LIVE / Sky Princess / June 17th / Land of the Midnight Sun & Summer Solstice 14 Day Cruise

[TenneSea]

3 hours ago, nini said:

 

We purchased a luggage scale. It is small and has a hook onto which you hang the luggage. Because it is so small, you can take it with you. Then you will have no surprises at the airport. When we just did our Norway and Iceland cruise, we would be on 3 different airlines so we needed to go by the weight requirements of the least which I think was Alaska with a max of 55 lbs.

We really enjoyed our flight on Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy. British Airways has really deteriorated.(also Premium Economy)

Thank you.  I do have a luggage scale.  What if their scale is different than yours?  That's why I asked if they weigh your luggage before you board.  I'm glad to hear the trip was enjoyable on Virgin, we're looking forward to it.

[MKKruiser]

20 hours ago, TenneSea said:

Edspec: "For anyone wondering about Virgin Premium Economy we were impressed, not much of a difference between AA first class."

 

Did Virgin weigh your luggage?  We're travelling Upper Class our of Atlanta to Heathrow in August and I'm afraid my luggage will be over by about 1 lb.  

 

[MKKruiser]

Thanks for the comment about Virgin Premium Economy. Have that for my non-stop flight back home - Heathrow to Tampa

Mary Kay

[nini]

37 minutes ago, TenneSea said:

Thank you.  I do have a luggage scale.  What if their scale is different than yours?  That's why I asked if they weigh your luggage before you board.  I'm glad to hear the trip was enjoyable on Virgin, we're looking forward to it.

 

Yes, they do weigh it. We found our scale to be very accurate. If yours is over a bit, then you can move a few things to a carry on bag.

The Virgin Atlantic agent was really a Delta agent at Seatac and he was very warm and charming with a sense of humor. We will definitely fly Virgin Atlantic again!

[Jeter02]

Such a beautiful day walking about all through Ålesund, with its quaint and charming art nouveau architecture all around you. Originally the weather started off with low-lying cloud coverage, but I had extreme high hopes and positive thoughts that it will clear up like the entire trip has where our weather has just been incredible.

 

After I finished my power meal of a breakfast in the dining room I started my morning with my trek up the 418 steps to the Alaska viewpoint. Up here you get amazing views of the town, and you can also see the ships and the distance. If you are concerned about hiking up all those steps there is a walking path that you can take which is slightly easier for some. The views are absolutely spectacular along the entire walk up as well obviously from the very top. I ended up waiting on top for about 40 minutes for the clouds to clear up those low-lying cloud coverage started moving out of the way for the blue sky to shine bright as it did. The weather remained absolutely gorgeous with the blue skies throughout the entire day.

 

Once I was done I decided to go ahead and walk about an hour and a half minutes into the next town to attempt a another hiking trail with a great viewpoint. Unfortunately only to find out the trail is under construction, as  they're possibly building a new path. Therefore I turned around continued my beautiful walk in this glorious cooler weather which was magnificent, and headed back into town to stroll around.

 

The town is absolutely adorable and great for walking around with lots to see with beautiful buildings of architecture and very scenic in its own right. It's definitely a fantastic city to come visit.

 

After about 4 hours of adventure of the day I headed back to the ship to grab some lunch. At Alfredo's they know the routine surprise me on whatever you want to make for me. Today I had the Tarantins pizza, and it was delicious.

 

Dinner I had a very nice menu selection this evening. I started with the parcel bag of Brie which was absolutely delicious The cheese with the jam was excellent. Then I tried a new version of the grilled pineapple which I've never seen on all my princess sailings It was grilled pineapple sitting on top of honey ricotta. This was outstanding and possibly one of my new absolute favorite dishes on princess. Finally they had some fish that I enjoy besides salmon as I'm not a fan of cod or haddock. Tonight they had red snapper and they did a phenomenal job with the entire dish very delicious. Top the night off with the exotic fruit sunshine cake or whatever it may be called. A nice light refreshing dessert and not too heavy which is what I was looking for.

 

Tonight in the main theater is Jenny Williams with a brand new show as she will be singing request that passengers have submitted throughout the cruise. They brought back one of my favorite entertainment activities back on board the Sky Princess, known as the So You Think You Can Dance competition with the officers. This is an absolute fun activity to watch as they pair passengers with crew members in this evening being the officers. Loads of fun to be had all around.

 

Tomorrow we will be visiting Olden as our last Port of call within Norway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Jeter02

[Fortunate 2 travel]

Amazing photos.  

[Jeter02]

11 minutes ago, Fortunate 2 travel said:

Amazing photos.  

Thank you! ❤️

[Wblotner]

3 hours ago, TenneSea said:

Thank you.  I do have a luggage scale.  What if their scale is different than yours?  That's why I asked if they weigh your luggage before you board.  I'm glad to hear the trip was enjoyable on Virgin, we're looking forward to it.

They do not weigh carry on bags 

[TenneSea]

2 hours ago, Wblotner said:

They do not weigh carry on bags 

Thank you !  I was hoping that was the case.

[nini]

3 hours ago, Wblotner said:

They do not weigh carry on bags 

My point is that if they had too much weight in the main check on bag, then they could remove some weight and place it in the carry on.

[coo359a2]

Not sure how Iceland Air is now but 10 years ago out of Seatac they weighed our carryon. Could only have about 12 pounds so we used a large gym type bag to help stay under weight.  Never used them again 

[TenneSea]

Thanks.  Good idea.

[coo359a2]

You can ask your room steward for a luggage scale also.  We have asked for one when we think our luggage might be close to the max weight.  Scale from Steward was exact weight of airline scales when we checked in.

[1emerald1]

Does the Sky still have the hot air balloons outside of the former Bistro Sur le Mar, not that it's been rebranded to Rudy's Catch?

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, 1emerald1 said:

Does the Sky still have the hot air balloons outside of the former Bistro Sur le Mar, not that it's been rebranded to Rudy's Catch?

Yes, it's still there, and one of my favorite installations onboard. 

[Jeter02]

Yesterday we visited Olden, which is just an absolute hidden gem. We we're scheduled to arrive at 7:00 a.m. but ended up arriving 6:30 a.m. after I had my breakfast in the main dining room I immediately headed out around 8:00 a.m. for my independent activity.

 

I prebooked with the Loen Skylift (roundtrip with shuttle) with Olden Adventures. I want to say that the activity in total was roughly about $84 USD per person. However if you buy one ticket you could get the second one I believe for 20% off or at some form of discount at rate. When I pre-purchased my tickets online, they emailed a confirmation email/receipt. If you prefer to wait to check how the weather is before you purchase tickets, you can purchase them right on the spot at the booth outside at the pier. They do have table set up for those that pre-purchase, as they highlight your name off the manifest. After checking in they'll provide you an actual tangible ticket.

 

Lucky for me, because I was out so early thankfully there were no ques for anything. The shuttle bus was already there waiting and as soon as the few of us who were going we were on our way it's about a 15 minute shuttle ride to the Loen skyliift. Loen is the next town over from Olden. It was a very picture-esque drive.

 

The skylift takes you up to the top of Mt. Hoven, which is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking with fjord panoramic views. They do have a viewing platform as well as amazing grounds for hiking trails all around. Loen Skylift does offer some awesome activities if you look on the Olden Adventures website. They offer things such as zip lining, rock climbing, paragliding and base jumping. It truly is an outdoor playground.

 

The paths are well thought out with very visible gravel pathways with different hiking routes. Some areas may be steeper than others but honestly with the views that surround you you quickly forget how steel areas can be. Taking lots of breathers or shall we say admiring the view helps along the way.

 

After spending about 4 - 4.5 hours hiking I took the shuttle bus back to the ship and grabbed some delicious lunch at Alfredo's. Today they may be an extra cheesy pizza which hit the spot.

 

My day wasn't done quite yet, as Olden is so gorgeous I wanted to continue exploring. Therefore after fueling up I went back out to walk around for about an hour and a half. All aboard today was at 3:30, So I made sure to use all my time wisely at this wonderful destination.

 

For dinner tonight I started with vol-au-vent starter, followed by the trout. The trout unfortunately was overbaked a little too much so we traded it out for the chicken scallopini. Lastly I finished my evening meal with the blueberry raspberry tart which was refreshing and delicious.

 

Lots of various activities going on around the ship this evening between vocalists performing in the Vista Lounge along with a comedian hypnotist in the theater. However with the extremely long active day I had I decided to turn in early for the night. I was definitely looking forward to the sea day that we have today to recoup with all the awesome things I've been doing the last few days at all of our different ports. 

 

Tomorrow we will be visiting Bruges Belgium before heading back to Southampton. P.S. The weather continues to be absolutely spectacular everyday bright blue skies filled with lots of sunshine. I will say I may have potentially pack things that were completely unnecessary. I've decided that sweater weather is really not the case at least for how the weather has been this cruise. I could easily live in shorts and tank tops. Be advised That last remark is rather subjective as I enjoy the refreshing lower temperatures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Jeter02

[ScareDcrow]

4 hours ago, Jeter02 said:

 

The skylift takes you up to the top of Mt. Hoven, which is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking with fjord panoramic views. They do have a viewing platform as well as amazing grounds for hiking trails all around. Loen Skylift does offer some awesome activities if you look on the Olden Adventures website. They offer things such as zip lining, rock climbing, paragliding and base jumping. It truly is an outdoor playground.

 

The paths are well thought out with very visible gravel pathways with different hiking routes. Some areas may be steeper than others but honestly with the views that surround you you quickly forget how steel areas can be. Taking lots of breathers or shall we say admiring the view helps along the way.

 

 

 

Thanks for walking with us yesterday 😁

[Jeter02]

1 hour ago, ScareDcrow said:

Thanks for walking with us yesterday 😁

The pleasure was all mine. 😉

[Jeter02]

Today was a very relaxing sea day which was definitely much needed. Was very leisurely taking my time for breakfast in the dining room this morning knowing I didn't have to be rushed or no to try to beat the crowds for any adventure I planned for the day.

 

Obviously lots of activities going on all throughout the ship, including talk with the captain in the theater where they go over about how we became a captain in about the ship and gives the passengers an opportunity to ask questions. Also, on the list of activities was one of my favorite events, the voice of the ocean.

 

At lunch in the main dining room today and kind of did a test taster did not eat everything but wanted to experiment with some new dishes. I started with two starters the salmon and the beef carpaccio. Next I had the crispy, spicy chicken an artichoke dish. I really enjoyed that very much as it was kind of like a spicy sweet and sour chicken. Lastly topped off with a few bites of it as it was rich and decadent the chocolate pecan pie with vanilla gelato on the side.

 

Tonight was formal night and as most look forward to the night of lobster which is on the menu tonight, for those who are always on the lookout for it. I started with my favorite of escargot, followed by the tuna steaks which was very lovely. And to end with a sweet I went for the chocolate caramel mousse sable which was wonderful.

 

 In the evening they had a showtime with I believe an Elton John tribute singer, but not 100% sure as I did not go to see them. Instead I offed it to watch the most phenomenal theatrical musical show in the Vista Lounge with assistant cruise director Sarah who did phenomenal. She has studied musical theater and her voice is spectacular. I highly recommend if she's performing during your sailing go check her out!

 

Tomorrow we will be docking in Zeebrugges, the gateway to Brugges for our last Port of call on this cruise before heading to Southampton.

[Bryce1962]

Hi Jester02, I’m loving your posts (my wife and I are on the same itinerary in august) and we have learned a lot from you. Can I ask a question about the onboard Wi-fi please?… when you connect with the medallion app apart from the service it offers (drinks food etc) does it also connect you to the World Wide Web… is that what you use to make your posts?

 

TIA

[jinpasco]

Any sickness outbreaks ? 

[Jeter02]

5 hours ago, Bryce1962 said:

Hi Jester02, I’m loving your posts (my wife and I are on the same itinerary in august) and we have learned a lot from you. Can I ask a question about the onboard Wi-fi please?… when you connect with the medallion app apart from the service it offers (drinks food etc) does it also connect you to the World Wide Web… is that what you use to make your posts?

 

TIA

If you did not pre-purchase or have a package that offers Wi-Fi then you can still use the app through the intranet by connecting to the medallion net fro. the Wi-Fi. However you will not have access to anything on the internet browsers as you need more than just the internet to be connected to the Wi-Fi to get that going.

 

If you paid or have a package for the Wi-Fi, then yes it's not strictly for just the medallion app. You can use it for the web, you can stream movies, TV shows on your normal streaming providers if you choose to do so. You can use your phone like you normally would.

 

I personally buy the internet package which, which gives me the ability to connect to the full service of the internet. So yes that's how I'm able to post your on cruise critic during my cruise. But really the main reason I take the internet out is to have the ability to stay in touch with family back at home through WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Wi-Fi calling.

[Jeter02]

16 minutes ago, jinpasco said:

Any sickness outbreaks ? 

No. None that I'm aware of. 

[Jeter02]

Add another beautiful day, both port wise and weather wise. Today we docked in in our final port of call  Zeebrugges, the gateway to Bruges, Belgium.  visited Bruges, Belgium. I'm going to be fighting lots of great valuable information if you ever do visit here in regards to transportation how to get from Is it through Bruges itself, with the iconic town, market and lakes. 

 

There's three ways of sorting out your transportation. First you can do a taxi which will cost a fixed pricing €50 one way. The taxis await right off of the gangway or the ships are. No need for the complimentary shuttle that is provided from the ship to the port entrance gate,as this is a container/ferry port.

 

Secondly you can take the complimentary shuttle to the port entrance. You can catch a local tram to Blankenberg train station for about €2.50. I believe the tram is about six stops from the port to Blankenberg. As for the train tickets round trip is roughly about 12 or 13 euros. Once you get to the other side at Bruges it's about a 20 minute walk to the Bruges City Center market square. 

 

Finally the option that I opted for was if you did not pre-book a shuttle from the port entrance which will drop you off directly at Bruges City Center, In a parking lot with about a 10 minute walk to the market square. You can pre-book the shuttle through multiple avenues such as Viator, Get Your Guide, or Cruise Express. The shuttle is roughly all the same price about $25-28 round trip. I did not pre-book I got into a queue which you will see with a representative sitting at a table where you can actually purchase right on the spot for 25 euros. They do have two lines for those who prepaid through an an excursion website and a different line for those who would like to purchase on the spot. It wasn't the smoothest system as they do have a printed manifest of those who pre-bought. But it is one person Manning the station. They weren't very keen when I handed them a credit card as cash is quicker but most of us who were buying right there and then all did credit card.

 

They do post the times that the shuttle runs which is every 30 minutes. And it usually starts around 1:30 for the first shuttle bus heading back. We got off the ship today about 10:00 so we arrived in Bruges at 10:30. Which I thought was adequate time from then to 1:30 to catch the first shuttle back.

 

I do highly recommend that you make sure you're one of the first ones off the ship and even possibly one of the earlier shuttles back to the ship as the ques can be awfully long otherwise.

 

Bruges was nice town to kind of walk through as it literally looks like a page out of a fairy tale book. If you haven't been it's always nice to check out a place at least once. If you love Belgian waffles, chocolates, or marzipan you're headed to the right place as you will find stores one after another offering those delicious sweets.

 

Once I got back to the ship had a quick little small lunch with a salad as I didn't want to interrupt my dinner this evening. This was probably one of the best dinners I've had the entire cruise I started with the salmon cake which was phenomenal It is a hot dish but so savory and delicious. For my entree the menu is actually incorrect as they were out of Sole, but instead offered one of my all-time favorite fish barramundi which was a must for me. That was some of the best fish I've ever had and it was complimented so well with the rest of the sides that were on the dish. And I was thrilled to have my lemon meringue pie to top the evening off as it's always my go-to.

I was extremely excited to see that they brought back the baked Alaska March which I feel like I haven't seen in some time. So that was loads of fun.

 

Tonight they showtime show is rock opera performed by the Princess singers and dancers. And the game show this evening hosted by the cruise entertainment stuff is Hollywood hiccups. If you're looking for a good laugh check it out as it is just a great time to be had.

 

As this trip comes to a close as we arrive back to Southampton tomorrow, This has been one of my most amazing cruises I have ever taken and I have taken a lot. The itinerary is absolutely magical if you're thinking of doing it or contemplating it I hope this live thread/blog has helped you decide if it's something for you. But the itinerary is truly magical, And I can't wait to come back next year / and two years from now. The crew has been phenomenal all around with top notch service always. Made some awesome connections throughout this cruise, leaving me to take home the best souvenir one can ask for which are the memories.

 

I will be spending the next few days in London visiting family, before heading back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Then it's off to cruising Alaska for 3 weeks. Thanks again for following along on my adventures, whether you have a trip coming up soon, or you just enjoyed vicariously living through me. Bon Voyage for now! 

[jinpasco]

I will miss my mornings reading your stories and looking thru your pictures. I have learned a lot and made some notes for our cruise in August. Saying..Thank you...doesn't seem like enough. Safe travels home .