ladrona

Thank you for sharing your story, too! The trip had its challenges but we feel very grateful for the memories and already my MIL thinks she may have one more cruise in her! Your auntie had just the type of selective memory I myself am going for as well 😄

Yes, we had much mental anguish picking outfits and way overpacked! In the end, I felt like there was decent variation among guests each night and I never felt out of place nor did I see others sticking out like sore thumbs. For casual nights I would wear nice sandals, dark jeans, and a sweater. The men wore nice button-downs but no jackets on casual nights For informal my MIL and I would wear nice dress pants and a put together top, the men wore nice khaki or navy jackets with trousers. On formal nights we saw it run the gamut - I opted for what is better called a cocktail or semi-formal gown (hitting mid-shin) and my MIL wore dress flats with a nice matching pantsuit. I know these are not strictly formal outfits but no one seemed bothered by our presence. The men wore dark suits, not tuxes - although we saw plenty and anyone who feels like puttin' on the ritz will be in good company! One note I have is that if you are interested in La Terrazza, Silver Note, La Dame, etc I would make these reservations well in advance for a cold-weather cruise. As The Grill and other outdoor dining areas do not attract many people on these itinerearies I think the reservation-only places fill up even more than usual. Once we boarded we were hoping to secure a rezzie at La Terrazza early on but never had any luck.

Of course! For Flam we had planned to do the Iconic Flam Railway as part of the 2nd group. Very unluckily for the first group a tree fell on the railway and left them stuck for several hours so of course our journey was canceled last minute. We ended up taking a shuttle service located right outside the cruise port to the Loen gondola and we found this spectacular. Some of the most amazing views I have ever seen. For Geiranger the town itself is very small (about 200 people IIRC) but lovely. There's a gorgeous waterfall in town that requires a short walk from the ship and (I am guessing) about 30-40 stairs. We did the kayaking excursion that day and I will say it is much more strenuous than the Olden one we did the day prior - our guides told us we went about 10km total. They also called our double kayaks "little divorce machines" and with the amount of zigging I did while my beloved zagged I can certainly see how that moniker could stick :P. My in laws did the sightseeing bus tour and found it perfect for their needs. And truly, the Geiranger sail away is a once-in-a-lifetime cannot-miss event.

We just got off our first SS cruise, the 10-day Copenhagen-to-Copenhagen Norwegian Fjords itinerary. It was an absolutely wonderful vacation and exceeded our expectations in every way. I loved combing through reviews in the months leading up to our trip so wanted to post here with our overwhelmingly positive experience. My husband and I (mid-30s) traveled with my in-laws. This was a very special and intentional trip for us as my mother-in-law, diagnosed with early onset dementia in her 50s, is now nearing a state where travel is very difficult and discombobulating. She and my father-in-law were wonderful enthusiastic world travelers before her diagnosis so this trip was conceived of as one final travel hurrah. This itinerary was extra meaningful as my MIL has Norwegian roots and took a really memorable trip here with her mother when my MIL was in her 20s. We knew there would be significant challenges with international travel but we were all up for the adventure and I am so, so glad we all had this time together. Booking We booked through a travel agent on an AMEX Platinum - I mention this because our TA was able to get $600 OBC and the AMEX booking provided an additional $300 OBC + a bottle of 2012 Dom Perignon. I didn’t know about this offer prior to this forum so hope it may be useful to some. Copenhagen We did P2P, not D2D, but stayed at the SS-designated hotel the Skt Petri. The location is perfection, in the heart of the pedestrian walkways of Copenhagen. We had a very easy 30-minute cab from the airport to the hotel, and on the day of embarkation, it was about a 12-minute taxi from the hotel to the Langelinie pier. While in Copenhagen we rented a GoBoat for one hour (~$80 USD) and this was a fabulous and peaceful way to see a bit of Copenhagen. Accessibility One of our big fears pre-trip involved mobility issues. My MIL is very sight-limited and has some cognitive delay so is at high risk for falls. She requires assistance with walking and any terrain changes can be treacherous. I saw many guests utilizing wheelchairs, scooters, canes, etc and we did not feel out of place one bit. Everyone was so helpful and accommodating and multiple times fellow passengers would help with guiding or stabilizing our bunch (and my MIL has a convenient penchant for latching onto strapping Scandinavian gentlemen…one does have to wonder!). The dining crew was absolutely phenomenal and provided help with menu selection and never, ever made us feel rushed or like we were inconveniencing them. When it came to tendering, my MIL would hold her arms out in a “T” and an attendant on each arm would lift her into the tender boat. It was surprisingly successful and, frankly, a little glamorous. Entertainment We had the Voices of Silversea for our voyage. I had read mixed reviews going in but we really enjoyed the performances. If you have very cool original indie taste in music this might not be for you but if, like me, you are all about show tunes and power ballads I think you will find plenty to enjoy! The Les Mis medley on night 1 was -chef’s kiss-! Casino We loved our casino crew! This is a small room with two tables (Blackjack and Texas Hold ‘Em) as well as a few noiseless slot machines. Emma and Marco were excellent dealers and we loved the friends we made. We had a very solid squad of casual players who returned most nights to socialize at the tables. By my estimation, my partner and I combined made about $6 an hour for our efforts so we won’t be retiring off of our winnings anytime soon. Food Wonderful! Since it was our first SS cruise we didn’t feel the need to do any of the specialty dining. The breakfast buffet was phenomenal and I did my part to keep all of our cruise fares high by eating my weight in sashimi every day for lunch. We enjoyed SALT Kitchen immensely (and our wonderful waiters, Raphael and Colin), and found Atlantide (Atlanta-tude, as my FIL hilariously called it) delicious. My formal night dress fit much more snugly at the end of the voyage than at the beginning! (Action shot of my husband trying to get my zipper up at the end of the trip) Misc The emergency alarm sounded in error at 3am one night of our voyage. Having watched a lot of cruise ship disaster documentaries, my soul immediately left my body out of fright. A glance out the window showed we were still in port (for our Oslo overnight) and I felt somewhat confident I could at least float my body the 10 feet to dry land if the ship really were going down. Fortunately, the captain came on the loudspeaker to reassure us it was a false alarm and our cruise director did a fantastic job incorporating the minor mishap into jokes the next day. Cruise Director Speaking of cruise director, Bruno was absolutely fantastic. Does a more charismatic man exist? I will pose this question to the SS board away from my husband’s prying eyes ;). But truly, Bruno was wonderful and had a gentle quip for everything. He is perfect for his job. Ports & Excursions Bergen-Flam-Olden-Geiranger-Arendal-Oslo Others have reviewed these much better than I could ever, but in the fjords each port was more beautiful than the last and Geirganger was a lifetime highlight. Going in we thought of Arendal as a filler port but found it to be a really lovely little seaside town. This board prepared me well for the weather! It was misty - rainy - sunny nearly every day and never in the same order. A rainjacket is a must (SS provides an umbrella) but we were never miserable. I am longwinded as ever, but suffice it to say I just loved this trip and everyone we met along the way. We are already looking forward to the next one but at $6 an hour, it will take many more hours in the blackjack coal mines to get there.

We enjoy a few nights of light gambling when cruising. I believe from other posts that table minimums are in the $10-25 range but I'm wondering if SS uses continuous shuffle? We will be on the Dawn out of Copenghagen in August. Thank you!