ConnieTact

Before we left for our Norweigen cruise, I looked up activities and the hire of a small electric car, the Twizy, caught my eye. The company was easy to find, It is eMobility and they are situation the port behind the shops on the main road. The Twizzys were lined up waiting and we made our mind up on either a one, two or three hour trip. We chose the one hour as we hadn’t had previous experience, so weren’t sure how comfortable it would be in the back. It was a little tight and I was glad nobody watched as I ‘sardined myself’ into the back seat! Essential to wear trousers as one leg fits either side of the seat! The excitement of the drive up the mountain distracted me from any lack of luxury and I took photos all the way up! The good thing is that there were no windows so I got good clear shots. You can’t do that in a train or on a couch! At the top the viewing platform were great views and we shared the car park with cars, coaches and vans. As we drive a small Smart car, we are used to being the smallest in the car park but I don’t usually have to be prised out the back! 😂. It was all good fun and highly worthwhile. We both thought it was a fabulous holiday memory and worth every kroner!

The sail in this morning from Hellesylt to Geiranger will stay in my memory a lifetime! We opened out curtains and the views were spectacular of the Severn sisters (waterfalls). After a couple of cups of tea we got in the jacuzzi and enjoyed the warmth of the bubbling water and admiring the stunning scenery inside the fjords.we had ‘dropped off’ passengers with ship excursions and they will meet us later at Geiranger. We enjoyed breakfast in the cabin. Pancakes this time but learned we shouldn’t have ordered the Danish pastries as well! We couldn’t finish it all.

Next up was the Space Party which was good. Not as many people joined in, as most of the music was of the last 20 years, so that may indicate the age of the guests. I imagine there will be more involvement at tonight’s party, when the decades will be reflective of the 60s and 70s. Having said that the staff worked hard dancing on podiums and at the ‘bridge’ and the vibe was lively and happy. We went and had a slice of pizza to finish up the evening with our friends and some of us two or three! 😅🍕

The following photos are from @ziggyukthanks Ziggy for being my live cruise portal reporter! 😂

Yesterday we had a leisurely breakfast our room and then a hot tub (in the rain!) the views were amazing. We suspected that as it was such a new port at Maloy that there wouldn’t be much on offer. I had looked online before our trip and found nothing much available to do. There was one trip MSC were running ‘highlights of Maloy’ and this was a lighthouse, a beach and a rock! As it was raining we decided we didn’t really want to get off. Then our friends offered to tell us whether it was worthwhile and we thought that would be a great idea! They came back to us and we waved to them from our cabin. They said ‘It’s worth it if you want to stretch your legs but there is nothing here. Only a couple of gift shops and a man with a grey beard, singing Elvis songs, under a gazebo!’ Next up was a big band and we thought this may be some kind of welcome to the ship as it was a new port. So we stayed aboard, feeling we had not missed out, and walked the running track and took some photos. I guess in time, Maloy may open a cafe or bar or develop some more things of interest for cruise ship passengers.

Thank you Rossoco01 - I think yours sounds like a sunnier cruise than this one! We’ve had rain today but the visability was still good and it is not too cold so we are feeling fortunate.

I’d never done one but was fascinated to see how it worked. Really fun and so many people engaged in it. A few people were sitting in bars with the headphones still on ….just enjoying the tunes! 😂

Hi Suzanne- yes we have that party to look forward to tonight! The best dancing playlist ever! I loved it last year and I’m sure I will again!

After this, we went to get some professional photos done as we have a free one with our platinum benefits. This was good fun and the two photographers we used, were both engaging and got some good shots. Next was the silent disco. We loved it! We tried to all get the same song and this was possible by tuning- in to the same channel but we found we each preferred different songs. We still danced together though! On our way back to the room, a little later, the silent disco was still in full swing. I found it hilarious to look down from the floor above and suddenly hear so many voices singing out the chorus of ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams, with no background music! The wine has loosened up tongues and the singing was reminiscent of football chants! Apart from one disapproving couple hoping to have a quiet drink (in a very loud place!) most people found it fun and amusing. I heard somewhere that ‘Brits enjoy silent discos’ and last night’s certainly endorsed that view!

We looked forward to our third time seeing ‘Ajedrez’ show in the Carousel lounge as we knew it would still entrance us. We recommended it to our friends and they came too. We were walked down to the show by our butler Anis, who is efficient and professional. We chose seats on the front row and settled down with our free cocktails that were included in the ticket cost. If you buy the show before you get on the ship it is £9 or if you wait until aboard the price is £15. The show is very similar to the Cirque du Soleil offering and is every bit as good in my opinion. The shorter show time, keeps it sharp and it is always slightly different-as any live performance is! We think we saw a few new faces and all this adds interest. Our friends were suitably impressed and, the standing ovation for the performers proved we weren’t the only ones!

I’m sorry for the repeated post! It’s been hard to upload and somehow it uploaded twice!

We had a good day yesterday and had lunch at the The yacht club grill outside in the sun. The service was quick and the food delicious. They had made roast chicken and roast potatoes for us Brits to enjoy as it was a Sunday. I actually chose the pork though. We then joined our friends at the afternoon show in the theatre, ‘Evergreen Classics’. The singers, pianist and violinist were excellent. Enough of the pieces were popular and recognisable. These half hour concerts are such a good idea and gives the opportunity for people to enjoy entertainment they may not usually pay for. We all really appreciated it and thought the entertainment was top class. A visit to the ‘English pub’ Masters of the Sea was next on our agenda and we enjoyed some drinks and great service.

The elegant night in the Yacht Club was pleasant and calm. The service was impeccable and attentive. The food top notch and the views spectacular. I had a seat facing the large window at the centre of the ship so basically the captain’s view! We take it in turns to face the window and it was my turn last night! I didn’t notice anyone in tuxedos but we didn’t go in the Top Sail lounge below so there may have been people wearing them there. I didn’t notice any throughout the ship either but lots of people looked glamorous but certainly not formal like the expectation on other cruise lines. I think most people on MSC enjoy the freedom of being able to wear what they want rather than feeling pressure to conform to strict dress codes. You can dress up as much or as little as you like. The man on the next table enjoyed his lobster tail but I chose risotto with black truffle. I like a bit of colour on my plate so I requested it was served with roasted Mediterranean vegetables and this was no problem. When served, the dish looked colourful and appetising and it tasted delicious. The dessert offering forced many to ponder, ‘shall I have the After Eight Sensation or the Ice Cream pyramid?’ The answer is of course have both! It is always fine to ask for more than one of any course the only limit is your appetite! We settled for trying a bit of each other’s desserts just to satisfy our curiosity and stop us suffering from food envy or fear of missing out! 😅 We had tea and coffee after the meal and were surprised to be served a tier of Petits fours. A great touch and not too challenging as each piece was only one mouthful!

We had a good day yesterday and had lunch at the The yacht club grill outside in the sun. The service was quick and the food delicious. They had made roast chicken and roast potatoes for us Brits to enjoy as it was a Sunday. I actually chose the pork though. We then joined our friends at the afternoon show in the theatre, ‘Evergreen Classics’. The singers, pianist and violinist were excellent. Enough of the pieces were popular and recognisable. These half hour concerts are such a good idea and gives the opportunity for people to enjoy entertainment they may not usually pay for. We all really appreciated it and thought the entertainment was top class. A visit to the ‘English pub’ Masters of the Sea was next on our agenda and we enjoyed some drinks and great service.

Thank you big blue! So far it is the best yet and it’s our 26th! Having a duplex suite is amazing and being joined by our friends is the icing on the proverbial cake! 😃

What a great idea! We will for old times sake and all raise a glass to you and Nick! 😂🥂

This is our progress so far.it’s a sea day for us today so we are enjoying taking it easy.

Today we had a late breakfast in our room while our butler Anis, ran the jacuzzi. The dining table made eating breakfast more comfortable as at just the right height. Unlike our previous balcony and inside cabins where we are balancing plates on laps! Everything arrived as ordered and was fresh and delicious.