HeinBloed's blog from the most expensive 1-night-cruise on ARTEMIS - I hate vulcanos!

[HeinBloed]

Love at the first sight...

 

When I got a DVD from P&O Cruises somehow I felt in love with ARTEMIS...

 

An adult-only ship with oceanview cabins only - small and intimate for just 1,200 passengers.

 

So we booked a 2-night cruise from Southampton to Zeebrugge and back.

 

Since our booking we learned that she is sold and only for one more year with P&O before she will be transferred to Phoenix Cruises (a German cruise operator).

 

Now this cruise became the most expensive 1-night-cruise we ever made. It was an adventure to get on the ship and it was an adventure to get back from Southampton to Germany.

 

 

May I invite you to join our cruise...

 

in my blog:

 

http://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2010/04/eine-ungewohnliche-woche-uncommon-week.html

 

Follow us to Bruges

 

 

and Ghent:

 

 

So instead of being on the ship the first day we spent the day in Belgium and enjoyed it.

 

After our arrival in UK we need to get back - somehow.

 

It was an adventure.

 

With the same budget we could made a 2-nighter on Hapag-Lloyd's EUROPA instead.

 

Have "fun" with us, on board and across Europe.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[marne-c]

HeinBloed: Hello! You and your detailed posts were a SUPER help for us back in 2007 navigating the German rail system from a port- stop in Warnemunde to Schwerin and Lubeck.

This coming winter, my wife and I will be (more-or-less) back in your world. We'll be taking a 12-night cruise on Hurtigruten from Bergen northward along the coast of Norway, up into the arctic circle. At New Years! (Here's the link to our itinerary.)

Thus my question.

I checked your signature and I didn't seen any references to Hurtigruten. But have you ever traveled around the coast of Norway in the winter on some other cruise line? If yes, I'd be very curious about your experiences.

 

You can post here, or you can email me directly.

 

Thanks!!!

 

--Marne

[HeinBloed]

HeinBloed: Hello! You and your detailed posts were a SUPER help for us back in 2007 navigating the German rail system from a port- stop in Warnemunde to Schwerin and Lubeck.

 

This coming winter, my wife and I will be (more-or-less) back in your world. We'll be taking a 12-night cruise on Hurtigruten from Bergen northward along the coast of Norway, up into the arctic circle. At New Years! (Here's the link to our itinerary.)

 

Thus my question.

 

I checked your signature and I didn't seen any references to Hurtigruten. But have you ever traveled around the coast of Norway in the winter on some other cruise line? If yes, I'd be very curious about your experiences.

 

You can post here, or you can email me directly.

 

Thanks!!!

 

--Marne

 

Hello,

 

we were booked on Hurtigruten in March last year but had to cancel it due to some personal reasons:

 

1. project progress at Bruno's work did not allow us to go at the time of the booked sailing

 

2. friends of us asked us to go with them together to Norway as a kind of last-ever-voyage due to their age and reduced mobility. This two points did not allow a fly-cruise to Bergen anymore so that we need a homeport cruise out of Germany or Netherlands. So we need an infrastructure only Holland America offers but two of their ships are based in South Africa this summer for Soccer World Cup as hotel ship. So only once cruise left over for this criteria: WESTERDAM of July 26 (i. e. in about 2 monthes).

 

So you can read more when we are back in August (but Aalesund will be the most Northern point) and additional one day we spend on another cruise in Bergen on BOUDICCA last August:

 

http://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2009/08/tag-31-auf-der-day-31-auf-der-boudicca.html

 

3. In the winter season Hurtigruten does not call Geirangerfjord - one of the UNESCO World Heritages. So we would really missed this highlight.

 

Now you know why Hurtigruten appeared already on one cruiseticker but disappeared again.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[marne-c]

Thanks! I'll look forward to August for your next report!!!!

 

 

--Marne