ILoveScotland

Happy Belated Birthday to Narce. Hope it was a good day.

I have a friend visiting from the mountains, and we are off to see the Atlantic soon!

Beth

was thinking of the same thing Beth - the past several stops, we just walk from the ship to the shops on the pier - keep seeing this Roti stand there but never tried it - once we were on the Beach and ate at a tourist trap - I forgot what I had but Narce had goat stew and he loved it - I must have had a quesidilla - but again, that's a tourist place - I need to see if I can get on a tour by Bernard -

 

carol

Bernard is wonderful, and his homemade rum punch is even more so.

I posted the same question on the St. Maarten boards and got a response about several places in Marigot. Actually, I was just told that there are several near the ferry terminal and to look at menus to decide what I want. I don't know if you've been to Marigot on market day, but I have and will be next week. I love to see what the local artisans have to sell. Some of it is cheap stuff - made in China or somewhere or t-shirts - but there are also people selling their own jewelry and other things. Fun to look at even without buying.

Beth

I don't know anything about the Dream so can't help there.

Watched Sunday night's Wallender today. Great as ever.

For those of you who've been to St. Marteen/Martin: Any recommendations for a place to have lunch in either Marigot or Philipsburg? I'd like to have lunch where the locals go and not necessarily in one of the cafes or restaurants promoted by the cruiselines.

Beth

Tom, think I'll watch Sunday's Wallender today.

Just had a call - a sales call, really - from Vantage so asked some of my questions. Yes, we're on the Polarlys. No, Vantage has not chartered the entire ship, just a block of cabins. And, yes we could "request" a cot although he didn't seem to think it would be guaranteed.

Beth

Our group was 62 people and ship pax count was 650--so Vantage did not book the whole ship. I think that you are misinformed. I can't see Vantage booking 600+ pax when they advertise that they are leaders in small group travel. Their Norway brochure advertises a maximum of 24 persons for your trip.

All Hurtigruten ships are in 600 pax range. Hurtigruten ships are Norway's ferry system--similar to Alaska ferries. They have a contract to provide service year round and sometimes sail w/o a full load. Thus the winter discounts. Only in the past 30 years have coastal towns been connected by road. Prior to that, they used the ferry and many still do. Some people were only on the ship 1 day and slept on a couch in a lounge.

 

Our ship had a self serve coin laundry. If you buy a bottle of wine and drink only 1 or 2 glasses, they will store it for you.

Do you watch PBS Masterpiece? Sunday's episode was one of the Wallander series by Henning Mankell--Swedish author. I have started reading his books and enjoy them and the PBS shows.

Tom :)

I was surprised, too, that Vantage had booked the entire ship, but that's what I have been told. However, this is one of those times when I really did not do any research. I discovered that a CC friend I will finally meet in person in 3 1/2 weeks had booked the cruise as a solo, asked her about it and wound up deciding to go as well. This is not to say that I have not looked at this cruise off and on for many years which is one of the reasons I jumped at the chance without too many questions.

We're using my friend's TA. I ususally don't use a TA but do everything myself, but my friend had already booked with her, so I really had no choice.

I have the Wallender episode recorded but haven't looked at it yet. Is it a new series? I ask because I watched all of last year's episodes and really liked them. However, I haven't read the books. Right now I'm on the third in a series of books by Alex Gray (female) who is a Scottish author. Her detective is DCI Lorimer, and the books are set in Glasgow. I don't know Glasgow as well as I know Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland, but I know enough to be familiar with some of the locations mentioned in her books.

Beth

Thanks, Tom. We think we're on the Polarlys although I don't think Vantage has confirmed that as yet. I've sent a question to Vantage asking about the mini-suites and if we could put a cot in the cabin if there's only one bed.

Walking tours and a couple of coach "drive-around" tours are included in the price of our tickets. There's something free in each port as well as a tour of Bergen the morning we depart. I don't know yet about optional excursions like dog sled excursions, etc.

Vantage has booked the entire ship - did they do that when you and your wife went? I don't know what that means in terms of how we'll be divided up.

I went on a tour once called "Following in the Footsteps of Paul." The tour company had chartered a Louis Cruise Lines ship, and there were 700 of us onboard. We started in Athens and went across to various places in Turkey, down to Israel, back to Cyprus, and one fun day on Santorini. We had 16 bus loads, and we were with the same bus each time. It was quite an operation.

Thanks for the alcohol policy info as well. I don't see the purpose of taking wine onboard if I can only drink it in the cabin. I don't drink a lot anyway so may opt to drink only a few times on the ship.

Beth

Okay, thanks to you, Carol, I have just sent a message asking about a cot in the mini-suite. I think the cruise is not fully booked making it a moot question, and at this point my friend might be content to stay with the cabin we have. But, it never hurts to ask.

Beth

I am jumpin' the gun here and perhaps Tom has the answer... don't blame you re: the bed.. can they bring in a cot? or are the staterooms too small? carol

Carol, I don't know. The staterooms are very - I mean very - small. I think the one we have is advertised as 89 - 139 sq. ft., perhaps a bit bigger. The mini-suite we'd hoped for is advertised at 193 - 215 sq. ft.

I have my login information for Vantage with an e-mail address for questions. Think I'll e-mail and ask your question.

Beth

Hi

I'm here, ready to answer any questions about Norway/Hurtigruten. I haven't read Norway 1940, but Shetland Bus takes place in WWII

Tom:)

Okay, I'm taking you up on your offer.

• The ship stops at several ports a day. Were you in ports long enough to see anything? The Vantage Travel information sent to me lists walking tours in several towns as part of the package, and I know some towns are very small which should be enough. But, what about the ports?
  
• What category cabin did you have? My friend and I are in a P category. We tried to upgrade to a mini-suite, but they only have queen beds that don't separate. Since she and I are not family and haven't yet met in person (we will on the Brilliance in 3 1/2 weeks) we decided we weren't ready to sleep in the same bed. Anyway, if you had one of the smaller cabins, how was it?
  
• I know alcohol is sold on the ship but is not part of the package. Can we take alcohol onboard ourselves? If so, I'll be tempted to buy some here in the US and pack it carefully in my suitcase to save the high cost on the ship.
  

Thank you for your answers. I probably have more questions, but these will do for a start. You can respond here for everyone to see and perhaps think about this cruise for their own future travels or to my e-mail address.

Beth

A friend and I were on a local noontime TV talk show in NC with Jerry Falwell as one of the guests back in the early 1970s before he was nationally known. However, he was already on his way and very savvy, and the two of us were there to "debate" him about women in the church - this was 10+ years before I went to seminary. Let's just say it wasn't a pretty picture.

Beth

I found The Shetland Bus and am going to order it. I found some of the mysteries, too, but not all of them have been translated into English.

Beth

I understand what you're saying. I really enjoy reading the chats here and I don't care what ship a person is on. I get so many ideas of other cruises, port activities, excursions and other ideas from reading others' postings. We're in the 55 and over and, although we love to be around young(er) people, it's fun to be around people with the same life and life experiences we can share. Feel free to correspond with me anytime. We're sailing on the Crown Febr. 9, 2013.

I think you said this very well.

Where is everyone? Nobody has posted since I did two days ago.

Tom, I had to do a search to refresh my memory, but there is another book that I did read a few years ago. I don't remember the author, but the title is Norway 1940 and is also non-fiction.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend. I've stayed in and been a recluse while learning more about Norway and booking my flights using my air miles--actually re-booking so I could go over a day earlier than originally planned.

Beth

Hi Beth and Carol

I'm happy to help. Beth, emails are on the way, along w. Norway book recommendations. If you can ride the Flam train.

Tom:)

Got the e-mails. Love the pictures and commentary. I read mysteries all the time - am reading a series set in Glasgow right now. I'll look up the series you recommended.

Beth

I booked my flights for the Hurtigruten cruise today and will confirm my booking for the cruise itself early in the week when the TA handling the booking returns from a weekend away.

I am not booking my flights through Vantage although I know that's possible. I had enough USAirways Dividend Miles to pay for the flights although I'll be on airlines in the Star Alliance (United, SAS and Lufthansa) and not USAirways.

Now I have to buy some thermal underwear, some snow boots and other waterproof shoes and probably a few other things for the cold weather. The cruise leaves Bergen March 7th. Supposed to be a good winter for the Northern Lights.

My friend and I know the cabin is tiny, but we've agreed we won't be in it much, and we do have a window.

Beth

DW and I did this trip in May, '09 w. Vantage. Hurtigruten rooms are very small unless you upgrade to a junior suite. I wrote a short travelogue not published on VCBS webbsite, which I can send you if you want.

My email keatingfamily at roadrunner dot com

Tom:)

Well, I tried but did something wrong. Yes, I'd like to see your travelogue. The e-mail to use is bdglass1940 at yahoo dot com. Let's see if you can get it to me that way.

DW and I did this trip in May, '09 w. Vantage. Hurtigruten rooms are very small unless you upgrade to a junior suite. I wrote a short travelogue not published on VCBS webbsite, which I can send you if you want.

My email keatingfamily at roadrunner dot com

Tom:)

The cruise I'm looking at is with Vantage as well.

I'll send you an e-mail.

Beth

Anybody on here ever done one of the coastal cruises of Norway? Not on a big ship but with what is now Hurtigruten?

A CC friend is going in March, and I can room with her if I decide to do this. It would be a North and South bound trip leaving and returning to Bergen. This winter is supposed to be one of the best for the Northern Lights plus I've wanted to do this for almost 20 years.

Problem is that it's expensive - about $3000 per person for an outside (no balconies). That does include hotel stay pre and post cruise. Then there's the expense of getting to Norway.

Oh well, not California dreaming but Norway dreaming today.

Beth

Gloria, the cruise is an 8 night repositioning cruise from Cape Liberty to San Juan - 3 full sea days followed by stops at St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Tortola and St. Thomas before arriving in San Juan which be the Brilliance's home base for the winter.

I'm going up to New York for a couple of nights - lived there for a while back in the 1980s so will just wander around mostly but am also going to the 9/11 Memorial. Then I'll stay in San Juan two nights before heading home.

Beth

Four weeks from today I'll be in New York City for two nights and then I'll have 8 nights on the Brilliance! Woohoo!!!

Beth

I did not know there were actual books by Castle!! I will look for them and start reading; how fun.

I have been over to Marigot but we took an excursion because we were told the traffic is horrible all of the time and it takes alot of time to get back. There is only a 2 lane road around the mountain and it was very backed-up even at 10:00am. We were told it was always like that but I think if you take that into consideration you may be OK. We were told no guarrantees, by a cab driver. If you have been there you may have a good idea and know what to do. It was beautiful but I probably would not spend the time to go back; just not my thing.

Just my input.

Amazing, isn't it? The books are the exact titles the character writes on the TV show. They are pure fluff and also lots of fun.

I've been to Marigot on an excursion, too, but we were only there for a couple of hours. I'd like to go back and stay about 4 hours.

My other option is to spend time in Phillipsburg since I didn't go there. Any ideas from anyone about doing that?

Beth

I'm watching last night's Castle right now. He's promoting his most recent book Frozen Heat. That's the name of the book I'm reading.

Interesting how the fake book on TV is a real book by a so-called author.

Beth

I haven't watched last night's Castle yet, but it's recorded.

Does everyone know that there are books by Richard Castle? In the series Castle is a writer, and he writes mystery books. He starts a new series about a female detective he names Nikki Heat. Well, someone (not sure who) has actually written these books, and they are great fun. I'm on the fourth of four right now. You find them by searching for "Richard Castle" as the author.

A cruise question since this is a cruising web site: Has anyone ever taken a taxi from the cruiseport at St. Maarten over to Marigot? I think that's what I want to do next month. I know I don't want another tour, and I could go with some others to Maho, but I would like to have more time in Marigot than I did when I was there in 2011. Also, it will be market day, and I love to browse through local markets - sometimes even buy something!

Beth

Don't know why I'm not watching DWTS this time. I usually do.

What I will watch is Castle!!!

Beth

I thought this thread was for whatever was on our mind - including cruises we've taken, plan to take or want to take and other cruise information along the way.

I haven't done any Christmas cooking in a long time. I used to make an old fashioned dark fruit cake on Thanksgiving weekend - did it every three or four years. I'd soak it in bourbon or red wine until Christmas. But, I was the only one in the family who ever ate it, so I quit. I may have to make a little one this year instead of a big one. Then it really can be just for me.

Now a cruising question: Anybody ever used Rum Runners? I just bought a set of 4 - mostly small ones.

Beth