flossie009

This morning there was a “Blue Nose” ceremony to celebrate our having crossed the Arctic Circle. The Norse Gods & attendants arrived in style before a rousing rendition of “Let it be!” from Frozen. Then for some hardy souls it was the ritual of cold water over the head, a glass of something warming and a blue nose 🥶

Then it was off to the main event, the music museum Our guide led us round the old house, playing various keyboards on the way After a short piano recital in the converted cow shed we were left to explore other parts of the museum with its impressive collection of instruments The obligatory gift shop had suitably themed offerings

Yesterday the weather was very kind again, with it only starting to rain just as we returned from our excursion in Trondheim. First stop was the impressive cathedral Some very strange sculptures in the museum grounds opposite Not sure that we were any the wiser having read the title of the work

Much more convenient for those of us in Europe. Thanks Mike 🙂

Yesterday evening there was an early show in the theatre at 6pm featuring one of the Production Cast singers, Sophie. Her first solo spot on board and she gave a very accomplished performance with an enjoyable mix of songs. After a pleasant meal in Prime 7 we were just in time for the Abba Dance Party in Galileo’s, led by the Production Cast. The event was well attended and the dance floor was packed. CD, Dru Pavlov followed up with a 70s disco but for us it was off to bed. Today we are in Trondheim and the weather looks promising for our excursion later.

Stars Lounge is a perfect venue for a pre dinner drink. Just one deck up from Compass Rose, which has an entrance at the rear so not far to go. Stars is outside the lower level entrance to the theatre (Seven Seas Lounge) An excellent auditorium where all seats have an unobstructed view of the stage (a concept that sadly eluded Explorer’s designers 🙄)

We like the layout of La Veranda on Navigator. Always a delicious selection of hot & cold food for lunch There is also the pasta station in the centre and friendly staff will always bring you in something from the Pool Grill if it is too cool to sit out on deck (The ever smiling Kerrrrrrty joined the ship a few days ago) If space becomes an issue they invariably open up the adjacent Prime 7 to provide extra tables.

A new design of Regent pen that we have not seen before That might fall in to our luggage at the end of the cruise 😉

Today we are anchored in the place Captain Aris calls “I can’t pronounce that”, Nordfjordeid. Picturesque and the weather is better than forecast 🙂

It was so good to see you on board. Yes we liked their performance; on a very rocky stage that night. We saw them again last night when they showcased some of the Beatles later work. Very good. We also enjoyed the Production Cast’s first show this cruise a couple of nights ago; a talented group with some good voices. Certainly a good cruise thus far.

Informally arranged through the CC roll call. Someone suggested a time & venue ………… and a number of us met up over a drink before dinner.

Stavangar Our excursion today was a boat trip into Lysefjord. Once our guide had found the boat (🙄), it was a very enjoyable & picturesque trip. We were fortified with a stop for coffee & waffles on the way back ………. but we still had room for a delicious lunch in La Veranda on our return 😋

Kristiansand A war relic The old town David went to visit a preserved artillery piece from the era of the German occupation of Norway during WW2 Said to be the second largest canon in the world it was capable of firing an 800kg shell over 50 km. Although there were many test firings it was never used in combat. Krupp engineering (a bit bigger than our coffee maker!)

Some photos from the first days of the cruise: Gothenburgh In the morning we took an interesting tour to Tjoloholm Manor, about an hour from the City. Record breaking rainfall in the preceding days meant that the driver had to take some detours to avoid the flooded main route. Avery good guide showed us around this interesting 1904 country mansion. In the afternoon we found that the Volvo Museum was only a short walk from the ship, so we went to have a look round ……….. and were glad we did …….. you can see our ship through the window

We are sailing from Copenhagen to Amsterdam on this lovely little ship. We were up early on Tuesday for our 07:15 BA flight from London Heathrow to Copenhagen. A short and smooth flight but it was touch & go landing due to the very high winds; fortunately we touched down successfully on the second attempt 😱 Many officers & crew who we have not met before, but they are all friendly and efficient as usual on Regent. A good turn out for the CC meet up in the Navigator Lounge on the first evening; it was nice to be able to put some faces & names to those who have been posting on the roll-call. Hopefully some will contribute to this intermittent blog. Weather has been changeable thus far; yesterday in Kristiansand was the best - sunny & warm 😎

We just joined Navigator in Copenhagen and I Kadek was lead sommelier in Compass Rose last night.

@cruiseej, During your cruise speak to Destinations and/or the Exec Concierge on board to explain your plans. They can then confirm arrangements with their agent in Reykjavik to ensure no issues with your hotel check-in and airport transfer,

........ and post-cruise packages. Regent will transport you to the airport even if you booked your own flight.

We have always booked our cruises through leading UK Travel Agents specialising in cruise travel and invariably have received a discount on the cruise line advertised prices. The amount of the discount depends on the cruise line and how generous they are with the TA commission The TA that we have used for the past few years has given us excellent service (even through the very difficult times of the pandemic) and offers significant discounts. I understood that price fixing is illegal in the UK. Any company involved should be reported to the CMA UK CMA advice UK CMA blog IMO it is always worth ringing around a few TAs to see what discount, or other perks, they might be able to offer for the cruise in which you are interested. Some TAs have special deals on specific cruises from certain cruise lines. Obviously carry out due diligence on the reputation of the TA you are considering before proceeding (e.g. ABTA & ATOL registration; Trustpilot & other reviews; TA's Ts&Cs) The CC Article on UK Travel Agents is a useful start but still do your own careful checks on exactly what the TA is offering.

I do hope you get your refund (plus suitable compensation) soon. I don't know whether your booking was sold to you by your TA as a "Package" (i.e. including flights or other elements). If so then it may be worth reminding them that legally they are obliged to refund you within 14 days of the cancellation and that your refund should have been provided by them irrespective of whether they had received funds from Explora. (see Guidance from UK CMA) As your TA is a major UK travel company they can withstand a delay in receiving funds from Explora much easier than you can.

@Critically Cruising, What you describe regarding rebates is I understand a normal arrangement for cruises booked in North America. However, in the U.K. TAs usually offer their discounts up front so the customer receives the full benefit at final payment stage, some months before the cruise. Maybe I should have said ……. it sounds like an odd arrangement for a U.K. travel agent to offer .

We have enjoyed a few Holiday cruises on Regent ships. Below is a link to our live blog from last Christmas / New Year:

Are you saying that your TA discounted the cruise fare but has told you that you cannot have that discount until after the cruise? If so it sounds like a very odd arrangement 🤔

Explora, and their owner MSC, are both registered with ABTA and ATOL (as are most cruise companies); so no less protection if the credit card payment is processed by the cruise line rather than a third party If your TA took your credit card payment and has not yet provided you with the refund that is overdue, I am not sure why you are reluctant to raise a credit card chargeback or section 75 claim. How & when your TA recovers the money from Explora is not your problem.

Not all U.K. TAs operate in that way. With ours, although we ring our TA to process payments, the credit card entry is shown as direct to the cruise line. This makes it simpler & quicker when refunds are due (evidenced during the pandemic) In the case of a dispute it can be difficult to make a successful credit card claim if payment was made via a third party. Hope you get your refund soon and that you are successful in claiming any extra expenses you incurred as a result of the late cancellation. Have you contacted the cruise line direct, with a formal complaint & claim, rather than just through your TA? I am somewhat confused as to why anyone needed your bank details if your payment was made by credit card? Hope that your experience doesn’t indicate evidence of “style over substance” with Explora.