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Just Back from Norway on Vision of the Seas


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First time here so bear with me. Just had to write about our experience last week in Oslo and the Vision of the Seas. We arrived early and spent 2 very expensive days in the charming city but when I say expensive I mean it. A bottle of water was running about $8.00! Then our party of 6 arrives with all of our luggage, a wheelchair, 2 elderly passengers at the port to go on our cruise...and NO SHIP! Due to a strike in the port the Vision was unable to come into Oslo. So, on a bus for 4 hours to Gotenberg Sweden with a sandwich and a hot bottle of soda. Not what I envisioned when I saw myself sailing out to sea on my balcony! Fast forward to 6 days later and guess what? The strike is not over - so deja vu - back on the bus with a surly Swede named Lars at the wheel and another 4 hours that I'll never get back and bused back to Oslo. My friends at work are starting to think I'm cursed - whole other story about NCL in Alaska and being stranded in Haines, AK!

 

Then, it's not over. The night before we leave - the security people at the airport go on STRIKE. I kid you not. Hard to bear when every tour guide we met in Norway extolled how rich the country and people are and how they have heard of economic problems in other parts of the world but...it just hasn't been a problem...because they have oil, oil and MORE OIL. Beautiful scenery, fun with our friends, ship old and outdated but I just can't afford Scandinavia and if they are all so privileged WHY are they always on strike?

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I feel sorry your vacation was marred, just remember RCI had their hands tied. The ship couldn't come into port and the strike wasn't RCI's fault. You should be upset at the strikers. Where else would you have thought RCI could embark and debark their ship? They can't just go down the road, pull in, and let everybody off. The port has to have room, security, and personnel to moor the ship. And RCI has to pay, they make these arrangements as fast as they can. They couldn't plan further ahead because they didn't know when the strike would be over. And anyone will tell you that stuff over in Europe is e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e....So be mad at the strikers not Vision of the Seas or Royal Caribbean. I can imagine that this all added stress to what could have been a romantic and scenic cruise vacation. Look at it this way, you'll just have to try it again to see it as it should be. A good excuse to cruise again!

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I am sorry you had such a tough time getting to and from the ship but I hope you enjoyed your cruise at least somewhat. The previous poster was correct in that there was really nothing RCCL could do. They went to alot of time and trouble to get busses to get you safely to the ship, it was a money looser for them also.

 

Hopefully your next cruise will go a whole lot better. :)

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