Norway Cruise

So, this post has been a long time coming. Blogging takes up a lot more time than people realize (or give me credit for). When we got home from our jam packed trip, I had a few days of spare time which I meant to use getting the blog up. Instead Josh and I completely crashed and did nothing. I was barely able to get my laundry done. I think we were exhausted, more than we would have admitted to my parents. But, good things come to those that wait. Without further delay, here is the recap of our Norwegian cruise. 

Norway is a destination which has been on my travel list, but it is one which has been overlooked many times. If a place is something which requires 1). a plane ticket or 2). for Josh to request time off, it tends to get pushed aside for easier, closer destinations. Destinations we can drive to. I have also overlooked Norway as a destination because I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go (or how to get there) and because of the expense. Everyone talks about how expensive Norway is – and it is – knowing I would face added expense made me put off planning a trip even more (which, looking back now, is a stupid thing). In my cruise planning in the past year, I had stumbled across a cruise itinerary which left from northern Germany with stops in Norway. I couldn’t seem to let go of the idea of this cruise for two reasons. One – leaving from Germany it would be cheaper as we could drive instead of fly. Two – there was a way to see a lot of Norway in a short amount of time and cut down on food/hotel costs (as your ship is your hotel and restaurant).  After searching around for a few months, I found a deal and a price I willing to pay, then my parents added on to our trip, and we were on our way. I must say, I don’t know why I waited so long. Norway is now one of my new favorite destinations.

The excuse for my parents joining us on the cruise – beyond having a chance to visit us and see Norway – was to celebrate their 40^th wedding anniversary. I find this to be pretty amazing, a fantastic example to follow. The theme for me when planning this trip was to set up surprises along the way to make things even more special for my parents. They never expect anything, which makes surprising them even easier (and more fun). The first surprise came from picking them up at the airport. Normally when my parents come to visit, I go to get them at the airport alone and Josh stays working. Half of the times they have come to visit he hasn’t taken time off work. When Josh was putting in for time off, he decided to put in the first day my parents arrived, meaning he would be able to go to the airport with me. I could already envision my Mom’s shocked response to seeing him at the airport. It was nice to have some company, because making the two hour drive to the airport early in the morning by yourself kind of stinks. My parents flight arrived on time without a hitch, and they were both shocked to see Josh there. My mom reacted about how I would have expected, although I was anticipating tears, but she didn’t cry. 

After our drive home, we gave my parents a chance to shower and unpack. I always try to keep people awake when they get here because that seems to be the key to getting over jet lag, or not having it affect you. We went on base to get some lunch and to run a few errands in preparation for our trip the next day. Then Josh and my dad went home to relax while I surprised my mom with pedicures. I like to get a pedicure, although I don’t get them that often. It is just nice to have someone do all the work for you and have your toes look fantastic. I didn’t realize that it was the first time my mom had ever had a pedicure! She was a little nervous about the procedure, but I think she enjoyed it, and she was pleased with the end result. After our pedicures we met up with some friends to have dinner. 

The next morning Josh had a doctor’s appointment, which gave the rest of us time to sleep in a bit and then get our things organized before he got home. I was excited about this new trip because I knew our new car would be bigger and roomier than the old one. It was, but we still managed to pack it to the brim. There was hardly any space left in the trunk, and there were plenty of belongings in the back seat with my mom and I. When I first was planning our trip, I had thought if we arrived in Hamburg in the early afternoon (which according to Google maps, we were supposed to), we would have the opportunity to go for a walk, or make it to one museum. Instead what was meant to be a five hour drive turned into an eight hour drive because of traffic and construction. Ugh. What a long, miserable drive. Needless to say, after we found our hotel we were just happy to unpack and have a glass of wine. We had done enough for one day. 

The next morning we set out to explore Hamburg. We walked along the edge of Lake Alster to find a local bakery for breakfast. Then we wandered down to a meeting area for a walking tour I had booked for us. For having no real map and no idea where we were going, we did a pretty good job of finding our way. The walking tour I booked us for was a two part tour. In the morning we walked around “historic” Hamburg, and in the afternoon we saw the more “modern” Hamburg. Historic Hamburg walked us by the city hall, the canals, the harbor, and old shipping headquarters. I like Hamburg’s green copper roofs. 

Our tour ended by a church, and we had an hour to grab a quick lunch. After lunch we started up with the second half of our tour, which took us to the fish market, and then through the red light district. The fish market was interesting to see, but I wasn’t all that interested in the red light district. It isn’t like the red light district in some cities, like Amsterdam, where you can see people out on “display” so to speak. Here there were just a lot of “adult clubs” and trashy looking bars. What I found most interesting about it was it walked past some of the old clubs where The Beatles played back in the early 1960s when they were getting their start in Hamburg. 

After the end of our second tour, we went back to see a few of the sights to get better pictures. Then we found dinner – Hofbrau – a “chain” restaurant of sorts in Germany, but a beer house. They have good food and good beer, so although it is kind of a tourist trap, we still love it. 

The next morning we went out in search of breakfast again. It was a Sunday, and most things in Germany are closed on Sunday, and it seems this is true in Hamburg. We did find a little coffee shop that was open, but many other businesses seemed closed up for the day. After breakfast we walked along the edge of Lake Alster and watched people out for Sunday activities – rowing, boating, fishing, jogging, strolling. It was peaceful. It is hard to believe such a large lake sits in the middle of a city – sort of like Central Park, in a way. 

We went back to our hotel, packed up our bags, loaded up the car, and headed to the cruise terminal. This where things went a bit south, temporarily. When I had looked up the information for our cruise online, I found the address for the cruise terminal easily, and there was a recommended parking garage. Perfect. We made our way to the parking garage, parked, unloaded our bags, and started walking in the direction of the cruise terminal. As we were walking, I was noticing that the terminal itself seemed a bit… quiet. There weren’t many people around, which if a cruise was in the process of disembarking/embarking I would expect to see tons of people. There were also no cars, no taxis, and really, you couldn’t see a ship. Mind you, the ship we were going on wasn’t huge, but I would have thought that you’d be able to see it as you approached the terminal. Hmmm. I think around this time Josh started to get a similar feeling, and he offered to jog ahead to “check things out.” He came back a few minutes late to report there was nothing there. No people, no ship. Hmm. Clearly there are two cruise terminals, and we were at the wrong one. Insert here a minor panic attack on my part. I used our GPS to find the other cruise terminal – about a 15 minute drive away. As we got closer to that terminal, you could see the ship, hundreds of people, throngs of taxis. Okay, we were in the right place. Josh pulled in, and we unloaded the car. Now… where to park this car? After asking a few of the dock workers, he drove a few blocks away to park in a garage, then had to jog back to us. Josh didn’t mind and said it was his workout for the day. Really our detour only took up about a half hour of time, but man was I stressed. But, we got there and made it on board. 

We were staying on a different deck than my parents – mainly because we booked through a travel agent, and my parents booked online with a different agency. As it was, they ended up with a bit bigger room on a higher/nicer deck. Luck of the draw. As it was, it really wasn’t that big of a deal. When we first got on board we agreed to go to our rooms, drop off our bags, and then we would meet up. Josh and I had just started to dig through our things when our phone rang, which I knew meant my parents had gotten their surprise. With any cruise ship, it is possible to book gifts for other passengers, even if you aren’t on the cruise (hint, hint to anyone out there for future cruises I take). I had looked through what the cruise offered, and decided to have my parents room decorated and to have a cheese/fruit tray and wine delivered to their room on arrival. The decorations turned out nice – it made it easy to spot my parents door was you walked up the hall, and the fruit/cheese and wine was a nice afternoon snack. 

The ship we were cruising on was the same ship we were on when we did our Greek cruise in October of last year. We wandered a bit around the ship giving my parents an informal “tour” of the ship – I was surprised by how much we remembered. We went up on deck to watch the ship leave Hamburg. It was pretty windy, and a bit cold, but there is still something special about watching a city drift away behind you. After a bit we decided to head inside. We played a few games of dice killing time before dinner. On this cruise we had a later dining time of 8:30. Previously we have always had earlier dining times, and I was afraid this one would be too late for us. As it was, it actually worked out perfectly. We didn’t have to rush to get ready when we got back to the ship, and we had time to do more activities (if we wanted) before dinner. 

We were really blessed on this cruise as we had amazing wait staff. At each meal you have two wait staff assigned to your table – one takes care of beverages, bread, clearing dishes, ect. The other waiter is the “head” waiter who takes your order and brings your food. I should preface this by saying Josh and I have never had bad service. However, on this cruise we had phenomenal service. Our beverage waiter was a certified wine master – there are only 350 of them in the world – and he would select our wine for us each night. After the first night when he picked out an amazing wine, we decided to let him pick out our wine every night. I am pretty sure he was picking much nicer (read: expensive) wines than we were paying for. He also gave us “wine lessons” each night – explaining what to look for in a good wine, how to tell if a wine is spoiled, how to “dress up” a glass of spoiled wine. It was fascinating and entertaining. It made each dinner special. 

Our first day on the ship was an at sea day. We all slept in, then met up for a leisurely breakfast. In the morning we decided to try our hand at bingo. It was fun to play, and although Josh and I got close to having bingo a few times, none of us were lucky enough to win. We spent the afternoon visiting, playing some games, reading, generally hanging out and being lazy. We tried to spend some time at the pool, but the weather was cold, so the indoor pool was packed. That evening we went to do some music trivia (my favorite part of any cruise) – and the theme of the night was Beatles trivia. Working as a team of four, between my dad and I we got a perfect score and won. Pretty exciting, if you ask me. 

The next morning we arrived in Oslo. For Oslo I planned for us to explore on our own, and had booked hop-on-hop-off bus tickets. The bus left right in front of the ship, it couldn’t have been more convenient. It was a perfect way to see the sights of Oslo while getting around. We were blessed to have a beautiful day of sunshine. 

After making a loop on the bus, we stopped at the Norwegian Folk Museum, which is an open air museum that shows what life was like for Norwegians hundreds of years ago. There are exhibits on “period” clothing, and there are many original homes, barns, and farmhouses which have been moved from their original sites to the museum. Some homes were plain wood, others had “living roofs” made of sod. Some of the buildings were beautiful with intricate woodworking details. My new camera (which we had gotten specifically for this trip) was having a hay-day taking pictures. 

My other favorite part of the museum was an old church. I had read when Christianity came to Norway, the Norwegians employed their skills from ship building and applied it to church building. I have never seen a church like this, and I couldn’t seem to get enough pictures of it. 

After the folk museum, we went to the Viking ship museum. The museum houses three Viking ships, and each ship has its own small wing of the museum. Each ship was used as a burial ship, and one of the ships still contained many artifacts which had been buried with the proprietor. Like the woodwork of the houses, I was blown away by the woodwork which had been done on the Viking ships. The intricate details, even after all this time, were stunning. Such craftsmanship! 

We did some shopping and wandered around the port before returning to the ship. We snagged some deck chairs and got a bottle of wine, and then enjoyed the sunshine and the view as the ship left. It did start to get a bit windy and cold, so we went where it was more covered to watch the ship leave. I have to say, one of the best parts of this cruise was sailing into and out of the ports. The views were breathtaking. Getting there was half of the joy of the journey. 

The next morning our stop was in Stavanger. For Stavanger I had booked an excursion to take a cruise up the Lysefjord to see Pulpit Rock. I have seen pictures of Pulpit Rock all over Pinterest, and it is something I wanted to see. You can hike up to the top of it and stand on the ledge to look out over the fjord, but the idea of standing at that height didn’t appeal to me. And, let’s be honest, the hiking part didn’t appeal to me either. But the cruise was a fast boat ride up the fjord to Pulpit Rock, so I would get to see it from a different angle. At first we took a seat inside the boat, but then realized we were going to miss out on all the sights and good photo opportunities. We made our way out to the front of the boat. It was definitely a lot windier and colder out there, which meant after a few minutes most people had gone back inside for shelter. I must say, as a general theme for this cruise, for the end of summer time frame there was no warmth to be found. There were many days of sunshine, but sunshine doesn’t always mean warm. I was a bit surprised by this. 

The cruise up the Lysefjord had endless amounts of beautify and photo opportunities. After cruising about an hour, our boat stopped at a small restaurant for coffee and fresh waffles with currents and whipped cream. Yum! 

After our stop our boat made its way to a hidden canyon in the side of fjord. The captain told a story of how hundreds of years ago some thieves escaped by climbing up the cliff walls. I was shocked by how the rock sides of the fjord cut straight down into the water. It seems as if they simply rise up out of the water, and the water is instantly deep where the edge of fjord is. 

We then cruised a bit further up the fjord and stopped where some “wild” goats live – although I don’t know how wild they can be as they ran to the shoreline to meet our boat and get fed. They were pretty cute though. 

Next we cruised past Pulpit Rock. Now, had our captain not pointed it out at first, I might not have seen it. But once I got my eye on it, it was unmistakable. When I got home and went through my pictures, it seems that I have endless photos of Pulpit Rock. I guess I just wanted to get the best shot of it. 

After Pulpit Rock we stopped near a waterfall. All along the cruise there were tons of waterfalls, but our boat got really close up to the waterfall. I got wet from the spray. 

We then cruised back up the fjord to Stavanger. Along the way we cut through an area where there are many vacation homes. The water was flat calm, and the houses were a beautiful mix of colors. I got some great photos. 

When we returned to Stavanger, we still had a few hours before our ship left. We wandered around the town. The town of Stavanger is pretty small, and it is easy to see everything in a short amount of time. There was an open market, a beautiful pond with fountains, and the city cathedral. Stavanger is also known for having a row of white clapboard houses, which were quite cute. 

The next day we were arriving in Geiranger, but our ship wasn’t arriving until 2 pm. When I first booked the cruise, I found this a bit odd. However, looking back, I think that was the perfect time to arrive. The highlight of Geiranger is cruising into Geiranger. After having breakfast, we made our way out on the deck armed with our cameras to watch. It was fascinating to see these beautiful landscapes appear and then unfold. I had an obscene amount of photos from sailing into Geiranger as I kept taking the same shots over and over, just from different angles/vantage points. Mountains – giant mountains – snowcapped, or green, or covered in rock, or with waterfalls tracing down the side – endless mountains. Mountain farms with beautiful farm houses high above the fjord. Small villages along the coast full of white houses. 

The closer you get to Geiranger, the more narrow and winding the fjord becomes. Right outside of Geiranger there are two famous waterfalls – The Seven Sisters and The Suitor. The Seven Sisters was a little weak – which could be expected for a waterfall in September. The Suitor, which is on the opposite side of the fjord from The Seven Sisters, was much more impressive. The story goes that The Seven Sisters are the seven smaller waterfalls which come together, and they are forever flirting and dismissing The Suitor. We were standing on the wrong side of the ship to get a good photo of The Seven Sisters, but by this time people were pushing and really trying to get a good place to see. Our place at the front of the ship right next to the rail was a coveted spot, and we took shifts going to the bathroom and eating lunch to keep our spot. 

For Geiranger I had also booked an excursion. In the town of Geiranger itself there isn’t a whole lot to do or see. Our excursion first took us to the Geiranger Fjord Center. We saw a short video which mainly showed us pictures of the fjord through the different seasons. There was also an interactive exhibit displaying what life was like in the fjord throughout the years. I wasn’t too excited or impressed by the Fjord Center. Josh and I went outside and walked along the creek/waterfall which runs through Geiranger. Our bus then took us up to a lookout point at the top of the mountains, which overlooks the entire fjord. The ride up to this point took over 45 minutes, and it was a long, winding road. The view from the top was stunning. On one side the mountains have glaciers, and on the other there were many rocks, and below was the water and our cruise ship. Again – so many pictures!

On our way down we passed by a glacial lake, some historic farm houses, and a beautiful waterfall. Our bus stopped at another viewpoint to take pictures. This one was lower, so the water and our ship were a bit more distinctive in photos. 

When our tour was over, we still had time in port, but it was about 6:30, and many shops were closing. We did some shopping, and then walked through town. As I mentioned earlier, there is a creek/waterfall which runs through Geiranger. There are stairs you can climb to follow the waterfall up. Josh and Dad made it to the top, but Mom and I decided to go about 2/3 of the way. 

The next morning we arrived at our final port of Alesund. We got out on deck to see the sunrise – it was stunning. We watched the ship pull into port.

I was most excited about our excursion in Alesund. I signed us up to take a trip called the Path of the Trolls. The actual path is about an hour and a half from Alesund. Our tour guide and bus picked us up at the port, and we rode along for about a half hour. The entire day, the entire drive, was beautiful. In the morning we drove along the coastline until we reached a church. The shape of this church was similar to the one we saw in Oslo, but it didn’t have the ornate roof decorations like the other church. However, the interior was stunning. 

After our stop at the church, we made a stop near a waterfall. You could hear the roar of the water as soon as you got off the bus, before you could see it. The water was an incredible deep, rich, royal color. 

Our bus then traveled into the mountains to the start of the Path of the Trolls. Similar to Geiranger, our bus climbed up a winding narrow road. We stopped at a visitors center, which overlooks the top of the Path of the Trolls. From this point, you have a perfect view of two waterfalls as well as the Path and the valley below. I can’t even begin to describe the view. Stunning. I feel there were so many dimensions – everything was so tall, far, deep, wide. One of the viewpoints had a glass ledge you could walk out on. Josh got some great pictures from here. I made it part way out onto the ledge before chickening out. 

After our stop, our bus started down the Path. The Path is made of 11 hair-pin turns. What is crazy is there are two lanes of traffic – not really that there are two functional lanes, but there are two lanes of cars trying to go up and down. Let’s just say I am glad we were in a bus which dominated the road and not in a car. 

At the bottom of the Path we stopped for lunch. The lunch was traditional Norwegian – lots of fish and potatoes. After we finished lunch, Josh and I walked around the restaurant and took pictures of the area. 

Our bus continued on to one last stop, to see the Trolls Wall – which is a huge solid rock wall at the top of a mountain. It is popular with hikers and climbers. It was hard to get all of it in one picture.

Our ride back to the ship was quiet – we all napped a bit (as in, the entire bus), but we got to see a different side of the coastline. When we got back to the ship, we didn’t have much time left in Alesund, so we had to just take pictures from the deck of what the town looked like. One of the cruise employees assured me there really was nothing to do in Alesund, so I don’t feel so bad about not seeing the town. 

That evening we went to play music trivia – this time it was music from the 50’s and 60’s. We were the only people who showed up to play, so cruise staff said we had to be two teams of two people to play against each other. So basically it was my dad (the person who taught me what I know about music) against me. Some songs I got instantly, some music he got instantly. It was more just fun to compete against each other.

The next day was our last day on the ship, and it was a day at sea. We had a leisurely breakfast, and then decided to claim a spot on the ship to camp out at for the day. We grabbed a table and chairs facing a window inside. I knew the inside tables would be popular since it was a cooler, windy day, and most people wouldn’t be outside. Mom and I read our books, Josh and Dad played a bit of cribbage. We drank a lot of wine. It was a nice, relaxing day to end our cruise. We had so much fun it was hard to know it was all coming to an end and we were going to have to say good-bye and get off the ship in the morning. 

But, in the morning, our next adventure was starting…