Back From Marina

[Benita]

We returned yesterday from the "Route of the Vikings", a two week Marina cruise that went from Copenhagen, to three ports in Norway, to the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, two ports in Iceland, the Isle of Man, and two ports in Iceland, ending in Dover. The hardest thing about the cruise was keeping the currency straight, as we had to change dollars for Danish kroners, then kroners for Norwegian kroners, then their kroners for British pounds, then back to Danish kroners, then to Icelandic kroners,then back to British pounds, then to Euros and finally back to pounds and then dollars.

The Marina is a beautiful ship - we loved to stroll around, just looking at the artwork and furnishings. The Penthouse cabin I was assigned (thanks to my successful entry into the Oceania Itinerary Idol contest last year) was fabulous. A great walk in closet, lots of drawer space, and comfortable dining area made it hard to leave. The only drawback, which is the same I have heard from previous passengers, is the amazingly small shower. To make matters worse, there is a small soap dish, made out of metal, with gaps, so the soap spends more time on the floor than in the dish and there is no room for shampoo, razors, etc. I suggested on my mid cruise response card that they add a second dish, or put a pole in the bathtub, so the shower head can be moved up and people can shower in the tub.

The food on the cruise was wonderful - we ate in all venues and loved them all. The specialty restaurants were all great - I preferred Red Ginger and Jaques, but my husband liked Toscana. The main dining room was beautiful and the service excellent - if the menu was not to our liking, we went up to the buffet and had lobster tails and lamb chops, which were always on that menu. Afternoon tea was elegant and the canapes in the afternoon added to my weight gain. The chocolate shakes in Waves were amazing and the coffee bar by the library was a regular stop.

Oceania is not known for their entertainment and the Marina did not change this. There was a husband and wife team who performed three or four times - which was three or four times too many. A pianist came on for the last couple of days and she was fantastic. The ship's singers and dancers did their best.

We booked private excursions in almost all ports- you can accomplish so much more sightseeing in a small group than on a large bus, so I can't say much about the Destination Services. The ship's excursions, however, were very pricey compared to other lines and to booking it ourselves, but the people who took them seemed happy with the experience. Many were disappointed that excursions were sold out before they had a chance to book them - for example the Flam railway was fully booked before embarkation due to internet bookings.

All said, we love Oceania and will be back on the Regatta in August for Alaska and on the new Riviera next year for their Canary Island cruise. With so many repeat passengers, we know Oceania is doing lots of things right. Now, if I could just lose 20 pounds and fit more comfortably in the shower-LOL

[Paulchili]

Thank you for the report - glad you had a good time.

[charleylake]

Enjoyed your cruise Review and glad it was so successful!

 

Could you give me the names of who you used for your private tours and which ports you could see on your own. We will be doing the same cruise next June and would love any help you might offer in planning. Did you ever need a real "coat"? thanks so much --

 

Charleylake

[Benita]

You are in for a treat - it really is a great itinerary.

In Kristiansand, we went to the Resistance Museum, which is in the old Gestopo headquarters. The curator of the museum opened it for us - it is normally closed on Saturdays and gave us an excellent presentation. Other than that, we walked around the town - nothing much there, but a pretty walk.

In Flam, we were notified that we were not going to be able to sail to Gudvangen in the afternoon - pretty sketchy reasons, but the general thought was that the Marina was too big to fit through the fjord. We had planned on the ship's railroad excursion - the only way to get on the sold out railway and be back for a noon departure. I had arranged for a man in Gudvangen to meet and take a group of 14 in a small bus up the roads to the Stallheim hotel, but that had to be cancelled. The web site was http://www.visitgudvangen.com and the owner was a man named Johnny.

We had been to Bergen a few years ago. We wanted to take the local bus to one of the local mountains to take a cable car to the top, but it was too foggy. We walked over to the SAS hotel and took a local walking tour, which included entry into most of the museums. If you have not been there before, there is a funicular to the top of Mt. Floyen and the other site of interest is the home of Edvard Grieg, the composer.

In the Shetland Islands, I had arranged for a private tour with Roy Greenwald, who owns Shetland Small Group tours - http://www.shetlandtour.co.uk and this was a true highlight. For 40 pounds a a person, (about $65 US), he took 6 of us in a van around the southern tip of the island, stopping to see the ponies and the puffins. It was a fabulous afternoon.

In the Faroe Islands, a group of about 20 of us went on a boat ride around the Vestmann sea cliffs - as there was so many of us, the company sent a bus to pick us up at the pier. The web site was http://www.puffin.fo and the cost was about $50 for the boat ride and $20 for the bus. The ships tour was $100 more and was shorter.

In Isafjordur, we took the ship's excursion to the Island of Vigur - saw lots more puffins as well as the home of the island's only inhabitants. The only way to get there was through Oceania, as they chartered all the boats to get there. It was a great day.

We had been to Reykjavik last year, so elected to walk around the town - the weather was glorious, so it was lovely. I would recommend going to the Golden Circle.

Our itinerary was changed, as we were due to be in Belfast on July 12, which is the anniversary of the Protestant defeat of the Catholics in the 1600s and is celebrated each year with bonfires and flag burning, and unfortunately riots, so we went on July 11th instead and Portee was skipped, with the Isle of Man replacing it on July 12. Belfast was another highlight. We went to the Giants Causeway and rope bridge and then to see the murals from the times of turmoil. As the bonfires were being built then, and the tensions rising, we did not stay long, but it was a fascinating visit. W used http://www.belfasttaxitours.com but loads of people used the Black Taxi service

In the Isle of Man, we bought a day pass for the trains for about 15 pounds ($25) and went on the electric Manx train to Laxey and visited the water wheel and then took the steam train to the top of the mountain. Man is a charming island.

In Dublin, we used Tour Dublin - http://www.tourdublin.ie and took a van for 6 of us to explore the countryside and Powerscourt Gardens as well as a city tour.

When in Dover, we hired a woman named Jane Martin - http://www.toursoftherealm.com who lives in Canterbury. She picked my husband and I and our luggage up at the ship and spent the day driving through the countryside, visiting Canterbury, Leeds Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover. We had lunch in a charming small town at its pub. We arrived at our Heathrow Airport hotel around 5pm.

As far as clothing, my advice is to layer. I would wear a light shirt and over it a cotton sweater and over it a fleece zippered jacket and over that a Gortex raincoat. That was seldom necessary - most of the time the shirt and the fleece was enough, but it can get chilly, expecially in Norway.

[charleylake]

Thank You so much for all the information. Sounds like we have lots to look forward to. Our itinerary is slightly different as we go to Oslo and end in Copenhagen. Hope we have your weather.

Charleylake

[Ricky Chan]

We returned yesterday from the "Route of the Vikings", a two week Marina cruise that went from Copenhagen, to three ports in Norway, to the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, two ports in Iceland, the Isle of Man, and two ports in Iceland, ending in Dover. The hardest thing about the cruise was keeping the currency straight, as we had to change dollars for Danish kroners, then kroners for Norwegian kroners, then their kroners for British pounds, then back to Danish kroners, then to Icelandic kroners,then back to British pounds, then to Euros and finally back to pounds and then dollars.

The Marina is a beautiful ship - we loved to stroll around, just looking at the artwork and furnishings. The Penthouse cabin I was assigned (thanks to my successful entry into the Oceania Itinerary Idol contest last year) was fabulous. A great walk in closet, lots of drawer space, and comfortable dining area made it hard to leave. The only drawback, which is the same I have heard from previous passengers, is the amazingly small shower. To make matters worse, there is a small soap dish, made out of metal, with gaps, so the soap spends more time on the floor than in the dish and there is no room for shampoo, razors, etc. I suggested on my mid cruise response card that they add a second dish, or put a pole in the bathtub, so the shower head can be moved up and people can shower in the tub.

The food on the cruise was wonderful - we ate in all venues and loved them all. The specialty restaurants were all great - I preferred Red Ginger and Jaques, but my husband liked Toscana. The main dining room was beautiful and the service excellent - if the menu was not to our liking, we went up to the buffet and had lobster tails and lamb chops, which were always on that menu. Afternoon tea was elegant and the canapes in the afternoon added to my weight gain. The chocolate shakes in Waves were amazing and the coffee bar by the library was a regular stop.

Oceania is not known for their entertainment and the Marina did not change this. There was a husband and wife team who performed three or four times - which was three or four times too many. A pianist came on for the last couple of days and she was fantastic. The ship's singers and dancers did their best.

We booked private excursions in almost all ports- you can accomplish so much more sightseeing in a small group than on a large bus, so I can't say much about the Destination Services. The ship's excursions, however, were very pricey compared to other lines and to booking it ourselves, but the people who took them seemed happy with the experience. Many were disappointed that excursions were sold out before they had a chance to book them - for example the Flam railway was fully booked before embarkation due to internet bookings.

All said, we love Oceania and will be back on the Regatta in August for Alaska and on the new Riviera next year for their Canary Island cruise. With so many repeat passengers, we know Oceania is doing lots of things right. Now, if I could just lose 20 pounds and fit more comfortably in the shower-LOL

 

Benita:

 

Buffet restaurant has menu? And it serves lobster tail and lamb chops every night? That is really good news. We will sail on Regatta next June. Can't wait.

 

Ricky

[Paulchili]

Benita:

 

Buffet restaurant has menu? And it serves lobster tail and lamb chops every night? That is really good news. We will sail on Regatta next June. Can't wait.

 

Ricky

 

Sorry to disappoint you. The lobster, etc is served nightly but only on the Marina Terrace Cafe ( not on the R ships):mad:

Change your cruise to sail on the Marina/Riviera :)

[Oceans&Rivers]

In Flam, we were notified that we were not going to be able to sail to Gudvangen in the afternoon - pretty sketchy reasons, but the general thought was that the Marina was too big to fit through the fjord. We had planned on the ship's railroad excursion - the only way to get on the sold out railway and be back for a noon departure. I had arranged for a man in Gudvangen to meet and take a group of 14 in a small bus up the roads to the Stallheim hotel, but that had to be cancelled.

 

I'm sorry to read that you were not able to sail to Gudvangen. That port is a highlight on one of Marina's itineraries next year, too.

 

As for "sketchy reasons," well, I guess a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

Here's the huge Crown Princess in Gudvangen (at least according to the title of the photo on Shipspotting):

 

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1348341

[Oceans&Rivers]

Sorry to disappoint you. The lobster, etc is served nightly but only on the Marina Terrace Cafe ( not on the R ships):mad:

Change your cruise to sail on the Marina/Riviera :)

 

It would be easier (and most appreciated) if the lobster and lamb chops could simply be added to the Terrace Café menu on the R ships. :)

[Dmgmd50]

Benita: Enjoyed your report. The ship sounds wonderful

 

How is the weather in Boca now? Getting the much needed rain.

[Paulchili]

It would be easier (and most appreciated) if the lobster and lamb chops could simply be added to the Terrace Café menu on the R ships. :)

 

 

Unfortunately, it's a matter of not enough space for a large grill station on the R ships; the grill serves lobster tails, jumbo shrimps, steaks, lamb chops, sausage, fish, grilled veggies, pasta station, stri-fry, etc. That takes up a lot of space that the R ships do not have (unfortunately)

[sweep]

I know this is very subjective and varies quite a lot with the outside temperature, but how did you find the ambient temperature in the dining rooms and public rooms?

 

So often when I cruise I find the air conditioning turned up so high that I need jackets for the evening. I am in the middle of packing for my upcoming cruise on Marina and your answer will influence my decision on what to pack to a certain extent.

 

Thanks

 

Sweep

[Benita]

The dining room was perfectly comfortable. I wore light shirts - no need for a sweater. My husband usually wore cotton dress shirts.

I only wish the weather in Boca was like most of the cruise. The pool was filled when we came home which means lots of (albeit much needed) rain. It was in the 90s yesterday and humid - back to a South Florida summer.

[yorkiemomjn]

The dining room was perfectly comfortable. I wore light shirts - no need for a sweater. My husband usually wore cotton dress shirts.

I only wish the weather in Boca was like most of the cruise. The pool was filled when we came home which means lots of (albeit much needed) rain. It was in the 90s yesterday and humid - back to a South Florida summer.

 

Benita,

Be thankful you do not live in Texas. We have been in the l00's (l07 high the other day) and no rain!! :eek:

[Benita]

I'm sorry to read that you were not able to sail to Gudvangen. That port is a highlight on one of Marina's itineraries next year, too.

 

As for "sketchy reasons," well, I guess a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

Here's the huge Crown Princess in Gudvangen (at least according to the title of the photo on Shipspotting):

 

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1348341

 

The picture in is Flam - the name of the boat passing the Princess is Gudvangen, which is a ferry between Flam and Gudvangen. The Princess is too large to sail down the fjord towards Gudvangen. The large ships dock or tender in Flam and passengers take the ferries to Gudvangen and back (or one way and are bussed back to Flam).

[Leonid]

We returned yesterday from the "Route of the Vikings", a two week Marina cruise that went from Copenhagen, to three ports in Norway, to the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, two ports in Iceland, the Isle of Man, and two ports in Iceland, ending in Dover. The hardest thing about the cruise was keeping the currency straight, as we had to change dollars for Danish kroners, then kroners for Norwegian kroners, then their kroners for British pounds, then back to Danish kroners, then to Icelandic kroners,then back to British pounds, then to Euros and finally back to pounds and then dollars.

The Marina is a beautiful ship - we loved to stroll around, just looking at the artwork and furnishings. The Penthouse cabin I was assigned (thanks to my successful entry into the Oceania Itinerary Idol contest last year) was fabulous. A great walk in closet, lots of drawer space, and comfortable dining area made it hard to leave. The only drawback, which is the same I have heard from previous passengers, is the amazingly small shower. To make matters worse, there is a small soap dish, made out of metal, with gaps, so the soap spends more time on the floor than in the dish and there is no room for shampoo, razors, etc. I suggested on my mid cruise response card that they add a second dish, or put a pole in the bathtub, so the shower head can be moved up and people can shower in the tub.

The food on the cruise was wonderful - we ate in all venues and loved them all. The specialty restaurants were all great - I preferred Red Ginger and Jaques, but my husband liked Toscana. The main dining room was beautiful and the service excellent - if the menu was not to our liking, we went up to the buffet and had lobster tails and lamb chops, which were always on that menu. Afternoon tea was elegant and the canapes in the afternoon added to my weight gain. The chocolate shakes in Waves were amazing and the coffee bar by the library was a regular stop.

Oceania is not known for their entertainment and the Marina did not change this. There was a husband and wife team who performed three or four times - which was three or four times too many. A pianist came on for the last couple of days and she was fantastic. The ship's singers and dancers did their best.

We booked private excursions in almost all ports- you can accomplish so much more sightseeing in a small group than on a large bus, so I can't say much about the Destination Services. The ship's excursions, however, were very pricey compared to other lines and to booking it ourselves, but the people who took them seemed happy with the experience. Many were disappointed that excursions were sold out before they had a chance to book them - for example the Flam railway was fully booked before embarkation due to internet bookings.

All said, we love Oceania and will be back on the Regatta in August for Alaska and on the new Riviera next year for their Canary Island cruise. With so many repeat passengers, we know Oceania is doing lots of things right. Now, if I could just lose 20 pounds and fit more comfortably in the shower-LOL

 

Great post. See you on 8/26...north, to Alaska!!

[Oceans&Rivers]

The picture in is Flam - the name of the boat passing the Princess is Gudvangen, which is a ferry between Flam and Gudvangen. The Princess is too large to sail down the fjord towards Gudvangen. The large ships dock or tender in Flam and passengers take the ferries to Gudvangen and back (or one way and are bussed back to Flam).

 

Thanks for pointing that out to me. I am unable to read the small print on the ferry that shows the name, but further checking shows there is indeed a ferry called Gudvangen. I think if there is enough time in port, I would rather take a small passenger ferry between Gudvangen and Flåm anyway.

 

Here's a link to a ships and ferry forum which has lots of wonderful pictures of vessels in the gorgeous Norwegian fjords. I hope it brings you fond memories of the time you spent there:

 

http://shipsforum.dk/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=5738&view=next&sid=9ebc055465c0a34b9218178ba43d9451t=5738&view=next&sid=9ebc055465c0a34b9218178ba43d9451

[Benita]

Thanks for pointing that out to me. I am unable to read the small print on the ferry that shows the name, but further checking shows there is indeed a ferry called Gudvangen. I think if there is enough time in port, I would rather take a small passenger ferry between Gudvangen and Flåm anyway.

 

Here's a link to a ships and ferry forum which has lots of wonderful pictures of vessels in the gorgeous Norwegian fjords. I hope it brings you fond memories of the time you spent there:

 

http://shipsforum.dk/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=5738&view=next&sid=9ebc055465c0a34b9218178ba43d9451t=5738&view=next&sid=9ebc055465c0a34b9218178ba43d9451

 

The pictures are gorgeous. My husband and I were fortunate enough to go on a Tauck trip to Norway several years ago which included cruising on several fjords. If we had a warning that we would not reach Gudvangen, I would have taken a ferry there and back and then the train up the mountain in Flam, but as we were notified the night before and had already booked the morning Flam train with Oceania, was unable to do so and arrived back too late for a local ferry. We did, however, book a minibus trip to a beautiful lookout point several miles from Flam called Stegastein. My husband pointed out a gorgeous scene in a poster in the Travel Information building in Flam and the booking agent said there was a bus leaving in an hour, so away we went.

I have always wanted to do the "Norway in a Nutshell". Maybe, next time.

[Oceans&Rivers]

The pictures are gorgeous. My husband and I were fortunate enough to go on a Tauck trip to Norway several years ago which included cruising on several fjords. If we had a warning that we would not reach Gudvangen, I would have taken a ferry there and back and then the train up the mountain in Flam, but as we were notified the night before and had already booked the morning Flam train with Oceania, was unable to do so and arrived back too late for a local ferry. We did, however, book a minibus trip to a beautiful lookout point several miles from Flam called Stegastein. My husband pointed out a gorgeous scene in a poster in the Travel Information building in Flam and the booking agent said there was a bus leaving in an hour, so away we went.

 

I have always wanted to do the "Norway in a Nutshell". Maybe, next time.

 

"Norway in a Nutshell" is something we would love to do, too. We'll have to talk all about this (and Tauck and photography!) when we are on our Alaska cruise together next month. :)

[Benita]

"Norway in a Nutshell" is something we would love to do, too. We'll have to talk all about this (and Tauck and photography!) when we are on our Alaska cruise together next month. :)

 

Sounds good to me, although you will have to find me, as I do not know your name - LOL

[Oceans&Rivers]

Sounds good to me, although you will have to find me, as I do not know your name - LOL

 

Knock. Knock. :)

[Benita]

Knock. Knock. :)

 

OK - I'll join in - Who's there?

[CintiPam]

Thanks for your review, Benita. Glad you enjoyed Marina.

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

The picture in is Flam - the name of the boat passing the Princess is Gudvangen, which is a ferry between Flam and Gudvangen. The Princess is too large to sail down the fjord towards Gudvangen. The large ships dock or tender in Flam and passengers take the ferries to Gudvangen and back (or one way and are bussed back to Flam).

 

I did do a double take seeing that photo of Crown Princess :)

 

Having been to Gudvangen on both Fred. Olsens Black Watch and Boudicca (both former Royal Viking line ships weighing in at a cozy 29000 tons) I know that this branch of the fjord is narrow and at one point there were power cables that were only 10ft or so above the top of the funnel.

 

You could probably get an R ship to Gudvangen but as Benita says Marina wouldn't make it!

[Senior Citizen]

We were supposed to go on Benita's private van tour in Gudvangen and were so disappointed when we were told that the ship would stay in Flam all day rather than transiting to Gudvangen at noon! Since we were informed the evening before our arrival, that didn't leave much time for alternate planning.

 

But, when the Flamsbana train arrived back in Flam, we happened to saunter over to the ticket office for the train/boats and found out that a fjord boat was leaving for Gudvangen in 5 minutes. So we bought tickets and boarded the small boat. I would highly recommend the cruise up to Gudvangen. It's on the UNESCO World Heritage list---absolutely stunning. We rode the bus back to Flam. The fjord does get narrow up near Gudvangen so I believe the story about Marina not being able to fit. Why it took until the night before our journey to figure this out, however, is rather unusual.

 

If you happen to cruise to Bergen before you get into Flam, you can buy $70 tickets for the Flamsbana at the tourist information office (across from the fish market) or at the train station. The ship wanted $155 for the tickets (included coffee at a hotel).

 

In Belfast, I arranged a private tour for 14. The tour company sent a luxurious minibus that had over 30 seats! It even had a set of tables in the middle of the coach! The seats were leather and we were all very happy with the vehicle!!! The cost of the tour was 32 British pounds per person.

 

The tour lasted 9 hours. We started out in the section of Belfast that would be closed off later in the day due to the July 12 celebration. We visited the mural walls and saw the huge bonfires that were being built in various locations (since our ship didn't leave until 11 pm, we could see the bright lights of the bonfires as we left the harbor). We drove down the Antrim coast road and stopped in a small village for photos and their delicious Maud ice cream. The "Poor Bear" flavor was excellent. Then, we stopped for photos at the Cerrick-a-Rede rope bridge and left two members of our group there to cross the bridge. The rest of us went on to Bushmill's for a tasting and then onwards to the Giants Causeway. Our driver/guide went back to pick up the two guys who remained at the rope bridge and brought them to the Giants Causeway. We returned to town and toured the city before being dropped off at the ship. All in all, McComb's Executive Travel & Tours provided one of the most memorable tours we have ever taken. Our driver/guide was very informative and wanted to show us as much of his beloved Ireland as he could during our tour. The sunny, warm day made it all perfect!