081391383AQJZsq_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2528112370081391383AQJZsq)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/8/81/9/2753881090081391383iYYcfA_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2753881090081391383iYYcfA)

RuthC

August 5th, 2009, 02:36 PM

Your days aboard the Elegant Explorer have dwindled down to less than a precious few. Your next port is the one where you disembark.

I have so enjoyed your posts from on board, and thank you for bringing back lovely memories of my cruise to the Top of the World. I hope the cruise was wonderful for you, and your family.

Have a safe trip home.

ldog

August 5th, 2009, 02:50 PM

I'm sorry your trip is coming to an end. I've thoroughly enjoyed travelling with you. Thanks for taking the time to post.

SharonN

August 5th, 2009, 04:53 PM

Today we docked in Rosyth Scotland which is about ½ hr away from Edinburgh. Mom and I had an early breakfast in the Lido then met in the Queens Lounge for our tour to the Falkirk Wheel & Antonine Wall. We almost canceled this tour when we first got on since they had changed it to a 3 man icon and added the following note “Guests will be walking thru grass knee to waist deep at the wall and this tour is only recommended for physically fit guests”. We teased my mother that would mean neck high grass for here and obviously wouldn’t work for my sister’s wheelchair. She talked to the Shore Excursion office and they indicated the Wheel was accessible and that there was a visitor center that we could stay at instead of taking the walk to the Wall. The tour was booked out when we boarded (we booked on line in Jan) so we decided to keep it.

We had a great tour guide and learned a lot about the area on the ½ drive to the wheel. We then had about 30 mins to walk around before boarding the boat for the ride. The wheel was finished in 2002 as part of their millennium project to reconnect the Union and another canal (Sorry forgot the name) which would allow travel by pleasure boats over the canals between Edinburgh and Glasgow. There used to be a series of 7 locks to get from one canal to the other and it took almost an entire day to get thru them. The wheel takes just several minutes to raise the boats up 35 meters (115 feet) to the Union Canal. The wheel is intended to look like a double Celtic axe. It uses very little power (the same amount needed to boil 8 pots of tea to lift it). You board the boat and ride into the wheel section which is then closed. Once both sections are ready the wheel starts and you move to the canal above. It seems very slow and it doesn’t feel like you’ve gone over 100 feet up but it only takes a few minutes.

The boat captain was very funny and gave us the safety lecture indicating they have to do it much like an airline safety announcement but not to expect to find life jackets under our seats. There are only 2 and they are already allocated to her and her assistant. She also explained that if we did have to evacuate the boat and didn’t know how to swim to just stand up since the water is only 5 feet deep. And that they’d direct us on which side to exit the boat (the dry one). The canal is only 12 or so feet wide. It was never intended to be a tourist attraction but to be used by the pleasure boats.

After getting to the upper canal we took a ride thru a tunnel and then turned around and took the trip back down to the bottom of the wheel. It was all very interesting and with the great weather we had the views were also very nice. Dennis then went for the hike to the fort/wall while the rest of us spent time in the gift shop, took photos of the wheel going up with the next boats, and got a bite to eat in the café.

We got back to the ship early in the afternoon and did our normal routine of Tea for Mom with my brother in law, Bingo, dinner, and then the show.. The casino is closed until after 11 since we’re still too close to land as we sailed out of the River Forth. The show was the last one by the cast for this cruise and was called Dancing Under the Stars. It was very good but now we had to turn our clocks ahead so lose an hour tonight. We need to get up early to try and beat everyone to the laundry and then deal with packing.

SharonN

August 5th, 2009, 04:57 PM

Photos of the Farlick Wheel

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/75/75/4/10/1/2310410010081391383dzLLup_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2310410010081391383dzLLup)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/96/96/3/18/89/2626318890081391383ZYqwdl_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2626318890081391383ZYqwdl)

http://thumb3.webshots.net/t/55/555/0/96/43/2801096430081391383uAueqW_th.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2801096430081391383uAueqW)

Lisa63

August 5th, 2009, 09:24 PM

Very nice. When we were in Leith on Prinsendam's July 3 cruise (the segment preceding yours), my husband took the ship's excursion to Falkirk Wheel and also loved it! He marveled at its engineering. Also, the bus driver took photos of the pax inside the boat as it moved through the system, and emailed them all about a dozen wonderful shots. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it, also.

SharonN

August 6th, 2009, 02:25 PM

Well this was our last day on the Prinsendam before we disembark tomorrow morning. We arrived in Amsterdam about an hour ago while we were still eating dinner. We went thru the lock about 4:30 then had a nice sail down the canals while eating. Today was spent mostly packing, eating, talking and playing Bingo (we didn’t win). They’ve changed the show times for tonight since some people are planning to get off the ship tonight once it’s cleared. So our show is at 9 instead of 8. I told Mom she could stay up for it if she was good so we’ll head up to the lounge shortly. Packing was a bit confusing since we’re staying in Amsterdam for 2 nights so had to determine what we’ll need there. Also I realized I bought way more than I thought I had so for tomorrow at least will have a shopping bag of that stuff. I’ll rearrange things in the hotel this weekend and we should be ok. Next trip I will definitely cut down on the clothes I bring since I didn’t wear half of it. The show tonight will be the pianist and also the singer we had earlier in the week so should be good. Tomorrow we’ll meet Erin and Dennis for breakfast at 7. They have to leave at 8:15 to catch they’re flight and Mom and I have an 8:45-9:00 window since we’re on our own. Hopefully it won’t be hard to find a cab to get to our hotel. We have a tour scheduled for the afternoon. I’ll try to post from the hotel if I can but if not I’ll catch up next week after I get home.

It's been a great cruise and i'll write up a review of the ship next week after i get home.

Thanks for sailing along with me

BernardNL

August 6th, 2009, 04:56 PM

Great webcam : http://beeks.eu/ypln/

The ship has arrived. Welcome to Amsterdam.

RuthC

August 6th, 2009, 05:03 PM

Great webcam : http://beeks.eu/ypln/

The ship has arrived. Welcome to Amsterdam.
That's a great webcam shot! Thanks!

SharonN

August 16th, 2009, 01:48 PM

Well guess it’s about time I finished this blog up. The show on the last night of the ship included the pianist Vladimir Zaitsev and singer Jeff Hooper. Mom and I enjoyed it very much then headed back to our cabin to do our final packing. In the morning we met my sister and brother in law for breakfast then waited in our cabin till our disembarkation time of 8:45. It was very quiet around the ship that morning and appeared that a lot of people must have gotten off the night before. It was also strange not to have the numbers called and just leave when your scheduled time was but it worked quite well.

We found a porter, our bags, and then a cab very quickly. There was no checking of passports or luggage at all. It was a short drive to the Amsterdam Renaissance hotel. Our room wasn’t ready but they stored our luggage for us and told me to check back at noon. They said there was a money exchange at the Central Station just a few blocks away. We headed that direction but weren’t quite sure what we were looking for. Finally asked in a small coffee shop and found it easily from there. The Money Exchange wasn’t open yet but figured they would be by 10 so waited till then. Since we still had time to spare we decided to take a canal cruise. As we were getting on we noticed several couples from the ship on the next boat over including the Canadian couple from our dinner table. The cruise was interesting and we saw quite a few areas of Amsterdam from it. I was most surprised by the house boats along the canal in various stages of repair. Unfortunately I had left my camera in one of the bags I’d checked at the hotel so no photos from this tour.

We headed back to the hotel and our room was ready. The bus from the ship with those that booked the hotel with them had arrived and another was loading up with those headed to the ship for the next cruise so there was luggage everywhere so we gave the concierge our room number and bag checks so they could deliver the bags and headed to find something for lunch. An elderly man headed to the ship had collapsed as they were waiting for the bus so the ambulance had arrived to check him. Hopefully he was ok and continued on the trip (it was very warm). The coffee shop at the hotel wasn’t busy when we walked in but quickly got busy and it took forever to get our meal. My mother’s burger wasn’t cooked enough so we ended up sharing mine and headed out to find a cab to the pickup spot for our afternoon tour.

Our afternoon tour was to the towns of Volendam and Marken. The guide repeated everything in English, Spanish, and French. Our first stop was at a cheese farm. Though I don’t like or eat any type of cheese the brief demo of how it’s made was interesting but they gave us way too much time in the associated gift shop. We then drove to the town of Volendam which I thought was supposed to be a fishing village and I guess it used to be but now it’s more of a tourist area with lots of shops. We saw a short film on the area and did a bit of shopping (mostly for postcards since I still didn’t have my camera). We then took a boat over to the island of Marken. This was a much older town and may have been interesting but we just followed the guide thru it to get to the bus and she didn’t point anything out. It was a very long walk over old stone walkways after a very long day so guess we really weren’t into it. They did drop us off near Central Station so we got off there and headed back to the hotel. Another couple on the tour had also been on the ship and were at the same hotel so we showed them the way back.
Our baggage had arrived in our room so we got out what we needed for the weekend and decided to get some dinner in the hotel restaurant (But not the coffee shop where we had lunch). We had a very nice dinner then headed up to our room.

We got up early and headed down to the breakfast buffet included with our room. We then decided to head out and get some more money changed since we’d need it for the taxi to where we needed to pick up our morning tour. Well the place I’d seen walking back the night before wasn’t open and as we kept walking apparently nothing is open in Amsterdam on Sat mornings. We decided we’d just try to find a cab and see if they’re take US $. We were walking for a very long time and ended up in a very old part of town based on the cobblestones. One hotel told us there should be some cabs on the other side of the palace so we headed over there and found a line of them. The driver in the first one was very nice and had no problem taking the US$. Our tour today was called Windmills and Edam. This tour was in 4 languages but we had a much better guide than the previous day. The first village we stopped at had a cheese farm (a different one but same sort of demo), several windmills, and a wooden shoe factory. It was interesting and other than we could have done with at least 30 mins less “free” time we enjoyed it. Our next stop was the village of Edam which was an older town. We walked thru it like the town the previous day but the guide was very good and pointed out quite a bit as we walked along. If we hadn’t done so much walking earlier we’d probably have enjoyed it more.

We got back to the hotel in early afternoon so decided to get a bite to eat at a restaurant across the street. Found out after we eat they didn’t take credit cards or US$ but was able to go back to the hotel and they changed some money for me then. We took it easier most of the rest of the afternoon in our room. Not much to watch on the TV (news gets old fast and some show about dog groomers in English with Dutch subtitles was funny but weird). We headed back down near the Central Station about 7 for our dinner canal cruise. This was a 2 ½ hr cruise with full 4 course meal. The other couple at our table was from just outside Amsterdam and they were very nice pointing out lots of things along the way. It was late when we got back so took a cab even though it was just a few blocks.

The next day was Sunday and time for our trip home. The shuttle was a bit late picking us up and left us at the wrong terminal (not necessarily his fault since they just moved Delta from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 according to the signs) and the people in the self-serve check-in and baggage area were pretty pushy and rude. Still took us less than an hour and we had plenty of time to wait for our plane. We were delayed about 1 ½ hrs from taking off (but already on the plane) due to some issue with getting the flight plan approved so that followed by 9 hrs of flying and we were ready to get off in Cincy and very glad we didn’t have to get another flight. They did call those that had connecting flights up to the front of the immigration line and everyone was ok with it which was nice. We were about the last ones thru and then couldn’t find one of my mother’s bags. So got thru customs and had to check them back in and go thru security even though we were leaving the airport since we were out in Terminal B and had to go thru the main airport to get the tram. We got the bags again and reported the lost one. They thought they’d left several bags off in Amsterdam so there were others reporting theirs too. We then got a cab and headed for my house.

The rest of the week was unfortunately a typical return from vacation week that makes you wonder why you go on vacation. But this weekend I’ve looked thru photos and played the videos from the ship so remember what a great trip it was. My mother’s bag finally got returned to her in Oregon yesterday (it was delivered here after she left even though it had been changed in their system and I left a note on the door to not leave it). I have hot water again (the gas company decided to replace some parts in our neighborhood while I was gone and the note they left on the door blew away so it cost me a $450 plumber bill to find out the gas company just needed to come back and finish). Haven’t figured out what caused a bush and drain pipe outside the garage to look like there was a fire while I was gone. And still have hundreds of work emails to deal with and am not finished ironing and putting all my laundry away but am already thinking about my next trip.

Thanks for coming along with me. I’ve still got to write up a review of the Prinsendam itself but that will probably be another day or two while I get my thoughts together.