Norway 2025

Here we go again back on the astonishing Borealis sailing out ofNewcastle on a beautiful evening.... on our way to Norway - on a Northern Lights cruise.   We've got a cabin on the promenade deck but it is at the very very front of the ship and we don't have much of a view and it's probably going to be quite bouncy!! Time will tell other than that it's quite comfortable.  We are directly below the Neptune Lounge though so the frumpy and clumpy dance troop may clump around...  but that will probably be better than the kitchens banging on.

 Dr Fred has perused the time table so hes clued up on talk times... we had lunch- the first of the marathon feeding frenzies. 

According to the cruise director there are 700 new to Fred Olsen, potentially new to cruising guests on board. And when I trawled round the ship to find somewhere quiet to sit it felt packed.... of course with the weather being a tad fresh outside, everyone is sitting inside so its very busy. That coupled with people still finding their way around - up and down the different decks in different lifts theres a slight feeling of chaos. We had a drink with the other on board Go Stargazing Astronomer and her family in the observatory bar.... is this beginnings of the 7.00 o clock club? It will be a small gathering as there are only 4 speakers on board - 2 of which are stargazers and the others we havent really seen apart from brief appearance at the team meeting. The week is yet young....

And for those reading this who have travelled with us before we very nearly won the quiz!!! Of course being 'staff' we are not allowed to win so really it was a near miss.... 

Day two at sea - we managed to get up for breakfast!!- the north sea is grey... the sky is grey... and the corridors and cabins remain beige🤣🤣... 

At the risk of sounding ungrateful this boat is the least inspiring of the 3 ships FO has. It is overall beige and has drab furnishings.... still has no pleasant outside space and houses a huge municipal like leisure centre in the middle. Dr Fred says I'm being unfair... some people like swimming pool smells and I think he must be correct because there are a lot of people sitting in there enjoying themselves... just not for me, but to be fair I'm not a fan of communal swimming water... 

Dr Fred says I'm being grumpy so I decided to give him an example of real grumpiness over breakfast... I wont go into details but suffice to say I think he knows how much worse I could be now🤣.

The thing I like about these cruises especially the northern lights ones is the friendliness and enthusiasm of the guests particulary about stargazing. I've already spoken to a number of guests and am looking forward to them coming on the stargazing evenings. Everyone seems positively excited for the possibilty of Aurora - but hopefully are realistic about the reality of the weather constraints.... space weather forcast not looking promising😒

Dr Fred and his colleague had their first private lunch.. ( It tickles me that people pay to have lunch with Dr Fred ) and it went very well, a group of very pleasant people. He also gave the Introduction to Stargazing lecture that starts every cruise stargazing journey. Again, totally packed room, probably the biggest crowd yet and everybody enthusiastic.

Meanwhile I wander around a ship making myself pleasant - drumming up custom for late night stargazing and generally chatting to anybody tha will chat to me.

Art class was fun, we drew puffins... its been a while since I did a puffin.  (And it shows🤣🤣)  I,'m still committed to contributing to my sketch book every day... 

Second night at sea and in the middle of tje North sea.... it was WILD.... not so much the rolling and pitching but the sound of the water walloping the side of the ship!!! This is such a loud boom that is almost tolerable as its semi predictable but worse is the sound of huge epic crashing on the floor above us... I was running scenarios through my head of the ceiling coming through🤣🤣. 

Needless to say we survived the night but it was defo the noisiest one yet of all the cruises.... I think being most forward cabin on deck 3 has its disadvantages but it is nice being so close to the promenade deck.