Cruise Review Cruise Ship NCL Jade Norway
I sailed on NCL’s Jade, sailing Norway from Southampton to the North Cape from June 29 to July 11, 2008. Here is my daily log.
Note: At time of travel 1.00 USD = 5.09180 NOK
US dollars = Norwegian kroner.
There are many ideas for sightseeing on the official tourism site: visitnorway.com
Day 0 We take Delta to London Heathrow. A very smooth flight on time.
Day 1 When we arrived at Heathrow, we looked for the bus terminal to catch our pre-booked bus to Southampton (National Express) at 11:50. As we arrived at 9am, it was plenty of time to collect our luggage and walk to the terminal. . Directional signs weren’t as accurate as expected in Britain, so we ended up at Terminal 5, where we waited. Unfortunately, the bus terminal is not close to Terminal 5, something we didn’t find out until 11:45, when we asked the bus dispatcher.
We lost 1,150 buses, despite the best efforts of the Terminal 5 bus dispatcher, who called ahead to stop the buses from leaving. He arranged another bus to take us to the proper bus terminal where we waited for the 1250 bus, which would have taken us to Southampton just an hour before the Jade’s scheduled 4pm departure time. We were on the waiting list for the 1250 and were told to come back just before check out. Fortunately, a sympathetic bus driver allowed us to get on board, with the wrong tickets. He was a master at avoiding the traffic jam on the motorway, and by taking back roads through pretty towns, we were able to get to Southampton early! A taxi, readily available at the bus station, took us to the ship in 5 minutes. One of the advantages of arriving so late was that there were no boarding lines and we were soon on the ship, just in time for the meeting call. Before we knew it, we were on our way. The cruise ship departed from the city cruise terminal
A good long nap (we had been up for what seemed like days) meant we had dinner very late and missed the shows. Oh good!
Day 2: A day at sea with so many day-to-day activities that it was difficult for us to accommodate what we wanted to do in one day. Breakfast, a stretching class, learn to play bridge, entertainment and more. I am so confused by the bridge. I had always thought it was a game played by ladies with too much time on their hands. I have since discovered that it takes a lot of brain power to know all the tricks.
Day 3: Alesund, a charming little port with Art Nouveau architecture and shops. A walking tour on our own included the stone church and many beautifully decorated shops and houses around the harbor. Very manageable in football. Trolls are important here, and each of them appears in the carved ornamentation of the buildings. Spend some time looking for the trolls hiding in the buildings around Ålesund.
Day 4: Kristiansund – another pretty little port. We walked around the area, although there was plenty to do in the surrounding area if you wanted a shore excursion. Near Kristiansund, you’ll find the island of Averoy, a fishing and farming society for generations. You can choose to visit Milnbrygga, Norway’s National Klippfish Museum. Klippfish is salted and dried cod that, exported to Mediterranean countries, laid the foundation for Kristiansund’s growth.
Day 4 Svartsien Glacier – Our first glacier was spectacular! Clear skies and crystal clear waters. There was very little snow on the mountain tops, considerably less than in Alaska.
Day 5 Honningsvag is the stop for Nordkapp (North Cape) the northernmost point of Europe. It was cold, even in July. The Arctic Ice Bar, made entirely of ice, is just steps from the cruise ship dock. Sjogata 1A (by the sea, next to the taxi station). With a modern design by Laila Kolostyák, it can be visited in summer. Everything you will see inside is made on natural ice from Lapland lakes. Bar, walls, seats, tables, ramp with sled, a map of the Arctic, a life-size igloo where you can enter. In the shops of Honningsvag, you meet the local Sami and their reindeer. If you go to the North Cape by bus, there is a great room here where you can watch a movie about the area, have a bite to eat and drink, buy your souvenirs and watch a movie. Another caveat was that around this northern part of Norway we had the roughest seas, although they weren’t bad.
Day 6 Barents Sea Cruise
Day 7 Trondheim
Trondheim was the old capital of Norway, and the cathedral is where all the monarchs are crowned and if you go to Fort Kristiansten you get one of the best views in the city. After a catastrophic fire in 1681 destroyed most of the town’s houses, a new town in the Baroque style was planned. The streets were widened to prevent the fires from spreading. Some of the narrow alleys and narrow streets, many from the Middle Ages, however, still. Even today Trondheim is spoken of as one of the typical wooden cities of Europe, and the city center has many special wooden buildings, some built in the 18th century. Trondheim is full of historical sights, museums and art galleries.
Some highlights:
Crossing the Blomsterbrua (Flower Bridge) over the river
You can walk along the Nidelven salmon river in the downtown district and the old docks along the river mouth.
The majestic Nidaros Cathedral, the largest in Scandinavia. The Viking king, Olav Trygvason, was buried here in 997. The king was known as Saint Olav, the holy king and patron saint of Norway. Pilgrimages to the sanctuary of Saint Olav began shortly after his death and reached great dimensions in the Middle Ages. Work on what would become Nidaros Cathedral began in 1070 over the tomb of Saint Olav.
-The bright red bridge of the old town (“Gamle Bybro”) with its carved gate – The Gate of Fortune
– The picturesque brightly painted wooden houses in the center and the old part of the city – Bakklandet districts
If you want an organized tour, take a sightseeing tour of Trondheim and its surroundings by bus. Daily departures at 11 am You will visit the Haltdalen Stave Church at the Trøndelag Folk Museum, passing the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Kristiansten Fortress, the Royal Residence and the Cathedral. Duration 2 hours. Departure from McDonald’s next to the Trondheim Torg shopping center. (Crossing Market Square with its colorful stalls, the statue of the Viking king who founded the city gazes down at you from a great height.) Tickets are sold by your guide and at the Tourist Information Office.
Day 8 Hellesylt We made a 3 hour stop here for passengers to take the overland tour to Geiranger, but sailed on to Geiranger, passing magnificent waterfalls.
Geiranger
Geiranger Fjord is known as “the most beautiful fjord in the world”. From the town of Geiranger, your first visit is to the Norwegian Fjord Centre, which depicts everyday life in Geiranger from past and present. From here, you can see the winding, winding roads to the top of the mountains. Turf-roofed houses, souvenir shops, and beautiful views of the hills are the main draw if you don’t take an organized tour.
Day 9 Bergen 8:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, yet it has a great small-town feel. Easily walkable, but we also took the tourist train for a 1 hour ride around the area and around town. Bergen, of course, is famous for its fish market, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Wharf / Bryggen is characterized by its wooden buildings with pointed gables facing the harbor. You can also take a trip on the Floibanen (funicular) for stunning views across Bergen and the surrounding hills.
Edvard Hagerup Grieg is from Bergen. (June 15, 1843 – September 4, 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist who composed in the Romantic period. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, his incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt (which includes In the Hall of the Mountain King), and his collection of Lyric Pieces piano miniatures.
Day 10 Stavanger European Capital of Culture in 2008.
Your exploration begins in ‘Old Stavanger’, a lively area consisting of more than 150 houses, well-preserved wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, mostly built for sailors, craftsmen and merchants. A major rehabilitation project has meant that this is now the largest and best preserved ‘timber house’ settlement in Northern Europe. Your walk through Stavanger continues to the market square at the head of the harbor bay. A colorful setting welcomes you where fruits and vegetables, flowers and seafood are for sale. There are also many shops to explore. The impressive Cathedral forms a backdrop; built in 1125.
Day 11 Thursday North Sea Cruise – –
Day 12 Fri London (Southampton)
The Ship: NCL Jade – Beautifully designed and maintained. Built in 2006
Crew: Unfortunately, this ship was recently relocated to Europe. She had been in Hawaii, with an all-American crew, as required by law. When she deployed to Europe, she boarded a mostly new crew, although some are from other NCL ships. The lack of coordination and the absence of team spirit was evident. I hope they improve.
The daily bulletin was often wrong, even telling us to turn our clocks back on the wrong day. The activities were poorly scheduled. The activities director’s announcements ranged from nonsense to stupid girlish musings.
Our cabin wasn’t made up the first night, but things got better after that.
The food: The buffet had generous offerings, always varied, and was almost always open. The main dining room had slow service when we tried it. Teppenyaki, one of the premium restaurants was good. The Italian cuisine, although inconsistent, could not reproduce the same dish on two successive nights. Different chef, different recipe maybe.
Entertainment: The shows were aimed at the mostly English passengers of this cruise, which departed from Southampton. I missed most of the famous comedian’s jokes and couldn’t understand why he would make fun of anyone who was late. The dancers were fine. The singers were mostly good, particularly the gospel singers. The crew show was silly and didn’t require a bit of talent.
Shore Excursions: We do not conduct ship-sponsored shore excursions. Since this was the Jade’s first visit to Norway, it seemed that no one bothered to do any prior research on shore excursions, and I found more information on the internet than at the shore excursion desk.
What to wear: Layers, including a fleece of some kind. It wasn’t hot enough for summer shorts even though we sailed in July. It was sunny and we never needed racking or umbrellas.
Overall: We had a good time and I attribute the issues listed above to inexperienced staff. I would try the Jade again, but at a much later date. after staff have time to assimilate into a team.