Harley52

2 minutes ago, clo said:

Here's the trip we did.

 

https://www.hurtigruten.com/destinations/norway/classic-round-voyage-bergen-kirkenes-bergen/

 

And another photo.  This one from our porthole.

 

 

 

Which ship were you on?

Just now, Heidi13 said:

Having spent way more time in the South Pacific than Asia, my preference would be a north crossing followed by a trip down the Asia coast and the Aus East Coast.

What is your preferred ship/cruise line from Canada to Australia/NZ

3 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

I've completed multiple trans-Pacifics and Aus/NZ voyages, on both cruise ships & cargo ships. Do you have any specific questions?

What is your preferred trans-Pacific voyage from Canada to Aus/NZ whether cruise or cargo ships....Thank you

Just now, capriccio said:

It was round trip Southampton.  The first and last days were sea days along with a sea day after Trondheim and after Gravdal.

Did you travel from London to Southhampton and how did you get to the cruise terminal.  Thank you for the response.

42 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Look at a map - Oslo is covered on many Baltic cruises.  The Norway cruises concentrate on the fjords and port towns and cities along the western coast.

 

We were on a 14 day Princess "Land of the Midnight Sun" cruise last month.  It was an excellent itinerary:  Southampton, Stavanger, Flaam, Hellesylt/Geiranger, Trondheim, Tromso, Honningsvag (North Cape), Gravdal (Lofoten Islands), Alesund, Bergen, and Southampton.  From the time we left Trondheim and crossed the Arctic Circle until we crossed again after the Lofoten Islands stop the sun never set!  The fjords are breathtakingly beautiful, the more remote areas above the Arctic Circle are striking and the people were very welcoming.  We (2 couples) had a fabulous time.

Which port did you sail from?  Thank you for your response.

21 minutes ago, clo said:

What cruises have you already been on?

 Have spent 27 years in the Navy I have sailed around the world many times but not on civilian cruise ships.

58 minutes ago, FredT said:

Wellllll...... I dont know if I'd go so far as THAT.    I have a couple cruises on them.   

 

IF you understand that this is a "low end" mass market line, using (REALLY) older ships and eastern European crew, and charging rock bottom prices,  you can make a better decision.  But if money is tight, it still is a viable alternative to NOT cruising, and some of their itineraries are very interesting.   (Just dont expect an RCCL or Celebrity experience) 

Thanks FredT for your opinion.  Greatly appreciated.

2 minutes ago, Harley52 said:

Which is your preferred cruise line when cruising Norway and the reasons why.  Thank you for your assistance and information.

How come many cruise lines do not visit Oslo on the Norway cruise.  Pity.

Which is your preferred cruise line when cruising Norway and the reasons why.  Thank you for your assistance and information.

17 minutes ago, babs135 said:

I'm from the UK and although I've been very fortunate to have done 2 land tours of Australia and 2 cruises, one of which went to New Zealand, we have always had to fly there and back.  Horrendously long flights but we've usually included stopovers both ways.

 

Hope you find what you are looking for.  Australia is something special.

Thank you again.

15 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Slightly tedious, but check on cruisetimetables.com to see which cruise lines  do what you want and when and then 'hop over' to the relevant forum here and ask your questions.

Thanks babs135 for the advice and valued information.  Have you cruised to Australia and New Zealand.  

15 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Did a 2-week Baltic Cruise with them in 2017. Only picked them as it was the only cruise that the dates worked. Didn't expect much, but they still delivered well below our expectations. Classic example of you get what you pay for.

 

Ship was OK, since they just purchased it a couple of months prior & had only come out of refit. The MDR was very crammed, with waiters unable to reach some places. Every night my plates were delivered by table mates. Some crew conduct was a disgrace.

 

Couldn't imagine suffering a World Cruise with them, we thought our Princess Cruise was bad, but CMV was even worse.

Thanks Heidi13 for your response and I will stay clear of Maritime Cruise and Voyages.

1 minute ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

No.  I use Bonine, Meclizine, although it's not available in Canada any more (or at least Ontario.)  I buy it in the States when I'm there.  I generally only need it when we have a very rough day, like last September going up the Labrador Strait on our way to L'Anse aux Meadows.  

Which ship were you on when you went to L'Anse aux Meadows....Did you pull into St. Anthony?

7 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

World  cruise, January - May,  Miami - Barcelona, westbound, through the Panama, coast to Lima, Polynesia, NZ, Australia, bits of SE Asia, Sri Lanka, India, Middle East, Suez, Med.

Holy smokes bring your Gravol....

Just now, fizzy1 said:

It is a very nice blend of tea that we  particularly like  

I'm sure it is a nice blend of tea.

18 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Yorkshire Tea Bags is a company name similar to Typhoo, PG Tips and Twinings.

  

Thank you

36 minutes ago, K32682 said:

They are apparently the last holdouts on the dress code/formal night nonsense.  Pack accordingly.  

 

Other lines are less rigid and more reasonable.  On my Princess cruise to Alaska a collared casual shirt, cargo trousers and hiking boots were acceptable even on fancy pants night. 

Thank you

3 minutes ago, Aplmac said:

 

And here he is, hanging around in Halifax NS!

That's him!

 

Now that is what I call impressive both by you and Samuel Cunard.

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We cruised from Seattle to Auckland (via Sydney) about 4 years ago on HAL's Oosterdam.  It was a terrific cruise because we had excellent weather and both DW and I love sea days.  And this is a voyage for those who love sea days!  12 of our first 14 days were at sea (interrupted with 2 days in Honolulu).  It took us 28 days to reach Sydney and another 10 to get to Auckland.  Once at Auckland we immediately flew back to South Island (Christchurch) where we spend another 2 weeks exploring in a rental car.

 

This was not a World Cruise, but simply a fall repositioning cruise.  We did a lot of South Pacific island hopping on that voyage which we really enjoyed since DW and I are "water people" and are almost as happy as clams if we are the sea with snorkel or scuba gear.  Our return flight was Premium Economy on Air New Zealand which, at the time, was an amazing product.  If we did it now the flight would be Business Class :).

 

What precipitated that voyage was a previous trip to downunder which included a pretty normal 12 day cruise from Auckland to Sydney.  On that trip we spent some land time exploring North Island but later realized that we had to return to spend time on South Island.  South Island, NZ is the one place in the world where I could move from the USA and be content....if we lived in Queenstown.  South Island is a very special place where the livestock (mostly cows and sheep) outnumber people.  With gorgeous scenery, excellent food, great wine, and fabulous people it was our idea of paradise.

 

Hank

Thanks Hank for the prompt and very informative narrative, when you visited the south island in NZ, did you stay in motels, bnb's, homesteads etc....kindest regards

On 6/30/2019 at 5:15 PM, Ynox said:

Yep. I always get a couple of espressos after dinner.

Espressoes after dinner, geez, I would be awake all night.

On 6/30/2019 at 2:34 PM, fizzy1 said:

Excellent . Don't need to take any Yorkshire Tea bags then !!

Yorkshire Tea Bags?  

16 minutes ago, Camgirl said:

I had QM2 to Canada and a train trip in mind! At the moment that would need more holiday than we get in order to do it properly. One day hopefully. It is definately high on my list.

In the mean time I will have to make do with Icelandic whale watching.

I will try to remember to report on the cabin on my return. We are looking forwards to a rare forwards view.

Have a nice trip and leave the cabin in A1 condition, giggles here.  Fair winds and following seas.....Harley

6 minutes ago, fishywood said:

What do "people" know, anyway?

 

Perhaps if you tell us what your decision process in choosing Cunard entailed we can help you feel that your choice was justified. Or not, as the case may be.

 

I have done four Cunard cruises in the early part of this decade, and would happily sail them again even though "people" are saying they have gone far more mainstream than in the past (but are still charging premium fares). My biggest issue with their Alaska itineraries is that they are all round-trip rather than open-jaw making a pre- or post-cruise land tour (or one sandwiched in between a back-to-back as I did on Princess last summer) more difficult to arrange.

Hey fishywood, thank you for the prompt response.  My reasons for choosing Cunard are as follows, 

1.  Round trip from Vancouver.

2.  Reputable cruise line, not to say other cruise companies are bad.

3.  Itinerary fits my liking visiting Kodiac and Anchorage

4.  Never cruised with Cunard before.

5.  Cunard established by a Canadian, Samuel Cunard,,,,,,giggles here.

Just now, navybankerteacher said:

There is a 130 day Regent world cruise R/T from California  for about $70,000 with stops in Australia and New Zealand.  More reasonable might be P&O from San Francisco on January 28 - hanging out for a while - then one of a number of repositionings from New Zealand or Australia to a California port in April - about 25-30 days each way, giving you a month or so for land travel to really see those countries.

Thank you navybankerteacher.

 I just recently booked a 12 Alaska Cruise with Cunard.  Since then I have people inform me that I should have booked with Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean or Norwegian.  What's your thoughts about Alaska cruise with Cunard?  Did I make the right choice with Cunard?  Thank you for your comments.   Harley