Part Three - Underway

We had some time to see some sights and do some shopping before boarding our ship in Bergen. Most of our activities were outlined in a previous blog post.

It took two taxis to take us and our luggage to the cruise port just a few minutes away.

Embarkation was well organized and we quickly found our cabin and started to explore the ship.

Poppy and I took pics of each other out on deck 7 aft.

After our first dinner we visited in one of the lounges.

We sailed promptly at 8:30. Channel 4 on our TV always broadcast the live camera from the bow. 

Breakfast and lunch were open seating and buffet-style. We were assigned times and a specific table for supper. Supper's menu offered a couple of starters, two entreé options and a couple of dessert options.

Our first port where we got off the ship was Alesund. (pronounced ola-sund, translated - Eel Sound). This was one of our longest times in port - over 6 hours.

Kim, our guide, took us on a walking tour of the town. We posed for a group shot in the town's gazebo. It was cold and pouring rain but we soldiered on.

Alesund has many buildings with beautiful ceramic details.

It is also very hilly.

Even the Google map indicated this. This is the map we used to find the local yarn shop. Gata is street in Norwegian.

We were delighted to find that the shop was also a workshop centre for local knitters of all abilities.

Items created there were for sale with proceeds supporting the workshop. Custom items could be ordered. It was a very welcoming place.

Trolls are very much a part of Norwegian culture. They are 'hostile to men', are nocturnal and if exposed to light either burst or turn to stone. Kim said they're not very smart, either. We saw little statuettes in almost every gift shop.

At each port where we would be docked for any significant period of time, the gangway on the 3rd deck would be lowered and we'd be checked out like library books with our cruise cards. Midships, another door would open and the ramp lowered for car passengers. Hurtigruten ships, in addition to accommodating cruise passengers, also serve as ferries up and down the west coast of Norway. Some stops in port would only be for 15 minutes - long enough for foot passengers to embark and disembark. 

A Hurtigruten ship leaves Bergen every day so local people know the schedule very well for the northbound and southbound itineraries.

There are several thrusters along each side of the ship enabling the captain to steer in any direction, including sideways to approach or leave a dock, and turn 180º to face the bow out, ready for a speedy departure from the port. This maneuverability was very impressive.

Returning to the ship we'd be checked back in with our cruise card. We were asked to be on board at least 10 minutes before departure. Those who weren't 'checked back in' would be paged, their room would be called. As the ship is relied upon as a major form of transportation up and down the coast, a strict schedule is adhered to. Any folks that miss re-boarding on time risk having to find their way to the next port at their own expense. Folks who just make it in time are scolded quite severely by several of the ship's personnel.

After that, we headed to Trondheim. We started the walking tour then headed off on our own to the yarn shop, Garnhuset (Yarn House).

It was another grey drizzly day but it didn't dampen our spirits.

The waterfront has these colorful buildings.

It was good to get off the ship from time to time and have a good walk. We always made it back in time for a meal, though.

On our way to our next port, Tromso, we crossed the Arctic Circle at about 8:40am. We made sure we had an early breakfast then headed out onto the deck for this exciting moment. 

The little island has a wee beacon on a southeast point and a globe statue on the northern point.

Arctic Circle selfie at 66.3°N.

Then came the commemorative ceremony. It involved having a large ladle of ice and ice water dumped on one's head and down one's back. I made a hasty retreat as soon as this started happening.

We each received a certificate signed by the captain commemorating the crossing of the Arctic Circle.

At Tromso, we visited the planetarium. In addition to lectures the cruise line would offer outlining Nordic culture, highlights of the major ports, etc. we also had an astronomer aboard for this special Northern Lights/Astronomy cruise.

Darren (Das) Baskill is a lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the U of Sussex in Brighton England. His specialty (or speciality as the Brits would say) is in communicating astronomy to the public, giving talks and working with the media on all aspects of astronomy and astrophotography. He organizes and delivers science events for schools, colleges, and the public. 

His talks were very entertaining and informative and exclusive only to those of us in the special Northern Lights/Astronomy group.

There were many optional excursions at extra cost but our visit to the planetarium in Tromso was one that was included in our package deal.

While at the planetarium we watched a video about the Aurora Borealis in a large, domed theatre. Then we ventured downstairs to the interactive area where there were many scientific activities for people of all ages. It was obvious that it would be a very popular place for school kids.

Jennifer and Norbert tried out this 'tug of war'-type device.

Tromso was also one of the snowiest places we visited. It was a beautiful winter wonderland much to the delight of our Australian cruisemates who had never seen snow before.

At some point, on one of the excursions, Kim demonstrated how snow angels were made.

Soon the skies would be clear enough for us to glimpse the Northern Lights.

to be continued...