The Morrisons continue their cruise through Norway

We saw Copenhagen and had a good look around even though it was a little wet. We found out where our hotel was situated so we can get the taxi to take us there when we return next week. There is a train that goes from the airport, but we have to take our bags. We are getting a little old for that so we will get a cab.

We went to the info desk and got a load of info and we have planned our time.

We sailed off to Norway on May 25 and had one sea day before going to Flam and was it great. We came into the fjord about 2 a.m. and took about six hours to go up the fjord to the town. It was so beautiful but cold. I got some great photos and even managed a short movie which is yet to be edited.

Owen and Lesley Morrison

The Flam railway and bus trip is done two ways with over 200 passengers going on the tour. Some had  the bus trip first and the train second and other groups from other ships and other tourists did the train first and then the bus trip.

We booked an expensive tour with the Flam railway in which we were to experience one of the most interesting and beautiful stretches of railroad in the world. We started in the pretty village of Flam and left by coach where we stopped at the Tvinde waterfall to watch it cascade down the mountainside. Then passed by Oppheim Lake before reaching the serpentine bends in what is called Stalheimskleivane, the steepest road in Norway. It is a series of hair-pin bends and there is not much room between the bends. Most of this leg is through a mountain with two tunnels: the first almost seven miles long, and the second approximately four miles long. We ended up in Voss where we had lunch.

After lunch we boarded the train to take us on a an incredible train journey from the mountain station at Myrdal on the Bergen Railway, down to Flåm station nestled in the innermost corner of the Aurlandfjord.

Each year, this exciting stretch of railway attracts people from all corners of the world, making the Flam Railway one of Norway’s major and most spectacular tourist attractions.

The train journey provides some of Norway’s wildest and most magnificent scenery. On the 20 km train ride you can see rivers that cut through deep ravines, waterfalls cascade down the side of steep, snow-capped mountains and mountain farms cling dizzily to sheer slopes.

The Flåa Railway is one of the world’s steepest railway lines on normal gauge. The gradient is 55/1000 on almost 80 percent of the line, i.e. a gradient of one in eighteen.

Kjosfossen waterfall

The twisting tunnels that spiral in and out of the mountain are manifestations of the most daring and skilful engineering in Norwegian railway history.

At Kjosfossen waterfall we got off to take photos of the 300-foot waterfall plunging down the mountainside beneath the train track. There were some girls dressed as trolls dancing to music for the train passengers.

At the foot of the mountains you can enjoy the natural beauty of the Flåa Valley and admire the majestic Aurlandfjord, a branch of the world’s longest fjord, the Sognefjord. We went to the patio grill for dinner and even there was only four of us braving the cold and we were rugged up like nanook of the north. It was a great experience coming out through the fjord and the views were spectacular.

Our cruise continued and we went to Alesund and did a tour of two islands: Giske Island and Godoey Island. To get to the islands you have to go under the fjord through tunnels and on bridges over the water. The tunnels go through sheer rock and no cement is used in the roof or sides of the tunnels. Norway is definitely not a place to be claustrophobic as they have tunnels everywhere.

One of many tunnels was 2.5 miles long. Before we went to the islands we went to a lookout and saw where we were going. On the way we saw a cement bunker built into the side of the mountain by the Germans. You had to look close to find it. We looked all over Alesund and down to the ship. Great views, but once again cold.

Giske consists of several islands. Giske is known as the Saga Island for the Viking chieftain Rollo, who was born there. Giske Island is fairly flat and fertile and there have been settlements there since the early Bronze Age. We went to Giske Church which dates back to 1150 and was originally a chapel belonging to the Giske family. The graveyard was very interesting. People died very young and there was a high infant death rate. There were a lot of graves that must have been during the war years when the German occupied Norway.

We then went to Godoey Island, over a bridge that is closed during bad weather, and then to the small fishing village of Alnes, which faces the Atlantic Ocean and if you went straight ahead over the water you would end up in Greenland. We went to its lighthouse. We had a great view of the ocean and surrounding islands. Some climbed the stairs to the top of the lighthouse for great views. We thoroughly enjoyed coffee, great cake and typical Norwegian pancakes at the café below the lighthouse before returning to Alesund and the pier via the Aksla viewpoint.

The Heights and Highlights of Bergen

We did a tour of Bergen called “Heights and Highlights” and it was very well named in the height department. We went through the city via the cable car system. It goes up 2,100 feet. I couldn’t tell as I had my eyes closed all the time, teeth clenched and hanging on to the side of the car. Owen didn’t come up as the stairs up to the cable car were very steep and had no handrails and there is no seating on the cable car. It only takes a maximum of 15 people. They say it only takes five minutes to get to the top but it was more like 10 to 15 minutes. Once up there the 360-degree views were spectacular. The wind was blowing and very cold, so I am not sure if the photos came out as my hands were shaking so much from the cold. Unfortunately, you have to come down the same way. They have a bicycle race down to where we started from and you would have to be mad to do it.

We then drove to the Fantoft Stave Church which was built in 1150 but destroyed by fire in 1992. It was rebuilt from timber north of Bergen and they used the same construction methods that were used when it was first built in the Middle Ages. The only thing original was the wooden roofed gate. The whole church is made of wood with elaborate carvings on the roof. Unique to Norway, the stave churches were all built before the year 1300, and this was the first time in 700 years that this type of church was constructed. It is set in lovely treed parkland. We then had to fight peak hour traffic to get back to the ship.

We went on a tour called scenic Nordfjord. We started at Olden where the ship was berthed along the fjord through pretty villages with waterfalls, farmland and lovely trees all along the way. The road was quite narrow and winding but there wasn’t much traffic so it was okay. We went through a lot of tunnels and some of them were only one lane with passing lanes. We followed another bus as our driver was Swedish and it was his first time driving tour buses in Norway and he didn’t know the way. We stopped to take photos at a lookout 1,600 feet looking down into the fjord. It had spectacular views of the fjord and the opposite side mountains with snow-capped peaks. We had a welcome afternoon tea at a local village on the edge of the fjord. There were men fishing off the banks. We stopped for photos at Hornindal Lake which is the deepest in Northern Europe.

We arrived back at the ship with the staff standing on the pier holding up a “Welcome Home” banner. The band from the club was there and they were playing jazz and hot mulled wine given to us all as we boarded the ship. Some locals, all dressed in national costume, were out on the balcony opposite cheering. It was a lovely welcome back to the ship.

In Stavanger, just a five-minute walk from the pier, the Rygerkatt catamaran will take you on an exciting cruise deep into the Lysefjord. Cutting over 30 miles into the countryside, the Lysefjord is surrounded by steep glacier-polished mountainsides dotted with beautiful waterfalls and the occasional small farm perched on a mountainside. On the southern side of the fjord is Helleren, an overhanging cliff that in former days gave shelter to the people that fished and hunted in this area. On the northern side of the fjord, view high above the well-known protruding rock formation, Pulpit Rock. Completely flat on the top, Pulpit Rock extends some 80 feet out over the fjord, and is over 1,800 feet above sea level. Made a stop along the way for a coffee break with Norwegian delicacies at a rustic fjord side restaurant, before commencing the return cruise to the pier in Stavanger.

We then went to Oslo where we did not do any ship excursions, but instead when into town to the information building and got some information, so we could plan our return in two days’ time. The ship was berthed right in the town and you did not have to go far. The was one major thing that Seabourn did was always to get the best mooring possible and have the shore excursions well organized and on time.

Now that the cruising part of our holiday is over, one final postcard will be needed as some has asked us for a comparison between the 220-passenger ships the Spirit, the Pride and the Legend and the 450-passenger size ships, the Sojourn, the Odyssey and the new ship just launched, the Quest.

They smaller ships are great but do not have the areas that the larger ships have been purposely built into the ships, namely the Patio Grill and Restaurant 2. On the smaller ships those areas are converted from other areas at dinner time.

The larger ships have a great area named, in our case, the Seabourn Square, when many functions happen in a peaceful place. Check in happens there, the pursers are all stationed there; there is a wonderful coffee shop where you can get snacks, coffee and drinks from 6:15 in the morning until 6 p.m. at night. In the same area is the library, the boutique, the future cruises consultant and plenty of areas to simply relax and read the papers or books. There is a large area outside with very comfortable chairs and tables to sit and again relax.

The larger ships have more areas outside to sit and relax:

1. Deck 5 out the back of the club, there is a small pool and two hot tubs and many lounges and tables and chairs
2. Deck 6 in the front of the cabins there is another hot tub and lounges and chairs
3. Deck 7 is the area mentioned above
4. Deck 8 is the Colonnade at the back of the ship which is a buffet area for lunch and breakfast and a restaurant for dinner, restaurant 2, which is only open for dinner and in the front of that deck is another pool and hot tubs together with more tables and chairs and lounges and the best place to eat, the Patio Grill and bar, which is open for lunch and dinner.
5. Deck 9 there is an outside bar and that is also a great place to relax
6. Deck 10 is the Observation Deck where early risers are catered for from 6 a.m. each day. Aternoon tea and pre-dinner drinks are served there and you can relax well into the wee hours
7. Deck 11 is where you can play deck sports

We have travelled on the Spirit and the Pride and now on the Sojourn and for us the larger ship is for us, but we know many who much prefer the smaller ships and that is why Seabourn has the two sizes of ships. The main advantage of the smaller ships they can get into many places the larger cannot go and that is why many passengers prefer the smaller ships. Many say it is the more personal nature of the crew knowing your name and your quirks. We know the staff knew our names and we try to know and remember their names in return as they are people and not just a person to serve you.

We will again travel on Seabourn because we firmly believe they are value for money because when you pay for your cruise you know the only extras will be your excursions and anything you buy on the ship, unlike other cruise lines where to have to sign for everything you have on the ship and there are NO PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTINUALLY

The last day on the ship…

We are on our last full day of our cruise, tomorrow we will be in Copenhagen and hopping of the ship for the final time. We have been on a cruise ship since April 18 and tomorrow is June 3 and we are ready to go back to the land.

We have today picked out our seats on the plane for tomorrow’s flight. I was able to do it online and that made it easy. Hope it works out. I guess we will find out tomorrow.

We have finished our packing, almost; we are having a little trouble fitting everything in as we seem to have more than we started out with. It is good we can leave some with the hotel in Copenhagen as that bag almost weighs 30kg by itself. We can only take 23kg each on SAS airlines for checked baggage and 8kg each carryon luggage. No extras with them unlike Singapore Airlines.

We only paid $22 each for the SAS air tickets, but the taxes amounted to more than $120 each, still a lot less than normal.

We have arranged to be one of the first off the ship, so we can go to the hotel and drop off one rather large bag and then take a taxi to the airport for our flight leaving at 1:30 p.m. We did it that way because we do not know how long it will take at the airport to check in and go through customs and immigration. The flight time is only one hour. (It takes five hours on a train and eight hours on the ferry.) If they want to put us on an earlier flight we will take it.

We go to Oslo for three nights from June 3-6, then we fly to Stockholm and stay there four nights and then on June 10 we fly back to Copenhagen for five days. We paid for all our accommodations before we left Australia and have breakfast included in two places.

On June 16 we start on our way home from Copenhagen to Singapore. We arrive there at 5:20 a.m. after a 12-hour flight. We have a hotel booked in the airport, so we do not have far to go to our bed. We have four days in Singapore, before arriving home very late on June 20.

We will be more awake on June 21.

Lesley is already planning to go up to Hervey Bay on July 12 to stay at our timeshare at the Ramada. She is anxious to see our new grandson.

Finland

Monday, May 23, 2011

Here we are in Helsinki and it is somewhat cold outside. We should expect that as we are getting closer to the Arctic Circle.

Owen and Lesley Morrison

Today is 12 degrees C and the forecast is a 20 percent chance of rain. Well, they got it partly right. We went for a light breakfast as they were tying up and by the time we went ashore we got about 100 yards  from the ship and fortunately we took our jackets that we got made when we were last in Tasmania. The coats are lightweight fabric and have a liner and they are rain- and shower-proof and both weigh about 3kg together so they are great to travel overseas.

We have some dry-as-a-bone coats that we bought in Australia and they keep you warm and dry, but weigh a ton and are not good to take overseas, but are good if we are travelling in Australia.

Getting back to today, 100 yards (I know we should be saying meters, but I still calculate the old way) from the ship, down came the rain and there was even lightning and thunder. It became very slippery and we were dry and warm to our knees, but wet from then on to our sneakers. Some had umbrellas, but in the wind they were not much help. The market outside the wharf was very ordinary and one shop wanted 15 euros for a child’s T-shirt and 20 euros for adult ones and they were poor quality and were screen printed with local flavour. We said no to the store keeper and moved on to other places.

There are many large vehicle and passenger ferries in this part of the world with countries and towns being so close people move around for work and pleasure. We have taken photos of the ferries, some so small where they take just two cars to large ones that take hundreds of cars and lorries.

There was no hop on-hop off bus in Helsinki as there was in other places, however, there was a tram ride you could take for 2.5 euros each and the people who went enjoyed themselves. We decided to go back to the ship and dry off and as we still have 11 more days on the ship washed our wet clothes in the ship’s self-service laundry. There are four washing machines and four dryers and the soap powder is free, as so are the washing machines and dryers.

We had a little trouble with our washing. We got to the laundry to find two little old ladies had taken our completed washing out and put theirs in, one load was finished and the other was just finishing, so we must have just missed them doing it. They made some remark about how we should be more considerate of others and we find later when we were checking on our dryers that their washing had been removed by others so they could use the machine.

I asked them how long did they wait and they said about 15 minutes and gave up waiting. Another couple also used the machine and the old ladies still had not been back to the laundry to check on their clothes. I guess there is one rule for some a not rules for others. Someone once said, which I thought was great: “They have all the money in the world but do not have any manners towards others.”  I guess that is life.

We were told in Russia that things were very dear there and they come to Helsinki to buy all their food and drinks and then drive home, some six-hour return journey.  After hearing that you cannot gripe about the cost of food at home.

So now we are good for the next few days and we will wash again before we hop off this ship on June 3. It was a shame that the heavy rain came and spoiled the day but I guess we can’t complain too much because that is the first wet shore day we have had since leaving Dubai on April 18.

Most of the passengers went on shore excursions and most got wet or very wet, so in a way were happy that we decided not to go on a shore excursion today.

Tonight we sail to Copenhagen and we have one sea day and arrive there on May 25. It is hard to think our cruising days will be over soon, we just have nine full days and a couple part days to go, before we commence the land portion of our holiday. We finally disembark in Copenhagen on June 3,  leave some bags at our hotel that we are coming back to in eight days, go to the airport and fly to Oslo and stay there for three nights, then fly to Stockholm for four nights and then fly back to Copenhagen for five nights and then take a direct flight of 12 hours to Singapore, where we arrive at 5:20 a.m. Singapore time. We have booked a hotel at the airport so we can go straight to our room and have a sleep.

We stay in Singapore until June 20 when we fly back home, arriving about 7 p.m., just over 9 ½ weeks since leaving home. Many have asked why so long away and we say, well, it so far to come over here and the cost of the airfares is huge so we try to see as much as we can while we are here.

On our final cruise portion starting May 25, we have booked about seven excursions each which equates to one a day for every shore day, so we hope the weather holds and we have had our only wet day.

When we left my friends, Owen and Lesley Morrison, they were several weeks into their Seabourn Cruise, heading into St. Petersburg, Russia. They have finally finished their entire cruise and are heading home to Australia.

Owen and Lesley Morrison

Owen sent me lots of reports on the second part of their trip and I will post them here…know that these events took place a couple of weeks ago. They are now sailing on the Seabourn Sojourn.

Russia

Saturday May 21, 2011

We arrived in Saint Petersburg this morning  and found we had a lovely warm day awaiting us. We had a light breakfast and went down to the Grand Lounge to check in for our tour of the city.

We had to be there 15 minutes before the departure time as normal, but we have a group of passengers that do not worry about time and get there when it suits them. This morning management had their measure. When we checked in we were given an orange, blue, red, black, green etc. sticker on the back of the shore excursion ticket and that indicated which bus you were on. We later found out it also indicated when you left the ship.

Well, what a commotion when the cruise director started calling out the colors. Those who arrived late were standing at the door and we were the second color to be called and those by the door said, “When do we go?” and were told they had to wait their turn. Well!!!!.

When we got off the ship after having the ship’s security staff check us off, we went to passport control. Those passengers who were going on a tour were covered by the ship’s visa; those who did not have a visa or were not going with a ship’s tour could not bypass passport control. The ship gave each passenger a copy of the ship’s visa and all you had to do was check that the personal info of yours was correct and just simply sign it in two places and take it with you together with your passport, your ships ID and hand it to passport control. Some passengers did not check it or did not sign it and had to fill out new ones. We have four young Americans on our trivia team and they paid $350 each for a visa that allowed them off the ship at any time. When we booked the cruise we were told that it took longer than six weeks to get a Russian visa and not to bother as it was quite involved.

Passport control was in a barge that had been towed alongside the ship and they checked everything twice and it was somewhat slow. It does not matter to me how many checks are carried out or how long it takes as long as I get home safely. Some passengers were unhappy with the whole process. I said to one of them, “What’s the rush? We all have to go in the same bus.” They were still not happy so I gave up.

We got a bus and the guide in her opening speech said that we were very lucky today as they only have about 30 days like this in the whole year, weather-wise.

The bus driver took us around the city and there are cars everywhere and the bus driver was great. He took us to a canal boat and everyone rushed to get outside and four of us went downstairs. It turned out to be the best place because outside you got to sit in one place on a plastic chair and you could not stand up because the bridges you went under did not leave much clearance. However inside you could sit anywhere, move from side to side, stand up and the windows opened up fully and we took the best photos of the city. The canal ride was well over an hour and a half. We then went ashore again and ended up at the Church of the Spilled Blood which had a market beside it.

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood (Khram Spasa na Krovi) is both an historical monument and a work of art. The men who built the church were given the difficult task of incorporating the spot where Emperor Alexander II was murdered into the interior of the church. The site of the crime is marked by a special chapel in the western part of the building beneath the bell.

I bought a book on St. Petersburg and it shows all the churches, palaces and monuments in the town and it has a wealth of information. It cost 10 euros.

Lesley bought some Russian dolls at the market only to find the stall outside the ship was cheaper. We boarded the bus and drove pass sights in the city, mainly churches and government buildings and a huge university. It was a bit hard sometimes to work out what the buildings were as the guide kept saying about yellow buildings. A lot of the buildings are yellow and when there is a few together it makes it hard. Then back to the ship. What a great tour.

Some passengers had three tours booked for today and some more tomorrow. Some are going to the ballet or the opera tonight and they are going to be cold as the temperature is predicted to be just 5 degrees C and they will be dressed not for the chill, but in evening dress.

There are some passengers going to a cocktail party before the opera. Some say they may never come this way again, so see as many things as possible, but I am happy going on just a couple of tours.

On Sunday we slept in after a big day.

We went to breakfast in the Colonnade and had a great breakfast. Lesley ordered eggs royale which was like eggs benedict but has salmon instead of ham, I had poached eggs on English muffins with some grilled tomato and link sausages which are like beef sausages with a little spice. We rested up and went to the customs area early which was great because unbeknownst to us a large ship, the Empress, had berthed next to us and about 1,000 passengers were lined up. Seabourn, with their normal efficiency, had arranged two lines just for the Seabourn passengers and as we had all been through the initial check of yesterday, it was much quicker the second time around.

We got through quickly and waited for our two buses. The other group’s buses were waiting and not leaving any room for our buses, finally one of our buses arrived and everyone wanted to go first. The staff were very good and explained that there were two buses and some should wait.

Lesley and I were lucky to get on the first bus and we were taken to a store called Onegin where all tourist buses seem to stop. They must be all on a commission. One of our passengers made it simple for the rest of us and noted that the place where we got off was also the pick-up point. He said, “One Gin Please” — that will be easy to remember. We had to be back 2½ hours later.

We all went into the shop and there were a lot of souvenirs. There were toilets there as well and some of the passengers were happy about that because they had a box lunch provided by the ship while they we waiting. We had a look around and  we knew that the prices at the stalls on the pier were cheaper and a little better quality.

We went for a walk around and took some more photos of buildings we only saw from the bus yesterday. We then went back to the bus for a rest and then went on another walk to the a very plush hotel called the Europe Hotel, reporedly the most expensive hotel in town. We had a look inside and it is very grand and large. We did not ask the cost.

We got back to the bus and found we had two passengers from bus 2 on board which was initially confusing but it was sorted out and when we returned to the ship, the ship was ready to leave.

Lesley bought some Russian eggs for the grandchildren and another set of Russian dolls. Except for the big department stores most shops and stalls take US dollars or Euros.

St. Petersburg is a huge place and we were told that there are 119 museums and many more theaters and it is impossible to see everything in just two days. It is a lovely city but the young ones with the visas were telling us it is hard to get a taxi and an honest one at that.

We left at 5 p.m. on May 22 and to get going we had to have two tugs assist us down the river and then spin us around with the help of our thrusters. We needed the tugs because there was a strong current and there was only 60 feet at each end of the ship at the narrowest point on either end of the ship to the other ships in the river.

We then proceeded out of St. Petersburg and saw some magnificent sights along the way. The channel was very narrow on both sides.

We are now on our way to Helsinki and will be there tomorrow morning at about 8 a.m.

Star Clippers is not a well known cruise line. It is small. It sails (really sails) its ships. And it has long been one of my favorites, ever since I sailed with it during its inaugural season.

Those that sail on Star Clipper’s three ships really do love the experience and are always asking for new itineraries. So it is nice to see that they are finally going to sail to the Baltic…the homeland of the company’s owner and president, Mikael Krafft.

Star Clippers has now opened the books and confirmed port details on the line’s new Baltic itineraries that debut in summer 2012. With the positioning of Star Flyer in the northern European region from May through August, the tall ship cruise operator expands its European offerings to stretch from the eastern Mediterranean up to Norway.

Star Flyer will sail a variety of itineraries with departures out of Southampton, England; Oslo, Norway; Hamburg, Kiel and Warnemuende (Rostock), Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Ranging from three-night samplers to 11-night explorations, the ship not only calls at some of the Baltic’s most popular capital cities, but also visits several smaller, charming, lesser-visited ports along the way.

“When we were developing the Baltic itineraries we knew we had to make them special and unique, which is why we included so many intimate ports that are going to leave a lasting impression on our guests,” said Mark Carlson, director of marketing for Star Clippers Americas. “Our guests like adventure and they seek memorable experiences, and we expect the Baltic cruises to be among our most popular ever … so guests should book early.”

With the exception of three back-to-back 10-night Sweden, Russia and Finland cruises that sail round-trip Stockholm, the itineraries are non-repeating and offer extensive options for thoroughly exploring the region’s natural beauty, cultural diversity and historical depth.

Three departures out of Germany’s Hamburg (May 10), Kiel (June 22) and Warnemuende (Aug. 10) will coincide with annual sailing parades, which attract tall ships from around the world. Additional ports in Germany through the season on various cruises include Borkum, List/Sylt, Flensburg and Sassnitz/Ruegen.

Nine additional ports in Sweden appear among the itineraries and ensure that the homeland of Star Clippers’ owner and president Mikael Krafft is well represented: Marstrand, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Stromstad, Simrishamn, Kariskrona, Visby/Gotland and Goteborg.

Guests will explore the stunning landscapes of Norway during scenic cruising and calls at Kristiansand and Arendal, while the Danish ports of Esbjerg, Ronne/Bornholm, Nyborg/Fyn and Kalundborg offer Nordic charm. Finland, one of the world’s most beautiful countries, features calls at Helsinki, Hanko and Mariehamn/Aaland. In addition to Amsterdam, guests on select cruises will visit the ports of Texel and Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, or also visit close-by Antwerp and Zeebrugge, Belgium.

The Baltic cruises also feature a variety of additional exotic and cultural port options throughout several countries — Gdansk, Poland; Ventspils, Latvia; Tallin, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight), and Klaipeda, Lithuania.

Extended port stays ensure guests have plenty of time for exploring the sites on one of the line’s exciting shore excursions or sampling the local cuisine and shopping for souvenirs.

To request a brochure, call toll-free 800-442-0556 or e-mail brochures. To make a 2012 Baltic reservation, contact a travel professional. For information, call Star Clippers at 800-442-0551 or visit www.starclippers.com to view a video about the line or take a virtual tour of the Star Clippers ships.

Been a little busy enjoying many interesting sights over the last few days in Germany.

We went into Southampton, England, but got some bad advice on where to go and ended up in a shopping center that did not open for about 45 minutes so we had a look around and when the shops opened Lesley went looking for some baby clothes. Talk about very dear. A simple ordinary quality shirt was 8 pounds which equates to about $12.50 in our money. Everything was dear and we did not buy anything. The weather was somewhat ordinary and chilly, so after looking around a bit we went back to the ship.

Later that day we set sail with a new bunch of passengers who boarded in Southampton to go on the Baltic cruise for nine days and there were some who booked for the 18-day cruise to include Norway as well.

After a day of cruising we arrived at the entrance to the Kiel Canal and because they were doing some maintenance on part of one of the locks we had to wait for about two hrs. But when we started it was very different fromo the Suez Canal, because there was greenery everywhere with houses, farms and development. There were many cross canal car and lorry ferries and small and large towns all the way along the canal.

We took almost 600 photos and a couple of movies along the way and when I get time we will sit down and delete some of them and condense them into sometime more manageable to show family and friends when we get home. That is the great thing with digital cameras is that you can keep taking photos and then delete the ones you do not need afterwards. The camera I have now is one that my son Ashley gave me for father’s day. It has a rechargeable battery that can take about 500 pictures before it needs charging and we have the other battery charged up all the time, so it makes it very simple to change the battery as well With an 8GB memory card we can take 1,241 good quality photos before needing to change that as well. I normally download them on to my laptop every couple of days and back them up on an external drive just in case.

It took all day to go through the Kiel Canal and then we were in the Baltic Sea. It was a beautiful trip and would recommend it.

The next morning we were in Warnemuende in Germany. Some passengers took a 9-1/2 hour bus tour to Berlin however, we chose to get an all-day transit ticket and go into Rostock for the morning. We purchased our tickets which cost 4.50 euros each from the train station, boarded the electric train that leaves every 15 minutes go into Rostock and we were given instructions how to go to New Market. We were to get into Rostock station, go down two levels and catch a No. 5 or 6 tram and that was all we had to do. They did not tell us there were two platforms and, of course, we picked the wrong one and went for a nice tram ride the other way to Meunde. We only waited a few moments at that terminal before going back the correct way. The poor tram driver came over to see why we were still sitting there after everyone else had hopped off, but when we explained to him he just laughed.

We were soon where we wanted to go and had a great tram ride as well. Talk about lots and lots of shops. Lesley got herself a nice waterproof jacket.

My mouse on my laptop had been acting up so I thought I would buy a new one At home, this would normally cost about $15, so we went looking and looking. A couple of people did not know what I was talking about and finally we found a computer shop and one chap wanted to sell me an Apple USB mouse for 49 euros which equates to about $65, so we said “no” and when we got back to the ship the techno chap said he could loan us one, but I have fixed it for now.

We are now on in Tallin in Estonia and we took the shuttle bus into town and walked about and found a large shopping centee where I found numerous shops where I could buy a new mouse and finally paid 9.90 euros which is a lot more reasonable than 49 euros.

We only had four hours before the ship sailed and it started getting really cold so we returned to the ship. It is a nice city and if we had more time would have caught the hop-on, hop-off bus but we didn’t have time. One of the guides on the shuttle bus was a college student and she said that they have lot of snow there in winter.

We have just sailed for St. Petersburg, Russia, and we stay there for two days and one night. The ship left about 25 minutes late, because two passengers were late. I guess the Captain will have something to say to them.

We then sail to Helsinki for one day and then one sea day and arrive in Copenhagen on May 25.

We then will be on our final nine days of  cruising which started in Dubai on  April 18 and will finish in Copenhagen on June 3.

Those of you who follow this blog know that my friends from Australia, Owen and Lesley Morrison, have been sailing with Seabourn for several weeks. They recently moved from the Seabourn Pride to the Sojourn and then encountered internet problems. I did not received any postings from them for a couple of weeks.

So, yesterday Owen sent all of the ones I missed. So I am going to resume posting them here as they are so interesting….

Well, just so you know, the earthquake in Spain occurred in the mountain area well away from where we were and it happened after we left Oporto, Portugal. Lesley did a tour in Oporto and I stayed back on board and washed all my shirts.

Owen and Lesley Morrison

Lesley went to the historic town of Guimaraes, known as the “cradle of the nation.”  It is the birthplace of the first king of Portugal and an hour by coach from Oporto.  Lesley reports that it was a lovely drive through green leafy areas with lovely stone houses, each with a vegetable patch.

They went to the king’s castle and palace which is now a museum.  There are a couple of levels of stairs to climb and with no handrails is not good for people with walking difficulties.  Once inside the rooms were well restored with tapestries hanging on the walls, huge pieces of oriental porcelain, local furniture that was carved and looked to be inlaid with ebony and each room had an enormous fireplace. There is also a private chapel that was used by the family but the steps up to get inside were very steep and once again no handrails.

They walked down a very steep street and went past very narrow streets with beautiful old, but well-kept houses on both sides. The town was once again very clean. There were a lot of little cafes in the town and a lot of school children doing some project. We think it might be something to do with Fatima (May 13 is the feast day of the first apparition of  Our Lady at Fatima in 1917.)

We left Oporto and for dinner went to the Patio Grill on the ship. It was on the same deck as the Colonnade (deck 8) which is a buffet for breakfast and lunch and a set menu for dinner. The Patio Grill is open for lunch as well. The Patio Grill is the same as on the Pride and Spirit, but the setup is far better.

The Patio Grill on the small ships is on deck 8 and most tables are exposed to the elements and the cooking area is portable, but in the case of the Sojourn it is a purpose-built area and the seating is mostly covered and there are some tables partly exposed.

We enjoyed the food very much and the service was cheerful. This is a place we will go back to many more times.

After dinner, the waters became rough and that continued all night. The next day was somewhat ordinary. Lesley was not too good and had a very quiet day. I went to breakfast down in the dining room and unfortunately the service there is quiet slow. I was talking to a couple later and funnily they said the same thing. Lesley had room service for breakfast of some tea and toast.

I had lunch at Sojourn Square and brought some sandwiches back for Lesley and we had dinner in our room as we did not want to go out and get dressed up.

Yesterday going through the Bay of Biscay was very rough and it got up to force 8 winds.

Today we went to the dining room for breakfast and we got there about 8 a.m. and were finished about 9 a.m. I had fruit and eggs, etc., and Lesley had eggs, etc. and it took them over 40 minutes before the eggs etc. arrived. There must not be too many cooks on in the morning, but we found out today that most of the passengers have room service for breakfast and most of the staff are occupied with room service and that could explain why it takes a long while to serve up scrambled eggs, grilled tomato, hash browns and toast.

Tomorrow we get to Southampton where 360 passengers leave the ship and 360 start another cruise. We plan to get off and catch a bus and see the city. It will be Sunday, but I have checked some websites and there will be buses running and there will be some shopping areas open.

We wanted to change our euros into pounds, but they wanted to change the euros into US$ and then into pounds with two exchange fees, so we got some US$ and for $100 got about 55 Pounds and paid one exchange fee. We want to have some local currency in case we need it. It costs 7.5 pounds for an all-day bus pass

I have been having trouble with the internet on this ship. On the Pride I could send one email to all my friends. On this ship it says there are too many recipients, so I have to split it up. A bit silly.

Those of you who follow this blog know that my friends from Australia, Owen and Lesley Morrison, have been sailing with Seabourn for several weeks. They recently moved from the Seabourn Pride to the Sojourn and then encountered internet problems. I did not received any postings from them for a couple of weeks.

So, yesterday Owen sent all of the ones I missed. So I am going to resume posting them here as they are so interesting….

On Monday, May 9, we docked in Alicante, Spain, and went on a shore excursion. We found the city to be very clean and modern with many historical buildings. The city is historically and economically linked to North Africa.

We drove from the cruise terminal past the yacht club and there was a yacht with a winged keel ready for some yachting race later this year. Our first stop was the Castle of Santa Barbara, perched on Mount Benacantil, a rocky mass rising over 500 feet above sea level.

Owen and Lesley Morrison

The image of the mountain from the beach resembles a face, hence the reason why it is referred to as “Face of the Moor” and it is the city’s icon. During the visit at the castle, you can admire some interesting Iberian archaeological artifacts as well as the most preserved features including the main tower (Torre del Homenaje) and the English bastions. I did not go up to the top as it was a little uneven and quiet steep in parts. Lesley did and took some great photos.

The drive up in the bus was a little hair-raising but the drivers made it very safe. We then headed back down to the city and were dropped off and saw a museum and historical center in the middle of town. From there we walked to the Cathedral of Alicante, better known as Church of San Nicolas de Bari. We then walked to the town hall and then Lesley had some horchata, a local brew which was very sweet and left a starchy taste. Some of the passengers liked it but not Lesley. We had some free time but there were no shops, just a lot of restaurants including Burger King and Subway and many pizza places.

We are enjoying our time on the Sojourn and starting to find different parts of the ship. The Observation Deck on Deck 10 is great. It has a 270-degree view and there a large seating area inside and a big veranda area outside where you can take some great photos but, boy, it is a long way off the water

I go up there every morning as that is the place for the early risers where there is tea, coffee and fruit juices together with danishes from 6:15 until 8 a.m.

At 7 a.m. I go the deck 7 and go to what is called Seabourn Square where you can book excursions, plan your day ashore and pay your accounts (you can check your account including your bookings for shore excursions on your TV in your cabin at any time which is great). The lounge has a coffee bar, a library and a computer center. They even provide photo copies of all newspapers and I read the Australian one every day. You can even get the photocopy of any newspaper delivered to your room for $7.50 a day or just simply read it in the lounge.

Our cabin is on deck 6 and this morning we found another observation area with lounges and a whirlpool at the front of the ship on this level. We are finding something new on the ship every day.

This morning we went through the straits near Gibraltar and the waves have picked up as we are now in the Atlantic Ocean, but there is not much movement in the ship.

People who know me well know that if I am not cruising, then chances are I’m playing golf. These do seem to be my two passions.

And whenever a cruise lines puts these together then they get my attention. Here is the newest golf offering from Crystal Cruises:

In the game of golf, when is water a lux ury and not a hazard? When you’re sailing with Crystal Cruises on a golf-themed itinerary to an idyllic island with some great greens, of course.

The trio of golf sailings will take you to the British Isles via London this July, from Barcelona to Lisbon with a stop in the Canary Islands in November, and finally a round-trip Los Angeles sailing to Hawaii over the holidays. And legendary pro golfer Billy Casper (with 51 PGA tour wins) will headline all three!

The Crystal Golf Program includes onboard practice with brand new TaylorMade equipment, cocktails, caddy and cart service on the courses, and complimentary cleaning and storage of golf clubs and golf shoes after each round. Afterward, there’s the on-board Feng Shui spa so you can keep your zen going even longer.

It’s time to get your putt on with the pros at some of the most gorgeous championship courses the world over, like:

• Poipu Bay (Kauai)–top Hawaiian course surrounded by ancient places of worship
• Royal Portrush (Belfast)–designed by course-architect great, Harry Colt
• Carden Park (Liverpool)–Jack Nicklaus/Golden Bear “thinking golfer’s” fairway with spectacular views
• Royal Dublin (Dublin)–Ireland’s second-oldest links
• El Saler (Valencia)–one of Golf Magazine‘s “100 Greatest Courses in the World”
• Golf Club Del Sur (Canary Islands)–home to several PGA European tour competitions, surrounded by 8,000 palm trees
• Palheiro (Funchal)–coastal ridge greens on a 200-year-old estate

Rates: 2-for-1 fares start at $5,470/person, and include free air from two dozen North American cities (or air credit), up to $1000/person “As You Wish” spending credits; and additional savings for family/friend groups, early payment, or new-to-Crystal travelers.

For more information, contact your travel agent or go to www.crystalcruises.com.

My friends Owen and Lesley Morrison from Australia have now moved from the Seabourn Pride to the Seabourn Sojourn and are continuing their European travels.

By Owen Morrison

Special to AllThingsCruise

We are settled after a good night. The bed is big and very comfortable and long and wide. It seems to be bigger than a queen. We didn’t feel any movement during the night although the seas seemed calm. We woke to find we were already docked. It has been all go here with a lot of things happening. One of the speedboats from the back of the boat was taken out by crane and loaded on the back of a truck, an ambulance took someone away, buses arriving for tours and trucks unloading supplies.

We had breakfast upstairs outside and it was great. It’s a buffet but you can also order from the menu. Then we went down to the ship’s “square” where Lesley had coffee and I read the paper. They print a full sized copy of the Australian and other papers every day for everyone to share.

There was a porters strike in Rome yesterday and some people getting on the Pride were late getting to the port. We are in Livorno today and the Pride is here too so they came with us as we left later than the Pride and they will board her today.

We have a lovely big balcony and the cabin is bigger in that we have a bigger walk-in closet, bigger bathroom and more storage space. The bed is bigger which makes it look smaller.

Today we went to Pisa. We went by bus and there were about 20 of us, which left about 20 spare seats. Our bus took us to a shuttle bus that cost some euros that took us to where we could walk along on a pathway with stalls on one side and peddlers all about. The peddlers were okay, if you said “no” they left you alone.

We went into the Miracle Square and not only was there the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but we also saw a huge cathedral and a baptistry which is round and has wonderful echos inside. The cathedral has a huge bell tower and inside the cathedral is wonderful. Our guide spent far too much time telling us about the history of the inside. We took some great photos.

Outside there was the Tower of Pisa and it cost 15 euros to go inside but you have to book days ahead and only a certain number are allowed inside at any given time, because they do not want to put undue strain on the foundations. I did not bother them.

It cost to go into the cathedral and the baptistry, too. The tour, including entrance fees and shuttle cost $119 US. It was a great afternoon. We left at 1:45 p.m. and got back to the ship at 5:30 p.m. I bought a couple of tea towels, but that was all we bought.

We are now sailing to Alicante in Spain and get there tomorrow and then to Portugal on Wednesday.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

My friends Owen and Lesley Morrison of Australia are have been sailing on the Seabourn Pride in the Mideast and are now transferring to the new Seabourn Sojourn where they will visit the ports of  Florence, Alicante, Lisbon, Porto, Southampton, Kiel Canal, Warnemuende, Tallinn, St Petersburg for two nights, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Flamm, Aalesund,Olden, Stranger, Oslo and Copenhagen. Whew! They love to cruise!

Today is the day that they change ships. Here is their report:

Owen and Lesley Morrison

By Owen Morrison

Special to AllThingsCruise

We arrived here on the Seabourn Pride about 6 a.m. and had a quick breakfast as we had to be out of our room at 8 a.m. We could have stayed on but decided to get off and wait in the terminal.

The terminal is just a long covered walled area with some porta loos and people do not normally wait there for the transfer to another ship. But we did not mind, however, unbeknownst to us Seabourn had arranged for a car to take us to the other ship just about ½ a km away and when we got to the new ship, the Sojourn, we were taken on board straight away, where normally you have to wait until about 2 or 3 p.m. to board.

We met some staff from a previous cruise and the captain and a couple of senior officers came down to meet us and we were given the royal treatment. We were taken to the area where new guests sign in, our photos taken for our identity cards and a short time our stateroom was ready and all our bags were in the room. They certainly looked after us.

This cabin is a little smaller than our other room, but we have a better walk-in wardrobe and to our great approval the safe is very easy to use. It is in a great position and you do not have to stand on your head to use it. One small problem, the safe would not lock so we called up and they came up and told us the buttons were stuffed, so they simply just took one out and replaced it with a new one. It works fine.

We have been looking around the ship and it is much bigger than the other one, but much nicer and everything is larger. On the Pride you could borrow DVD’s from the library, here they are all on the TV in you room, some 200 movies.

It is 3 p.m. here now and we have a lifeboat drill at 5 p.m. and all the newbies must go, but is the one and only time we have to go, because there will be additional drills at every embarkation port  — Lisbon, Southampton and Copenhagen.

We have noticed that there are many English passengers and many are older than us who are doing a 18-day round trip from Southampton to Rome and back stopping at different ports on the way to and the way home. They all have very white skin.

There are four places to go for dinner, but we have not made up our mind where we will be going.

Tomorrow we are going to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and someone said it does not lean any more. We will find out tomorrow

May 6, 2011