With a whirlwind two days in London behind us, our group set off on a sunny Saturday morning in late June for the Port of Southampton to begin our week-long cruise to Norway. The United Kingdom’s largest homeport, Southampton is a major passenger and cargo hub located in the central part of England’s South Coast. It's been an important port since the Roman occupation of Britain nearly two thousand years ago and has a multifaceted history. From the Middle Ages to the end of the Twentieth Century, it was a center for naval shipbuilding and a departure point for soldiers going off to war. The port also played a role in the development of hovercraft, flying boat services, seaplanes and the Spitfire Fighter Plane. Before the advent of jet travel, the Port of Southampton also served as Britain's gateway to the world.
All fourteen of us traveled together that morning in a large passenger van that easily accommodated us and our multiple suitcases! We covered the eighty miles in about an hour and forty-five minutes’ time and arrived at the port to board Cunard’s beautiful Queen Elizabeth. What a ship! One of the company’s three ocean liners, the new Queen Elizabeth was launched in January of 2010 at a cost of approximately $560 million. With twelve decks and a full crew of just over one thousand, this impressive vessel can accommodate up to 2,092 passengers. We grabbed a quick lunch and, once our luggage was delivered, unpacked and followed instructions to assemble for the muster drill. While emergencies on board are rare, it’s important to know what to do should one occur. Guests are required by international convention to attend the muster drill and safety briefing held prior to departure. Soon afterwards, we found ourselves on deck for the Sailaway Party that was in full swing by the time we left port. This proved to be a wonderful way to get in the spirit of our seven-day cruise.
Several of us had booked Britannia Club Balcony Staterooms featuring king-sized beds, writing desks and sitting areas along with several amenities. These included a bottle of sparkling wine on arrival, fresh fruit on request, 24-hour room service, nightly turndown service with chocolates as well as tea and coffee making facilities. The best part was dining in the Britannia Club Restaurant. We had our own table which was reserved for us for the entire cruise and a wait staff ready to welcome us each morning, afternoon and evening. Menus changed daily. In addition to the full selection from the main Britannia Restaurant, we were offered a range of enhancements which improved our dining experience and we had the freedom to dine whenever we chose each evening between the hours of 6:30 and 9:00 PM. This upgrade was well worth Cunard’s supplemental surcharge.
Our first full day aboard ship was spent at sea as we sailed through the English Channel and traveled the North Sea heading towards Norway. This gave us a great opportunity to wander about and learn to navigate the Queen Elizabeth. The ship captures the glamour of yesteryear when steamer trunks, formal dining and ballroom galas were all the rage at sea. At the same time, it provides the expected conveniences of modern times like computer lounges and plenty of
shopping opportunities. But while it's an up-to-date ship, Queen Elizabeth relies on its chic, geometric Art Deco-inspired interiors to set the tone. There's no neon or glitz, and there are few gimmicks. Instead of capturing guests' imagination with water slides and high-tech nightclubs, Cunard cashes in on its nostalgic heritage with refined elegance and afternoon tea in the Garden Lounge. Apart from a few high-trafficked areas, like the buffet area or the shopping arcade, we never felt crowded on the Queen Elizabeth. One of our favorite spots was the Golden Lion Pub for traditional English luncheon fare and for evening pre-dinner cocktails, we became rather fond of the Commodore Club and our bartender Nadia (at least the gentlemen did). This sensational venue features a clubby, nautical feel and sweeping forward views, complete with a pianist on hand providing relaxing background music.
The Port of Stavanger was our first stop. Our Norwegian friend had warned us that it had been raining continuously for some 60-odd days prior to our arrival and so we were prepared with rain jackets and umbrellas. And while it was raining when we docked, it didn’t dampen our spirits. Once the European Capital of Culture, the Norwegian City of Stavanger is blessed with centuries of history. It’s nearly nine hundred years old, making it one of the oldest cities in the country and today the fourth-largest in the nation. The area’s unbridled beauty effortlessly blends the old with the new. From its ancient port, the city fans out along a network of islands, each one connected to its neighbor by bridge. We took a morning guided island boat tour on the Rygerprinsesen operated by Rødne Fjord Cruise Lines. Onboard, we soaked up the scenery offered by the mountains, waterfalls and tiny islands while sailing through some of Norway’s beautiful fjords and listening to tales of local history and legends from our guide.
Miraculously, the rain and clouds disappeared by the next morning and we were blessed with blue skies and sunshine for the balance of the week! We next anchored in Flåm a village in Southwestern Norway. The highlight of that port was a memorable trip on the legendary Flåm Railway. In addition to being an AvGeek, I’m a bit of a train aficionado as well and I can tell you that this may just be one of the most scenic and beautiful train rides in the world. The
Flåm Railway is one of the world’s steepest train rides built on conventional tracks, and close to 80% of its tracks run through a rise of 55%. The tunnels spiral in and out of the mountains and are a most impressive feat of engineering. The twelve and a half mile long train ride took us from the high mountains down to the fjord. The Flåm Railway was recognized as one of the world’s 25 most beautiful train rides by The Society of International Railway. National Geographic's Traveller Magazine also mentioned it on their list of top ten train rides in Europe and Lonely Planet Traveller recognized the railway as ”the world’s best train ride.”
We later enjoyed a brief visit to Voss. Four of us went off on our own here for a quieter lunch than that offered on the excursion and found it in a nice little village restaurant (also favored by a seemingly well-fed, local cat). Voss has a long history of welcoming international tourists for almost two hundred years so we felt right at home. Visitors come here to experience the magnificent scenery - never-ending vistas of mountains and nearby glaciers and fjords, lakes and fast-flowing whitewater rivers - and to have plenty of active fun year round as Voss is considered the “Adventure Capital of Norway.” In this regard, we were lucky to witness a paraglider soaring over the picturesque lake we visited after lunch located right next to the village. Back on board the Queen Elizabeth, most of the group enjoyed dinner at The Verandah. Menus here focused on prime USDA grain-fed steaks as well as Maine Lobster, Alaskan King Crab, and Scottish Salmon. I do recall a very good time was had by all. At bedtime each night, it was easy to understand why Norway is called the Land of the Midnight Sun. Darkness eluded the summertime horizon no matter the hour. Thank goodness for the blackout drapes in those staterooms.
Andalsnes, situated at the mouth of the River Rauma, was a most interesting port of call. It claims to be “Norway’s Mountaineering Capital” and we soon discovered the truth in that statement after our friend suggested we rent a van and driver to take a ride on the Trollstigen Road. This road is famous all over the world. It’s a small, very narrow and winding road that climbs up a steep mountain side. It has no less than eleven, harrowing hairpin bends! Hats off to our very skilled
driver who navigated them with ease and just the right amount of caution. The road was built in 1936 and is an incredible piece of engineering and roadbuilding. Today, it’s one of the most recognizable attractions in all of Norway. Our final cruise port was Bergen, the nation’s second-largest city. Here, we took a leisurely stroll about town, visiting any number of boutiques which all featured different varieties of the ever-present Norwegian trolls. The Port of Southampton greeted us again the next morning where we disembarked and headed by van back to our London hotel, this time the JW Marriott Grosvenor House.
Soon after arrival, we taxied to the West End to see 42nd Street: The Musical , the Tony-award winning production which takes place in New York City in 1933. For some inexcusable reason, our suite was still not ready when we returned to the hotel later that afternoon. So, we checked into an available king-bedded room, just in time to join most of the group for a memorable Farewell Dinner in the private room adjacent to The Bourbon Bar. Commenting on the trip later, one of our traveling companions summed it up perfectly when he said, “It was the best trip I never wanted to go on!”
Until next time…safe travels.
Great to hear that the weather took pity on you so that you could really enjoy this Northern European trip of a lifetime!
Although I realize I will never be able to financially afford a trip like the one you have just described. I feel as if I have. You are an incredible writer as well as a wonderful tour guide. Thank you!