Live/Silver Cloud: Norway Coast/Fjords July 1-16 Reports

Terry, So glad you enjoyed your first trip to Colorado. So, many of us transplants came out for the winter fun, but decided to stay permanently after we experienced our first Colorado summer. While extremely biased, Crested Butte is one of the most beautiful places on this earth.

Appreciate your follow-up and agree 100% for Crested Butte being one of the "best of the best", most beautiful places on this earth. Breckenridge is very nice, but it has gotten a little too much on the touristy side. Crested Butte has that charm, class and style to be very comfortable and enjoyable.

Below are a few more of my Crested Butte visuals and experiences as proof to back up our opinions. Loved it!!! Our friends in Colorado Springs asked at the end of our stay if we were ready to move to Colorado. Sorry! Our two grandsons, age two and almost four, are in Charlottesville, Va. Just down there last weekend. Super attached to them and seek their personalities grow, etc. Plus, I'm still working and very involved in things in Ohio. Got to keep making some money and having other "fun" and stimulation with life.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting is now at 40,598 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Here is a wonderful Colorado rack of lamb at a great dining place in Crested Butte only seating 35 lucky customers. Second is a picture of the Chef/owner in his kitchen giving me the thumbs up after I told him how much we loved the food at Soupson. Super dining!!:

Some nice architectural character and flowers along the main street in Crested Butte, Colorado.:

Didn't know you could cruise to Colorado! ;-)

Didn't know you could cruise to Colorado! ;-)

CB certainly maintains its mining character from the past and as you know, it still has many wild places left where it remains as pristine as it was during the days when the Ute indians called the east river valley home. Now that my daughter is in high-school, I'm still amazed when I consider that Crested Butte didn't even have a high-school until 1997. Hard to believe in this day and age.

Didn't know you could cruise to Colorado! ;-)

Prairie Schooners.

Didn't know you could cruise to Colorado! ;-)

Stumblefoot: It's a whole different kind of cruisin' out here Duct Tape! And' date=' thanks Terry for sharing the pics from Crested Butte. [b']CB certainly maintains its mining character[/b] from the past and as you know, it still has many wild places left where it remains as pristine as it was during the days when the Ute indians called the east river valley home. Now that my daughter is in high-school, I'm still amazed when I consider that Crested Butte didn't even have a high-school until 1997. Hard to believe in this day and age.

Rally: Prairie Schooners.

Appreciate these great follow-ups and posts from duct tape' date=' Stumblefoot and Rally. Love the "Prairie Schooners" response!! BUT, the real reason is that one must compare and contrast the mountains, valleys, etc., glory from Norway versus what we saw in New Zealand and Colorado. Plus be thinking about future trips, where we have not yet traveled, for visiting Alaska and Chile/lower South America. Lots of great locations and options to places to consider in this world. But, only so much time and money!!??

We are now continuing to work on our planned mid March-mid April 2015 Africa (Kenya-Zanzibar-Madagascar-South Africa-Zimbabwe-Botswana) adventure, including [b']13 days on the Silversea Whisper[/b]. Had lunch last month with the retired director of the Columbus Zoo who has taken twelve trips to Africa and worked with Jack Hanna. Later this month, will be meeting with current Zoo Director, also experienced from his many trips to Africa. Fun doing that future research, asking questions, learning more, etc.!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at over 180,000 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and ideas. Terry, what a fabulous experience, thank you for sharing the details and the photos - I am going to get my head into the right gear and start planning.

sippican: Terry' date=' as always your information is so helpful, along with [b']your stunning visuals[/b]. Now you've really got me thinking, North Cape or Gjesvaer? We really enjoy DIY and unique experiences, so I am thinking the bird trip may suit us perfectly. FYI - the link to the bird safari does not work for me.

LHT28: Try http://www.birdsafari.com/index.php/en/

From the Baltics/Northern Europe CC Board' date=' here are some [b']nice follow-ups, comments and added info[/b]. That one link provided by LHT28 could work, but it is for the larger boat that takes many more people as a part of a bigger "group". Depends on what you seek, want, need and can afford. Our ship, the Aurora was lots smaller and could do so much more to get closer, be more personal.

To do our boat charter, you might check this updated website and e-mail:

http://stappan.com/birdsafariny.html

or e-mail at ro71no@stappan.no

Cellphone: +47 95037722

I also noted another key factor for considering your choice of either the North Cape or Gjesvaer. It's the WEATHER!!?? It can vary and change up there. Even on the same day. Or, within a few hours!! As a few more visuals verify below the weather was super perfect, beautiful. Same way when sailing out out to the bird island. But, then when we were starting to head back, things got foggy. Then, hyper foggy!!! Barely being able to seat as he finished sailing into harbor. Glad he had the best navigation equipment on the ship. Otherwise, you're totally lost, even if you know where to go. We were going to drive to the North Cape and had plenty of time to do that part of the exploration. Things with the fog, however, were as thick as pea soup. No point in trying to go there.

Plan and aim for the best there, but be prepared to adjust and adapt as weather can affect your actual, potential options.

Below are some added pictures from this area that I had not posted previously.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 72,884 views for this fun posting.

Here is what the larger "party boat" looks like as it is used at this near-North Cape location for ship tours and bigger groups. It holds up to 50 people. From this ship, they cannot get as close and personal to the "action" as what our smaller boat was able to do. Nice and sunny, weather, right?:

Here is a closer action shot for one of the reindeer we encountered as we headed to our Gjesvaer port location/tour.:

Here are some added examples and samples of the varied bird "action" in and around the Bird Island near Gjesvaer at the top of Europe. Lots and lots of birds with a nice range of types. This includes groups of puffins floating in the water.:

Love your photo's.

Love your photo's.

Appreciate so much this nice "shout-out" from Melodie in Southern California. Glad to be able to share these fun visuals and to have smart people make such comments.

From Conde Nast Traveler, they have this headline: "The Norwegian Town Whose Name Is One Letter Long" with these highlights: "What about the world's shortest place name? It's hard to get much shorter than the Norwegian town of Å. The Lofoten islands of Nordland are among the most scenic places on earth. Vertical spires of glacially carved granite rise from the Norwegian Sea 100 miles north of the Arctic Sea -- but the weather is surprisingly mild, due to the Gulf Stream. Tourists flock to Lofoten every summer to scale its mountains, admire its quaint red fishing villages, and enjoy its 24 hours of sunshine."

By the way, this story notes that this village of 150 people called Å is pronounced as "aw". They also explain: "Its name is the Old Norse word for 'small river.' There are at least seven villages in Norway called Å, though the one in the Lofoten islands is the most popular with tourists."

Below are a few more of my visuals from Å that have not been posted previously.

Full story at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/conde-nast-traveler/the-norwegian-town-whose_b_5543879.html

We are planning a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Silver Cloud Amazon-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days. Fun doing that future research!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 183,226 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Here are four more views and samples from in and around the cute and interesting village of Å at the southern end of the Lofoten Islands. Glad that we visited here and got to enjoy its sights, flavor and character. Had a great lunch here, sitting outside, savoring its seaside vistas.:

Coming tomorrow in the New York Times Sunday morning travel section, they have this headline: "36 Hours in Copenhagen". This is part of their regular series on key travel options around the world.

Here is one of the story highlights: "The mystique of Copenhagen is multifaceted, but for many, it begins with food. The Danish capital is the standard-bearer for New Nordic cuisine, a movement sustained by a society that encourages homegrown talent, in this case chefs experimenting with local ingredients. But the well-tuned city, with its network of bike paths and ample green space, supports a wide variety of creative endeavors. All around town, art galleries are surfacing in quirky spaces, such as old butcher shops; independent boutiques are filling up with distinctive Danish wares; and new cocktail bars are mixing drinks with, for example, local craft beer. So even as food trends wax and wane, Copenhagen continues to surprise."

From our two visits to Copenhagen, including many details and visuals highlighted on this live/blog, we super loved this charming city with such great character, history and architecture. Much of this NY Times profile focuses on art, food and drinks, but there are ideas to consider if you have an upcoming visit there planned. Just to spike up interest in Copenhagen, below is one of my favorite pictures that I have taken there. Great city!!

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-copenhagen.html?ref=travel&_r=0

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting is now at 42,792 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

From The Local, an English-languague newspaper in Norway, and other publications yesterday, they have this headline: "Norway is world's most prosperous country". Good news for Norway, but "most prosperous" also means this great country can be expensive to visit with higher labor costs, etc. Congratulations to Norway!!

Among the story highlights were: "Legatum Institute's 2014 Prosperity Index ranked Norway as the most prosperous country in the world, with Switzerland at number two on the list. The rankings are based on eight variables of a country's prosperity performance: Economy, Entrepreneurship, Governance, Education, Personal freedom, Health, Security and Social capital".

The rest of the top ten "Prosperity Index" included three others from the Baltics areas, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Here is the full listing of the top twenty: 1 Norway, 2 Switzerland, 3 New Zealand, 4 Denmark, 5 Canada, 6 Sweden, 7 Australia, 8 Finland, 9 Netherlands, 10 United States, 11 Iceland, 12 Ireland, 13 United Kingdom, 14 Germany, 15 Austria, 16 Luxembourg, 17 Belgium, 18 Singapore, 19 Japan and 20 Hong Kong. Russia slipped to Europe's worst performing country in 68th place. In some UK publications, there was prideful notation of the British moving ahead of Germany based on this index/report.

Full story at:

http://www.thelocal.no/20141103/norway-is-worlds-most-prosperous-country

For more complete data with this complete report and its details, you can check at:

http://www.prosperity.com/#!/ranking

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 84,468 views for this fun posting.

Thank you so much for such a post! One of the best ever.

I have a very active DH (friends call him the Enegizer Bunny!).

I enjoy cruising very much, he will go along as long as he can be active at the ports. He is not a sitting at a cafe with a glass of wine type guy. Walking up and down Santorini donkey hill with me, and then AGAIN late in the afternoon for fun...

We are planning our 2016 and I want while we are young , 52 & 53 to do as many active trips as possible.

I want Antarctica, Galapagos. He nixed Antarctica ( I'll have to go with my sister).

Someone suggested Norway.

Any thoughts???

Thank you so much for such a post! One of the best ever. I have a very active DH (friends call him the Enegizer Bunny!). I enjoy cruising very much, he will go along as long as he can be active at the ports. He is not a sitting at a cafe with a glass of wine type guy. Walking up and down Santorini donkey hill with me, and then AGAIN late in the afternoon for fun... We are planning our 2016 and I want while we are young , 52 & 53 to do as many active trips as possible. I want Antarctica, Galapagos. He nixed Antarctica ( I'll have to go with my sister). Someone suggested Norway. Any thoughts???

Very good questions from kimanjo and appreciate your kind comments. Glad to know that your husband is so active!! Plus, both of you are super young in your early 50's. Not "middle aged" like my wife and I being in our 60's.

Understand from many people I know who have been there that the Galapagos are wonderful for the wildlife, nature, scenic areas, etc. Antarctica can be, from what I have heard, be good, but also cold and rough at times. Choices??!!

If you like nature and unique scenery, YES, Norway can be wonderful. To be honest, my pictures are nice, but do not do full "justice" for the beauty that is there in Norway. But getting good weather is important. I would focus for visiting these parts of Norway in the late June through early August period to have the best odds on weather there. In Norway, you don't have the great museums and culture of the Baltics or the Med, but you can get "out there", do lots of exploring, seeking adventures, etc. Just need to be more creative, do some DIY things as we did, etc., to fit your husband's activity desires.

KEY NORWAY COAST CHALLENGE/QUESTION: Your major issue is whether to just focus on the lower Norway fjords, Bergen, etc. Nice and wonderful. BUT, there is the option of going up, UP farther north, above the Arctic Circle, seeing such great places as the Lofoten Islands, the North Cape, interesting cities such as Tromso and Trondheim, etc., in taking more time to go more north. Only doing the lower portion requires less time, has more sailing/ship options and costs less. That’s very good! BUT, if you can take the added time, seeing farther up this Norway coast can be very special and unique. Especially, if you really love/seek nature, great scenery, wildlife, etc. Your choice?

More questions? Happy to respond to any other interests, needs! Don't be shy.

Yes, it's already 2015, in Australia and New Zealand. We super enjoyed our time eleven months ago in both Sydney and Auckland, plus for so many different, excellent locations in these two wonderful countries. Loved the people, sights, history, nature, etc., there so much. Great trip. Below are three of the web visuals from a few hours ago as the new year was welcomed down under. Soon, it will be 2015 in Europe and the USA.

Happy New Year!! And best wishes for more great sailing, safe travels and exciting adventures during the upcoming twelve months. Looking forward to our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean on the Silver Cloud.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 90,292 views for this posting.

From Sydney’s famed Harbour Bridge as 2015 becomes official down under with their celebrated fireworks show. What a great way to start the new year!!:

In Auckland, NZ, here is how the 2015 fireworks looked off of their downtown landmark tower:

This Sydney visual from a few hours ago shows their iconic Opera House in the foreground!:

Hi Terry,

I see you're currently online, so I hope you read this. We're planning on renting a car in Alesund and doing the drive to Runde to see the birds. My question is....do you just drive around Runde or do you need to take a boat to see the birds? Everything I'm finding to read is pretty vague about the details.

Thanks,

Pauline

Hi Terry, I see you're currently online, so I hope you read this. We're planning on renting a car in Alesund and doing the drive to Runde to see the birds. My question is....do you just drive around Runde or do you need to take a boat to see the birds? Everything I'm finding to read is pretty vague about the details. Thanks, Pauline

Yes, I am happy to share more on our "adventure" in having a rental car at Alesund and driving south to scenic Runde Island. Much depends on how much time you have at this scenic port. What are the details for your time to arrive at and depart from this port? Why? It takes some time and patience to navigate south, take a ferry to get to Runde Island, plus getting back, etc.

On Runde Island, YES, you can driving around, see various sights and views, etc. BUT, if you want to see more on where certain of the famed birds are at, it does take getting on a smaller boat to be taken around on that island to see that part of the island. Or, doing a hike "over the hill" to reach those locations. We did not do the smaller boat and/or big hike due to limited time, etc. We wanted to allow plenty of time for getting to our ship, doing more at Alesund, etc. At the end of page two and at the start of page three on these posts, you can see more details and visuals from our trip/adventure to Runde Island.

We enjoyed our trip down to Runde Island, plus being there, seeing the many dramatic sights enroute, getting closer to these more remote parts of Norway, etc. Fortunately, near the North Cape, we got to see and get close to hundreds of thousands of puffins, etc.

Other questions? Happy to share more!! Do check this Silversea board on a fairly regular basis. Keep the good questions and comments rolling along.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days on the Silversea Silver Cloud, here is the link below to that series of posts on my live/blog. Lots of great visuals from the Amazon and these various Caribbean Islands, plus many food/ship pictures, etc. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at over 16,800 views for these postings.

Thank you Terry for replying to my question. We are doing a B2B in Norway and will actually be in Alesund 2 different days, so I'm looking at the drive to Runde Island for one stop and then touring around Alesund the 2nd stop. Our times in port are 8AM-5PM one stop and 7AM-5PM the 2nd stop....so we will have an entire day. We're not hikers but a boat ride would be okay if that's the only way to see many of the birds (and timing permits). I just can't find any web sites for companies offering these boat rides to get schedules and pricing.

We are also renting a car during our stop in Honningsvag (8AM-8PM) and looking at doing a boat ride during that day (based on your recommendation). Our group wants to spend some time at North Cape...but again if time permits we will probably also consider a boat ride at this location.

I have read your entire blog and you did an excellent job sharing your experiences that I'm sure many of us will be able to learn from.

We lived in Columbus, Ohio for close to 30 years and retired to Florida....glad we're in Florida instead of Ohio with the terrible winters you've had the last couple of years.

Thank you for your help and sharing so much information.

Thank you Terry for replying to my question. We are doing a B2B in Norway and will actually be in Alesund 2 different days, so I'm looking at the drive to Runde Island for one stop and then touring around Alesund the 2nd stop. Our times in port are 8AM-5PM one stop and 7AM-5PM the 2nd stop....so we will have an entire day. We're not hikers but a boat ride would be okay if that's the only way to see many of the birds (and timing permits). I just can't find any web sites for companies offering these boat rides to get schedules and pricing. We are also renting a car during our stop in Honningsvag (8AM-8PM) and looking at doing a boat ride during that day (based on your recommendation). Our group wants to spend some time at North Cape...but again if time permits we will probably also consider a boat ride at this location. I have read your entire blog and you did an excellent job sharing your experiences that I'm sure many of us will be able to learn from. We lived in Columbus, Ohio for close to 30 years and retired to Florida....glad we're in Florida instead of Ohio with the terrible winters you've had the last couple of years. Thank you for your help and sharing so much information.

Glad to hear of your Columbus connections. What part of town did you live? We're in the Clintonville area. It's snowing right now, fairly heavy. 3-6" expected today. Just cold today, not cold, COLD. High of 36F today and 30F tomorrow. Spring is getting closer.

With two different stops in Alesund, that should help your "odds" for getting more done along that Norway coast. Weather is another wild-card factor to consider!! That can affect your plans and options. I would suggest trying to do as much as possible, but stay flexible and be creative.

Let me know any others questions and/or needs. Good luck with your adventure.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 100,289 views for this posting.

From our two different visits to Norway, we found this country, its people and economy, etc., to be very interesting and special. From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they have this headline: "Norway’s Shift From Oil Stirs Trouble in Fiords" with this subhead summary: "Attempt to diversify economy with mining runs into opposition from fish farmers".

Part of this article is focused on a debate over a mine operator needing to discard millions of tons of waste into a fiord and how the environment would be protected. Jobs vs. the environment? Both are very important. Fish farmers fear that environmental harm could tarnish the reputation of their Norwegian salmon. The Norwegian Environment Agency backs the plan and promises constant monitoring of marine life to prevent any damage.

In the bigger picture, Norway is seeking to diversify its economy because sharp crude-oil price drops have reduced their export revenue and income. Here are some other key items about their background as reflected in this article and associated with Norway:

* Four decades of oil riches have pushed average wages in Norway close to world-record highs—nearly 50% above EU levels. That makes it difficult for other industries to flourish and causes prices for visiting tourist to be high.

* Mining has emerged as a viable business option in Norway as there has been a sharp rise in some mineral prices—including that of rutile, used to whiten everything from paints to paper and sun cream.

* Norway is sitting on the world’s biggest wealth fund, with nearly $900 billion in assets. With 5.2 million people in the whole country that "Sovereign Fund" account equals $173,000 per person in their country. Nice saving account? Better than what we have here in the U.S.? But, their oil production was slowly starting to be reduced and would not last indefinitely.

* Seafood production is now the country’s second largest source of export revenue after oil. During our sailings there we observed many of these large fish-production sites in various areas along the coast.

Lots of interesting details and questions are reflected in this article/analysis. They note that this discussion is a "part of a wider, national debate about how Norwegians will keep themselves busy in the future, as many worry that adding mining to oil will leave the country locked in unsustainable industries."

We love the beauty of Norway, but their people need to function and have jobs/income beyond just the few months of the summer period when tourists might visit. It will be of interest to see how they work out these questions for their nation.

Full story at:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/norways-shift-from-oil-stirs-trouble-in-fiords-1434733616

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 200,389 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Hi Terry,

I know you've wanted to keep this post count up ... so here is my contribtuion!

:D;)

Jeff

Just finished your 24 pages of your photo journey on the Cloud to fjord country.

Your pictures are outstanding as always.

I remember seeing your trip report and the great picture of Mykonos many years ago. Having now been there twice, I loved the island, the winding streets and two Eastern Med cruises were great.

I will be planning a Fjord/ Northern Europe cruise for 2017.

Right now I am smitten with the Viking Ocean ship. They will have three ships doing "Into the Midnight Sun" 15 days from Bergen to London or London to Bergen , following the Viking route of yore, including Scotland.

Will do a land trip in Denmark before the cruise. My mother was 100% Danish and need to see the homeland and places my ancestors lived and then left a century ago.

Thank you again for your wonderful travelogues here on CC.

Terry, thank you so much for continuing to make posts to this board. We journeyed the Norwegian coast on Silversea the year after you did and, like you, have maintained a strong interest in the unique life style we saw there. Therefore, this Wall Street Journal article is very interesting. As you say, it is a very special place.

My wife and I are looking forward to a small ship cruise around Japan next year. I am certain it will make every bit as strong an impression as the Norwegian coast did. Best wishes for all your future voyages. -Peter

Terry,

As you know, your trip served as the inspiration for our trip to Norway. After a lovely sea day from Copenhagen, we are now enjoying Bergen today. Thx again for one of the best trip reports ever.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Terry, As you know, your trip served as the inspiration for our trip to Norway. After a lovely sea day from Copenhagen, we are now enjoying Bergen today. Thx again for one of the best trip reports ever.

Needhamite: Terry' date=' thank you so much for continuing to make posts to this board. We journeyed the Norwegian coast on Silversea the year after you did and, like you, have [b']maintained a strong interest in the unique life style we saw there[/b]. Therefore, this Wall Street Journal article is very interesting. As you say, it is a very special place. My wife and I are looking forward to a small ship cruise around Japan next year. I am certain it will make every bit as strong an impression as the Norwegian coast did. Best wishes for all your future voyages. -Peter

Azulann: Just finished your 24 pages of your photo journey on the Cloud to fjord country. Your pictures are outstanding as always. I remember seeing your trip report and the great picture of Mykonos many years ago. Having now been there twice' date=' I loved the island, the winding streets and two Eastern Med cruises were great. I will be [b']planning a Fjord/ Northern Europe cruise for 2017[/b]. Right now I am smitten with the Viking Ocean ship. They will have three ships doing "Into the Midnight Sun" 15 days from Bergen to London or London to Bergen , following the Viking route of yore, including Scotland. Will do a land trip in Denmark before the cruise. My mother was 100% Danish and need to see the homeland and places my ancestors lived and then left a century ago. Thank you again for your wonderful travelogues here on CC.

Appreciate so much these nice and kind comments regarding our July 2010 adventure up, UP and along this scenic Norway coast. Glad for Stumblefoot that you are enjoying Bergen today. It is one of most favorite cities we have ever visited. Its charm, history, character, people, scenery, etc., make it a "best of the Best", world-class winner!!

Nice follow-up from Peter. Good luck on your Japan trip. Was talking with friends last night who are considering a late August land trip to Japan. We would like to visit Japan, but it is not as high up on our priority list compared to South Africa/Botswana in early 2016, doing SE Asia and China, more in Europe, etc.

For Azulann, let us know any questions and/or info needs in connection with your planning for a 2017 fjords/northern Europe trip. That new Viking open-seas ship does look very nice. Have not checked its cost/value details compared to other options. Glad to know of your Danish background. The long history of Denmark and their happy, creative people are both wonderful pluses to consider in visiting that area.

THANKS for these follow-up! Keep up the good comments, questions, etc. Happy to share and learn more. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 109,958 views for this posting.

Terry, Japan has been on my to do list for decades. The Noble Caladonia cruise seems like the ideal way to see the more remote (and beautiful) places without the hassle of land travel. South Africa has also been on my list for a long time. I hope that you will share your experiences from your African trip next year and I will be happy to do the same for my sojourn to the Orient in late May. -Peter

Hi Terry great review, sorry if this question has already been asked but is it best to take local currency or should I just use my credit card? We are sailing this Saturday on the Celebrity Eclipse.

Hi Terry great review, sorry if this question has already been asked but is it best to take local currency or should I just use my credit card? We are sailing this Saturday on the Celebrity Eclipse.

Needhamite: Terry' date=' Japan has been on my to do list for decades. The Noble Caladonia cruise seems like the ideal way to see the more remote (and beautiful) places without the hassle of land travel. South Africa has also been on my list for a long time. I [b']hope that you will share your experiences from your African trip[/b] next year and I will be happy to do the same for my sojourn to the Orient in late May. -Peter

Appreciate Peter's added follow-up for your upcoming Japan trip. Yes, plan on doing a detailed South Africa/Botwana live/blog to share many more details and lots of visuals. Look forward to hearing more from your late May Orient "sojourn".

As I understand for tinker cat with your 14-day Celebrity Eclipse cruise starting June 27, you are departing from Southampton and will have two stops in Iceland and then Faroe Islands. In Norway, you will have four stops at Geiranger, Ålesund, Olden and Stavanger. With your question, much and/or most can be done on your credit card. If you only had one or two stops in Norway, maybe you could get by without having the local currency. BUT, with four stops, there is more of a need to have the local currency. Much depends on your "travel style" and how much you need to buy "street foods", get little items from smaller vendors, use local public transit, etc. If you are just doing ship tours, there is less need for local currency. So much of it gets down to what you like to do and how. Norway is very advanced financially/technically and most of your more established dining places will take credit cards.

Added Norway questions? Your cruise sounds great with many interesting place to see and experience. Good luck for great weather and fun times!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

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