The Cruise

I appreciate that this is departure from caravanning and motorhoming. However I just wondered whether it would be of interest for those that might be considering it as a bit of a change.  Six years ago we went on our first cruise which took us across the Bay of Biscay (and didn’t we know it!!!) along the coast of Spain and our eventual final stop of Casablanca in Morocco. That was in October so when our second cruise was being discussed we decided that it had to be in the summer.  Despite the weather we did rather warm to cruising and this year it was my 70^th birthday so why not celebrate on the high seas!!! 

We decided that the Norwegian Fjords would be a nice option so back in the winter we booked our week long cruise on the P&O flagship the Britannia which only came into service a year before. If there is a downside to this type of holiday it is the packing and trying to decide what clothes to take with you. When we pack the motorhome we just trot down to the bottom of the garden and put a few things in now and again. Cruising requires concentration of the mind!!! Unlike flying there are few restrictions on how much luggage you can take but don’t forget the empty suit cases have to be stored in your cabin!!! P&O still do “formal nights” and people tend to either love or hate them. No real need for a DJ as a lounge suit will do just as well. During a weeklong cruise there will be two formal nights. If it’s not your thing there is always the self service restaurant or room service. On both cruises we have chosen a balcony cabin which gives a small outside sitting area. It crossed my mind that most people who enjoy our hobby would feel at home with the toilet and shower facilities as in size terms they are just a bit roomier than some modern caravans and motorhomes. 

We set off from MK at around 10.00am in order to join the ship at our allotted time of 3.00pm. Completely forgot that it was the first weekend of the school holidays!!! The A34 was at a standstill which we managed to get round by diverting through Abingdon but hit traffic again on the M3. We got there in the end but still had to wait as 4000 passengers booked in!!! At least we could go straight to our cabin and our cases had got there before us. Our cabin Steward came along to introduce himself. We are always impressed how well looked after we are. Britannia is a massive ship and I am not sure we discovered everything about it by the time we left. Time for the first evening meal.  The next 36 hours would be at sea as we made our way from Southampton along the Channel, through the Straights of Dover and into the North Sea for the long journey to Norway where we docked at Stavanger on the Monday morning. 

Cruises can be as organised as you want them to be and any number of excursions can be purchased to enhance your trip. However these can be rather expensive and we prefer to make our own way ashore to explore independently. You will find in your cabin details and maps of the place the ships stop at as well as advice on your visit. On the majority of cruise ship destinations the ship docks right in the town you are visiting so it’s easy enough to get out and about. This was the case in Stavanger and once off the ship you are immediately in the town. We explored the shopping area first before coming back towards the ship to explore the Old Town with its shiplap boarded houses, most bedecked with flowers. 

Obviously essential to be back on board before the ship sails!!! Didn’t that happen to Mrs Bouquet in one episode? We tend to get back in time for lunch as no point spending money in port when you have already paid for it onboard. Most arrivals in Port are early in the morning but departures are late afternoon or early evening so you usually have the opportunity watch the ship leave the Port. The next morning we docked in Ålesund. The original town suffered a major fire in 1904 which virtually destroyed the town. It was rebuilt in the Art Deco style in the following years. Once again you just get off the ship right in the town and you are ready to explore. The following day we arrived in Andalsnes which gave us a better flavour of what the Fjords looked like as we had a long run into the Port from the open sea. It is only a small place and the only mooring place was already taken up by a German cruise ship, which had obviously got their beach towel on the quayside before us, so we had to go ashore by tender which added to the excitement! Just out of interest we had a look round the local supermarket and by a rough calculation prices were about 20% higher than in the UK but there was a good choice. Whilst they do sell beer, £3 for a 500ml can, they don’t sell wine or sprits which apparently can only be purchased from Government run liquor stores. Although it was a generally sunny day by the time came to set out to sea again it had gone quite grey which added a sort of surreal vista as we cruised down the fjord. There was very little colour to break up the almost monochrome landscape which gave it a very alien feel!!! Those of you used to watching Scandi TV shows will know what I mean. 

Our next and last port of call was Bergen. This was the only place we were unable to walk from the ship to the town as we were docked inside the working port area. We had to use a shuttle bus to go literally 200 yards to the port entrance!!! It is only a short walk into town with arrows painted on the pavements. There is a modern shopping area and beyond that the old port area with a fascinating fish market with places to sit and eat your purchase. Bergen has a funicular railway but we gave this a miss as rain was threatening. We learnt later that there had been very long queues to use the railway so maybe the right decision. 

We left Bergen late afternoon for the 36 hour sea journey back to Southampton. Life is far from boring onboard with plenty of things to do but don’t forget the packing as it’s an early departure from the cabin on disembarkation day. We were up early and had our last breakfast in the service restaurant. Each cabin gets instructions on where to wait before you can proceed to get off the ship. Unlike an airport with a luggage carousel all cases are grouped together by deck. You are advised to tie some brightly coloured ribbon to cases to make it easier to find them. It does work but we had to do a couple of runs along the rows to find ours!!! Once through Customs it was off to find the car. How quickly the week went by.