Advice please re shore excusions for newbie to cruising

[cazza f]

Back at the beginning of this year before we knew about Covid I booked my first ever cruise which is going to be to Norway/Northern lights for my retirement treat in November 2021.  Now trying to keep myself cheerful in these strange times I'm looking at shore excursions showing for my dates and wondering if I should book the ones I'd like to go on already?  what would happen if the cruise doesn't go ahead? if I don't book could an excursion I'd like to do be fully booked by the time I try to book?  Obviously right now I have no idea if the cruise will go ahead, and I am assuming if it doesn't then I would get my money back if I do pay for the excursions now.  When I first booked my cruise I was looking at booking excursions through trip adviser (independently from P&O) but I'm thinking the best thing to do is stick with P&O for all excursions just in case there may be problems with social distancing, not being allowed to book other tour operators due to rules & regulations re Covid, etc. etc.  One of the excursions I had hoped to do already I see says 'sold out' - would that be right this far ahead?  All this is so new to me I'd love some advice please as to how soon to book excursions, am I being silly to be worried this far ahead?  Should I wait? Go ahead now? Sorry for being a bit undecisive just unsure how excursions work as to being plenty of time to book or selling out way ahead of the cruise.... Many thanks for any advice 🙂

Edited November 1, 2020 by cazza f

[AndyMichelle]

The problem is nobody knows what restrictions will still be in place. 

I guess many will book their preferred excursions early as it might be the only way to get ashore... 

Book early, you will get your money back eventually. 

I hope it all goes well for you. 

Andy 

[pete14]

I am surprised the excursions are available to book this early. The one that says it is sold out is likely to have a waitlist and if there is enough interest, they will try to book more coaches. If you let us know which it is, we may be able to advise whether it is likely. If trips are cancelled, they are refunded. If you cancel they may knock off a 10% cancellation fee. Some may disagree, but for this particular cruise I think you are sensible to book P&O excursions rather than independently, because the weather could prevent some excursions taking place and booking through P&O  means money will be refunded automatically. By the way, it is cheaper to book excursions in advance than buying onboard and you are more likely to get what you want.

[cazza f]

Thank you AndyMichelle & pete14 for the fast replies and good advice - much appreciated.  The one that I thought was sold out was the Cable Car excursion in Tromso, but I now see that it isn't sold out.  I shall take your advice and book early, as you say if anything goes wrong I shall get my money back and in these uncertain and strange times browsing and booking excursions will certainly give something to look forward to.  Many thanks again and stay safe.

[terrierjohn]

There was a comment today on facecloth saying Cunard and P&O were in discussions with shore excursion providers about operating a range of lower cost options, presumably whilst this is the only way to go ashore, and these would be on sale about 8 weeks prior to the cruise.

[cazza f]

Oh, just read above terrierjohn, now not sure whether to book in plenty of time or wait to see if they do get cheaper - what would people recommend? I wonder if the cruise will even go ahead next November.... 

[Selbourne]

Excursions are usually only bookable around 4 months before the cruise, so very strange that they are available now. If you book them and subsequently decide to cancel and do your own thing you get a 100% refund. There is no cancellation fee, other than for a few very specific (and expensive) ‘experiences’, but these are clearly stated. We have done the Northern Lights cruise twice. The first time we had a spectacular show over two nights. The following year nothing. So it’s pot luck. You can see them from the ship but they don’t turn the lights off (health and ruddy safety) so the light pollution is irritating as it diminishes the spectacle somewhat. The tour that does the Ice Hotel and Skidoo together is very good. The second year I did a skidoo only trip which was much more expensive but not as good. In fact it was a rip off. Alta and Tromso are easy to do on your own. I paid a small fortune to be taken by coach to a sports field a few miles out of Alta to see the lights. My wife stayed on the ship. Although expensive, I had a much better show than my wife did as there was no light pollution where I was.    

[cazza f]

I'm booked on hol. ref R115, Next October - strange isn't it that the excursions are already showing, bookable, and 2 for Stavanger are showing sold out already.  I'm going to book, at least it seems to be if cruise is cancelled or if I change my mind about any excursions I can cancel and get money back.  Thank you for all replies and advice, much appreciated. 

[Izzywiz]

Hi cazza f

Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising. I see that you are booked on the Aurora ‘Search for the Northern Lights’ cruise in October 2021. Thank goodness that it is quite a long time away as things may have returned to some semblance of normality by then. We did a vey similar cruise on Oriana in late February 2017 and had an amazing experience. I keep a very detailed diary and these are relevant entries that you might find useful for your planning. Fingers crossed that you will get your retirement cruise. I'm not sure if the weather in October will be as cold as we had it in February but it will be cold non the less.

It will take a few posts to complete the review so please be patient.

 

My Review of the Feb 22^nd 2017 Oriana cruise ‘To find the Northern Lights’

I have some mobility difficulties so wasn't able to participate in the more strenuous activities....booo.. but my husband is fit and active.

This is my pre cruise check list. I bought most of out cold weather clothing in places like Aldi and Mountain Wearhouse when they had sales.

Cold weather clothing and items

Clothes	Isabel	Jim	Accessories	Isabel	Jim
Thermal underwear			Crutch clamp
Snow boots			Snow grips
Thermal socks			Lip balm
Silk glove liners			Snow glasses
Thermal gloves			tripod
Thermal trousers			Camping chair for use while out on the late night Lights hunt
Thermal hat
Thick fleece
Wind/waterproof jacket
scarf

 

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-in was quick and straightforward.

We had cruise car parking as part of our booking price so we put the parking ID in the front 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-in group. 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 used at airports) and then boarded the ship. The whole process took about 30 minutes. 

Once 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 to settling 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.

Muster drill.

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!!!

Saturday 25th February 2017

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.

Sea conditions. 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 call service (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 on deck just before 07.00 to be greeted by snow covered mountains and the small town of Andalsnes in the pale pre-dawn glow. Apparently, a metre of snow had fallen 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 partial dress-up. Thank goodness we did because it was extremely cold and very slippery underfoot.

 

·         The Scenic Rauma Railway.

·         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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Andalsnes

Andalsnes is a very small town with a population of about 2,500. It is pleasant but there isn'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&O website 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.

Sail in to Andalsnes...

 

sunrise

Andalsnes town centre

[Izzywiz]

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 dropped noticeably.

 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 free 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 snow or 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/.

 

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 tour was Discover Tromso.      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 was a shop, toilets and a café.

·         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.

·         It was a nice excursion and I'm glad that we were taken over the bridge and through the suburban areas as it gave a good oversight into the way local people cope with the extremes of the climate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Tromso Wildlife 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Izzywiz]

Tuesday 28th February 2017

Tromso to Alta 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 were up early again to see the sunrise and then had a leisurely morning enjoying the spectacular snow covered mountain scenery as we headed into the Star Fjord.

 

 

A pod of Orcas

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

We had a snooze in the afternoon because we knew that it was going to be a late night and 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. Jim 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.

·         Each day'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 

·         Hot chocolate and cake.

·         10 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 to find a suitable space.

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

No mention was 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-up camping chair which was invaluable and envied by many!

·         You need a 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.

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

 

 

 

 

[Izzywiz]

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 woke up 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 deck 13 where we got a good view of them but no photos because Jim's camera wouldn't respond........oh well - that's life!

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 2nd March 2017

At sea

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

P.M. As above.

Sea conditions – smooth with a light swell.

 

We did see the NLs again at about midnight!

[Izzywiz]

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 quayside to join our boat excursion.

When we returned 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.

 

 

 

  The Old town

 

 

 

Our ships tour was '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 café where there were copious amounts of waffles, cream , jam and coffee which were included in the tour

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday 6th March 2017

Southampton to home.

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

Sea conditions - almost very bumpy through the night.

The clock went back 1 hour.

 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 at 10.15.

 A great holiday!

Brought/forgotten - used/not used.

Forgotten but needed

Highlighter pens

Polo shirts

Casual, thin day wear for around the ship

 

Brought and used.

Thermal vests, long johns, socks.

Water/wind proof 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/foot warmer gel pouches

torches

Brought but not used

Ski goggles

Crampon studs

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!

 

 

[cazza f]

Hi Izzywiz - that's fantastic - thank you so much, your post is almost exactly what I would love to do and has certainly given me lots of information, recommendations & ideas including what I need to take that I may not have thought of - and even though I am just less than a year away from (fingers crossed - in fact everything crossed) going, I am already making lists and thinking about clothes I shall need etc. etc. 🙂

 

Its brilliant to read your diary and you have certainly made me feel excited to do and see the same now, I just hope and hope (of course) the cruise & excursions will go ahead in the way that they are described.  I shall without doubt be returning to your post time after time, again thank you, it's fabulous.  I shall now print out your packing list 🙂 but I guess it's a bit too early to get my suitcase out and start to pack ha ha 🙂.  Stay safe and again many thanks x

[Ardennais]

What a great read. So many hints and tips if we ever do something similar. 

[Izzywiz]

I'm glad you enjoyed reading the diary. I certainly enjoyed posting it as it brought back so many happy memories. If we weren’t so old and if there wasn’t still a lot of the world to see and experience, I would do this cruise again in a heartbeat and would hopefully get some better pictures of the lights.

Please don’t hesitate to ask if I can help in any other way. We love travelling and cruising is a great way to see places. This pandemic has just confirmed my belief that I should do and experience as much as possible and not to put things off until later.

🚉✈️🛳🚁🏖🏔🚠🚐🏯🕌⛪️🏘

[ann141]

Your review was so interesting to read-thank you.We were on the 'Northern Lights' cruise on Aurora this march but unfortunately we had to return to Southampton as Norway wouldn't let us in due to covid.I found your reviews of the excursions particularly useful and if we book a similar cruise in the future I will re read your review,

[Izzywiz]

Hi Ann, what a shame that your cruise was cut short but, hopefully, you may be able to do this itinerary one day. It is such a different experience from warm weather cruising but so rewarding. 
stay safe and best wishes
Isabel

[grapau27]

On 11/3/2020 at 12:11 PM, Izzywiz said:

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 quayside to join our boat excursion.

When we returned 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.

 

 

 

  The Old town

 

 

 

Our ships tour was '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 café where there were copious amounts of waffles, cream , jam and coffee which were included in the tour

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday 6th March 2017

Southampton to home.

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

Sea conditions - almost very bumpy through the night.

The clock went back 1 hour.

 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 at 10.15.

 A great holiday!

Brought/forgotten - used/not used.

Forgotten but needed

Highlighter pens

Polo shirts

Casual, thin day wear for around the ship

 

Brought and used.

Thermal vests, long johns, socks.

Water/wind proof 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/foot warmer gel pouches

torches

Brought but not used

Ski goggles

Crampon studs

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!

 

 

Isabel.

Very interesting fjords review with fantastic information on tours and tremendous photos.

Many thanks.

Graham.

 

[grapau27]

On 11/3/2020 at 1:30 PM, Ardennais said:

What a great read. So many hints and tips if we ever do something similar. 

+1.

We have visited Bergen on a cruise ferry from Newcastle almost 20 years ago but never done the Fjords and Izzy's review has given me plenty to think about and was extremely interesting.

Graham

Edited November 4, 2020 by grapau27

[ann141]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

+1.

We have visited Bergen on a cruise ferry from Newcastle almost 20 years ago but never done the Fjords and Izzy's review has given me plenty to think about and was extremely interesting.

Graham

There is a Fred Olsen cruise from Newcastle to the Northern Lights next march.I doubt that it will sail but if it does we might be on it!(We will wait until early next year to book by which time we should know more)

[grapau27]

18 minutes ago, ann141 said:

There is a Fred Olsen cruise from Newcastle to the Northern Lights next march.I doubt that it will sail but if it does we might be on it!(We will wait until early next year to book by which time we should know more)

Fred has homeported at Newcastle for a number of years but we have never sailed with them as we preferred RC, Princess and P&O.

His acquisition of 2 HAL ships is interesting and we are only 20 minutes drive from Tyne Dock North Shields so might well look more closely at local departures.

[ann141]

9 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Fred has homeported at Newcastle for a number of years but we have never sailed with them as we preferred RC, Princess and P&O.

His acquisition of 2 HAL ships is interesting and we are only 20 minutes drive from Tyne Dock North Shields so might well look more closely at local departures.

We have previously done 2 mini cruises with Fred Olsen and they wouldn't be our first (or even 2nd or 3rd choice!)but I like the sound of starting from Newcastle as it means missing out unecessary sea days.I also like the sound of their 2 newer ships which I understand will have flexible dining which we prefer.

[Izzywiz]

The driving force for our choice of cruise has always been the destinations first, price second and cruise line third which explains why we have sailed with 18 different lines over the years and had the opportunity to visit over 100 countries. We do land tours as well....Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan (unbelievably fabulous) being the last one but that is another story.

We are retired and are making the best of our last years by following out passions, places for me and birds for my DH.

 

I was very reluctant to try a Fred Olsen cruise for a long time, believing that the product would be inferior but we saw a half term cruise (I was a teacher so always had to travel in school holidays at hugely inflated prices) on Balmoral which had 2 ports that were new to us and at a very reasonable price. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food and the efficiency of the staff and so I kept an eye on their itineraries after that and found amazing and unusual places to visit. We came to love the small ships that can get into the less visited ports and that is why we enjoyed the old Royal Princess which became Adonia (4 cruises) and Ocean Princess, Oceania Marina, Oriana and the Fred Olsen ships. We have sailed on the huge ships if the itinerary has been interesting,,,..Emerald Princess to French Polynesia and Explorer of the Seas on a Trans-Pacific cruise plus a few others over the years. Unfortunately, we don't cruise with P&O very often because their itineraries don't really offer us the new destinations that we look for. The one downfall that we have found with FO is the set dining times and it appears that there will be an open dining option on their new ships and another plus is the amount of extra space per passenger. The fact that FO ships also sail from Liverpool, our nearest port, and Newcastle make it an attractive option for us.

 

Anyway, enough of my travelling history. It will be wonderful to get back to some form of cruising eventually. The fjords are stunning whether you go in summer or winter or both.