Cruise RU354
on the Saga Ruby
to the North Cape of Norway
(Please scroll down to see my photographs and read my report)
| Date: |
Port: |
Arms: |
Escort: |
Comment: |
15
Jun
2010 |
Dover
Kent |
 |
- |
via Dulwich,
Bromley &
Orpington |
17
Jun
2010 |
Stavanger
Rogaland |
 |
Ebb &
Flow(ers)
Garden |
Beautiful! |
19
Jun
2010 |
Trondheim
Sør-
Trøndelag |
 |
- |
Wet! |
21
Jun
2010 |
Svolvær
Nordland |
 |
- |
Lectured on
"Welcome to
Norway!" |
22
Jun
2010 |
Hammerfest
Finnmark |
 |
Finnmark
Panoramic |
Sami huts |
23
Jun
2010 |
Honningsvåg
Finnmark |
|
- |
Wet! |
24
Jun
2010 |
Tromsø
Troms |
 |
- |
Interesting
city |
26
Jun
2010 |
Geiranger
Møre og
Romsdal |
 |
Fjord
centre |
Spectacular
views! |
27
Jun
2010 |
Bergen
Hordaland |
 |
- |
Glorious
day! |
28
Jun
2010 |
Eidfjord
Hordaland |
|
- |
Lovely
morning! |
30
Jun
2010 |
Dover
Kent |
|
- |
Off the ship
at 8:15 am |
Alan Tilbee and me
Bamse and me in Honningsvag
Saga Ruby
Here's my report on the cruise:
Just to let you know that I have just got back from my cruise
to the North Cape of Norway on the lovely Saga Ruby.
She has just been re-registered at Valetta in Malta
thus joining her sister ship Spirit of Adventure.
When the wind got up we had to leave Svolvær on the Lofoten Islands at lunch time.
A new afternoon programme was printed and I got my chance to give my "Welcome to Norway!" lecture.
The Cruise Director wrote "Thank you for your excellent lecture this afternoon - much appreciated".
He also gave me a present of a bottle of red wine.
This was my first time lecturing on a cruise ship and it was very well received.
Two of the professional lecturers congratulated me on my effort.
The Assistant Cruise Director wrote: "keep up the good work
- the Cruise Line industry needs more lecturers of your calibre".
Meeting some Sami people (you mustn't call them Lapps) was fascinating.
Half a day in Tromsø was not long enough!
Good points were:
- Triple aspect, forward facing observation lounge with circular dance floor.
- Excellent programme of up to 3 lectures per sea day.
- Hosting a table in the main dining room.
- Good sized rectangular dance floor.
- Outside twin cabin with porthole.
- In bed by midnight every night!
- All round teak promenade deck.
- Free fruit and water in cabin.
- Triple height oval staircase.
- Efficient cabin steward.
- Free launderette.
Usual sea day programme:
09:00 - 09:45 Line dance class in the Ballroom.
12:30 - 13:00 Lunch in the Lido.
14:00 - 15:00 Ballroom / Latin American dance class in the Ballroom.
Usual evening programme:
06:30 - 07:15 Pre-dinner dancing in the Britannia Lounge.
07:15 - 09:00 Dinner in the main dining room.
09:00 - 09:45 Pre-show dancing in the Ballroom.
10:00 - 10:45 Showtime.
10:45 - 11:30 Post-show dancing in the Ballroom.
For the record ...
- Food: Excellent.
- Tours: Only in three ports.
- Weather: Mixed, cold and wet in the north, warm and sunny in the south.
- New ports: Six.
- Sail-aways: Few.
- Tea dance: One.
- Masonic meeting(s): No.
- Service clubs: No.
- Dinner host: Yes, two tables in the main dining room.
- Line dancing: Paul Harris taught several latin dances as one wall line dances.
- Sequence dancing: None.
- Ballroom dancing: Lots.
- Western night: No.
- Tropical night: No.
- British (Red, White & Blue) night: Yes.
- Singles party: Yes.
- Singles lunch: No.
- Formal nights: Three.
- Cocktail parties: Only one, since we danced elsewhere on the other two occasions.
Invited to two pre-dinner drinks in a suite on the Bridge deck!
- Captain: Philip Rentell.
- Cruise Director: Jonathann Neal.
- Assistant Cruise Director: Adam Lewis.
- Host/ess: Carol Curling.
- Host: Spikey Mikey Hale.
- Cabin mate: Alan Tilbee from Dover.
- Dance couple: The lovely Carol-Ann and the giggly Paul Harris.
- Other dance hosts: None.
- Lecturer(s): Anthony Cooke, Fred Walker and Sam Hall.
- Musician(s): Iwone Boesche (violinist) and Clare Langan (flautist).
- Comedian(s): None.
- Singer(s): Annette 'warbling' Wardell
- Song of the cruise: "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak.
- Doctor: Brian (but not Joyce) Dunn.
- Cabin: 561.
- Passenger(s): Dodee, Edna, Deidre.
- Dancer(s): Julie, Pauline, Kathleen, Sue & Joyce.
- Photographs taken: 1338!
- Google earth: Had me stuck in Stavanger until we got to Bergen!
- Good, free Wi-Fi: in several towns - Peppe's pizzas, Thon hotels, McDonalds, also Eidfjord pier & Stavanger museum.
