We’d never gone Far North before. It was a ‘bucket list’ cruise. The crew, waiters and cabin staff were faultless. The ship was an ‘Olsen ship’ and we’d sailed on Balmoral several years ago so it was familiar. The shows were very good and you’d not have believed how little time they had for rehearsals.
The talks were interesting but told you nothing about each destination. For that you had to take Olsen’s trips which were usually fully booked and not cheap. A word of warning: Norway isn’t like the Med and doesn’t need tourists. Between late December and early New Year, shops were mostly shut and town centres deserted. Nothing opens before 10.00 am anyway. We didn’t mind, we did our own thing except for seeing the Huskies. An hour with the dogs was £230 for two. We couldn’t get dog or reindeer rides which are much more expensive but fully booked. We enjoyed the animals and the on site talk from the kennel boss.
The crossing the Arctic Circle ceremony on Christmas Day fun and the New Year festivities, Northern Lights and fireworks display in Trondheim were spectacular.
Good clean cabin. Big enough for two. No complaints. Our attendant was super.
Lastly, if you are at the front of the ship and hear periodic loud bangs, it’s nothing to worry about. It’s waves hitting the hill in heavy seas. The ship is big and reassuringly stable.