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Thursday29th January 2015 - 'ROOTS' river trip.

Thetour left the hotel at 08.50 and we were the last pick-up. There were just the2 of us From the Laico and approx 20 others on the coach.

It was a 10 minute ride through centralBANJUL to the port and then a walk along a pier to the boat.

There was no gangway onto the boat so everyone had to be helpedaboard......quite scary for me.

There were several other tour companies with passengers on board.

The boat is quite small with an indoor seating area, a shaded upper deck withchairs and bench seating at the stem and stern. There is a small bar whichsells soft drinks.

Apparently the boat is Spanish owned with a Gambian crew.

We sat outside at the back.

We departed at 09.30.

They brought round a tuna sandwich (tiny) and a glass of sangria at 10.00.There was no non-alcoholic alternative......disappointing.

As we sailed, the weather began to improve....the wind dropped and the sun cameout. We had the perfect seat at the back against the bulkhead......shelteredfrom the wind and in shade.

The journey to ALBADARR was justunder 3 hours. I was surprised that the river was so wide that we oftencouldn't see land.

The ship docked at a very crumbling jetty but there were many helping hands forus less agile folk.

As we walked along the jetty to the village the abject poverty (in our terms)was obvious......derelict buildings from colonial times, shacks for homes andno paved roads. However, the guides, tourist police and locals that we met wereall fiercely proud of their homes and heritage.

The guided tour consisted of a chance to see a local school (we were able tobuy packs of exercise books and pencils for 300D) followed by a visit to the'slavery museum' (very humbling.....man's inhumanity to man came to mind....butalso a pride in knowing that Josiah Wedgwood and Josiah Spode had hugeinfluence in the abolishing of the slave trade) . We then walked to the nextvillage, JUFUREH, where the grouphad a meeting with a distant relative of Kunta Kinte, the Gambian slave whoinspired Alex Hayley to write his best-selling novel.

It was well worth doing as it really brought home the horrors of the slavetrade but it also gave us a further insight into the way the poorest people inthe world struggle to live each day.

The walk was about a mile and a half and, boy, was I glad to get back on theboat as I am only just beginning to rebuild my stamina but the good news....NOPAIN (not even in my stubbed big toe).

Once back on board we bought a bottle of water each and there was a buffetlunch.....mainly salads, prawns and a vegetable rice dish. Our group was firstback on board so avoided the long queue but there was plenty for everyone.

We set sail at 2.15. And sailed over to JAMESISLAND where the captured locals were held in prison until they boarded theslave ships. You had to climb down a ladder onto a large canoe whichtransported the passengers across. There were a few people, including me, whostayed on board the ship.....I didn't dare risk the ladder. Others said theexperience was worthwhile. They were on the island for about half an hour.

We were served a delicious slice of watermelon as we set sail back to Banjul at4.00.

On the way back we were treated to the sight of a small shoal of bottle neckedriver Dolphins.

We were served complementary coffee/tea and biscuits.

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When we did our resort holiday we did trips to places that might be offered by your cruise line so I am including this information. the nature reserve could possibly be done independently.

Wednesday28th January 2015

Half day taxi tour to the monkey park, vulturefeeding and crocodile pool.

Weorganised a taxi at a cost of 1100 Delassi for the tour. The car was a 6-seaterpeople carrier so we fitted in comfortably.

Our driver, Seiko (like the watches!), spoke good English, was very pleasant,knowledgeable and helpful.

It was a 30 minute drive to the BIJILOFOREST PARK to see the monkeys. The entrance fee for foreign nationals was150D pp. People were selling bags of peanuts for 50D.

There was a very small and somewhat dilapidated visitors' centre at theentrance where there were some local crafts on sale and toilets (I didn't useit so can't comment on the style and quality).

The trail winds its way through quite dense forest and is a half mile circularroute. The pathway is a dirt track with some quite steep slopes in places.

Seiko was our guide and he showed us termite mounds and pointed out differenttypes of trees.

We didn't see any monkeys for the first 30 minutes and we were beginning tothink it was a wasted journey but suddenly there was a monkey and then2...3...and we were surrounded. There was a whole troupe of about 20 monkeys ofall ages and sizes. They were very adept at taking the peanuts, shelling themand eating them. The babies were very cute. The monkeys only came up to you ifyou had the nuts in your hand so I was ok. Emma was quite happy to have themonkeys on her shoulder and we have some great photos.

We spent about 75 minutes at the forest before moving on to the SERAKUNDA HOTEL (Senagambia) VULTUREFEEDING EXPERIENCE.

SENAGAMBIA is a more touristy areawith shops and restaurants.

It is free entrance to the hotel.

The hotel is very 'posh' with beautiful gardens, a grand atrium and largeterraces with a lovely pool.

The vulture feeding takes place at 11.30 on an open grassy area where a rangerbrings a tray of meat. There must have been close to 100 birds.....mainlyvultures but also a few kites and cattle egrets too.

I managed to get a few postcards, stamps and a sun dress for Amy for 600D whileJim went in the little supermarket and got some cans of coke and bottles oftonic plus a packet of Bourbon biscuits.

KATCHIKALLY CROCODILE POOL.

Seiko then drove us to the crocodile pool which was a 20-minute ride through avery poor area.

It was 150D pp.

The conservation pool is in a compound with a small museum and shop. There wasa 250m walk along a rough track to get to the pool.

I managed to trip over a tree root and fell in a most undignified heap onto thegrassy path edge. Luckily, I only damaged my toe and not my hip.......veryfortunate really.

Also, fortunately, the crocs had been fed before we arrived which gave Jim,Tony and Emma chance to stroke one.......notice that I didn't!!!

We spent 30 minutes around the pool where there were perhaps 20 crocsvisible.....most were sunbathing before re boarding the taxi for the journeyback to the hotel.

IMG_0060 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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These photos are of Banjul

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Hi Marty, it's my pleasure. here is the rest of the information. I'm not sure why some of the words are 'run together'. It happens when I post the message but the words are separate when I write them......oh, well - a computer gremlin!

This information is from our cruise on Fred Olsen cruise line and was a ship's tour.

Wed 12th Feb 2014 - BANJUL, GAMBIA. GENERAL INFORMATION

Industrial port but nice views across to small beach and local small ferries

Approx 2 km into town centre.

Banjul could be even more of a culture shock than Dakar.

The currency is the Dalasis.....approx 63=£1

Most vendors accept € and US$ but you need to haggle....it's expected.

I didn't see any taxis on the dock side but they may have been hidden by thetour busses. There were a few taxis at the port gate 400m from the ship

There was 1 person holding up a passenger's name so I assume that was for apre-arranged private tour.

IMHO walking into town would be a real challenge to the senses andsensibilities of someone who is used to more sophisticated urban surroundings.

I spoke to a couple who walked in to town and they were approached by severallocals who offered to show them the sights. They said that they should havenegotiated a price immediately with one of them which may have prevented thepestering.

There didn't seem to be a lot to see in the town centre.

OUR TOUR -'LAZY DAY CRUISE'

Met in Neptune Lounge at 08.30

Coach had air con.

Guide spoke good English and had a sense of humour

Ride was 30 mins

Drove through the centre of Banjul and then through the countryside to theriver dock.

Short walk over rough ground to the jetties to board the boats,

A bit tricky to get on but plenty of helping hands.

Approx 20 passengers per boat and 5 crew including the guide.

Top deck is open with some garden chairs and lounging mats. There is a smallcovered area.

Downstairs has bench seats around the exterior sides of the boat with somecushions.

There is a small kitchen.

The toilet is a proper flushing one and there was toilet paper + a wash basinwith soap.

cups of tea/coffee + 1 beer or 1soft drink we're complimentary. There was alsoa complementary glass of sparkling wine or orange juice at lunch.

Some boats had sets of binoculars and bird books for passenger use (ours didn'twhich was annoying as we could have brought our own)

Lunch consisted of shepherd’s pie, fish, salad, rice, French bread and freshfruit ( mango, oranges and bananas)

We sailed in a loose convoy along the river. It was lined with just mangrovetrees so the scenery was rather monotonous. There were several species of birdsto spot including storks, kingfishers, ibis, bee eaters and rollers but notmuch else.

Our boat did stop in mid river for 30 mins so people could swim but the ladderwas a bit rickety. Some boats pulled onto a beach so people could paddle orwalk.

This photo was taken from the ship when we were docked in Banjul

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These photos are of the 'Lazy Day' excursion/

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These are pictures of the beaches near Banjul

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I'll put the rest on tomorrow....off to pick up the grandchildren from school now!!!

MY DH'S TOUR - SALOUM ISLANDS (8hrs)

Met in Neptune Lounge at 07.50

Off ship at 8.20

Bus was air conditioned.

2 guides that took turns to give information. Both spoke good English.

2.5-hour drive to the river through interesting countryside ....... Villages, farm land and forested areas.

10 min toilet stop at petrol station.....squat plate toilets

Bumpy ride once off the main road.

Small canoe type boat which held approx 14 passengers.

Had to climb in and out without aid from the beach....no steps etc. boat ride was approx 45mins

There was a choice of riding to the village by cart or doing a10 min walk.

Lunch was at the Island Eco-lodge and consisted of spring rolls, fish in light curry sauce, rice, salad and crepes.

Given a bottle of water at lunch.

This was followed by some free time.

There was a 50 minute ride to the 'shell village' where a local guide explained the history of the area.

Left the village at 16.45

Returned to the ship by a different route for part of the journey.

Back on board at 19.00

My DH said that he thoroughly enjoyed the tour as it gave him an inside into the history and geography of Senegal.

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We visited Senegal, Gambia and The Cape Verde islands on a FredOlden cruise in February 2014 and our land holiday was in January 2015

Tues 11thFeb - DAKAR, SENEGAL

CURRENCY.

Senegal - Senegal Francs

Most vendors and some shops will take € and US$. They will accept Euro coinsbut you may be asked to swap their Euro coins for notes (5€ Is the lowestdenomination note) as it is difficult to change coins at the bank.

Many vendors have no real concept of the exchange rates for their localcurrency so it makes sense to check the rates on board so you know what you arebargaining for. I ask prices in local currency firs before swapping to €s or US$

City centre is approx 1.5km from dock

Shuttle bus runs from 09.15 to 17.30 on a continuous loop - £5pp tickets fromreception. Unlimited use

Huge industrial port

Taxis on dock side near gangway

Small souvenir market on dock side. Need to haggle.

Currency is CFA (Senegalese Franc.) € and US$ are widely accepted in souvenirshops

Language is French.

WARNINGS

Medical advice is to wear trousers, socks and long sleeved tops + insectrepellent and not to buy water from street vendors.

danger of pick pockets so keep valuables well-guarded

You will be hassled by beggars and traders.

The Senegal post office had a small stall selling cards and stamps just insidethe ship by the gangway. Postcards €1 for 2 cards. Stamps were €2 and thegentleman will post them.

MY TOUR -SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF DAKAR(4hrs) £40pp

Met in Neptune Lounge at 13.40

On the bus at 14.00.

Bus was old but had working air conditioning.

Microphone didn't work so guide used a megaphone!

Dakar is a big bustling busy city but relatively poor by Western Europeanstandards.

Road surfaces are poor so ride was bumpy.

We were shown the best that Dakar has to offer which, again, is not a lot ifcompared with some other countries.

There were a couple of photo stops and there were souvenir sellers but theyseemed quite respectful.

There was a 40 minute stop at a restaurant where there was the opportunity towatch the 'sand painting' artist and purchase pictures.

The other stops (10 mins each) were at the Presidential Palace and the Monumentof the African Renaissance (a huge statue at the top of one of the only 2 hillsin Dakar)

A beer/soft drink was included.

There were toilets.

The tour included driving past the palace, through the University grounds,through the street market, past the cathedral and mosque, along pastIndependence Square and then along the Cornish to see the coastline,

Couldn't go to the market as there was nowhere to park so back to the ship at17.30.

There was a FO crew member with us throughout.

Was it worth it? That's adifficult question to answer but, on reflection, I would say yes because Ithink many people would find it quite intimidating to walk around the citycentre. Don't get me wrong, the people seemed polite and pleasant but the roadswere extremely busy and the pavements were really crowded. There didn't appearto be many of the types of shops that we are used to either. I also think youwould have needed to have done a lot of research to know the best places tovisit. I'm not sure how much English the taxi drivers would speak.

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On the Holland America 2018 World Cruisefirst time to Africa any ideas in these ports ??

Luanda Angola 8-5

Banjui Gambia ,8-6

Dakar Senegal ,8-6

Praia Ilha De Santiago Cape Verde, 8-6

Thanks

Marty

Hi Marty,

I see that you haven’t received any replies to your request for information on these ports so I’ll do my best to help. We have been to all 4 port but on different cruises. We also had a land holiday in Banjul, Gambia.

I have some mobility issues so my DH and I often do ship’s tours as we can do different ones as he is much fitter and more active than me.

These ports are not often visited by cruiselines and it can be quite a culture shock if you haven’t experienced less affluent areas of the world. Having said that, we enjoy visiting 'less explored' places and thoroughly enjoyed our time in all 4 ports.

Below are extracts from my diary entries for those ports plus a few pictures. It will take a few postings to include all the pictures.

We visited Luanda on Ocean Princess in 2015 and, apparently, ours was the first cruise ship to visit Angola.

Tuesday 12th May2015.

LUANDA, ANGOLA. TOUR - EASY LUANDA.

The language was Portuguese.

The bay was huge and the port area was very industrial....the view from ourbalcony was a row of enormous grain silos!

It was a long walk to the port exit and there was no shuttle service.

There was a long, quite pleasant promenade about 250 yards from the port exitwhere there were benches to sit on but not much shade.

There were several banks across the road from the port exit.

I assume that there are some shops near the banks but we didn't see them.

It was recommended that we did not have expensive cameras, jewellery etc onshow.

There were certain places where it was forbidden to take photographs.

I didn't see taxis outside the port but there may have been some. We were toldthat taxi drivers only speak Portuguese.

Some people had booked private tours via the Internet.

OUR TOUR - EASY LUANDA.

We met in the lounge on deck 5 at 10.00.

The tour busses were waiting at the bottom of the gang plank.

There were tour company personnel on the coaches but they spoke limitedEnglish.

It was a recorded commentary played over the bus's sound system (a bit like theHOHO system but without the earphones) and was adequate.

There were stops at the church, the fort (now a military museum) and the tombof the first president.

We also had a drive along the 'sophisticated and beautiful'seafront.......their words - not mine as it was actually quite grubby anddepressing but the country is trying to recover from years of civil war.

I'm glad we went and I would have liked to have seen something of the interiorof the country but the tours were so expensive and the horror stories of theftand attacks were so off putting that we decided to stick with this one.

In the end we never had chance to purchase anything.

An interesting day.

African Adventure May 15 Izzy 3 412 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

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We are also from the UK and understand your frustration atthe lack of tea/coffee making facilities that are standard on all P&O, Cunard, Fred Olsen, C&M and other lines that sail from the UK, Australia and Japan. Costa have a ‘Nespresso’ style maker which can be used without the pods to provide boiling water.

I do like the fact that P&O and Fred Olsen provide teabags/coffee sachets/milk/sugar/cups and spoons which are all replaced when necessary. P&O also provide biscuits but I’m not sure about the other lines.

I have found from recent experience (RCI in November 2015 and May 2016 and Celebrity in April 2017) that you can request a kettle for your cabin by asking your room steward or at the Customer Service desk.

I always take my own tea bags and coffee when sailing on a US based cruise line. We drink these brews black but I know that you can obtain mugs, spoons, milk and sugar from the buffet.

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My Celebrity kettle

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Our P&O kettle plus the 'treasure chest' of tea/coffee/biscuits etc.....

All I can say is the Threepenny Opera.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Ok....good job that I'm fairly good at cryptic clues!!!!

It was a great cruise with pax all very happy to have seen the lights, maybe not so pleased with the cost of some excursions. Clever people on board. The progressive quiz team winners were particularly brilliant.

 

 

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Hi simonpjd,

I had to reply to your post because I completely agree with your comments about how great the cruise was, especially being able to see the lights, and about the cost of the excursions.

My DH and I were part of the 'progressive trivia winning team and we are very flattered by your comment. I have to ask if you were secretly one of us or if you played against us as we didn't talk about CC and user names. If you were not a member of the team, I need to make you aware that the 3 couples didn't know each other before the cruise and we just happened to be sitting in close proximity on the first day and asked to join each other. We were very lucky to find that we all had different areas of expertise and all made contributions. We sometimes had inspired guesses too, but, most of all, we had great fun taking part and hope to do so on future cruises.

Happy cruising everyone.

Hi everyone and thank you for your kind comments about my review. Thank you to all the other posters who have added valuable information to supplement mine.

To 'whatshallicallmyself' in regard to wheelchair accessibility......there were many wheelchair and motorised scooter users on board and, from my own experience as a crutch user, both staff members and passengers were extremely helpful. There were several wheelchair users on our night-time NL excursion who made it through the snow to the viewing field. I am sure that the excursion staff members helped to manoeuvre the chairs along the pathways.

I also saw chairs and mobility aids being loaded onto tour busses and shuttle busses although I'm not sure if all the transport had this option.

For 'scarlet o'hara'......there were 3 formal nights on the cruise and the majority of passengers had formal wear but there were many people who used the buffet and didn't participate. I have to admit that this was the first time ever that we have taken 3 suit cases as were arrived by car. In hindsight, I didn't need as many clothes as I took. I needed more light weight items for our times on board and layers of these plus a thick fleece, thermal vest and wind/waterproof coat would have worked well for times on shore.

One last thing.......I found the collapsible camping chair invaluable on our night trip. We put a cabin luggage label on it and it was processed along with the cases.

Thank you all again and happy cruising!

Thank you all for your kind comments. It was a very different cruise from all the others that we have done but absolutely worth it.

For janny444 - we had an inside cabin on deck 8 forward which was perfectly adequate for us on a tight budget. Oriana doesn't have many balcony cabins so prices were high. Only you can decide if it is worth having but I would consider these things before making a decision.....a) it was extremely cold and windy when the ship was moving and very cold even when the ship was docked. b) In Tromso and Alta we were docked in industrial areas so not much to see. c) the lights might only be visible from the other side of the ship so you would have to go out on deck to see them. d) I never saw anyone even standing on their balcony.

I am happy to answer questions.

Lysefjord and the Pulpit Rock -11.00 to 13.30

· We met on the pier just by the Tourist information Centre.

· The meeting time was 10.55 but the tour boat arrived at 10.45.

· The boat was spacious and modern with comfortable seating and large picture windows.

· There were clean toilet facilities.

· There was a standing area for viewing on the upper deck.

· There was a limited commentary in English.

· The scenery was spectacular......towering cliffs, snow-capped mountains, tiny villages, raging waterfalls and stark tree lined hillsides.

· There was a 25 minute stop at a Fjord side cafe where there were copious amounts of waffles, cream , jam and coffee as part of the excursion price .

· There was a small shop selling postcards and other small souvenirs.

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Day 13. Monday 6th March 2017

Southampton to home.

A.M. Overcast with drizzle but brightening up later.

Sea conditions - very bumpy through the night.

The clock went back 1 hour.

The ship docked 45 minutes late so we were late disembarking.

We had to vacate the cabin at 08.00 and were allocated the Peninsular Restaurant as our waiting area but sat in the lounge area on deck 8 instead and walked off at 9.45. The ship was a little late arriving into Southampton so all departures were delayed for 30 minutes.

We found our luggage quickly and after a short walk to the car park we were in the car and driving off the dock at 10.15.

A great holiday!

Brought/forgotten - used/notused.

Forgotten

Highlighter pens

Polo shirts

casual, thin day wear for around the ship

Brought and used.

Thermal vests, long johns, socks.

Water/windproof jacket

Fleeces to layer

Scarf

Neck warmer

thick hat with ear protectors

Thermal gloves

silk glove liners

Camera tripod

Fur lined snow/waterproof boots

Crutch/walking stick ice spike

Hand/footwarmer gel pouches

Lip balm

Brought and not used

Ski goggles

Crampon studs

torches

General information

The captain will make an announcement, when the lights appear, over the PA system in public areas and on channel 1 on the cabin TV.

The advice was to leave the TV on through the night with the volume turned up if you wanted to hear the call.

The ship is warm inside so have appropriate clothing for that too. We had concentrated so much on Arctic weather clothes that I didn't pack much indoor wear!

Day 11. Saturday 4th March 2017

Stavanger- 09.00 - 17.00

A.M. Overcast and slightly less cold than previously

P.M. As above

Sea conditions - moderate swell

Weather through the night- a force 11 gale with winds gusting to 80mph. Very rough seas.......but we survived!

We left the ship at 09.30 and walked along to the park before returning to the quay side to join our boat excursion.

When were turned from the boat trip we had a Starbucks (much more expensive than at home) before Jim went off birding and I had a walk around some of the shopping streets and then up into the lovely, whitewashed housing area.

Stavanger.

· Stavanger is a sea port.

· Oriana docked right in the centre of town on the 'old side' of the harbour where the lovely village area with the white clapboard houses are situated.

· There is a tourist information office directly at the exit from the quay.

· There are plenty of shops, the cathedral, a small park, cafes and museums within a short walk from the ship.

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Day 8. Wednesday 1st March 2017

Alta all day. We depart at 03.00 tomorrow morning.

A.M. Sunny, clear skies and extremely cold.

P.M. As above....-8*C but, fortunately no wind.

Night time.Intermittent cloud, snow showers and -16*c on deck

We wokeup just after 08.00 as we had had a late night. Once we had eaten breakfast, Jim went off fishing from the jetty (he had brought his ‘travel fishing equipment with him) and I spent some time catching up on the diary entries.

We met for lunch and then headed into town on the shuttle bus for an hour just to get out for a while. We had an ice cream each in the shopping mall and then came back.

We had just got in bed when the Captain made the announcement that the Lights were visible so, after a mad scramble to get into warm clothes, we dashed up to deck13 where we got a good view of them but no photos because Jim's camera wouldn't respond........oh well - that's life!

Day 9. Thursday 2nd March2017

At sea

A.M. Cold with a mixture of sunshine and cloud

P.M. As above.

Sea conditions – smooth with a light swell.

Great scenic cruising today and.....

we did see the NLs again at about midnight!

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We had asnooze in the afternoon because we knew that it was going to be a late nightand then went to the Northern Lights shore excursion presentation before having a buffet dinner.

We got changed into our really heavy gear and headed to the Crichton Lounge for our 21.00 meeting time.

It was an interesting excursion but I was glad that there was the choice to get the coach back and I was back on board just after midnight having not seen the lights. DH got in at 01.00 and he had seen them and got a couple of pictures so he was fairly happy.

‘In search of the Northern Lights' - ship's excursion - 4 hours.

· I booked this as soon as the tours became available on line so I got the day and time of my choice (day 1, 21.30 departure).

· I did look at independent tours but, although they offer more flexibility, I found the price to be even higher than the ship's excursion and, as I am on a budget,I chose the less expensive option.

· Eachday's groups had the option to attend a 30-minute special presentation given by the local expert on the day of departure. This was excellent as he explained the cause of the phenomenon and how it is tracked.

· He also explained which of the 3 possible viewing sights we would be taken to (2 are 50km from the ship and the other is a 15-minute drive) and what would happen once there.

· There are:

· toilet facilities

· Hotchocolate and cake.

· Guides who will help with photography and other queries.

· Places to be warm

· Transport back to the ship on request if you want to return early.

The Solvang site.

We were taken to the Solvang site which is the 10-minute drive from the ship.

It was interesting to see into people's houses as they don't draw their curtains and have the rooms brightly lighted. The homes seemed cosy, spacious and modern with good quality furnishings and kitchens.

Once at the site we were led along pathways to a large field where people spread out tofind a suitable space.

We passeda building where the toilets were situated and a rest area where there was a teepee and 2 camp fires.

No mentionwas made of the availability of refreshments.

Important.

· It was extremely cold (-10*C and no wind chill factor.....thank goodness ) so it is important to have the correct clothing.

· There was very little seating so people were standing for hours.

· I took a fold-upcamping chair which was invaluable and envied by many!

· You needa long exposure time on your camera (between 10 and 20 seconds is recommended)so a tripod is vital for getting clear pictures.

· We had hand-warmer gel packs which also proved invaluable as the night wore on.

· The lights are a natural phenomenon and viewings can't be guaranteed. It was cloudy when we got there and I left after 90 minutes without seeing them but my DH saw them after a 2.5 hour wait.

· The lights appear as a fuzzy, ethereal gas cloud. Photographs enable you to see the intensity of the colour.

· The ship offers tours that begin at various times through the evening. We chose the 21.30 departure but there were earlier and later options.

· There were a lot of people from the ship at the site but also from other tour companies.

· We didn't need a torch and we were requested not to use anything with a bright light while in the viewing field.

· Coachesreturned to the ship at regular intervals once they were full.

Sorry about the lack of fabulous pictures ....some people got them but ours didn't turn out!!

IMG_6669 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Day 7. Tuesday 28th February2017

Tromso toAlta with scenic cruising

Arrival in Alta at 13.30

A.M. Very cold, sunny and clear until mid-morning and then increasingly cloudy

P.M. The mist dropped as we neared Alta and there was a heavy snow shower before the sun came out in short bursts. -3*C without the wind chill.

We had a lie-in until 07.30 and then a leisurely morning while enjoying the spectacular snow covered mountain scenery as we headed into the Star Fjord.

After a light lunch in Al Fresco we watched the sail-in, got dressed in the 'Arctic gear' and caught the shuttle bus into the town. Sadly, there wasn't much to see so we spent about an hour in the shopping mall before getting the shuttle bus back to the ship.

Alta.

· The ship docks at an industrial pier on the outskirts of the town.

· The town is small and 'modern' with 60s style architecture.

· There is a regular free shuttle service from just by the ship to the town square.

· It is a 15-minute journey and a 5km walk.

· There is very little to see in the town except for the tourist information centre by the bus drop-off point and the shopping mall which is opposite the bus park.

· The shopping mall has a food court, a variety of shops and a supermarket. I thought prices were very high.

IMG_6065 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_0629 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_0642 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

RB2A5359 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_6083 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_6055 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Tromso.

· The'sail-in' is pretty but not as dramatic as some as the fjord is wider and the mountains are lower.

· The dock area is industrial.

· There are free shuttle busses into town that ran at 20 minute intervals until 23.00.

· The journey is 10-15 minutes.

· It is walkable but the pavements were very icy.

· The Arctic Cathedral is on the other side of the fjord so, to walk, would mean going into town and then across the bridge.

· The cable car is close to the Arctic Cathedral but I'm not sure if that is walkable too.

· The town centre is relatively small with a variety of shops, cafes, supermarkets, picturesque buildings, open spaces and the harbour area.

· Prices are high compared to the UK. It was £1 to use the toilet in the small shopping mall!

My husband did the husky sledging tour on his own because he is more mobile than me and could sit comfortably on the low sledge.

Husky sledging. 16.30 -20.00

The bus left the port terminus at 16.30 and took about thirty minutes to reach the TromsoWildlife Centre. The journey was during sunset and the views were quite dramatic. The centre was out in the country side and we were originally taken into a large wooden building for coffee/tea, cake and to meet our guide. This building was comfortable with tables, chairs, fire pit, toilets and a small shopping area. The guide was excellent and explained everything about the dogs' working life whilst we walked around the site visiting the kennels, breeding area and sleight boarding area. All of the dogs were very friendly and people were allowed to cuddle the puppies. I was on a sleigh by myself with the driver. The ride took about thirty-five minutes over undulating ground and, at times, you could see the lights of Tromso in the distance. The ride out in the deep snow was a wonderful, although bouncy, experience. We got back to the ship at 20.00.

IMG_6021 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_6020 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_6005 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Day 6. Monday 27th February 2017

Tromso -08.00 to 03.00 the following morning

A.M. Very cold with long, sunny periods and no wind. Temp was -3*C.

P.M. As above until about 15.30 when the wind got up and then the temperature droppednoticeably.

We had left the TV on overnight in case there was an announcement of a 'lights'sighting but no luck yet.

The alarm went off at 06.00 and, after a bit of a struggle to put on all the thermal clothes, we made it out on deck for 06.45 where we were able to enjoy the snow-covered fjord sides and the little villages as we headed towards the dock in Tromso.

We had breakfast and went out on deck again to see the ship pulling up to its berth before heading down to the cabin to await the call to disembark.

The shuttle busses were right by the ship and we were on one of the first busses and were dropped off in the town centre at 08.45.

We wandered around for a while and took a lot of photos. I found it quite hard to walk as some places were completely clear and others were covered in thick snowor ice. I was ready to come back and we got the 10.45 shuttle so that I had time for lunch before my tour departed.

IMG_5868 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_5892 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_5918 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_5925 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_5931 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

DiscoverTromso. 13.00-16.00

· The tour group met in the car park at 12.45 for a 13.00 departure. Our coach was late departing because we were waiting for 1 passenger. The guide and the P&O rep consulted and decided that our tour should leave at 13.15.

· The guide explained some of the history of the area as we drove up the hill and around the back of the city and through some pleasant suburbs.

· Our first stop was for 15 minutes at the Arctic Cathedral. We were lucky because,with there being sunshine, the huge stained glass window glowed and was very impressive.

· We were then taken back across the bridge and driven through the town centre before travelling along the shore line to the museum. We had 45 minutes there to explore. There were a lot of interesting exhibits relating to the Sami People and Arctic exploration.

· There wasa shop, toilets and a cafe.

· From there, the drive took us through more suburbs to the Planetarium where we had a show about the Northern Lights. That was our last stop so the coach took us back to the ship. We arrived just after 16.00.

IMG_0833 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

· The Scenic Rauma Railway. 09.15 - 12.15

· We were in the first group and had to meet in the theatre at 08.45 but there were a lot of people already waiting when we got there at 08.35.

· The station is directly opposite the ship's berth so it was a 2-minute walk.

· We were escorted to the platform where we were met by our guide.

· The train arrived at 09.10 and we were told which coaches to use.

· The train was warm and comfortable with a toilet for each coach.

· Seats were arranged in pairs and, in our carriage, the majority were facing backwards. There is one set of 4 seats where 2 face 2 and we got the pair that faced forwards.

· The train came in from the left and departed to the right.

· We felt that the majority of the best views were from the windows on the platform side.

· The journey lasted approximately 1 hour and there was a sporadic commentary in English to explain points of interest.

IMG_5771 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_6506 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_6545 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_5765 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

We all got off at Bjorli station where coaches were waiting to take us on a scenic ride back to Andalsnes.

We had been told that the coach could not access the waterfall because of the heavy snowfall. We probably didn't miss much as all the waterfalls that we could see from the train were frozen and snow covered.

We had 2 very short stops on the way down the mountain.

Our guide, Neil (original from Ipswich but had lived in Norway for many years), was very informative.

IMG_5782 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Andalsnes

Andalsnesis a very small town with a population of about 2,500. It is pleasant but thereisn't much there.........a few shops, a good supermarket, cafes, a museum and some factories and houses.

It is a 3-minute walk to the town centre in good conditions.

I had booked all our excursions as soon as they became available on the P&Owebsite so we got all the ones we chose and were in the first group for the train journey.

This turned out to be a good choice as the people who went later in the day encountered the bad weather. We had great views and some sunshine too. I believe that the afternoon train journey was cancelled because of the snow.

Review of the Feb 22nd Oriana cruise to find the Northern Lights

We had a wonderful time on the ‘In search of the Northern Lights’ cruise aboard Oriana which left Southampton on February 22nd and have posted this review with my diary entries from the port days and some general information about the ports and excursions that my DH and I did.

I have some mobility difficulties so wasn't able to participate in the more strenuous activities....booo!

IMG_5799 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

Day 1. Wednesday 22nd February 2017

Boarding Oriana.

A.M. warmish, overcast and breezy.

P.M. Cool, drizzly and windy

Sea conditions. A bit rocky.

Clocks went back 1 hour.

Gate 4,berth 10 - Mayflower Cruise Terminal.

Our check-in time was 13.30.

We arrived at the car park at 12.45.

Check-inwas quick and straightforward.

We had cruise car parking as part of our booking price so we put the parking ID in thefront window as we drove through the dock gate and there were officials who guided us to a drop-off lane right by the terminal entrance.

A porter was there immediately to take our checked luggage. A couple of minutes later,an official took the car details and our key and then we were able to enter the terminal building.

The first official gave us the standard health questionnaire to fill in. Once that was done we walked a few yards to the second official who looked at our eTicket and then gave us the appropriate coloured card to indicate the correct check-ingroup. There was plenty of seating, toilet facilities, free magazines and a'pay for' snack bar.

There are not many advantages to having mobility issues but this was one time when being disabled gave me an advantage as I was given immediate access to check-in.

Once the formalities had been completed, we went through security (similar to that usedat airports) and then boarded the ship. The whole process took about 30minutes.

When we got on board we had to wait about 10 minutes before the announcement came that the cabins were ready so it took less than an hour from arriving in the car tosettling in to the cabin.

We had just started unpacking the carry-on cases when the first of the big cases arrived, swiftly followed by the other cases and the camping chair.

Musterdrill.

This took place at 16.30. Our station was in the Harlequin lounge. We got there early which was good because there was not enough seating for everyone. We had to take our life jackets and put them on after the Captain's talk and the demonstration. We were then shown the TPA......Thermal Protective Aid....which is a huge yellow bag that can be put on in the event of hypothermia!!!

Day 4. Saturday 25th February2017

Andalsnes - 08.00 to 17.30

A.M. Extremely cold with some sunny intervals.

P.M. Extremely cold with wintery showers and a very strong wind.

Seaconditions. Very bumpy through the night but calm in the fjord.

I made sure that we didn't sleep through the alarm by using the telephone's automatic callservice (very easy to set) as well as my alarm clock as we wanted to see the sail-in and sunrise. I was up at 06.15 and it was well worth it. We got out ondeck just before 07.00 to be greeted by snow covered mountains and the smalltown of Andalsnes in the pale pre-dawn glow. Apparently, a metre of snow hadfallen in the last 24 hours and turned everywhere into fairyland.

There were lots of people already on deck and we shared the sunrise before heading to the buffet for a semi 'full English' breakfast.

We debated whether to but on full 'arctic clothing' and chose to do a partialdress-up. Thank goodness we did because it was extremely cold and very slippery underfoot.

IMG_0610 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_5733 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_0596 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

IMG_5795 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr

I haven’t read all the responses to the original post so apologies if I have missed a comment similar to mine.

My DS is violently allergic to allfur and feathers. He gets breathing difficulties, his nose runs, his eyelidsswell and his eyes water. He also comes out in a very itchy rash and thesesymptoms persist for several hours. He doesn’t need to have contact with theanimals. Just a stray hair or being in a space that has been previouslyoccupied by an animal can trigger an attack. He dreads the possibility of beingon a plane or any place where an animal has been where there is no option toremove himself.

I appreciate the importance of true service animals but theyshould not be allowed in aircraft cabins. I know it is a little different on acruise ship but the cabins which dogs have inhabited should be deep cleanedafterwards or future passengers should be told about these cabin numbers sothey can make informed choices.

Hi Tring,

it appears that you are as keen to see places around the world as I am and I hope we can compare notes on the Boudicca voyage.

It must have been very disappointing for you when VOD ceased trading. Their itineraries always looked interesting. I would, however, recommend a river cruise in Myanmar. The infrastructure for roads outside the cities of Yangon and Mandalay is extremely poor and accommodation of a reasonable 'western' standard is hard to find away from the 2 cities.

Our first trip with APT (Australian Pacific Touring) was a land and river tour, taking in Vietnam (Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay, HCMC), Laos (Luang Pradang) and Cambodia (Siem Reap and a 7 night Mekong cruise which took us to Phnom Penh and many other riverside areas). it was amazing and we saw so much.

We are presently getting ready for a P&O cruise up to Northern Norway in hope of seeing 'the lights' and then I can begin researching for the Liverpool - Mauritius voyage.

Very best wishes

Isabel

Hi KeenMolly,

I do hope you enjoy your journey along the Irrawaddy as much as we did. I shall be with you in spirit!!!

Isabel