Live Report: Suddenly, I’m Going to Norway!

[*Miss G*]

DAY SIXTEEN - continued

 

Back onboard, Captain Noel waits for two ferries to depart and then we are underway.

 

 

Back in Club Orange, I had shrimp cocktail and Arctic Char.  My sister had escargots and Norwegian salmon.  

 

Following dinner we went to see the Pianist With the Hair - Julian Gargiulo.  WOW.  What a show.  If this is the type of entertainment they have chosen to replace Lincoln Center Stage, it is FANTASTIC!!  Thank you, Holland America.  Julian was amazing.  

 

 

If you’d like to learn more about him, google One Classical Minute or Pianist With the Hair.  I hope I get the opportunity to see him again.

[*Miss G*]

DAY SEVENTEEN

Wednesday, June 7th

Aarhus, Denmark

Weather:  70f/21c - Sunny ☀️

 

Wow, are we ever lucky!  We arrived in Aarhus during The Ocean Race 2023!  There was so much to see that I didn’t make it past the waterfront.  What a wonderful day.  🤗

 

It was quite misty and grey as we entered the downtown port.

 

 

By the time we’d finished breakfast, things had brightened up.

 

 

 

Disembarking the ship, we are treated to the sight of a beautiful three-masted schooner:

 

 

Speaking of masts… I would not want to be this guy:

 

 

On one leg of the race, Team Guyot environnement lost a mast during a storm in the North Atlantic.  I was very fortunate to be there when the competing teams welcomed them back in a wonderful display of affection, relief, and happiness.  It was all very exciting and I was drawn in by the emotion.

 

 

Also along the waterfront was a fountain with swirling arches which would lower and rise in changing formations.  If you were quick, you could make your way  into the middle of the fountain when the timing was right.

 

 

It is the final night dinner and boy did they pull out all the stops!  It was difficult to choose among the many offerings but we both settled on the 3-way salmon appetizer, a spring roll, crab carbonara, and a baked Alaska.  A word to the wise:  the baked Alaska was more than enough for two people so you might want to share.

 

All in all, a fantastic day in Aarhus, Denmark.

[*Miss G*]

DAY EIGHTEEN

Thursday, June 8th

Copenhagen, Denmark

Weather:  Warm & Sunny! ☀️

 

I finally caught a sunrise!  I am an early riser but being this far north it’s a bit challenging.  Here we are about 4:15am.

 

 

 

This wind farm looks like it’s sitting on ice!

 

 

We headed down to our last Club Orange breakfast and to give our thanks to the wonderful staff.  I will miss having someone make me breakfast every day!  

 

Once docked, I took a picture of the process.  Disembark, head through the gate, pick up your luggage, then off to your bus or taxi.  

 

[*Miss G*]

We had purchased HAL’s Wonderful Copenhagen tour with airport drop-off.  We’ve done land visits, before, so opted not to stay this time.  Our first stop was to Langelinie Park and The Little Mermaid.  It was hard to get a pic without people in front so this one was taken in a hurry from a perspective I didn’t really want.  Oh well.

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop was the Gefion Fountain, which depicts the mythical story of the creation of the island on which Copenhagen is located.

 

 

Then it was on to the Amalienborg Palace Complex, which consists of four rococo palaces, built in the 1700’s.  It is the official residence for the Danish Royal Family.  The tour guide told us the tour normally doesn’t stop here so don’t be surprised if this isn’t included on your tour.

 

 

I found this process fascinating.  See the man on the lift next to the column?  He was refurbishing it by tossing scoops of (I’m assuming) crushed limestone over top.  He’s doing a great job!

 

 

This guy means business.

 

 

Nyhavn.  I have had many a great meal in this district.  Sadly, we didn’t stop so this was taken quickly through the bus window.  For perspective, it is a short walk from Amalienborg Palace and the Admiral Inn.

 

 

The final stop was the Copenhagen Opera House, but I took pictures of the waterfront side of the Admiral Hotel for my parents as we had some amazing stays there.  To the left you can see the Admiral Hotel, which was formerly two warehouses built in the 1700’s.  To the right you can see the four palaces which make up the Amalienborg Palace Complex next to the dome of Frederik’s Church.

 

 

Was this good value and would we do it again?  No.  But it passed some time and got us to the airport.  Next time we’ll make our own arrangements.

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by *Miss G*

[*Miss G*]

Copenhagen Airport has changed a lot since I was last here, and not for the better.  The tour bus dropped everyone off at Terminal 2, but Terminal 3 — which we were flying from — was relatively close.

 

Seating at Terminal 3 is minimal to non-existent.  It was shocking, really.  In addition to the long long walk to our gate, there were no more than ten chairs once you got there.  I literally turned to my sister and said “They’re joking, right?”  

 

As shocking as this was, it was about to get worse.  There was no call for boarding; they just started checking people through at random.  We went down a steep flight of stairs, with our carryons, and were funneled back into a vestibule where people piled up on top of each other until they spilled back out into the stairwell and back up to the top of the stairs again.  There was no lift available for those who couldn’t do stairs.  There was an escalator but it was turned off for the obvious reason in that everyone descending would be piling up like debris at the bottom of a garbage chute.  When the gate finally opened — about 20 minutes after allowing people to proceed down (and up) the stairs — they opened another door, whereupon those who had been funneled into the vestibule were now at the back of the line and those at the back of the line were now in the front and entering the jetway.  It was unbridled chaos.

 

We were flying SAS, which now has the dubious distinction of knocking Virgin Atlantic off its very low podium for worst economy experience ever.

 

I have learned never to say never but, omg, never again.

[*Miss G*]

DAY NINETEEN

Friday, June 9th

Manchester, England

 

After landing at MAN, we jumped on the hotel shuttle to the Manchester Delta Marriott.  The next morning, we jumped back on the shuttle for our return to the airport.  My sister was dropped at the train station for her final leg of the journey and I was dropped at Terminal 2 for an Air France flight to CDG.  My sister would be home before my first flight even took off.  I was having regrets that I hadn’t stayed longer.

 

You know what you don’t want to hear when you’re looking at the board to see which counter to check in at?  “That flight’s been cancelled.”  Yep.  That’s what one of the roaming “Ask Me” people happily reported after asking if he could help.  

 

*Le sigh*  Off I go to join the long line of people checking in for various flights and people having minor meltdowns because they are about to miss their flights.  There were no separate lines for different flights.  Everyone was herded together and funneled through the same line no matter what time your flight was leaving.

 

Some of you may recall my October declamation that I would never fly Air France Economy again.  Well, life has a warped sense of humour and here I am again.  I acquiesce and accept what’s coming.

 

Inching forward through the long snaking line, I finally get my turn at the counter.  The agent is processing my checkin as though the flight has not been cancelled.  I mention what I was told by the floor walker and she says “Oh, just ignore him.  That was yesterday.”  *blink*  My bag moves up the conveyor and I am handed my boarding pass.  I have entered the twilight zone.

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Your experiences (and my age) remind me why I have stopped international travel. I am fortunate that we traveled internationally a lot in our youth. Not doing so does limit my cruising choices but I have learned to live with that.

[Ellencruise]

Omg. I can’t believe how awful that was for you. It’s like the travel gods don’t want us to spend our time and money overseas!

[ontheweb]

27 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

DAY NINETEEN

Friday, June 9th

Manchester, England

 

After landing at MAN, we jumped on the hotel shuttle to the Manchester Delta Marriott.  The next morning, we jumped back on the shuttle for our return to the airport.  My sister was dropped at the train station for her final leg of the journey and I was dropped at Terminal 2 for an Air France flight to CDG.  My sister would be home before my first flight even took off.  I was having regrets that I hadn’t stayed longer.

 

You know what you don’t want to hear when you’re looking at the board to see which counter to check in at?  “That flight’s been cancelled.”  Yep.  That’s what one of the roaming “Ask Me” people happily reported after asking if he could help.  

 

*Le sigh*  Off I go to join the long line of people checking in for various flights and people having minor meltdowns because they are about to miss their flights.  There were no separate lines for different flights.  Everyone was herded together and funneled through the same line no matter what time your flight was leaving.

 

Some of you may recall my October declamation that I would never fly Air France Economy again.  Well, life has a warped sense of humour and here I am again.  I acquiesce and accept what’s coming.

 

Inching forward through the long snaking line, I finally get my turn at the counter.  The agent is processing my checkin as though the flight has not been cancelled.  I mention what I was told by the floor walker and she says “Oh, just ignore him.  That was yesterday.”  *blink*  My bag moves up the conveyor and I am handed my boarding pass.  I have entered the twilight zone.

 

OMG, what an adventure. Did the Twilight Zone music run in your head?

[bennybear]

Oh my!  travel is definitely not for the faint of heart but your lovely photos and attitude make all the difference!   Air France definitely has a certain attitude🤷‍♀️
I absolutely loved your photos of the Admiral hotel,  we stayed there and thoroughly enjoyed the quirky rooms and lovely breakfast outside.  You brought back great memories of Copenhagen, we were booked to sail from there next year but HAL has changed it to Amsterdam instead.  
It was so refreshing to read your report and how you roll with what arises.  Thank you Miss G. 

[*Miss G*]

…

 

6 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

Your experiences (and my age) remind me why I have stopped international travel. I am fortunate that we traveled internationally a lot in our youth. Not doing so does limit my cruising choices but I have learned to live with that.

 

6 hours ago, Ellencruise said:

Omg. I can’t believe how awful that was for you. It’s like the travel gods don’t want us to spend our time and money overseas!

 

International travel is surely not for the faint of heart!  More and more I am dismissing certain itineraries expressly due to the difficulty and/or length of time to get to/from where I’m going.  I am lucky in that I have family in the UK so I use that as a combo jetlag/family visit stop before continuing on to the continent.  I have tried, for a few years now, to start and end a European cruise with a Cunard TransAtlantic — just so I can avoid the international airports — but the timing has always been off.  The closest I have come is a one-way flight with a one-way Spring or Fall TA, which does help to ease the pain a bit.  lol

 

 

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

OMG, what an adventure. Did the Twilight Zone music run in your head?

 

It began at CDG in combination with the theme from Psycho!  🤣

 

 

4 hours ago, bennybear said:

Oh my!  travel is definitely not for the faint of heart but your lovely photos and attitude make all the difference!   Air France definitely has a certain attitude🤷‍♀️
I absolutely loved your photos of the Admiral hotel,  we stayed there and thoroughly enjoyed the quirky rooms and lovely breakfast outside.  You brought back great memories of Copenhagen, we were booked to sail from there next year but HAL has changed it to Amsterdam instead.  
It was so refreshing to read your report and how you roll with what arises.  Thank you Miss G. 

 

Awww…. Another Admiral Hotel lover!  I absolutely loved its quirkiness too.  🤗  I would be disappointed to be moved from Copenhagen to Amsterdam — due to personal preference — but, as you say, you have to roll with the flow.  Thank you so much for your kind comments.  🤗  I still owe you the pics and the review for the room.  😂

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

In my future I may have to think seriously about a TransAtlantic or TransPacific one way with a flight back. Isn't there someone on these boards who has figured out how to cruise only and do European cruises, etc? (Not a World Cruise)

[*Miss G*]

26 minutes ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

In my future I may have to think seriously about a TransAtlantic or TransPacific one way with a flight back. Isn't there someone on these boards who has figured out how to cruise only and do European cruises, etc? (Not a World Cruise)

 

@rafinmd comes to mind!  

[oakridger]

28 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

@rafinmd comes to mind!  

 

Roy @rafinmd has been my inspiration to do combo travels over the last few years!  Instead of round-trip flights next year to Norway I have booked the Zuiderdam TA from Ft. Lauderdale to Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) then am still trying to do a "Roy" trip by train, ferry, or whatever from there to Oslo!.....still working on the logistics for that!  

 

@*Miss G* I really appreciate the positive attitude you have.  It doesn't change the reality of air travel but sure does lessen the stress!!   😀

 

Thanks again for the trip report!

 

~Nancy

[rafinmd]

Options are limited at least if baggage is a consideration.  One possibility that could come to mind is QM2 for May 5-23, 2024 NY/Shouthampton/Hamburg/Southampton/New York)

 

The issue at least for HAL is that they seldom if ever turnaround in the UK.

 

Roy

[*Miss G*]

25 minutes ago, oakridger said:

 

Roy @rafinmd has been my inspiration to do combo travels over the last few years!  Instead of round-trip flights next year to Norway I have booked the Zuiderdam TA from Ft. Lauderdale to Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) then am still trying to do a "Roy" trip by train, ferry, or whatever from there to Oslo!.....still working on the logistics for that!  

 

@*Miss G* I really appreciate the positive attitude you have.  It doesn't change the reality of air travel but sure does lessen the stress!!   😀

 

Thanks again for the trip report!

 

~Nancy

 

That trip sounds super awesome, @oakridger!  If it helps, at all, DFDS does a ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo, and I have found the information from Seat 61 invaluable.  Thank you for your very kind comments and I hope we get to hear the details of your adventure!

[*Miss G*]

13 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

The issue at least for HAL is that they seldom if ever turnaround in the UK.

 

 

One time I accidentally found a TA which actually ended in Liverpool, which is exactly where I wanted to go.  When I finally found a need for it, it was nowhere to be found, so I guess it was one of those anomalous itineraries the cruise lines throw out every few years or so.  I think it was with Celebrity.  I would love if someone would put out a Liverpool embark/disembark port instead of Southampton.  That’s so far from where I want to be.

[*Miss G*]

DAY NINETEEN - continued

 

Knowing what sticklers Manchester Airport Security are, I made sure I had packed every liquid and gel I owned in my checked luggage.  At the Departures zone I pulled out every electronic item, including earphones, and placed all liquid and aerosol medication in the plastic one quart bag before relinquishing them to the X-ray Gods.  Except I didn’t because both my bags were held back in the naughty lane.  😣

 

Darn it!  Will I never get through Manchester Airport Security without doing something wrong?!!!  

In my shoulder bag they found an inhaler I had missed.  Shoot.  I forgot I was carrying an extra one in case of emergency.

 

In my wheelie case they had detected a pair of scissors.  These are the tiniest pair of manicure/sewing scissors you can buy.  They come with a tiny little cover and I use them to cut open the zip tie on my packed luggage when I get to my destination.  (Because chewing it off takes a while and is hard on the teeth.  Plus your face gets zipper imprints.  Don’t ask.)  Anyway, tiny little scissors are allowed onboard but I hadn’t put them in the official ziploc  bag for the official inspection first.

 

Such transgressions require removal of each and every item in the bags, each and every item to be swabbed, both the suitcase and the bag swabbed, including every pocket and zip, then the swab gets run through the machine to check for whatever they are checking for.  Once they are satisfied that I am not a threat they hand the whole mess back to me and tell me to pack up.  Good times.  Glad I got here early.

 

Informationally, when making a connection to the US at CDG, you are required to go through Security all over again.  Goodbye carefully-conserved water.  Looks like I’ll be buying you again on the other side.

 

To cut to the chase,  I made my connection and survived the 8.5 hour Air France flight home.  CDG has seating.  Thank you for realizing you are catering to the people, CDG.  You are a civilized airport.

 

Final Travel Stats

 

Airline Count (3):  KLM, SAS, Air France

Airport Count (8):  IAD, AMS, MAN, CPH, MAN, MAN, CDG, IAD

Train Count (2):  TransPennine Express

Overnight Ferry Count (1):  DFDS

Country Count (8):  US, NL, UK, NL, NO, DK, UK, US

Time Travel (5):  -6, +1, -1, +1, +5

 

 

Remember when I said this in my opening post?:

 

“My sister and I are joining the 11-Day Legends of the Fjords on the beautiful Nieuw Statendam.  Why are they legends?  We’re taking one for the team to find out.”

 

It turns out there were no lectures nor any indication of why this cruise was called the Legends of the Fjords.  What and why are they legends?  It seems I had mission failure because we never did find out why we were there.  I made sure to mention this in my survey.

[*Miss G*]

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

 

Most will know this already, but just in case….

 

TV Channels Include:

• BBC News
• Fox News
• MSNBC
• HGTV
• Food Network
• Prime One
• Prime Favorites
• Travel Channel
• Sport 24
• Sport 24 Extra
• Announcements can be heard on the bow cam channel.

 

Loud movies are now being shown at 2:00pm, daily, at the Lido pool .  HAL has been assimilated.

 

There were two “Dressy” nights on this 11-day cruise.  They were on the first (and only) sea day and the 2nd to last evening.  Gowns, suits, tuxedos, and bling were in abundance.  Everyone looked dazzling but there was also business casual and casual clothing as well.  We did not venture into the Lido Market so it may have been a different vibe over there.

 

Gangways have been on A-Decks Forward and Midship in every port except Kristiansand and Aarhus, where the default was A-Deck Midship only.

 

The superstructure is gleaming but ongoing exterior varnishing prevented us from using our balcony when we really wanted to.  I accept that it comes with the territory but… darn.

 

Every onboard credit showed up in the onboard statement and every charge was correct.  Yay!  No more wrangling with the night auditor!

[*Miss G*]

RANDOM ADVICE:

 

If you are allergic to imitation crab, do not get the sushi roll appetizer, even though you’ve told them of the allergy and request only the avocado cucumber rolls.  The galley cross-contaminates and you will have an allergic reaction anyway.  Bring Benadryl.

 

Casino Slots:  

If you do not cash out when you leave a machine, it remains on the machine for one minute, after which the remaining amount goes back on your ship card.  If someone plays that machine within that one-minute window, the credit goes to them and you will lose it. 

 

I have never, in my life, seen so many men picking their noses in public.  “GENTLEMEN”!  You are NOT under a cloak of invisibility!  We can still see you!!  Carry a hankie.  Good God, men.  Have some self respect.  *shudder*

 

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by *Miss G*

[rafinmd]

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

 

That trip sounds super awesome, @oakridger!  If it helps, at all, DFDS does a ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo, and I have found the information from Seat 61 invaluable.  Thank you for your very kind comments and I hope we get to hear the details of your adventure!

 

2 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

Roy @rafinmd has been my inspiration to do combo travels over the last few years!  Instead of round-trip flights next year to Norway I have booked the Zuiderdam TA from Ft. Lauderdale to Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) then am still trying to do a "Roy" trip by train, ferry, or whatever from there to Oslo!.....still working on the logistics for that!  

 

@*Miss G* I really appreciate the positive attitude you have.  It doesn't change the reality of air travel but sure does lessen the stress!!   😀

 

Thanks again for the trip report!

 

~Nancy

I highly endorse seat61, although it I didn't find anything I thought helpful there in your situation.  I did see DFDS has a ferry from Imuiden to Newcastle, and Fred Olson has cruises from there to Norway although I didn't see Oslo on any of their itineraries.  Are you looking at Zuiderdam May 11, 2024.  Her next port is Oslo.  I'm guessing you want to spend more than a day there.

 

Roy

[*Miss G*]

ROOM 5052

Handicap Accessible

 

Verandah room choices were limited because we booked so close to sailing.  Luckily, we were able to purchase two of the last four spots left in Club Orange.  I like CO on the Pinnacle ships for the dining room but it also comes with a highest-available in-category room upgrade.  Our PCC suggested Room 5052.  It is a handicap accessible room so we had a backup plan in the unlikely scenario that someone would need it.  Our PCC said he wouldn’t have even suggested it if the sail date was further out.

 

We were a bit unsure for a couple of reasons.  One of them being the bathroom and the other being Deck 5.  I haven’t been this close to the tenders, before, and wasn’t sure I’d like it.

 

Well, it turns out that we loved this room!  It has TONS of space and is almost like being in a Neptune Suite (without the awesomeness).  

 

The balcony is also a little bigger than a regular verandah balcony — it is between an NS size and a verandah size.

 

 

 

PROS

• Loads of space

 

 

 

 

• Large hooks to hang stuff on

 

 

 

• Large shower

 

 

 

CONS

• 3 drains in the shower floor triples your chances for unwelcome aromas.  Before calling for maintenance, pour a glass of water down each drain and the aroma will magically disappear. 

 

 

• No under-sink shelf in the bathroom and minimal counter space, so less storage.

 

 

• No couch with coffee table. I missed having somewhere to sit.  The small chairs and little end table just didn’t cut it for us, but they were handy when you wanted to put your shoes on.

 

 

• Overhang, lifeboats, and being within the indent obstructed picture-taking. This was the biggest drawback for me because I love to take pictures and it really limited the views.

 

 

• Shower curtain didn’t pull all the way around so mopping up of the toilet and floor following each shower was a requisite.

 

Summary:  

Would I be happy if assigned this room again?  Yes.  Although the cons seem to outweigh the pros, we really loved the roominess and the larger verandah.

[rafinmd]

19 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

 

I highly endorse seat61, although it I didn't find anything I thought helpful there in your situation.  I did see DFDS has a ferry from Imuiden to Newcastle, and Fred Olson has cruises from there to Norway although I didn't see Oslo on any of their itineraries.  Are you looking at Zuiderdam May 11, 2024.  Her next port is Oslo.  I'm guessing you want to spend more than a day there.

 

Roy

I took a second look at seat61 and see something I think I could endorse.  It's his Option 3 for travel Amsterdam to Oslo, a train connection to Kiel  and a ferry from there to Oslo.  I did something fairly similar in 2019, disembarking Nieuw Statendam in Amsterdam, train to Kiel, and Queen Victoria to Southampton and QM2 to New York. 

 

He mentions 2 train changes to Kiel (Osnabruck and Hamburg) but I only needed to change at Osnabruck.  That was the toughest part for me.  He also mentions the Atlantic Hotel which i loved.

 

This is my blog entry fro the day I went to Kiel:

 

https://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com/2019/05/08/day-nsplus2-tuesday-may-7-amsterdam-to-kiel/

 

I hope I haven't robbed you of the thrill of the hunt.

 

Roy

[oakridger]

2 hours ago, rafinmd said:

I hope I haven't robbed you of the thrill of the hunt.

 

Roy, you cracked me up!!  😁 Any suggestions are gladly accepted and I will go on a google search after reading your blog post above.  You are the nicest guy and I would love if our paths crossed on a ship someday!  Thank you!  Cruise Critic folks are so helpful!

 

~Nancy

[Sarnia 432]

@oakridger this is the link for various options from UK to Norway by train.  May give you some ideas for the section from Amsterdam to Oslo.

https://www.seat61.com/Norway.htm