Day 7 – Tasermiut Fjord
We were treated to a day of scenic cruising up and down the Tasermiut Fjord to see breathtaking views of icebergs, a glacier and even a rainbow! We have travelled many times in the Norwegian fjords and although the Icelandic ones are similar, each fjord is unique. The Tasermiut Fjord has very steep sides and a good deal of ice floats around it, making for magnificent photographs. We hosted an extra chat time today offering Cruise Specialists guests a chance to take in the views while we chatted and were pleasantly surprised as to how many people stopped by!
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Day 8 – Nanortalik, Greenland
This was a tender port into this small community of about 1,000 people. We were the first cruise ship that had made it in this year as the ice and weather had been too risky for the previous 10 ships. There is a church, a tourist shop (very expensive), a bar ($9 for a local beer) and one supermarket selling everything from underwear to engine oil! ‘Local’ guides were on hand for tours, but it transpired that these guides were brought in for the season from Iceland and Denmark. Some of the real locals had a few little makeshift tables selling painted stones & little crocheted items, which was nice to see.
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Many guests went out on boat rides or to visit a small museum. We walked to the outer part of the town and up a mountain trail to see streams, waterfalls, wildflowers, and fantastic views – no wildlife spotted despite warnings that we might see a Polar bear!
We also encountered a Disc Golf course. We didn’t see anyone to lend or rent us any discs, but it looked like a fun sport and fabulous use of the land.
Day 9 – A Day at Sea
Our coffee chat time was busy, with over half of our guests stopping by. After nine days together, we now know everyone’s name well, which is so nice. Activities on the ship included all the usual things – lectures, Tai Chi, shore excursion talks, trivia, Bridge, Mahjong, origami folding, high tea and pickleball to name a few. Today there were a couple of extra items – a ‘Polar Bear Plunge’ (certificates for all those that participated) and ‘Cake the Night Away’ - an extravaganza of cakes from 8:30 – 9:30 pm on the Lido deck. We were busy all day so missed the pool activity and cake at that time of night is not for us, but we heard that they were as awesome as always. The crew work so hard during this event.
Day 10 – Prince Christian Sund
Today we enjoyed scenic sailing the narrow Prince Christian Sund. We were also invited to a Mariners wine tasting event. Hosted by Jacques, the Cellar Master, we had a fun time enjoying the tastings with some of the Cruise Specialists guests. We also crossed the Arctic Circle today and everyone received a certificate to mark that momentous occasion!
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This evening was a masquerade dressy night. There were tables full of masks around the ship for anyone to take and a craft class (hosted by the entertainment team) to make your own if you wished. There was a movie on in the Main Stage to encourage people to join the party atmosphere around the various music bars. It was fun to be seen and nice to see all the staff partaking in the festivities too.
Day 11 – Isafjördur, Iceland
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It was a lovely sunny day in this delightful small town in the Westfjords region of northwest Iceland. Isafjördur has a large fishing community dating back to the 18th century with wooden houses and corrugated roofs. Tours went out to farming settlements, museums, and the stunning Dynjandi waterfall (100 meters tall & 30 meters wide). We explored the town and had a lot of fun with friends and guests taking pictures on the 3D crosswalk (painted in a way that makes it look 3D to encourage traffic to move slowly) – the first that we have ever seen. It’s a good thing that it was a quiet town as half the ship was in the middle of the road at some stage of the day mesmerized by the crosswalk!
We also talked with a lovely local man who worked in a very unassuming building that is actually a laboratory. They collect skin from cod (given to them for free) to regrow for human skin grafts. Absolutely fascinating.
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There were fabulous views from the mountainside, which was covered in beautiful wildflowers. A five-meter-tall whalebone arch (Jónsgarður), a lovely modern church in the town, and a large pink granite Shrimp dedicated to a local fisherman who built apartments for the elderly. It was a delightful day in a delightful town.
Day 12 – Akureyri, Iceland
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The city was far from a city that we know, more of a large sprawling town with a population of 18,000. People easily walked into town as the ship was berthed almost in it! Passengers took tours to Godafoss waterfalls, various museums (Nonni’s house being one) and the botanical gardens. We walked into town and onwards to the beautiful botanical gardens and beyond. Rain threatened, but it stayed dry for our 8-mile walk. We headed towards the airport with breathtaking views that surrounded it and a narrow road that stretched across the fjord. We came across Icelandic ponies and a Disc Golf course before heading back through the suburbs. We enjoyed seeing the many different styles of homes and the snow on neighboring mountainsides, followed by a local beer with friends before wandering back to the ship. We were slightly staggered by the price - $58 for 4 beers!
Day 13 & 14 – Sea Days
It rained for most of the two days, but ship life carried on as normal! Trivia, Bingo, Mahjong, Bridge, Pickleball, shopping, lectures and various activities in the Art Studio (an open plan room in a section of the Crow’s Nest). Activities in the studio include origami, brushstrokes, watercolor painting and other easy art projects.
I dropped by a staff cocktail chat to hear about the new onboard entertainers – Sebastian Sowell, Emile Diego Doles, Tyler Michael Breeding & Company. They arrived on board in May. For some of them, including the lead name Sebastian Sowell, it is their first time on a cruise contract. Their shows are wonderful! The costumes, lighting, staging, and choreography were all impressive and comments from the packed audience in the Rolling Stone lounge chat emphasized that.
Meanwhile, we have had extremely busy chat times each day. The engaging chats have now become a large circle of chairs instead of groups of four. Our community of guests come and go, and the conversations change accordingly. It is nice to see so many of the solo travelers coming in to mix too.
Day 15 – Oslo, Norway
We cruised up the Oslofjord from 6:30 am prior to our 10 am arrival. It is our 3rd visit to this magnificent, striking mix of the old and new city of Oslo. Several parks, hundreds of imposing buildings, and thousands of striking and unusual statues/works of art. We were berthed further out of the city center than our previous visits, but we were quite happy to have some new areas to explore! Tours went to Vigeland Park, and a lot of people took the Hop On, Hop Off bus right from the port entrance. They were delighted to begin their tour right from the port since it rained heavily at both ends of the day! Another delight was the huge, tented shopping area right at the dock selling everything from full length coats and wool hats to fridge magnets and postcards.
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We did our own all-day walking tour covering miles of parks, awesome statues, fantastic buildings and fabulous new wharf-side villages integrated with beaches, fountains, restaurants, galleries and exciting new museums. We could have spent the whole day in Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen. By the time we got there, hundreds of people were sunbathing, enjoying cocktails and food in boardwalk cafés. Then the clouds got darker, and it started to thunder! Within 30 minutes, the whole scene had changed as huge raindrops appeared and people scattered, as the ‘drops’ turned to torrential rain.
Undeterred, we walked back to the ship under our huge orange Holland America umbrellas visiting a Rudolf sculpture made from motorbike parts in a tunnel made from green Masi Quartzite and a magnificent 14-meter-tall artificial tree weighing 27 tons, covered with 125,000 color changing LED lights. Just stunning come rain or shine.
Back on board, we arranged to take one of our solo guests out to supper for her birthday. She was delighted and many of our fellow diners came by to wish her a happy birthday before we escorted her back to her room. We really enjoy being able to offer a little companionship to our lovely guests.
Tomorrow is our complimentary Cruise Specialists tour from Rotterdam to Delft. It will be fun with the majority of our group going out together on the 4-hour tour.
Read part 1 of our voyage: Bar Harbor, Sydney, Corner Brook and Red Bay
Affectionately,
Susie and Keith, Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts
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