Trip report: just off Celebrity Apex - Norwegian Fjords Cruise - May 15-23, 2024

[BuckeyeMark]

DAY 4 - FLAM

 

In case you’re wondering, Flam rhymes with “bomb.” The little circle over the “A” in Flam makes it a long “O” sound. For no additional charge, I’ll tell you that means “Alesund” is pronounced “Oh-luh-send” not “ALE-sund.”

 

Flam is what we’d been waiting for this entire trip: a long voyage through a deep fjord that Norway plans to prohibit big cruise ships from sailing in after 2025. You read that right: Norway has passed legislation banning any ship that is not a zero-emission ship from several of the most famous and picturesque fjords after 2025. Now whether that will stand up is another question. On this trip, we talked with some tour operators, locals, and guides about that, and there was some skepticism that it would actually be enacted, but that’s how things stand now. I’m not sure what will happen to towns like Flam and Geiranger if they cut cruising to these villages. They are very dependent upon tourism. My guess is that Norway will relent in exchange for ships agreeing to tie up to shore power, travel at slow speeds, or maybe pay additional fees or buy carbon offsets. Or a bunch of smaller, zero-emission tour boats may crop up that would run folks to the fjords from other ports like Alesund. All of that remains to be seen and is over in the realm of politics, which isn’t our interest here.

 

What interests us today is what time the sun comes up. The sun will arrive a little after 4:30 AM, about the time we enter the fjord. DW and I decide we’ll set the alarm for 4:45, dress quickly, and get up to the deck. Yes, we could just watch out our Inf Veranda, but then we’d miss 50% of the fjord. For us, the ports are not the point of this cruise: the fjords are.

 

5:00 AM finds us on the top deck, heavily jacketed (it’s windy and cold!) and just amazed beyond words. Getting up early is not a favorite on vacation for me but it was absolutely worth it. This fjord is incredible. Waterfalls everywhere. If we counted all of them - the thin spindly little streams that fall thousands of feet, the brooks babbling down the mountain in stair-step fashion and some roaring rivers that were flooding huge cataracts of water into the fjord from breathtaking heights - I’m sure we’d have hit 50 in an hour. The waterfalls are running in full force due to a great snow season and snow melt. Two elderly ladies on deck that morning told us they’d been to the fjord ten years earlier in July and the waterfalls were dried up to a thin trickle. They said the fjord wasn’t nearly as impressive then! Hearing that made us doubly glad to be there in May. It’s tricky - too soon in May and some roads can be closed due to the snow. Get there later in June and the waterfalls may not be as strong and kids start appearing on the ship (my children behave but I have noticed with dismay that lots of children didn’t seem to get that memo). So late May works (or at least it did this time). I would double down on this for those who are thinking of going to Norway. It’s not going to look the same in late summer. If you can find that sweet spot in late May to June you’ll be glad you did.

 

We’ve never seen waterfalls and green and massive cliffs like this. It was like someone enlarged Yosemite and dropped it in the ocean. It was simply incredible. No pictures can do it justice. If you go to Norway plan to get up early and get on deck. I am so grateful to folks over in the Northern Europe forum who gave us this very advice. They were right and we benefitted tremendously from it.

 

The City and the Train

We had booked tickets on the famed Flam railway for the 9:30 trip to Myrdahl. Our saga of getting tickets on the Flam railway could be made into a movie - and it would be a disaster film. We thought we could book them direct, but then when they opened up bookings all the tickets were gone (because Celebrity gets them first for their excursions). Fine. We’ll go with Celebrity. Nope. All their excursions are sold out. Alright, we just won’t do the railway since the DW demands we have a seat on the train instead of jogging along beside it (women - so hard to understand sometimes!). So we book our time in Flam full with other excursions. A couple of days go by and a friend says, “Look, there are some tickets on Celebrity’s excursion page.” Cancel everything, book those. A few more days go by and suddenly a friend emails, “There are cheaper tickets on the direct ticket page.” So we cancel Celebrity and get those. By this time I am wondering if we have no real tickets or have quite possibly booked the entire train for ourselves!

 

We disembark the Apex and find that Flam is small. Really small. You could put this whole town in your back pocket with room to spare. The folks on CC who said the train station is 100 yards from the gangway probably over-estimated the distance by 10 yards. It’s close! An easy walk (past the Flam Bakeri - oh my, did you see those buns in the window?) and we’re in line. We board on time - very pleasant cars, there is a bathroom, and the windows do slide down. We’d heard the right side is the best side so we sit there (and that was probably the correct call). Off we go!

 

And the train absolutely does not disappoint. The views surpass anything we’ve seen so far. Towering mountains, a flowing river, and more waterfalls (did I mention Norway has waterfalls?). Then we stop and jump off the train for a quick stop at a Kjosfossen waterfall. It. Was. Indescribable. The waterfall was thundering with such force and power that a mist carried across the platform getting everyone of us a little damp. To stand at the rail and be that close that kind of power and (almost) unchecked water blasting down the mountainside was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of sight. After a while weird music started up and a strange witch looking woman began dancing far up the mountain. I think she represented the spirits of the mountain luring travelers up to her. For me, all she was doing was making me get back on the train!

So we did, heading further in the mountains, going through snow sheds (very interesting) and being treated to more awesome scenery. Finally I looked at DW and said, “I’m running out of ooh’s and ah’s!”  There’s a reason everyone talks about the Flam railway and it’s because it’s the thing that must not be missed in Flam.

 

We get back at 11:30 and promptly meet up with our (non-Celebrity) excursion to go to the Stegastein overlook. This too was quite impressive. A 30-minute or so ride up a winding road that often only is wide enough for one car to pass (!). If you’re religious, this will be very good for your prayer life. In the end, you are on top of the mountain looking down the fjord. What a view. The weather was superb. Cloudless sky, deepest blues, and sunny. Even though the overlook was full of people it was well worth the trip. Don’t miss the bathroom either. The bathrooms have a giant picture window overlooking the fjord! No worries - no one can see in because that’s the side of the bathroom facing the valley. But it does give you a great view while you take care of your business!

 

On the way down our guide stopped at a church from the 1100s (iirc). Still being used today. He pointed out the difference in paint (which flakes off and exposes the wood to rot) and the Viking method of saturating wood with a black tar substance that sinks into the wood and protects it forever. I’m thinking of trying that on my house when we get home (along with planting grass on the roof so I’ll be immune to Texas hailstorms).

 

With only a few hours before the Apex sailed we shopped a little and I made my way to the Flam Bakeri. I had heard they have the famous Norwegian sun buns there. These are buns that have a fantastic yellow custard center that are baked to commemorate the beginning of spring. In Norway that is when the sun re-appears after the long dark winter (7 months!). I was told they didn’t have any right then but they’d bake some if I’d wait about a half hour. I did ... and I’m so glad I did. Those sun buns are worth it! The taste was beyond description. So soft and that sweet center. The Flam Bakeri and sun buns are worth the trip to Norway all by themselves!

 

Back on the Apex

Once we boarded the ship we headed to the Cyprus room as we ate in the MDR again. Here I realized why I was so unimpressed with Apex’s dining rooms: they aren’t anything special. I had read that there were four MDRs - Tuscan, Cyprus, Normandie and Cosmopolitan. Each was supposed to evoke a certain kind of dining (Tuscan would be Italian, Cyprus would be Med, Normandie would be French, and Cosmo would be a typical formal dining room). But they didn’t uniquely set the ambiance of the place they were supposed to represent. Each was just a MDR on a cruise ship. Oh, there was a little decor (emphasis little) and there were dishes on the menu that were special to the locale of that dining room but I didn’t feel like I was in a French restaurant or eating on the Med Sea. Opening a menu and seeing some Mediterranean dishes listed there hardly transports one to the Med! I think Celebrity has a great idea here because eating in the MDR on a cruise can become (incredibly) almost boring. “Another great meal in the formal dining room, ho-hum.” Well, the meals weren’t that great and the dining room wasn’t that special. They need a lot of work on the execution of this idea - different uniforms for the waiters, much more decor (a wall of moka pots on a shelf puts me in Italy? Really?), different music and more. Again, it’s a great idea. How cool would it be to feel like you were eating in Paris? Headed to Tuscany? That would be marvelous, but Celebrity has stopped well short of that mark. Maybe they should begin with making food that is five-star good. Most of what we ate in the MDRs was pretty ordinary and the desserts were often a let-down. I should add - I did eat grilled octopus tentacles tonight (complete with suckers!). It was okay (kinda rubbery) but definitely an interesting culinary experience!

 

The evening was capped by a comedian named Dave Christian. He was beyond awful. He actually told jokes, as in “An Irishman, an Englishman, and an American walk into a bar.” All I could think is “this guy read a joke book and got up on stage.” His timing and patter were terrible. His jokes weren’t funny. He was not remotely entertaining. We bailed pretty quickly.

Tomorrow: up very early again for Geiranger fjord!
 

Edited May 30 by BuckeyeMark

[Scottishclover]

Your wonderful description of Flam makes me very excited for our day there. Thank you. We will be getting the train up and cycling back down. I’m interested to hear your comparisons between Flam and Geiranger as we were there a few years ago. It’s definitely worth getting up early for the sail in. Did you time it right? Our arrival in Flam is 7:30 am and wondering if 5am on deck would be okay?

[mac_tlc]

We can certainly agree with your description of Flam. It was one of our highlights too! And the waterfalls were really running last June!

 

 

The scenery from the train was also wonderful. How can this be real….

 

 

Edited May 30 by mac_tlc

[flora_76]

First time cruising. Can I check if there is any night offering Norwegian food? I think I have read somewhere that there are theme days for food in the Oceanview Cafe.

Can I also check if the rooftop pool was heated? I think kids are not allowed in the solarium or only in certain hours. Thanks!

PS: Looking forward to seeing more pictures. Flam's waterfalls look amazing

[BuckeyeMark]

19 minutes ago, flora_76 said:

First time cruising. Can I check if there is any night offering Norwegian food? I think I have read somewhere that there are theme days for food in the Oceanview Cafe.

Can I also check if the rooftop pool was heated? I think kids are not allowed in the solarium or only in certain hours. Thanks!

PS: Looking forward to seeing more pictures. Flam's waterfalls look amazing

We didn't eat supper in the OVC any night so if there was a Norwegian theme night up there we missed it. Didn't see it being offered at lunch but a lot of days we were in port on excursions so could've missed it then too.
No idea if the rooftop pool was heated. Saw a few folks swimming when we went bopping through there but didn't even think to ask.
Saw that kids were in the Solarium once and they had some kind of sign up about "family hours." I know that's been *very* controversial here on Cruise Critic so I can remember thinking "Ruh roh, someone aint' gonna be happy about that!" LOL

[tscoffey]

10 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

Opening a menu and seeing some Mediterranean dishes listed there hardly transports one to the Med!

Other than adding some predictable Greek/Roman statues, what does this even mean?

You can go to 20 restaurants in Athens, Rome, Barcelona, with 20 different decors - none of which would indicate that your are in the Mediterranean (except perhaps when looking out the restaurant windows).

Edited May 30 by tscoffey

[BuckeyeMark]

44 minutes ago, flora_76 said:

PS: Looking forward to seeing more pictures. Flam's waterfalls look amazing

Here you go ... I should have taken more shots looking across the valley at the zig zag railway line and the snow sheds. I can't say enough about the scenery and vistas. It was just a stunning day. And to say that is a one-of-a-kind bathroom view is an understatement! 

[WisconsinFan]

Thank you for sharing. We are going in September of 2025, a bit of a different itinerary but Flam and Geiranger are on the itinerary. Love the photos and can't wait to read more.

[Ergates The Ant]

There were no Norwegian food offerings in the buffet on that cruise. Thought we might at least see some Norwegian cheese, but they didn’t even have any cheddar in the buffet! The lunchtime buffet themes included British, Indian, American, Italian, and I think French. The evening selection was not so extensive, which was a shame. 

[hcat]

On 5/28/2024 at 11:11 PM, BuckeyeMark said:

DAY 3: A DAY AT SEA

 

Sea days are wonderful, especially when you’ve been on vacay for five straight days. The flight overnight to London, a day in the Cotswolds, a day in Oxford, then heading down to Southampton via Stonehenge, followed by a rather damp day in Bruges (a perfect day for ducks but I’m not a duck) made us ready for a day off.

 

The sea day gave us a chance to explore the Apex further. What a ship it is! We were constantly blown away by its design, cool vibe, and amazing features. For example, the Eden space in the very back of the ship was incredible. We were there in the afternoon, and everyone was reading or visiting quietly. It was such a very cool place to chill out. So much green! I believe in the evenings it may take on a more nightclub vibe and I know there were some acts that played there at night, but in the afternoon it was really relaxed. We also visited Café Al Bacio. As a certified coffee nerd, I was anxious to try the coffee. All in all, it wasn’t great but a lot of our friends (who are regulars with Green Mermaid coffee) thought it was pretty good. I found if you ask for a double-shot you get a coffee that isn’t too bad.

 

Here’s a good place to say that we had the Wifi-Drinks package on this trip and it turned out to be a very good thing. Since we don’t drink I was a little hesitant but it was very nice to be able to grab a Coke, a bottle of water, or a coffee whenever we wanted. It’s not always about dollars and cents - sometimes it’s about convenience and being on vacation!

 

Celebrity had a digital scavenger hunt before lunch, and we joined in. The task was to find 12 works of art on the ship in one hour. After running all over the ship the hour ended without DW and I collecting photos of all 12. But a comparison to the key that the assistant cruise director had showed a couple of pieces of art had been removed and weren’t on the ship anymore! He was using an old key! It was still fun though. You kinda have to keep this sort of thing in perspective - it wasn’t the Super Bowl! You can see some of the artwork in my pics below.

 

We had lunch in the Ocean View Café, and that was wonderful. I can’t say enough good things about the OVC. Big salad bar area, a carving area, a sandwich bar, daily hot food choices, Asian specialties and a lot more. Emphasis: a lot. Truthfully, by this time, we were ready to ditch the MDR and just eat here all the time! It was huge, airy, and so spacious you never felt like you were bumping into other people or having to stand in line very long. The variety was just unmatched. Every day it changed, every day it seemed to have more fresh ideas, and every day it was just delicious-ness. The pizza bar on the back of the OVC had the best pizza I’ve ever had at sea. The OVC was a real highlight. Whoever designed and is running it needs a medal (and should be asked to help the folks downstairs in the MDR figure out how to make top-notch food). One down note: a lot of folks were playing cards or other games and were taking up a much-needed table during the lunch hour. I guess it’s like saving pool loungers - hard to do much about it. But when you’ve circled the OVC twice trying to find a seat, and there are tables of card players, you’d sure like someone to ask the gamers to wrap it up!

 

That evening we ate at Cosmopolitan. The service was quite slow but the food had improved. It wasn't 5-stars by any means, but it's better. The best part of the evening is that it was “Evening Chic night.” I was surprised by the number of suits and ties I saw, with a few tuxes rounding out the mix. It seemed like most of the ship participated, and most were dressed up a little. DW had a new dress that looked amazing. I thought we looked very “chic” together!

 

The night ended with the show “Tree of Life” in the main theater. The reality is DW and I just aren’t production show fans. It could be done at the highest level by the best dancers and singers in the world, all holding an Oscar and a Tony while balancing a Grammy on their heads, and it would still remind me of something done by the fourth graders on PTA night. We watched a little and then moved on. That’s just not for us. And that was okay because we had a very early start to tomorrow planned.

 

Tomorrow what we came for: Flamm fjord!

 great photo !  you both look quite chic  and happy

 

tie coordinates nicely with wife's anazing dress!

[tscoffey]

1 hour ago, flora_76 said:

Can I check if there is any night offering Norwegian food? I think I have read somewhere that there are theme days for food in the Oceanview Cafe.

Even Norwegians have little regard for their own cuisine, so I'm not sure what Celebrity could do to make it more palatable in the buffet.

[hcat]

I am enjoying the entire review..esp descriptions and photos of  places we will never get to in person,  as we stay  closer  to home these days! 

 

 also appreciate the great pics of APEX..We always take the Art and Design tour on E Class ships. Very excited about our Jan '25 cruise!

 

Agree about card playing "table hogs" in Baccio, the Buffet, spa cafe  and the few lunch tables in EDEN.  Maybe the upper area of the  Club should be designated for games and cards....and folks be gently directed there..there's a bar too! Maybe serve some free snacks!

 

Our fav E class MDR is Tuscan..we  love the Fellini decor,  ital opera music and overall ambiance.. We also enjoy Cyprus.   We  will get to dine there in Jan....not in BLU priced out of AQ Class so we took an SV.

 

 

[WisconsinFan]

1 hour ago, tscoffey said:

Even Norwegians have little regard for their own cuisine, so I'm not sure what Celebrity could do to make it more palatable in the buffet.

I still love Lefse- but I can't imagine a ship making that 🙂 as it is pretty labor intensive. Now if they made Krumkaker (ok, labor intensive again) or Spritz cookies.....If you get a chance try Aquavit (it is a strong drink- close to vodka maybe). My grandma and my mom also were known to make Lutefisk-not a favorite at all (but my DH was a good sport and ate it at Christmas anyway when we were dating, I think it might have been a test!).

[Lastdance]

Your phots and commentary are excellent.  We have this cruise on our radar, but the ship will depend on what is available due to the new rules.  Then it will be off to Austria to visit the northern side of the gorgeous Dolomites.  Several years ago, we canceled this cruise due to friends wanting to get-together on a cruise, along with us being the ones to cancel.

 

So happy that your weather is cooperating!

[cw2go]

17 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

We get back at 11:30 and promptly meet up with our (non-Celebrity) excursion to go to the Stegastein overlook. This too was quite impressive. A 30-minute or so ride up a winding road

Can you please post who you booked your tour with? I have been researching for next May, this is one of my ideas to fill our day. I'm not too keen on hanging out in the small port area. 

 

Thanks,

Patty 

[BuckeyeMark]

7 minutes ago, cw2go said:

Can you please post who you booked your tour with? I have been researching for next May, this is one of my ideas to fill our day. I'm not too keen on hanging out in the small port area. 

 

Thanks,

Patty 

We used this company. It was an electric bus (kind of cool) that held about 8 of us. The guide was nice, and I enjoyed being on a smaller vehicle instead of one of those 40+ passenger monsters. It also gave us a little more time between the Flam RR and the start time than the Celebrity tour did. 

Price plus VAT tax etc came out to be about $40 US per person.

[cw2go]

17 minutes ago, BuckeyeMark said:

We used this company. It was an electric bus (kind of cool) that held about 8 of us. The guide was nice, and I enjoyed being on a smaller vehicle instead of one of those 40+ passenger monsters. It also gave us a little more time between the Flam RR and the start time than the Celebrity tour did. 

Price plus VAT tax etc came out to be about $40 US per person.

Perfect!

Thank you, this is one of the companies I was considering. 

 

Patty 

[BuckeyeMark]

DAY 5: GEIRANGER
 

Let’s start with a little perspective up to this point. How would I rate this cruise? Candidly, I would probably only give it a 15 on a scale of 1 to 5. Well ... maybe a 20. Sometimes in reviews, there is a tendency to call attention to what wasn’t so great. And there were things that weren’t perfect (like on any trip). But minor glitches and small problems can’t over ride that this was the best ship we’ve ever been on, that it was perfect in nearly every way, and that Norway and Belgium are incredible destinations that did not disappoint. We loved every minute of the trip (okay, maybe not the minutes in the pouring rain in Bruges!) and are absolutely in love with the Apex. Out of the dozen cruises we’ve taken this would rate near the top, if not the top. And again, that’s a tip of the hat to Norway, but it is also most certainly a shout-out to Celebrity. What they’ve done with the Edge class ships is fantastic.

GEIRANGER FJORD

Once again, we were on deck early for sail-in, and once again, Norway was ready to knock our socks off. If the day before, we felt like we were sailing through the Rockies, this morning, we awoke to find the captain had steered our ship to the Smoky Mountains. Low clouds and fogged rimmed the tops of the granite cliffs, more waterfalls than ever burst out of the rocks, and the entire scene was unmatched in beauty, awe, and wonder. We thought Flam was the best fjord we could possibly see but Geiranger fjord said, “Give me a chance!” We were blown away by the scenery everywhere we looked. This fjord is worth the trip to Norway all by itself.

About thirty minutes from port we sailed by the famed Seven Sisters waterfall. All seven falls were flowing beautifully. Even more, across the fjord the Suitor wasn’t just running. The Suitor was forcibly blasting water out and down the cliff face. It was absolutely stunning to see.

We got into Geiranger and made our way over to our RIB boat tour. We were with Geiranger Fjord Service (https://www.geirangerfjord.no/geirangerfjord-rib-7) and had booked this ourselves, instead of choosing Celebrity’s tour (which saved a boatload of money - see what I did there?). A word to the wise: always bring your printed tickets. They had a little glitch and couldn’t find us in the system. Showing the emails and tickets went a long way to making sure we got a place in the RIB boat that morning.
 

The RIB boat tour (and yes, RIB is a little repetitive since it stands for “rigid-inflatable-boat” so saying “RIB boat” doubles the word “boat” but I digress) was phenomenal. I wasn’t much impressed with it until I read a review here on Cruise Critic that said it is one thing to see the Seven Sisters from 14 stories up, it’s another to experience it from below. That is exactly right. Our guide ran the boat up close to the Sisters and the Suitor. We also saw farms that were hundreds of years old - little places where rugged Norwegians had tried to scratch out a living on a tiny plot of level land on the side of a vertical cliff face that didn’t even get sunlight all day. One of those farms had to haul a tractor up piece by piece from the fjord below just to have one! Norwegians are tough. The RIB tour on the water portion lasted about half an hour and was a delight.
 

From there we headed to our excursion to the Dalsnibba Summit. Our guide told us that the road to Dalsnibba had only been open about 12 days! We made a stop about halfway up and got some great shots of our ship in the fjord below. But the further up we went the heavier the clouds became. Finally reaching the top it started snowing on us and stepping off the bus was like walking around in a cotton ball. The famous vista that the Dalsnibba summit promised was completely clouded over, and we could see nothing!
 

And then ... the clouds parted. For about four or five minutes, a big hole appeared, and we had incredible views of the fjord and a very small toy boat way down below. That toy was the Apex!

 

This magic moment just topped the day off perfectly. It was absolutely beyond belief. We were all very thankful to get to see such an incredible sight and headed back to the ship with very full hearts, thinking we had fully maxed out on Geiranger fjord.
 

Then the captain announced he was planning something extra special. The weather at the top of Dalsnibba had been super cloudy and snowy, but down in the fjord (5000 feet below) it was perfectly sunny and 65 degrees with no wind at all. So the Apex’s captain announced that when we got to the Seven Sisters he planned to do a 360 with the ship so that everyone could get a great view of the waterfall! Shortly before we arrived a lifeboat/tender was deployed over the side and we learned later the captain had set it out to take video and photos for marketing purposes, so maybe you’ll see me in a Celebrity commercial in the future! “See that little dot staring out his infinity veranda window? That’s me!”
 

The 360 (he did three of them!) was fantastic. The Seven Sisters and the Suitor were so beautiful and it crowned a day we’ll never forget.

 

Let me finish the day with a word about tipping and cash in Norway. I had asked about this and had been told there is no tipping in Norway but it seemed hard to believe. Believe it. I never saw a tip jar. Guides never asked or pressed for tips. We did tip (because we’re Americans, and it is what we do), and the guides didn’t refuse it, but they seemed more than a little surprised and even flummoxed. You don’t have to tip in Norway! The next time I’m in my local self-serve yogurt shop and the cashier asks me “Do you want to add a tip?” (for me getting my own yogurt?!) I prolly will rant about Norway. Just ignore me and eat your yogurt.
 

Norway is also cashless. You don’t need NOK. We brought some (just in case) and we did tip with it but we didn’t need NOK. Just use your Apple Pay and everything will be fine.

All in all, this was the peak day. It hurts me to say it but Norway is better than Alaska (sorry! I love you Alaska and you do have better wildlife). And yes, Geiranger you got to take your best shot to see if you can top Flam ... and you did. Not by a lot, but you did it. This was the best day of the cruise and that is saying something, because this entire cruise had been fabulous. Geiranger - you will always have a very special place in our hearts!
 

 

 

Edited May 31 by BuckeyeMark

[Jim_Iain]

On 5/29/2024 at 4:31 PM, BuckeyeMark said:

If someone can tell me how to embed pics in my post I'll do that. Until then they'll keep showing up at the end! Let's just call it a feature - I'm keeping the reader in suspense to the end! 😂

 

What I do is to type a paragraph and then insert a photo.   I hit one to two returns to keep the pictures separated or they all run together and hard to visualize. 

 

Another way is insert pictures with line space between them and then come back and click on an empty line and insert text. 

[BuckeyeMark]

5 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

What I do is to type a paragraph and then insert a photo.   I hit one to two returns to keep the pictures separated or they all run together and hard to visualize. 

 

Another way is insert pictures with line space between them and then come back and click on an empty line and insert text. 

I can't make that work. When I try it I get the "Drag Files here to attach or choose files" at the bottom and the pics stay there at the bottom of the post. Prolly I'm not holding my mouth right when I do it!

[Scottishclover]

I totally agree with your comment about experiencing the fjord from water level. When we sailed into Geiranger in 2016 on a Disney ship,  I must admit I was a bit underwhelmed. It didn’t seem too different from the lochs and mountains we have here in Scotland. Then we did a RIB tour and looked up - that’s when you understand the splendour and enormity of the fjord. I think being in a kayak would also give you a similar viewpoint. Glad you enjoyed your day in Geiranger and the weather played ball.

[Jim_Iain]

13 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

I can't make that work. When I try it I get the "Drag Files here to attach or choose files" at the bottom and the pics stay there at the bottom of the post. Prolly I'm not holding my mouth right when I do it!

You're more than half way there.   Click on where you want the photo below the text.   Then go to the photo in the bottom block and click the photo and it will insert in inline.

 

I use a PC and when I hover over a photo it pops up a selection insert.

[melncoly]

On 5/27/2024 at 10:14 AM, hawkesbaynz said:

Following too. Usually sail X but actually on a Princess 14nt cruise to Norway next month. Good to hear embarkation was quick. Am told that Princesses have been long/busy in Southampton. Trying out X-class on the Ascent in September.

 

Have driven past Stonehenge numerous times over the years but not been there since a child (when we could climb on it). Must go back. 

Can only go by our own experience.  But have never had any issue with any cruise line at Southampton.  Best advice is turn up for the boarding time you have booked and it will be plain sailing ( excusing the pun)

[melncoly]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:01 PM, BuckeyeMark said:

We went to every little town and village you can think of! We told our guide all we had on our "must see" list was that famous line of thatched roof houses in Bibury and the Tolkien Tree Door. He took care of the rest - giving us the flavor of the Cotswolds in a wonderful tour. We went to Lower Slaughter, Tetbury (saw King Charles' shop!), Bourton on the Water, Broadway (saw Broadway Tower), Stow on the Wold and so many more that I can't recall them all. Some we just drove through or got a coffee but we saw so much. It was really magical.  The guide service was not cheap but there are many one-lane roads and back-routes that he knew to take that got us everywhere easily and quickly. It was a great day and well worth it. Our guide is at www.cotswoldtoursandtravel.com

You did very well to fit that all in wit the traffic in the Cotswolds.  A recommendation from someone who lived there for many years.  Do not try it in July / August.  The amount of tourist traffic is huge along with the crowds.  May/June and September are best

[hcat]

On 5/30/2024 at 9:54 PM, Jim_Iain said:

 

What I do is to type a paragraph and then insert a photo.   I hit one to two returns to keep the pictures separated or they all run together and hard to visualize. 

 

Another way is insert pictures with line space between them and then come back and click on an empty line and insert text. 

i learned this from you awhile ago

. much better presentation.  forever grateful!

Edited June 1 by hcat