July
2019
Kent
UK
just after
two o'clock
July
2019
Hordaland
Norway
p.m. Open Air
Museum
July
2019
Møre og
Romsdal
day!
July
2019
Rogaland
Norway
p.m. Viking
tour
August
2019
Vest Agder
Norway
p.m. Sunny
August
2019
Kent
UK
at
14:00
| Date: | Port: | Arms: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27th July 2019 |
DoVeR Kent UK |
|
Aboard just after two o'clock |
| 29th July 2019 |
Bergen Hordaland Norway |
|
a.m. Trams p.m. Open Air Museum |
| 30th July 2019 |
Ålesund Møre og Romsdal |
|
Glorious day! |
| 31st July 2019 |
Haugesund Rogaland Norway |
|
a.m. Town p.m. Viking tour |
| 1st August 2019 |
Kristiansand Vest Agder Norway |
|
a.m. Overcast p.m. Sunny |
| 3rd August 2019 |
DoVeR Kent UK |
|
Home at 14:00 |
I left home at 10:30 and was in Hatfield at one o'clock ready for the £1.99 lunch in the KFC. I whizzed through the Galleria shopping centre and then stopped off in Hertford. I got to my sister-in-law Pam's place in Harlow at 4 o'clock, where her best friend Jill from Milton Keynes and her friend Roy from Hinckley greeted me. Jill provided a delicious chicken lasagna for our supper, before heading off to their digs elsewhere in Harlow, kindly leaving the spare bedroom for me.
I awoke at 6 o'clock and then dozed until seven. I had two pieces of toast with marmite and cheese slices, before heading off early. I drove down the M11, but didn't turn on to the M25, instead heading for the Blackwall Tunnel. I then followed the A20 and M20 to Ashford in Kent. Here I went shopping in the town centre, at the out of town complex and in the large Tesco.
When I got to Folkestone, the sign said that there were delays on the A20, so I took the old road through Capel-le-Ferne to Dover. Unfortunately the town was grid locked, so it took me three quarters of an hour to get to the cruise terminal at one o'clock. Apparently a port or ferry computer system had failed the day before and we were suffering the knock-on effects. They had Operation Stack in effect on the final stages of the A20, but not on the M20. Some pax said that the M2 and A2, the latter of which is still not all dual carriageway, were even worse. The longest delay was three hours! Is this a foretaste of Brexit?
Boarding began at two and I was soon in our lovely cabin with a balcony for the very first time in all my 139 cruises! I explored the ship and touched base with Kayleigh, Michelle and Nat. The former said there were no badges and no official ties to be had! I slipped into my bathing trunks, but the Lido pool was cool and it was raining, so I just spent ten minutes in one of the two jacuzzis, under their awnings. At 5:30 we had the safety drill in the theatre, followed by the entertainers' cocktail party in the card room.
At 6:15 we had the first dance set in the large, bright double height Britannia lounge. At 7 o'clock the Maitre d'Hotel placed me with three ladies, two from south Devon and a Brummie lady now living in Surrey. I had the cream of vegetable soup, the salad, the beef bourguinone and the chocolate mousse, washed down with two glasses of red wine.
At 9:15 we had the first set with Stuart Anderson, where I danced with Carol from Leeds amongst other dancers. At the end, Michelle said that we were not needed for the following Divas set, so I retired to the cabin to update this blog. I had my first mug of my red bush tea using the in-cabin facilities of a kettle and a carton of milk in the fridge! We resumed dancing at 10:45 with Stuart until 11:30, but there were very few dancers, except for Carol. Shirley from St. Albans arrived, but is due for a knee replacement, so didn't dance.
I awoke at 7 o'clock, but it was now 8 o'clock on Norwegian time. I made my first mug of de-caff coffee in the cabin, before showering. I breakfasted on the daily special of one fried egg with beans on toast sat with Sally. I then tried to set up my laptop in the Britannia Lounge, but the headphone jack wasn't working, so I had to copy my tunes across to their laptop instead.
At 11 o'clock I taught the Slosh, Texas Waltz & Electric Slide to twenty pax with the help of Penny & John. During the class both Musical Director David Sims and Chief Engineer Mark Cameron waved to me as they went past, but of course I couldn't stop and chat. At noon we had the singles mingle where Kayleigh introduced ALL the guests by name, but not us. I then lunched on the roast beef (it was Sunday!) sat with Janet the photography lecturer's wife in the buffet. Back in the cabin, I updated this blog and prepared for my first ballroom dance class.
At two o'clock I taught the Social Foxtrot to 24 pax with the help of Penny and the two Johns. I then slept for an hour and a quarter, before spending fifteen minutes in one of the jacuzzis, as the pool was still too cool. I had half an hour out on our balcony, but sitting down you can't see the sea because of the huge bow panels. I knew that we wouldn't get a proper balcony!
At 6:30 we had the Captain's cocktail party in the Atrium. I sat on a table between Sally & Wendy chatting until he spoke, when I went up to the top of the atrium to get a seat. I had to queue for the main dining room so that when I was finally placed on a table they were already eating their starter. I made do with the cream soup to catch up, missing out on the salad and sorbet. I had the tenderloin of beef followed by the English toffee ice cream, sat with a former Biochemistry lecturer from Hatfield and his TWO female friends, one of whom had been at my dance class this afternoon!
At 9:15 we had Stuart's set in the Britannia Lounge where we danced with the usual suspects. At 10 o'clock the show company gave their Sinatra tribute cabaret, but many of the pax talked all the way through it. I was sat with a couple from Derbyshire. The final set, until 11:45, was by the Paul James Trio with their singer, Laura Adams. I bagged a jive with cruise director Kayleigh and a waltz with dance hostess Penny, as the numbers of pax dwindled.
I awoke at 7:30 ready for the smoked salmon omelette special sat with Ray from the Isle of Man and a veteran Saganaut from Sussex. Kayleigh announced that we had been cleared, so we all rushed down to the gangway, but it wasn't ready so we all had to queue on the stairs for ten more minutes until it was fixed. It was still rather steep for the elderly to negotiate.
I walked across the road and through the fortress to get to the tourist information office just before the first shuttle bus got there. I bought a 90 minute tram ticket for 38 kroner (£4), so I was able to joy ride all the way out to the airport and back. I then walked along the pedestrianised Marken street back to the tourist office to catch the noon shuttle bus back to the ship.
I lunched al fresco with John on the lovely fish, chips and mushy peas out on the aft deck in the hot sunshine. Back at the cabin at one o'clock, unfortunately Emmanuel hadn't done the room. I then slept for an hour and a quarter, before having a mug of decaff coffee. I walked one mile north west to the Fisheries museum, but didn't go in (90 NOK). I continued another mile north west to the excellent Open Air Museum.
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Back at the ship again, I did six lengths of the large cool pool and had ten minutes in one of the jacuzzis, but the sun was awfully hot at 27 degrees centigrade. I explored the rest of the top deck and stumbled into the crew only area, which wasn't labelled as such! Back in the cabin again, I dressed and updated this blog.
At 6:30 we had the newcomers cocktail party, but with no dancing. At 7:00 I dined on the over cooked Salisbury steak(let) sat with five single ladies. One lady didn't fancy anything on the menu, so asked for fish and chips, which took a long time coming. When the main courses did finally arrive she was given two eggs and chips, so the waiter must have misheard her!
We danced both before and after Laura's repeated Divas cabaret, which I stayed to listen to this time. However, pax continued to talk during her performance. At the end of the evening there were no single ladies left, so I had my first cha cha with Penny. Stuart finished at 11:40 when we all went to bed. I had done nearly 25 thousand steps during the day, equivalent to ten miles of walking!
I awoke at 7:25 ready to make tea for John and decaff coffee for myself. I breakfasted on the special Arnold Bennett smoked haddock omelette sat with two single ladies. I was off the ship by 8:15 and both tourist information offices were already open. I logged on to the free wi-fi in the foyer of the Thon hotel, before climbing the 418 steps to the top of the mountain which overlooks Ålesund. Back in the town I visited the free art gallery and the antique shop in the old wooden warehouse.
Back at the ship, I had an early lunch of roast lamb followed by peach melba, sat at the large sharing table in the main dining room, which gradually filled up. I then slept for an hour and a quarter, before heading back into town. I climbed up to the lovely art nouveau church, but didn't go in (30 NOK). I then walked around all the quaysides in the warm sunshine, going into the foyer of the Thon hotel, whose land based wi-fi is faster than the ship's satellite based system.
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Back at the ship again, I bought a ticket for the Viking tour tomorrow with my £50 on board spending money. I did six lengths of the pool and spent fifteen minutes in one of the jacuzzis, having my feet massaged! After dressing and putting some laundry on, I updated this blog. At 6:30 we had the Britannia Club cocktail party, where I chatted to Shirley and two other ladies. At 7:00 I dined on the tenderloin beef sat with quiet Michael and four single ladies.
At 9:15 we had the first dance set with Stuart. At 10 o'clock we had an impromptu cabaret by Kayleigh, Michelle and Laura. I danced for the first half, but as the disco took off and the floor was full, I sat down. At 11 o'clock Stuart did his second set, but as the numbers dwindled, I sat and chatted to Carol and her friends. Stuart finished at 11:40 when we went to bed. I had done over 30 thousand steps during the day, equivalent to twelve miles of walking!
I awoke just before John's alarm at 7 o'clock to make the tea and decaff coffee. I had the egg royale special for breakfast sat with John and a German lady from Queen's Park in BoMoH! I was off the ship at 8:50 and walked the one mile into town as the first shuttle bus wasn't running until 9 o'clock. I visited the tourist information offices at both the port and the town centre to get their maps and leaflets.
The art gallery didn't open until noon and the Dokken open air museum didn't open until eleven, but I was still able to walk around the latter and capture the photogenic wooden buildings. I photographed all the main sights of the town on my first visit, before catching the 11:30 shuttle bus from the main church back to the ship. At 12:10 I lunched on the piri-piri chicken with chips and peas sat with Christine.
At one o'clock I went on my paid-for tour In the Footsteps of the Vikings (£49). We drove out to the old church at Avaldsnes, but it was closed for restoration. Nearby were the foundations of a medieval royal residence similar to the famous Haakon's Hall in Bergen. In the visitor centre we saw a dramatic film about Viking myths and legends, but short on facts and maps. In the museum part the audio guides again concentrated on myths and legends. It was rather dark and difficult to see some of the exhibits.
There was then a two mile walk out to an island with an excellent re-creation of a Viking farm. One long house was dark and full of wood smoke from the central fire. The long ship was rather small and difficult to get to and to photograph. Back in town, we had a five minute photostop in the town hall square. Back at the ship, I made a cup of tea for John and a cup of decaff coffee for myself. When Kayleigh deferred the sailaway party, I slept for half an hour, before watching the sailaway from our balcony.
At 6 o'clock we attended the Solo's party in the South Cape Bar, before dancing in the Britannia Lounge at 6:15. Numbers were very thin as the single ladies stayed downstairs, but we did do a Mayfair Quickstep and a Melody Foxtrot for the first time this cruise. At 7 o'clock I dined on the roast turkey sat with Sylvia, Jackie, Anne & Catherine.
At 9:15 we danced to Stuart's first set, with a packed house and plenty of dancing ladies for the first time this cruise. When Laura came on at 10 o'clock, Michelle said that we were not needed, so I adjourned to the cabin to update this blog and back up my photographs from the last three days. Stuart finished his final set at 11:45. I had done over 24 thousand steps during the day, equivalent to nearly ten miles of walking!
I awoke at 7:45 and had the Ranger's special for breakfast sat with Sally & Ray. I was off the ship by 8:30 going into the tourist information on the quayside, before walking into town. I explored the little offshore island, before circling the town. I got to the cathedral (Domkirke) for the free 11 o'clock double organ recital, with music by Grieg from Norway, Sibelius from Finland, a Swedish composer and a local organist's own work. The lady also played the grand piano and sang for us in her 25 minute concert. I caught the 11:45 shuttle bus back to the ship.
Back at the ship, I had my first cheeseburger and chips al fresco from the outside grill. I then slept for an hour and a half, interrupted by a phone call. I walked back into town and along the main shopping street, coming back via the railway station and the new bus station, taking pictures to update my Kristiansand PowerPoint presentation.
Back at the ship again, I did six lengths of the cool pool and spent ten minutes in the jacuzzi. At 4:25 Kayleigh announced an impromptu sailaway, so I just dried myself off and put my blue polo shirt back on over my red trunks, and stayed with my bare feet. I then danced with Christine, Carol's friend (but not Carol herself), Sally, her mother, Wendy and some others. I also chatted to Shirley, who still wasn't dancing.
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Back in the cabin, I updated this blog and dressed for our final formal evening. My formal shirt only arrived back at 6 o'clock after three days in the laundry! At 6:15 we had a very thin set as most pax were at the Captain's farewell cocktail party downstairs. I did however get to do my first Tango with the lovely Penny. At 7 o'clock I dined on the surf & turf sat with four single ladies and Steve the magician. We danced both before and after Maria Lyn's excellent cabaret. She had been flown in to cover for one of the production singers who had been taken ill. All three sets were provided by the trio, so at last we had a proper evening of dancing. When it finished at 11:45 I went to bed. I had done over 27 thousand steps during the day, equivalent to nearly eleven miles of walking!
I awoke at 7:30 ready for the egg Florentine special sat with Christine from Cheshire. I then updated this blog and prepared for my dance classes. At 9:30 I taught the Texas Waltz, Cowboy Charleston & Lindi Shuffle to ten pax, with Marlon, not Ronald, as my stage manager.
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At 10:15 I went to Ernie's interesting lecture on the Vikings. I then touched base with Michelle in the Entertainments office, before updating this blog and uploading my photographs from Kristiansand. At 12:15 I lunched on the chicken, pork ribs and fish cake sat with Beryl and her friend.
At two o'clock I taught the waltz to 24 pax helped by Penny and the two Johns. I began with the box step, the figure of eight and the quarter box turn, before ending with the zig-zag. I didn't have time for the natural turn or the whisk & chassé! I then slept for an hour and a quarter, before slipping into my swimming trunks. However when I got up to the Lido, the sun had gone in and the pool was cool, so I abandoned the idea, in addition not wanting to take a wet cossie home with me!
Back in the cabin, I started packing, before updating this blog again. At 6:15 we had the first, thinly attended dance set, where I did a waltz with the lovely Penny. I dined on the pork sat with five ladies, three of whom I had met already. The two new ones were from Nottingham and Truro respectively. We danced both before and after, but not during, Stuart's Neil Diamond tribute cabaret. At the end I got to do a jive with the lovely Maria Lyn. The music finished at 11:40 and I was able to say goodbye to Mark, Kayleigh, Michelle and Maria.
I awoke at 7:40, but it was now 6:40 on BST. There was a queue for the Grill buffet, so I went down to the Grand dining room. Here I had TWO hot eggs Benedict sat with four single ladies. Back in the cabin, I updated this blog one last time. I went to the atrium at the departure time for tag A at 8:20, but the gangway wasn't ready. I finally got off at 8:50.
The M25 was congested, so I turned off on to the M23 and went home via the A27. The M27 was also congested, so I cut through the New Forest, but there were lots of ponies standing on the roads! I finally got home at two o'clock, after another super cruise.
7 Dining tables hosted 5 Line dances taught (Slosh, TW, ES, CC & LS) 2 Ballroom dance classes led (SF & W) 2 Cocktail parties attended 2 Line dance classes led 1 Tour paid for (Vikings) 1 New port visited (Haugesund)