Serenade, Artic Circle, any questions?

[sippican]

Some recent revies had us a little anxious about this ship/cruise. So far, we are very happy with our third Radiance class sailing. Happy to answer your questions as time (and connectivity) allow.

Great crew, wonderful ship, exceptional itinerary.

That's "Arctic" circle (cannot edit title)

Edited June 9, 2015 by sippican
Spelling

[sippican]

Try as I may, I cannot edit the post spelling of "reviews". Welcome to Internet onboard!!!

[reney313]

I look forward to hear anything regarding the Norwegian ports (or Iceland). We will be onboard the 8 night sailing in August with a 2 night pre-cruise stay in Iceland.

 

Also, anything ship wise you want to mention. Are there any port lectures (not about the shops) or other enrichment activities? What is the entertainment like at night?

 

Oh..and did they run a special on the Beverage packages onboard? Or unlimited internet?

 

Thanks!

[sippican]

I look forward to hear anything regarding the Norwegian ports (or Iceland). We will be onboard the 8 night sailing in August with a 2 night pre-cruise stay in Iceland.

 

Also, anything ship wise you want to mention. Are there any port lectures (not about the shops) or other enrichment activities? What is the entertainment like at night?

 

Oh..and did they run a special on the Beverage packages onboard? Or unlimited internet?

 

Thanks!

 

We've only visited Alesund thus far. We took a ship's tour "path of the Trolls". We rarely do bus tours, but are so glad we did not miss out on the spectacular scenery along this route. (And DH was very relieved that we cancelled our original plan to do it via a rental car.)

There are some port talks, but we chose not to participate. I don'tbelieve they are any different from the usual ones that push their own shore excursions. They did distribute a booklet with some solid information about each port.

Have not attended any of the nighttime shows. Some of the activities have been fun. Yesterday there was a Bluenose Ceremony (for crossing the Arctic Circle), it was very entertaining. We played mini golf at midnight in full daylight.

There are the usual beverage packages, we prepurchased water and wine. I do not know if they were further discounted onboard, but there were tables set up the first couple of days.

Unlimited internet is available for $20 per day for one device, you can purchase as many days as you want. The speed is horrible and spotty due to location. (We won unlimited internet in a raffle, so no complaints.)

Worth noting - the ship is full, there are a few very large charter groups. Since it is cold, many hang out in the Centrum, WJ, solarium, etc. Yesterday we waited over 15 minutes for a table in the WJ, people just sit and talk. One of the staff told us we'd just have to eat outside! No loungers are to be had in the Solarium - but no one in the pool, lol! The main diningroom only serves breakfast until 8:30 am, and free room service starts at 7:00. On our port day, our tour met at 7:00 am - the tiny Park Cafe was the only early breakfast option, there was one server and the line stretched out the door. Poor planning on RC's part! Other than that everything has been delightful.

Please excuse typos and spelling errors.

Edited June 10, 2015 by sippican

[reney313]

Thanks for the update. I'm happy to hear your experience in Alesund on the Path of the Trolls. We are signed up for a private excursion through Alesund Taxi..it's a van with 7 of us from our roll call. I definitely did not want to drive it myself! But I didn't want to miss out on the scenery.

 

That's disappointing about the WJ and the breakfast times. Hopefully they will adjust those hours since many excursions to start early. That would be frustrating. It's too bad people aren't more aware when they are taking up tables in a packed room to get up and let others sit to eat. Very selfish and rude, imo. There's not much the staff can do in that situation.

 

I can handle the $20 per day unlimited. It might be worth it for a few days onboard to check up on things. While I do enjoy the ability to be go completely offline, we'll be gone for 2 full weeks and will want to check in our dogs and family a few times to keep from being anxious.

[sippican]

If you plan to attend any special events in the Centrum - get there early (like an hour prior). It has been jammed, and there is just not enough viewing space to handle the number of spectators. Very poor venue choice!

We've given up completely on the WJ.

Not sure if your itinerary includes Tromso - the King Crab Safari was absolutely one of the best excursions we have ever been on, anywhere, anytime - Hands Down!

[sippican]

Not sure if your itinerary includes Tromso - the King Crab Safari was absolutely one of the best excursions we have ever been on, anywhere, anytime - Hands Down!

 

My apologies - the crab safari is from Honnigsvaag, not Tromso. The midnight sun has scrambled my thinking!

[reney313]

My apologies - the crab safari is from Honnigsvaag, not Tromso. The midnight sun has scrambled my thinking!

 

Unfortunately, we aren't going that far north.....Alesund, Bergen, Stavenger, Geiranger, and Kristiansand are our ports.

 

Thanks for answering my questions! Great information. I haven't been on a Radiance Class ship yet and was wondering about the Centrum activities. Fortunately, my DH isn't big on those things anyway. We'll see, I might try to go but I doubt I'll want to show up an hour in advance. I guess I'll have to catch a glimpse from a shop or something instead. Good to know though, for sure!

[MADflyer]

I was wondering if RCI did a Nordkapp party at midnight the night prior to coming into Honningsvag?

 

I had looked at their scheduling and the ship would have had to have went directly to Tromso with the time allotted on the schedule.

 

Did the ship actually sail off of the cliff at Nordkapp at any point or were all activities just planned from the port of call at Honningsvag?

[reney313]

I did think of another question. Can you let me know if the ship is offering Luggage Valet from Copenhagen when you get back to port? I read somewhere they were piloting it in Copenhagen this year, but not sure which ships. That would certainly help me make a decision of the mode of transportation back to the airport when we disembark.

 

Thanks again.

[Sirena123]

Some recent revies had us a little anxious about this ship/cruise. So far, we are very happy with our third Radiance class sailing. Happy to answer your questions as time (and connectivity) allow.

Great crew, wonderful ship, exceptional itinerary.

That's "Arctic" circle (cannot edit title)

 

reney313 and I are headed onto the same cruise late August.:)

My DH and I look forward to seeing the Troll Road, and we booked same as you have.

 

How has the weather been? Not that yours will be the same, but I'm unsure as to what I need to pack. I get the layering, but how cold has it been?

 

Sorry about the dining situation. People can be so clueless...What about the food thus far?

 

$20 a day for internet is a fair price, considering the wifi is always awful aboard ship.

 

 

Oh, nearly forgot! Have you seen any Northern Lights?

 

Have a great time!

 

Best regards,

Lisa

[sippican]

I did think of another question. Can you let me know if the ship is offering Luggage Valet from Copenhagen when you get back to port? I read somewhere they were piloting it in Copenhagen this year, but not sure which ships. That would certainly help me make a decision of the mode of transportation back to the airport when we disembark.

 

Thanks again.

I have not seen any info on Luggage Valet. They are encouraging using the ship's transfers ($37 pp) due to limited availability of taxis in the am. We are doing self-disembarkation with our own luggage. Then, taking a chance in the taxi line.

 

reney313 and I are headed onto the same cruise late August.:)

My DH and I look forward to seeing the Troll Road, and we booked same as you have.

 

How has the weather been? Not that yours will be the same, but I'm unsure as to what I need to pack. I get the layering, but how cold has it been?

 

Sorry about the dining situation. People can be so clueless...What about the food thus far?

 

$20 a day for internet is a fair price, considering the wifi is always awful aboard ship.

Oh, nearly forgot! Have you seen any Northern Lights?

 

Have a great time!

 

Best regards,

Lisa

It has been quite cold with frequent rain. I have been wearing outdoor gear, even a thermal base layer, lol: long-sleeve shirts, fleece, thin insulated jacket, then a water/wind proof outer jacket, warm socks and good footwear (low hikers are perfect). It's been in the 49s and lower 50s F. We've heard it sometimes reaches the 60s. Be sure to bring a warm hat and gloves.

No Northern Lights at this time of year, but pure daylight for almost four days straight. We did have a lively rainbow off our aft balcony last evening!

We both think the food in the MD has been excellent (but I'm hapy anytime someone else is cooking).the WJ food has gone downhill. Chef's Table was just ok, for the price (can't even begin to compare with Remy's on Disney. We've been aiming to eat all three meals in the MD daily.

 

Apologies for typos and spelling errors.

[sippican]

I was wondering if RCI did a Nordkapp party at midnight the night prior to coming into Honningsvag?

 

I had looked at their scheduling and the ship would have had to have went directly to Tromso with the time allotted on the schedule.

 

Did the ship actually sail off of the cliff at Nordkapp at any point or were all activities just planned from the port of call at Honningsvag?

 

We had an Initiation into the Order of the Bluenose (crossing into the Arctic Circle). Not sure if that's what you mean, it was held during the day around the time of the crossing. The Centrum was jammed, but it was fun. We went to Honningsvaag first, Tromso second. We did sail off Nordkapp in both directions. It was a spectacular view from the water. Fellow passengers enjoyed the bus tour there, seeing many reindeer. We were very pleased with our tour - king Crabbing.

[Andrewpearce]

I look forward to hear anything regarding the Norwegian ports (or Iceland). We will be onboard the 8 night sailing in August with a 2 night pre-cruise stay in Iceland.

 

Also, anything ship wise you want to mention. Are there any port lectures (not about the shops) or other enrichment activities? What is the entertainment like at night?

 

Oh..and did they run a special on the Beverage packages onboard? Or unlimited internet?

 

Thanks!

Finished arctic cruise last week end

Unlimited wifi was SLOW ,AND expensive , I think 30$a day .any town in Norway will have a cafe providing free wifi.

Highlights for us were the funicular in tromso, and the glacier in olden, there really is not much to do in olden apart from the glacier ,and if you are of reasonable health do the hike to the glacier(45min walk) catch the glacier express 350 NOK. GERRAINGER Was a lovely town to head up by the waterfall,

Ales und not much to see really.we attended a couple of the port talks and booked no tours as their was always. Cheaper local options .getting on and off was a breeze.

The unlimited drinks packages seemed expensive to us as did the 7 bottles of wine for I think290.?dollars.buds for7.50! Oh well.they will still"security screen" your luggage on boarding,but we got a couple of bottles of Moët on board in our suit cases, and they never seem to worry about you bringing a couple of cans aboard in your hand luggage,not that Norwegian beer is much cheaper.

The fjords ,are a real high light we saw these at the end of our trip.

The shows,meh.

The TV was just terrible ,and I would hate to have to entertain jkids with this , the same. Shows we saw on Baltic cruise 3 w ago ,and that other passengers saw before that!

[LemonNeko]

Were there many children on the ship?

[sippican]

Were there many children on the ship?

 

We saw a couple of teens and asked them how they were enjoying the cruise "with all of the old folks". They said they were told they were part of an elite group of 20 or so minors onboard. We saw only a handful of children.

 

Alesund was one of the highlights of our cruise because we traveled the Trollstigen - the sights were nothing short of breathtaking. I am so glad we did not miss it. It was a long day but a once in a lifetime experience.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g190500-d617680-Reviews-Trollstigen_Troll_s_Footpath-Western_Norway.html

[reney313]

Alesund was one of the highlights of our cruise because we traveled the Trollstigen - the sights were nothing short of breathtaking. I am so glad we did not miss it. It was a long day but a once in a lifetime experience.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g190500-d617680-Reviews-Trollstigen_Troll_s_Footpath-Western_Norway.html

 

I'm glad to hear that. We are looking very forward to that excursion in August.

[LemonNeko]

We saw a couple of teens and asked them how they were enjoying the cruise "with all of the old folks". They said they were told they were part of an elite group of 20 or so minors onboard. We saw only a handful of children.

 

Thanks, my son would be 5 and my niece 3 so it sounds like they would need to play with each other.

[windjamming]

So glad this thread was posted! We are considering this cruise. Is there any preference for port side vs starboard side staterooms? Sailing into Venice, it was a very nice perk to have a starboard balcony.

 

Thanks in advance!

[sippican]

I'm glad to hear that. We are looking very forward to that excursion in August.

 

Of note - the stop at the top of the Troll Path was short - 20 minutes. If you are thinking about purchasing any souvenirs, wait until the stop for lunch at the Troll Shop. It was a one hour stop for lunch - a delicious buffet. If you like salmon you are in for a treat (many other choices as well). Also, the views are nice from both sides, but if you can, try to get a seat on the right side of the bus.

 

We saw a couple of teens and asked them how they were enjoying the cruise "with all of the old folks". They said they were told they were part of an elite group of 20 or so minors onboard. We saw only a handful of children.

 

Thanks, my son would be 5 and my niece 3 so it sounds like they would need to play with each other.

 

They will get individualized attention if they go to the kids club!

[sippican]

So glad this thread was posted! We are considering this cruise. Is there any preference for port side vs starboard side staterooms? Sailing into Venice, it was a very nice perk to have a starboard balcony.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

We were center aft, so had a view of both sides from the stern. There does not seem to be an advantage to either side since you will pass the sights both coming and going in the fjords as well as North Cape.

Be sure not to miss the sail into, or out of Alseund, Geiranger (the scenery was incredible for about 3 hours) and past North Cape on your way into and out of Honningsvag. Thinking I could snap photos at one or the other time, I was amazed at how the light changed from morning to evening. I was sorry I was dining as I glimpsed North Cape passing by from our table with the sun on the cliffs. If you are a photo buff, plan accordingly, it was worth some missed sleep and meals!

[Sirena123]

Wonderful tips sippican! Thank you!

[england1]

We have just booked this same cruise for next year and wondered why so few staterooms were available. I think that there maybe a large charter group on our sailing as well. Except for the WJ were there any other areas that were difficult to access? Were the passengers local people from Denmark? Thank you so much for posting. Your insight is very helpful.

[sippican]

We have just booked this same cruise for next year and wondered why so few staterooms were available. I think that there maybe a large charter group on our sailing as well. Except for the WJ were there any other areas that were difficult to access? Were the passengers local people from Denmark? Thank you so much for posting. Your insight is very helpful.

 

Our cruise was booked solid. There were at least two very large groups. One was from Denmark (the largest). I hate to categorize people, but the other, smaller group, appeared to be of Asian ethnicity. The Danish group generally overtook the WJ, the Park Cafe area and loungers in the Solarium. There was elevator "hogging", refusing to move back to allow access to others waiting.ignoring our American concepts of "waiting in lines" and even a few incidents of actual pushing with bodies or arms. Announcements were made in both English and Danish, and frequently, if you were in a public area at the time, they would talk loudly over the English announcements so we had difficulty hearing. Most of their tours were group events so we did not encounter them on excursions. I'm sure much of the behavior was cultural in nature and we did interact with a number of delightful people. However, having traveled to many countries (and staying twice in Copenhagen), this was the first time we've felt very frustrated; probably also due to being confined to the onboard space. Thankfully, the itinerary and ports were fantastic, so our cruise was in no way disappointing.

If I were to do it again, and had alternate lines or dates available, I think I would try to get more information on the large groups who have booked and make a decision whether to book elsewhere. If not an option, go with a positive attitude, eat more frequently in the dining room, and have a great time! We all know that on any ship, anyplace at any time, a few people can make or break our experience, but it'a all about what we choose to make it.

 

If there is a large group and you choose to eat lunch or breakfast in the MDR - don't hesitate to request a separate table or you are likely find yourself at a table with only non-english speaking companions. (Most Danes know English, and sadly we know no Danish, but many would not engage even if we made attempts to do so.)

Edited July 16, 2015 by sippican

[england1]

Thank you so much for your detailed response. Between what I have learned from you and some of the reviews of this cruise I think we will probably cancel.