Crucial Question about the Trollfjord

[Gretchendz]

We leave Friday for the North Cape Express and are super excited. I thought I knew everything but family member just asked...will there be lattes? capuccinos, etc.?

[Gretchendz]

P.S. crucial to coffee junkies, that is!

[CDNPolar]

Simple answer.  Yes

[Gretchendz]

10 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Simple answer.  Yes

 

Thank goodness, now the family won't make me cancel 🙂 (Joke!)

[CDNPolar]

OMGoodness!  This "addiction" is that serious?  Haha.

[grayjay]

But I'm not sure if they are included in the fare... Regular coffee/teas and water are, though.

[Gretchendz]

10 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

OMGoodness!  This "addiction" is that serious?  Haha.

Pretty close!

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, grayjay said:

But I'm not sure if they are included in the fare... Regular coffee/teas and water are, though.

 

When we were on Trollfjord (wish we could join you!!), I'm pretty sure that only coffee/tea and some plain water were included (aka "free" in some minds) in the fare.

 

I'm guessing that we had an especially talented bartender in the top deck bar, forward (not much behind those wonderful double height forward view seating areas (!).

DH is the coffee aficionado and he got lots of cappucinos/etc., but I'm a chocoholic.  So I asked about a hot chocolate at the bar we tended to go to (is there more than one?), even though the ones in the little snack shop were... not particularly good... as in, like packets of powdered "Swiss Miss" or whatever.  So I did not repeat that little, er, treat at that location.

I mentioned to this nice bartender how I really hadn't cared for that one downstairs/etc,, and he offered to make me one.

 

WELL!  That was The.Richest.Hot.Chocolate that I have ever had.  I do *not* ever want to know how many calories were in it.  It was well worth the price, unlike that other one.

So of course, to show my appreciation. I felt required to get them frequently and each time to compliment him, right? 😉

So I don't know if those are the standard issue "Hurtigruten/Trollfjord Bar Hot Chocolate" or if that one bartender just made them that way.

 

GC

[doobieb]

@GeezerCouple Now my mouth is watering for a good hot chocolate! It is on my list. We are on the Nov 25 sailing and hoping for calm seas. The Christmas Market in Oslo opened today! 🌲🎄

[doobieb]

@Gretchendzquestion for you about cash on this trip:

We have been advised that cards are the only currency needed in Norway. Was that the case for you?

What about in some of the smaller ports, and local vendors…?

Did you need cash at any of the stops, to tip, etc?

We board tomorrow Nov  25 and have left that task unresolved. But just in case we can take steps today if needed. 

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Debbie

[grayjay]

Perhaps allow me to help - you really won't need money - We have just returned from a coastal voyage plus a few days in Oslo etc. - I took a few NOK but didn't really need any except to leave some extra money in my hotel room. Everything, and I mean everything we could use our credit cards for , even for the restrooms in public spaces like Oslo station.

Have a great time!

[doobieb]

20 hours ago, grayjay said:

Perhaps allow me to help - you really won't need money - We have just returned from a coastal voyage plus a few days in Oslo etc. - I took a few NOK 

Thank you @grayjay. After two days in Oslo, we are no longer worried and your reply helps us with that decision. Today we tipped a guide in US$ and he was fine with that. It is so much easier using a card and we won’t go home with many NOK we can’t use.

 

[doobieb]

On 11/24/2023 at 7:53 PM, doobieb said:

Thank you @grayjay. After two days in Oslo, we are no longer worried and your reply helps us with that decision. Today we tipped a guide in US$ and he was fine with that. It is so much easier using a card and we won’t go home with many NOK we can’t use.

 

We changed a small amount of US $ so we would have cash for any Christmas markets in small towns. Already had a need to use it.

[doobieb]

It turns out that we did need a little NOK. Once was at a small Christmas market- a vendor only wanted cash, no credit cards. The other time was in the far north town. We decided to eat lunch in town and after a short power outage, cash registers were down. We negotiated for 3 sandwiches and 3 drinks using all the cash on hand. Certainly did not need cash any other time and could have skipped those two purchases if we only had cards. Glad to not be holding lots of NOK at the end of the trip.

[CDNPolar]

On 11/6/2023 at 8:33 PM, Gretchendz said:

We leave Friday for the North Cape Express and are super excited. I thought I knew everything but family member just asked...will there be lattes? capuccinos, etc.?

 

Did you get the coffees that you were hoping for?

[Gretchendz]

Just now, CDNPolar said:

 

Did you get the coffees that you were hoping for?

 

We did! The machine in the 1893 Bar was free and included hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos, etc.  It wasn't bad!

[CDNPolar]

19 minutes ago, Gretchendz said:

 

We did! The machine in the 1893 Bar was free and included hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos, etc.  It wasn't bad!

 

Good to hear... not that it is uncommon, but this discussion changed direction and I just looked at it again and thought... what ever happened to the coffee junkies????

[Gretchendz]

Plus, most of the towns had decent coffee shops 🙂

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, Gretchendz said:

Plus, most of the towns had decent coffee shops 🙂

 

I think that coffee is everywhere now....?  Right?

 

The biggest challenge I have is when we travel, I do enjoy my coffee a particular way, and not every country has the same options.  I get that I am in a different country, and must now adjust to enjoy in their style, and I do.... but....

[doobieb]

We thought the coffee, hot chocolate, lattes, …..from the 1893 Bar machine were quite good. There were usually more people in line for that than waiting for a drink at the bar. Speaks to the cold, I think, and the fact that the coffee was pretty good.

[Kirstys1]

I’m going on the coastal journey in January. Also a coffee junkie. For those that have been how much roughly were coffees in ports from the coffee shops? Trying to plan a bit of a budget. 
 

glad to hear the coffee onboard seems great!