karatemom2

You might enjoy the egg bites they have at the International Cafe. My DH is on a low carb diet to manage his diabetes, and these are a favorite for him. They are basically like little quiche without the crust. That was his go to breakfast everyday on our recent Sky Princess cruise.

We just returned from the most amazing cruise on the Sky Princess - absolutely wonderful itinerary. Norway wasn't even on my radar, but it was on my husband's ever since he heard a story about the Seven Sisters waterfalls when he was in elementary school. He had heard about the ban and made me sit down and watch a video about cruising Norway to convince me we had to go, and we had to do asap. I'm so glad we made this bucket list cruise this year - maybe one of the best cruises ever and the most beautiful destination. Here is a link to the review I just did on the Princess board with photos - maybe that will help you decide!

Another vote for the smoked salmon chowder at Annabelle's in Ketchikan. It's fantastic and something I've never found anywhere else.

We just visited Bruges, via Zeebrugge, on our recent Norway cruise. It was the last stop on the way to Southampton. Unless any of these ship tours are really enticing to you, as I imagine they are pricey, we found it very easy to do Bruges on our own without paying for a ship excursion. Once you exit the ship and take the free short transfer to the terminal building, there are plenty of taxis lined up there to take you into Bruges. We actually used our Uber app - which brings you taxi service there. It was about $55 each way. The canal boat rides are 15 Euro and running constantly, very easy to walk up and book on your own. We also did a on hour small open air bus tour which takes you all over the historic area and provides really great commentary - we really felt that it was a good combo with the canal tour because we saw the city from both land and water. We then had plenty of time to explore on our own, stop for chocolates, hot chocolate, and waffles at The Old Chocolate House - see all of the beautiful buildings and shop before catching a ride back to the ship. It's a very walkable place to visit.

Since you are doing a land trip to Norway, which sounds awesome by the way, I'll share that if you visit Alesund, the Hotel Brosundet there actually rents out the suite in the lighthouse at the harbor there. If I ever go back not on a ship, I would totally do this!

Disembarkation and Final Thoughts: All good things must come to an end, and we woke up our final day back in Southampton feeling very happy with our experience and ready to take all of these wonderful memories home with us. So, just thought I would share a few final thoughts on our overall experience on the Sky. Disembarkation: We always do walk off these days. Now that we aren’t traveling with young children anymore, it is just so easy to manage our own luggage. We always have a single rolling suitcase each and one carryon that sits nicely on top, so very easy to roll off. We had a 1:20 p.m. flight home on Virgin Atlantic out of Heathrow so we scheduled our Blackberry car service for a 7:30 a.m. pickup. Walk off started at 7 a.m. and we were out of the terminal waiting for our car well before its arrival time. We had an easy drive to Heathrow and were there before 9 a.m. and through luggage drop off and security quickly and, in our lounge by just after 10 a.m., with plenty of time to kill before our gate was posted and boarding began. It was a nice relaxing way to end our trip and another nice flight with VA who got us back to LAX right on time at 4:40 p.m. PST. Sky Princess: This was our second year in a row sailing out of Southampton on the Sky, and it has become our favorite Royal Class ship. We really prefer it over both Royal and Discovery, the two other Royal Class ships we have sailed on most frequently. Although the design is basically the same, we find it better maintained and more welcoming. It still features the flaws of the Royal Class ships in the lack of outside viewing areas and promenade deck and inadequate space in areas like Princess Live, but we find that we still really get the same great Princess experience we have come to expect and the same beautiful public areas, nice theatre, good casino, and nice dining areas. The Vista Lounge continues to be a totally underused space onboard – I will never understand why they keep trying to crowd people into Princess Live to overflowing when they have that wonderful lounge sitting empty. But this seems to be the case on every Princess ship. Stateroom: This, for us, is one of the big pluses of the Royal Class ships as we have grown to really love the forward-facing balconies and have booked them multiple times now. Our stateroom, M103, was particularly wonderful for this sailing with the multiple days of scenic viewing. Many people on our “friend” group were disappointed in the lack of areas onboard for scenic viewing, and we felt so blessed to have our own private space from which to enjoy every second. It is a shame though, that there is not more space for others onboard to be able to get the same experience in a public setting. Given the option, we like the Lido level best as there is even less obstruction, but we were so happy to get this cabin when we booked because it was the last one available. As always, our room steward was fantastic – we are always so fortunate to just get the best service from our stewards on Princess, especially with the number of rooms they are handling these days. We do our best to not make their job any harder and be sure to show our appreciation, because they really work so hard. Entertainment: We have been cruising with Princess for over 20 years now, and I can say with absolute love for the brand, that the entertainment onboard is not one of the main reasons for our loyalty. That said, we do enjoy it and embrace it for what it is without expecting Broadway quality shows or headliners. Most of the production shows we have seen numerous times, and we still like to see them again in many cases like Rock Opera and Spotlight Bar, which are two of the better shows. In particular, Max Himmelreich, the guest tenor for Rock Opera who we have seen before, is absolutely spectacular, and his one man show is excellent as well. I won’t comment on Five Skies, except to say, seeing that once last year was enough. We are generally underwhelmed by the hypnotists, comedians, and magicians, so rarely attend those shows. But I was very favorably impressed with several of the guest singers they brought onboard this cruise – particularly Claire-Charlotte, Cleopatra Madonna Higgins, and West End star, Matthew Croke. They all provided really exceptional shows and it definitely felt like Princess was upping their entertainment game with them as featured performers. Other entertainment with the CD crew was pretty standard – we enjoy the trivias, especially the music trivias – they were ok, again, overcrowding is a big issue as are the repeat cruisers who kind of take the competitive fun out of it when you know they already heard all the questions the cruise prior. But we always have a good time and there were a few standout CD staff who did a nice job. Food: This is such a subjective area, but for us, the food on this cruise, just as last year on the Sky, was above average from our perspective. Our MDR meals, with one glaring exception for each my DH and I, were really great. All of our specialty dining meals – Crown Grill, The Catch, and Balcony Dinner were outstanding. Afternoon tea continues to be better on this ship than on our other Princess sailings and the buffet, on the few occasions when we went there, was fine and had a good selection. DH really loves the breakfast options of the egg bites at the International Café and pretty much ate there every morning, while I would just grab a croissant and some tea. And we only got food at the grill once – but the hot dogs are always good. The only thing to disappoint this cruise the two times I tried it was the pizza at Slice – the sauce was bland, and the crust was overcooked both times. Normally I love Princess pizza, but it was kind of a bummer this trip. Service everywhere, however, was amazing – from drink service to food service at every venue onboard, we had the best experience – so much better than our Discovery cruise in January – like literally night and day better. The crew was fantastic, smiling, and super on top of their game. We were very impressed. Crew Chat: We were really impressed with this feature and give it a huge thumbs up! We used it three different times for different issues. First was a problem with our beverage package delivery when we couldn’t get through to room service after trying to call multiple times with no answer, second was a plumbing issue with our shower drain which appeared to be clogged, and third was for our shore excursion concerns. Each time we received a prompt response and resolution within the day from the appropriate department, along with a second follow up from Guest Services to make sure we were satisfied. It is a really nice option and one we will not hesitate to use on future cruises for any concerns we might have – way better then standing in line at the desk or holding on the phone. Casino: This is the report from DH, as I don’t log much time there. He really had a great time in the Casino this trip – a more active group of fellow gamblers onboard this year, especially Craps players, so he felt less all by himself. He made some nice gambling buddies and a good time was had by all. He made a point of mentioning that the casino staff continues to be great, a few still there who remembered him from last year. Even when he doesn’t come away a winner, which is often, he has a really good time and appreciates the casino host and staff, and the nice perks we get from his “habit”. : ) Elite perks: We continue to appreciate the Elite perks – especially managing to squeeze in the half price on the old WiFi rate for this trip before it went up. The nightly Elite/Platinum Lounge in Vista was very good – even better this year with some additional hot items including breaded shrimp that was so yummy. They also had a live band and singer performing there each evening which was a nice touch. Our Elite laundry benefit worked great – we sent out a bag almost every day and it was always back the next day, with only one exception where it took two days. We really, really, really, appreciate our laundry benefit!! Since we only ended up with one tender port when the Geiranger Sea Walk wasn’t used, we didn’t really need our priority tender benefit this trip since we had a Princess excursion that day – but I’m sure our fellow Elite passengers onboard appreciated it since it turned out to be kind of a long process for most. I know some feel like the loyalty benefits aren’t a big deal, but honestly, these perks and our Casino benefits are a big part of what keeps us coming back to Princess, so they do matter to us. So, as I close out this rather long-winded review – I just want to reiterate what an absolutely wonderful cruise this was – great itinerary, great ship, great food, great service, great fun! I hope some of the information I have shared might help those of you thinking of a similar cruise or contemplating a trip on the Sky Princess. We love sailing out of Southampton and are looking at a Baltic cruise for next summer – maybe on the Emerald this time because I do also love and miss the Grand Class ships. But we will be back aboard one soon when we sail on the Ruby in Alaska in September. Thanks to all who have allowed me to share our experience!

Yeah, that’s odd. Maybe because technically it isn’t Uber in the traditional sense since independent drivers are not allowed. Perhaps he wasn’t aware that the local taxi services apparently contract with Uber to provide service and payment through the app. I know when a taxi showed up to pick us up in Alesund at the ship when we had ordered an Uber we were very confused. He was literally sitting right in front of us but because of the taxi sign we didn’t realize it was our car - he had to roll his window down and ask if we were waiting for a ride. And even then, we said no we had an Uber coming and he explained he was our car - and then we realized the license plate and car matched. He explained to us Uber as it functions other places is not allowed - no private drivers. But they have adapted to connect it with legal and certified taxi services.

Thank you so much! I hope you are able to experience this cruise next year. It’s amazing. We are eyeing a Baltic itinerary for next year - still deciding. But I don’t know if anything will ever match this cruise. It was really special.

Yes, it’s through the Uber app, but the car that it brings is a certified taxi. We discovered this in Alesund as well. You can schedule the ride through Uber like you would anywhere, but it is actually bringing a certified taxi - only they are available to provide services even though you are booking and paying through Uber which made it super convenient.

Sea Day and Bruges: We were pretty exhausted after three very action-packed port days, so it was nice just to sleep late and ease our way into the day. My birthday boy was very pleased with the gift of his balcony dinner the night before, but we had another nice evening in store with reservations at The Catch courtesy of his casino host. We were disappointed with our meal there last year but wanted to give it another try because generally the reviews are so stellar. Because we wanted to save up our appetite for dinner, we kept it light, and I skipped lunch in favor of my beloved afternoon tea. I couldn’t miss my last opportunity to enjoy it one last time on this sea day. It was the final formal night, so we put on our dressy clothes one more time before they got packed away. Our reservation was for 5:30 p.m. and we were seated promptly at a lovely table next to the window. This time around we ordered different items, and the entire meal more than lived up to the normal glowing reviews. I had the prawn appetizer and Dover sole for my main and he had the crab cake and Triple S platter, which comes with salmon, shrimp, and scallops. Since DH is not the biggest salmon fan, they kindly agreed to substitute one of the catch of the day options, mahi mahi, and it was perfect. Everything was delicious including all of the sides and our server was wonderful. For dessert we each ordered the Crepes Suzette, and of course the obligatory chocolate birthday cake and candle with accompanying song. How lucky is he to get not one, but two, fabulous birthday dinners. It was hard to believe how quickly our long-anticipated cruise had passed, but we still had one final port day that we were very excited about – Zeebrugge for Bruges, Belgium. Again, we discovered even the best laid plans can go awry when we got a notice from the taxi company we had used to book a van for us and 7 of our fellow Cruise Critic roll call members for transport to and from the port to Bruges that they would be unable to accommodate us due to mechanical issues with their large vehicle. Mostly, I felt bad about letting my fellow CC pals down, but they were super understanding. We were all able to manage finding alternate transport which, as we discovered, was not at all difficult. We ended up pre-reserving an Uber and they all just caught a taxi at the stand at the port. We were lined up and ready to get off the ship by 9:30 a.m. in order to make sure we caught one of the mandatory shuttles from the ship to the port building as soon as we could exit the ship so we could be in place for our Uber pick up at 10:30 a.m. Never having been to this port, we didn’t realize the shuttle ride is so incredibly short – we had plenty of time and were there well before our driver arrived. It is about a 25-minute ride into Bruges, and we had him drop us off right at the central Market Square which proved a great place to start our day. I was immediately taken with the fairy tale charm of this beautiful little town. Knowing our time was limited, we decided not to take any of our time trying to visit inside of the museums or cathedrals there, but to just try to see as much of the town as possible and enjoy the lovely setting. We happened to arrive at the square just 15 minutes before the open air small bus tour of the city was going to be setting off on its 50 minute tour and choosing that proved to be a very smart decision for us as it provided a great historical overview of the city and all of its major sites, while also giving us some perspective on getting around once we were on foot. Once the tour dropped us back off at the square, we ventured off to explore, backtracking to the areas we wanted to see close up like the cathedral and some of the other historical buildings as well as an open-air vintage market where we picked up a couple more unique treasures to take home. It seemed that at every turn in this adorable town we were surrounded by the smell of chocolate and waffles so we had to find a way to partake somehow. We lucked upon The Old Chocolate House where we stopped for a strawberry and whipped cream topped Belgian waffle and two amazing cups of hot chocolate that we blended ourselves using their specially filled chocolate cups that we dropped into the hot milk they provided and stirred with tiny whisks. I got the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cup and DH got the Pistachio Chocolate Ball – both were heavenly! We also picked up a couple of packaged of chocolates to bring home as well. After this stop, more walking was definitely in order and we continued to wander the narrow and scenic streets until we worked our way back to the canal where we decided it was a must to see this lovely place from the perspective of the water so hopped on one of the boat tours that run regularly through the old canals and bridges. We were so glad we made this decision and really enjoyed the tour. Some of those bridges we passed under were pretty tight, and my extra tall DH really had to watch his head. Following this we did a little more walking and shopping, and I picked up some pretty sachets at one of the Belgian lace shops as we worked our way back to the central square to catch our taxi back to the ship. We opted to leave ourselves a little extra time, not being familiar with how competitive it would become to get a ride later in the day and how long the shuttle lines might get at the port and were pretty happy to have a seamless and stress-free return to the ship. We even managed to get back in time for afternoon trivia and log one final win – the lower than average turnout meaning less competition due to many people still being out didn’t hurt. We still only tied for first place, but pulled out the tie breaker – “How many cups of tea does the average Brit drink per year?” Having no clue, we just guessed the equivalent of 3 cups a day, or 1,095. We were on the right track and ended up with the closest answer which was actually 884. Yay! More Princess notebooks to take home – something we actually use. We headed for our last dinner in Soleil with our fabulous wait team there and bid them a fond farewell. They did take the pause for the traditional Baked Alaska Parade during our dinner – a tradition I know some seasoned cruisers have tired of, but I still enjoy the fanfare and the festive feeling of ending our last dinner service on a happy note. DH already had his offer from the Casino, but given that he really does actually play for the fun of it and not just the cruise perks, after he joined me for the final show in the theatre he headed back for one more night of fun with his gambling pals while I did some packing and watched another movie. Since we do early walk off, no need to put our bags out so it was a relaxing and unrushed packing effort, knowing I would have time in the morning to finish up. All good things must come to an end, and I was ready to get home to our family and furry ones. But I went to sleep that night feeling so grateful for another successful and memorable cruise experience. Final: Disembarkation and final thoughts

Thank you! Yes, absolutely - I would tell anyone and everyone to take the opportunity to cruise Norway if they can get the opportunity. Overall, our weather was really good though the temperature and conditions can vary quite a bit. I would compare it very much to our Alaska trips where you kind of have to be prepared for anything and dress in layers. Our cooler ports were generally in the mid 50s, the coldest port being Honningsvag which we expected given we were in the Arctic Circle at that point. That day started in the the low 40's and was quite cold at North Cape. But even there, by the afternoon once we were back in town it had warmed into the low 50's. Our nicest days were in Alesund and Trondheim - both reaching the mid 60's and sunny. We were prepared for the possibility of rain but overall were very lucky - a few showers while we were at sea and on a couple of our early mornings, but clearing quickly. The only day that was really impacted by rain was the first port, Haugesund. Fortunately we got our whole tour in before the sky unleashed, but man, when it came it was a torrential downpour. We got soaked just walking the short way back to our van because it just came so quickly. People did get caught a little bit unaware that day and lots of very waterlogged people making the long walk back to ship from the town there. We, fortunately, were ending our tour when it started and were able to basically just get right off the bus and back on the ship - we had planned to walk into town for a few hours, but the rain changed that. We still felt like we had already had a very full experience there though with our tour, thankfully. So, my motto is - be prepared for the wettest and coldest moments when they do come, but hope for the best which we really did have most of the time.

We just returned from our Norway cruise on the Sky Princess and had been scheduled to do this tour through Norway Excursions. I had some reservations about a nearly 8 hour bus tour, but the lure of driving that road and seeing Trollveggen won me over. Once both of those aspects were gone, we opted to cancel. Alesund is a gorgeous little city with a lot to do and we had a great day there - I would have been sad to miss out on spending time in such a charming place to do a tour that really wasn’t able to deliver on the main attraction.

It seems to vary greatly by ship, which I have to believe is likely the responsibility of the Entertainment Director onboard. Our schedule for our recent trip on the Sky was nearly fully populated a couple of months out - but others report that they aren't seeing theirs filling up until a week or two before their cruise. It would be nice if it was consistent!

It really is a shame about the Trollingsten. I know it is a highlight that many, like us, really look forward to experiencing. But I also got the impression after we learned how extended the closure was planned to be, that this may be a very complicated process. I sure hope they can get it open for the 2025 season, but I guess that remains to be seen. But it was very clear that it was a no go for the rest of this year. Thanks for your comments - we had such a wonderful cruise. And yes, Jafs does have a great seating view and the fish is very good - but you got admire their bold claim!!

I'm saying this as someone who loves a balcony, and we did have one on our British Isles cruise. But, and this is a major but, if I was trying to conserve funds, the one cruise I feel like I could totally do without a balcony is a British Isles cruise. We did see some nice landscapes arriving and leaving port, and got a distant view of the White Cliffs of Dover as we passed on our way from Edinburgh to Le Havre. But that was about the extent of scenic viewing. You can still go out on deck to get fresh air, and will be out all day on your long port stopes. A British Isles cruise is so incredibly port intensive, the weather can be changeable which can make a balcony less usable, and honestly after these really long and often physically demanding port days, often I just looked forward to a cozy room for a great night's sleep. My advice would be to see if you can book one of the insides on the Lido Deck where you are very close to the outside area and can quickly be in a space where you can enjoy views when there is something worth seeing, or just to get some fresh air, and save the money for your other traveling priorities.

Olden and farewell to Norway: At the beginning of this review, I commented that no cruise is perfect, but this one came close. However, I do believe there is such a thing as a perfect day and if that’s true, then I think our day in Olden came as close to perfect as a day can ever be. After all of the beauty we had already seen, I felt like I was on sensory overload and couldn’t imagine anything getting better, but Norway was about to surprise me again. We woke up early and were ready to get off the ship just after the 8 a.m. all clear in order to meet our tour scheduled with a local company, Olden Adventures. It was a chilly and cloudy morning, so we bundled up and crossed our fingers for a return of the sun that had blessed us in our last two ports. After two consecutive days of walking for miles through cities, we were very excited about returning to nature on our Loen Lake and Kjenndal Glacier excursion. We checked in at the Olden Adventures kiosk at the pier and were directed to two buses that would be taking our groups to Loen Lake, also referred to as Lovatnet. After a short drive through the beautiful area, we arrived at Loen Lake and boarded our boat for our scenic trip across the lake. The boat offered inside seating, but we wanted to be able to get a full view so proceeded right to the top deck and found seats in front where we could see in all directions. The trip across the lake takes about an hour and we were rewarded with incredible views. The lake itself is an almost indescribable color of turquoise and surrounded by towering mountains with more cascading waterfalls in all directions and some farms along its banks on the way. However, as we got closer to the other side, any sign of farms disappeared and the lake narrowed to a small passage that the boat navigated where a terrible landside in 1936 had created a bottleneck, filling in a large section of the lake and causing a devastating wave of water that killed a large number of people and destroyed all the homes and farms in that area. It was sad to see some of the remnants along the shoreline of what was once a thriving farming area. As we approached the other side, we got our first distant glimpse of Kjenndal glacier, a hanging glacier high atop the mountain, as we approached the cove and small restaurant there where we would be stopping. Entering the charming restaurant, we took a seat and enjoyed a nice break for tea and coffee with warm waffles, topped with sour cream, and strawberry marmalade. Our Norway waffle quest remained intact! Afterwards, we had some time to explore the surrounding area which was very scenic. A few brave souls even took off their shoes and socks and dipped their toes into the freezing cold glacial lake water. I wasn’t feeling that brave! We boarded another bus for a short ride to the trailhead in Kjenndalen Valley where a brief hike would take us to the viewing point for the Kjenndal Glacier, one of the Josetedal Glacier’s lowest hanging arms. From the moment we stepped off the bus, we knew we were in for something very special as just from this vantage point we could see the glacier and surrounding waterfalls in all directions. As we walked the path along the rushing glacier fed creek, over a couple of bridges, surrounded by trees and flowers, it was already a beautiful setting, but as we cleared through that into the viewing area at the base of the valley it was like nothing I had ever seen, even in Yosemite or any of our trips to Alaska. The sheer natural beauty was incredible. After a nice amount of time to take it all in and take plenty of photos and video, we made the brief hike back to our bus where our guide shared the old story that many of us were told as children of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, who outsmart an evil troll under a bridge. This old folk tale originated there in the Kjenndalen Valley, and we crossed the actual bridge on which the story is based. One thing we learned in Norway is that they take their troll culture and stories very seriously! Once back at the lake, we reboarded our boat for the trip back across the lake and now the sun was shining and we opted to sit outside on the lower deck on the way back to get a different perspective closer to the water which made the surrounding mountains seem all the more imposing. Once again, I was so happy to have brought along our binoculars. We got back to the dock just after our scheduled arrival time of 12:30 p.m., and still had a few hours before our 3:30 p.m. all aboard – just enough time to fit in the Loen Skylift. We had left the decision on whether we would attempt this until today to make sure the weather would cooperate, since heavy clouds obscure the view, and the crowds can sometimes make the lines at the entrance both at the base and on top a little daunting. But today the skies were clearing, the sun was shining, and the crowds were minimal since we were the only ship in port. Since the attraction is run by the same company, they were able to sell us tickets on the boat as we headed back, and the bus dropped us off at the Skylift entrance which was only a few minutes away. From there, we could catch the shuttle buses that were running every 15 minutes back to the ship. Thanks to the lack of any real line, we were able to jump right on a gondola for the approximately 7-minute ride up to the top of Mt. Hoven on one of the steepest cable cars in the world. The views from the top are absolutely amazing in every direction. Our ship, docked at Olden, looked like a child’s toy in the distance. It is definitely not for those with any qualms about heights, but if you embrace it, the lean against glass at the edge offers a real sense of looking over the edge of the world. We even got to watch a daring wingsuit jumper leap from the cliff and literally fly down the side of the mountain. It was incredible! I would have loved to spend more time here but given our early embarkation time and the need to catch the shuttle back to the ship, we headed back down and as it turned out got back to the ship with plenty of time to spare. DH headed back onboard while I did a little shopping at the stores near the dock and then reluctantly made my last walk in Norway to rejoin the Sky. However, the wonderful people of Olden have a tradition of sending ships off in the most spectacular manner – waving the Norwegian Flag and playing “Con te Partiro” aka " Time to Say Goodbye”. As we were sailing away, residents in the homes and businesses near the port also came out to wave at us, wave flags, and even giant waving hands and we even got treated to a rendition of Dire Straits’ “Walk of Life”. It was such a glorious and joyous way to part with our last Norway port as we began our long trip out of Njordfjord under a shining sun and brilliant blue sky. I must admit that I may have shed a tear or two. But there was still more to come because, knowing it would take us nearly three hours to fully traverse the fjord back to the open ocean, this was the night I had scheduled our Balcony Dinner. This was a first for us and I had really taken pains to try to pick the right day – but one never knows what the weather will offer when making plans. Fate was on my side, though, and I honestly could not have picked a better evening. Our wait team arrived right on time at 5:30 p.m. and immediately went about setting up the table on our spacious balcony and serving us our cocktails – we opted for the 24k Gold Margaritas. Soon we were comfortably seated at our lovely table sailing through the sunny fjord and enjoying amazing personal service and course after course of wonderful food and champagne. It was beyond anything I had even imagined when I first conceived the idea and a great birthday gift for DH, who would get even more celebrating in the next day on his actual birthday. We finished our dessert just 15 minutes or so before we finally reached the end of the fjord and started our sail back out to the ocean, so the timing worked out perfectly. Our cups were truly running over – filled with wonderful food and drink, spectacular scenery all around, and capping off nearly two weeks of exploring one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been. How blessed we are that this Norwegian adventure had given us all we could have asked and more! Next: Sea Day and Bruges

Alesund and a change of plans: As cruise lovers, we all know the great advantage of cruising is having your floating resort take you far and wide, covering highlights across a wide range of travel destinations. That is the supreme advantage. The downside, which we all face, is that at many of these wonderful destinations, you can’t possibly do all you might want to do in a single port day. When we were planning our cruise, the port of Alesund presented us with one of these dilemmas. I could tell doing my research that this picturesque city had a lot to offer with its interesting history and beautiful Art Nouveau architecture. But just a tour away was the draw of the Trollstigen, or Troll Road, with its 11 hairpin turns down the famous road to the towering cliffs of the Trollveggen, or Troll Wall, below. The opportunity to drive that famous road was a huge draw as well, but the nearly 8-hour bus trip meant that we would not get to spend any time in Alesund. Ultimately, the draw of the Troll Road won out and we scheduled with Norway Excursions. We were content with this decision and looking forward with excitement to getting the chance to experience such a unique drive. The first inkling that there might be a hitch in that plan came on our port day in Geiranger when our tour guide mentioned as we were climbing the shorter, but equally as winding Eagle Road, that it was nice we were experiencing this since the Trollstigen had just been closed. When I asked her for further information, she shared the closure was due to concerns over falling rocks along the road and had been in the news that morning. Living in Southern California, we know all about road closures due to rockslides, and in most cases, they are addressed quickly and are short lived, so I rationalized that since we still had almost a full week before our port day in Alesund, the road would surely be open by then. But sadly, that was not to be the case. Within a couple of days, we received an email from the tour operator informing us the road had been closed for the entire summer season. So, not only would we not be driving the Troll Road, we also would not make it to Trollveggen to view the enormous cliffs. In all honesty, those were our two main reasons for booking the trip. We appreciated that they were moving forward with an altered tour, spending time at some of the other scenic sites on the way and the overlook of the road, but in the end we just couldn’t justify giving up our entire day in Alesund and spending such a long time on a bus without the main attraction. Instead, we opted to pivot, cancel that tour, and once again, as in Trondheim, become our own tour guides. With high hopes and a beautiful blue-sky day, we were off the ship bright and early ready for a self-made adventure. Our first stop was the Atlantic Sea Life Park, a wonderful aquarium located seaside in a gorgeous setting that may just rival the Monterey Bay Aquarium for its surrounding natural beauty. We easily caught an Uber over and arrived shortly after the 9 a.m. opening in an effort to get ahead of any crowds. We had ample time to leisurely enjoy all the different tanks and exhibits, and weren’t even put off by the very exuberant group of young local children who were running amok, virtually unattended by their teen camp counselors who seemed content to let them do as they pleased as long as no one was bleeding or throwing their chums into a tank with the sting rays. We particularly enjoyed the king crab tank, large main tank featuring multiple species of local fish, and of course the penguin enclosure. After spending a couple of hours enjoying the tranquil sea life and high-spirited children, we caught an Uber back to the harbor in Alesund for our next stop at the Fisheries Museum. Full disclosure, my DH owns a fishing business and runs two commercial lobster vessels in California, so whenever we travel, we are always very interested in the local commercial fishing scene and history. The museum was housed in an old fish processing warehouse at the docks and was very interesting and worth the visit. After spending some time there, we took a walk along the harbor to the small lighthouse and then headed into town, wandering the cobblestone streets admiring the beautiful architecture that resulted when the city had to be almost completely rebuilt after a fire burned it to the ground in 1904. It was as a result of this they chose to use the Art Nouveau style for all of the architecture. These stunning buildings lining each side of the canal running through the town create an exceptionally beautiful panorama, especially on such a sunny and picture-perfect day. We found a lovely spot along the canal to eat outside at Jafs, which boasted it serves “Probably the World’s Best Fish and Chips”. They were in fact quite good but given we haven’t tried them all over the world, we can’t quite determine if it is a true statement. A large number of our fellow ship passengers who were Brits seemed to be enthusiastically enjoying the food here as well, so that seemed a good sign. After lunch we caught the tiny train in town that tours around the city, but most importantly takes passengers up to the Mount Aksla Overlook where you can see for miles and get incredible views of Alesund and the surrounding islands. It was nice to hear the commentary that provided more information on the town’s history, particularly the devastating fire that ended up creating the lovely city that exists today. After the train ride and a bit more exploring through the local shops as we meandered back to the ship, we felt fully satisfied we had made the right call for our day and truly created a tour that will leave us with lasting memories of such a charming and unique destination. The Troll Road will just have to wait for another visit someday. As we sailed away, we enjoyed another excellent meal in the MDR with our fab wait team and then finally saw our luck change with a trivia win at the Broadway/West End trivia challenge. As a lifelong theatre nerd who raised a musical theatre actress, this subject area tends to be my best odds and sure enough we managed a perfect score and walked away with some prized Princess notepads. All around a winning day. Next: Olden and a fond farewell to Norway

Have to agree with this. Seems like much more variety and I really don’t remember hot items prior to COVID, but on all of our recent cruises there has been sausage rolls and deep fried breaded shrimp in addition to all the cold items, crudités, cheeses, and other small bites. I love how they are putting some of the offerings in small individual serving containers as well. Definitely feels a bit more upscale of late.

Yes, RSV feels like a likely call on this one. There were plenty of people coughing and sneezing in all directions. A few people wore masks, but most did not. I considered bringing some along - mainly for the elevators and theatre which feel like high risk areas. The theatre was pretty packed for every performance we attended. And of course we were on some tour buses as well where it is also germ central. Feeling much better today - just a little residual cough. Knock on wood, DH seems to have avoided it so far. Fingers crossed!

Sea Day and Trondheim: After our day in Honningsvag, we enjoyed a beautiful sail away under the midnight sun. After dinner, we spent time on our balcony searching for whales and were rewarded with a few sightings – mostly blows and backs, but still fun to see some wildlife. We always bring binoculars with us on every cruise – sometimes we use them more than others, but we were very happy to have them on this trip. As we moved into our next sea day, we got another gentle warning from Commodore Nash that we would once again be experiencing some high seas on our way to Trondheim the following day. Let the rocking and rolling begin! Sea days are always a nice chance to relax, and we did plenty of that, along with the usual trivia, tea, and casino fun. But we were really looking forward to Trondheim and experiencing a different type of port day where we had no tour booked, but just a plan to explore the city on our own. We put on our best walking shoes and set out, map in hand, ready to see all this lovely city has to offer, and it didn’t disappoint. The old saying goes that even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes, and today we were the squirrels and Trondheim offered us a basket of nuts. As elders born on the cusp of Gen X and Baby Boomer eras, one would think we had maintained some basic map reading skills, but after years of using our devices our map expertise was rather rusty. Good thing we weren’t on the Amazing Race. But thankfully, Trondheim is a very nicely planned and intuitive city, and we just kept running into the very landmarks we were seeking starting with the charming flower and umbrella lined avenue of buildings and shops close to the beginning of our walk into town. It made for some lovely photo opportunities. We then ran right into Stiftsgarden palace, a royal residence that is one of the largest wooden buildings in Northern Europe. It is certainly not Buckingham Palace, but quite lovely and we strolled through the garden and admired the building and fountain. Unfortunately as it is closed on Mondays, we were unable to go inside. But we checked another box on our list of things we wanted to see on our self-guided tour. As we strolled on from here, we managed to stumble into the large central square featuring a monument honoring King Olav Tryggvason, the city’s founder. It’s quite an impressive site at the top of a towering obelisk. The city had hosted a large summer solstice festival over the weekend, so we got to see the remnants as the workers were clearing out the square. Looks like a great time was had by all – so impressive how clean it already was after what must have been a very crowded event, but we had come to see in all of our ports how much pride and care is taken in all of these communities. And then, lo and behold, as we continued forward, the main goal of our ramble appeared before us – Nidaros Cathedral. What a beauty! There has been a church on that site since 1070, although rebuilt multiple times due to fires. It’s built over the burial site of King Olav II, patron saint of Norway, and is the location for the coronation of Norwegian kings. Once again, luck was with us as we happened to arrive just in time for the morning “tour” in English – which was really more of a historical talk and guide through the highlights around us, but very informative. It always helps to have some perspective on everything you are seeing around you. Inside and out, the cathedral is quite impressive. We then walked next door to the Archbishop’s Palace and museum which was also very interesting, and we got to view the Crown Jewels of Norway. All in all, this stop was a highlight of our day in Trondheim and we appreciated the nice café there where we continued our waffle and pastry tour of Norway. Heading off in our same hapless fashion, we managed to point ourselves in the right direction to run into Gamle Bybro, or the Old Town Bridge, which dates back to 1681. It is a lovely bridge that offers wonderful views in each direction and leads you over into an older section of town lined with shops, restaurants, and cobblestone streets. We wandered happily here before crossing back over on another bridge and heading back into the main area of town. At this point, we had basically given up on even trying to follow the map and just decided that we were destined to find our way by magic. And that we did, hitting the square with the government buildings and music museum next, followed by the Church of Our Lady, which dates back to the 12th century. All of this guided us right back to the main thoroughfare where we casually made our way back to the ship, shopping at the numerous vintage stores along the way and picking up a couple of treasures to remind us of our day. As we approached the entrance to re-board the ship, DH realized that his medallion had mysteriously disappeared from the pocket of his jeans where he keeps it, being much too cool to wear a lanyard or wristband. We searched his jacket pockets and backpack, but it was gone – no doubt somewhere on the kind streets of Trondheim that had guided us so thoughtfully all day. I was not amused and offered to leave him one credit card and meet him back home, but came around and offered to own him at security where he had to report like a naughty schoolboy and be guided through by a very nice guard who helped him get back on the ship where he immediately went to Guest Services and replaced his medallion. As it turned out, this was his third one as the first we replaced on the second day when the battery appeared to be failing. As we trudged our tired feet back to our room, he checked our step counter and realized we had gone over 20,000 steps for the day. Woo Hoo! Full dessert tonight, baby! Sailing out of Trondheim was another lovely experience through a small fjord lined with charming hamlets all along the way and ending with a couple of lighthouses and beautiful sunset. Another great day in Norway! Next: Alesund and a change of plans

It really was an wonderful cruise. Definitely one we will count among our very favorites. I'm so sorry you got the dreaded C bug! I myself woke up the day after getting home with a fever, congestion, and cough. I was certain it had got me again - the other two times both being immediately following cruises. But I tested negative over several days so it must be some other garden variety virus circulating onboard, but still no fun. I'm feeling better now - hope you are too!

Thank you! I love taking the opportunity for myself to preserve my travel memories and hopefully help others who may be considering a similar itinerary. This one definitely merited commemoration!

Thank you! I always enjoy your reviews as well!

Honningsvag and North Cape: We finally reached our northernmost port, the quaint small town of Honningsvag perched at the northern end of Norway. It was a clear, but very cold morning as we exited the ship ready to meet our tour operators, Blue Puffin, for our trip through the frozen tundra to North Cape (Nordkapp), the northernmost point in Europe. It was definitely a layer up, warm cap and gloves kind of day, but thankfully no rain or wind. We met our tour guide in the designated parking area just adjacent to the port and boarded our comfortable bus for our 45 minute drive to the North Cape. Our tour guide was excellent – a local resident she really provided great commentary on the area and everything we were going to see during our tour. She was very excited to get us to North Cape as soon as possible as the sun was out and the weather was clear – I would understand this better later in the morning. On the way we passed through beautiful landscapes of frozen tundra, icy lakes, and spotted several reindeer herds. Once we arrived at North Cape, we were told we had 90 minutes there to enjoy the sites and visitor center. We headed right to the point where the famous globe is situated for the requisite selfies and photos of the globe and the towering cliffs surrounding the area. It is absolutely mind boggling that the first Europeans to discover the spot trudged up those cliffs for tea and champagne at the edge of Europe – the women in big heavy dresses! The views were beautiful and as promised it was clear and we could see for miles in all directions. After spending some time at the point, we headed inside the visitors center to explore the exhibits, watch the movie about the North Cape, and also visit the northernmost chapel in Europe in the basement of the center. Much of it is built underground to protect it from the intense winds that have demolished previous structures there. When we came back upstairs to the main area where the shop and café were located, we were stunned to look outside and see – nothing! The cloud cover had rolled in so heavily that visibility was practically zero. Now I understood the urgency to get us there while the sun was out and sky was clear. We picked up a couple of items in the gift shop, including a few postcards that we mailed from the special postal box there and then sat down for a warm waffle and hot chocolate in the café. We ventured out once more to experience the point in the now almost complete cloud cover and it was an entirely different experience as you can see from the photo below. Back on the road toward Honningsvag we made a few stops along the way. First, at the Sami encampment where we learned more about their culture and how they raise reindeer and bring them there to graze each summer. The gentleman in traditional costume is the grandson of a local Sami family who comes back every year to help with the business. The rest of the year he is a dentist! We made a small purchase there that was locally crafted and supported the local community which is always the best kind of souvenir. Our next two stops were at small local fishing villages where we got some insight into the importance of the commercial fishing industry locally – particularly the harvesting of King Crab which is actually considered an invasive species in Norway. It was a great tour and we left with such appreciation for the local people and culture. Back in Honningsvag, we took a nice walk around the town which was pretty easy since it is quite small. We enjoyed some traditional pastries at a local bakery and just generally enjoyed the sunny weather and small-town charm of the area. It’s a hard-core existence there in the winter and you can tell there is a real sense of community and neighbor helping neighbor which was very refreshing and we appreciated the warm and friendly welcome we received at each stop along the way. And choosing Blue Puffin, a locally owned and operated tour company was definitely the right decision. Next: Sea Day and Trondheim

Yes, by all means! Edit away! Haha! Commodore Nash is a gem. We have sailed with him on several previous cruises and it is very nice that as the senior officer in the fleet he has been recognized with the commodore title. Like you say, he is old school in the best way and I was so pleased when I learned he would be our captain for this trip!