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Celebrity Eclipse Norweigan Fjords 8/22 review with photos

Sonoma fans

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Sonoma fans

Sonoma fans

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This review is for the 8/22/15 Norwegian Fjords cruise aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. We are both in our early fifties, and have cruised 20 times over the past 20 years with the last 3 on Reflection prior to this Fjords cruise. I am battling a progressive muscle disease, so the decision was made to have a mobility scooter waiting in the cabin upon arrival. I will discuss more on this in the review. This was our first European sailing, as most of our others were the Caribbean and one to Alaska in 2007. We booked this trip while on board the Reflection in 2/2014, and were able to get the 123 promo, which included classic beverage, free gratuities, and 300 O/B credit. We were also given a 250 O/B credit for booking on the ship, and our TA gave us an additional 350 O/B credit once the reservation was transferred. We opted to wait until we boarded to upgrade to the premium Drink package as we had quite a bit of on board credits. The Eclipse left from Southampton England, so we booked a 9:00PM flight from Boston to arrive at 9:00 AM.

We chose British Airways, and were able to get a decent upgrade to world traveler plus for a bit more room and amenities. Flight was on time and allowed for a bit of sleep prior to landing at Heathrow. Once off the plane, we were directed to customs which was under staffed. It took almost 1.5 hours to get passports stamped to enter the country. We then proceeded to gather our luggage and find our hired Car & driver. We booked a private car to take us to Southampton. We used Heathrow-Gatwick transfers as the car service. They were waiting with a sign and we proceeded to load up the car and head to the Ship. As this was a Saturday, we thought we would not hit any traffic, but it was a gorgeous Saturday, and our driver informed us that everyone was headed to the coast for the last nice weekend they were projected to have. I felt like we were back in Boston for rush hour. The 72 mile trip took us just under 3 hours, so we arrived at Ship at 1:30 PM. The drop off and Embarkation hall were not crowded, and we got in line and were on the ship within 30 minutes. The agents were extremely friendly and helpful. Once on the ship, we were able to head right to our cabin as they had been cleared to enter.

We stayed in Concierge Class Accessible Cabin 1022. These accessible cabins are Forward, which for my condition is another reason we opted for the mobility scooter for me. The Scooter was in the cabin, and we proceeded to get settled. The Concierge Accessible cabins are 300 Sq, Ft with a bit larger balcony with ramp to accommodate wheel chairs and scooters. There was plenty of storage and we were familiar with the cabin layout as we book the same class when we book Reflection. The down side to these cabins is the shower /water situation. Because it is a roll in shower, there is only a curtain and water goes everywhere especially while under way. Having dealt with this many times, we had the Room attendant bring 2 pool towels every day to create a water dam. This keeps all the water in the shower area and makes it safer. A new drain scheme would be a welcome addition for the next new ships. Below is our balcony.

 

 

Once settled in the cabin, we headed up to the Mast Bar and upgraded our Drink package and started vacation. We enjoyed the Mast Bar on several occasions as the weather was really nice for Norway. The bartender was marlon from Jamaica, and he was getting off when we returned to Southampton. He was not shy around the camera..

We were a bit tired on the first night, having been up for almost the past 32 hours not counting the nap on the plane. After some drinks at the Martini Bar and Cellar masters, we decided to just order room service and call it for the night.

Day 1- At Sea. The day at sea brought some windy conditions as we sailed the North Sea towards Norway. It was bright and sunny, but Deck 5 was closed due to the wind gusts. We were curious as to how the ship would handle a sea day, with most passengers having to remain inside due to the windy conditions. To our surprise it never felt real crowded. One of the great features of the S class ships is the ability to places for folks to go all over the ship, so no one area is over whelmed. We decided to try the gastrobar on Deck 3 for some Lunch. We sat at the bar height tables with the window and it made for a great view with the wind and seas splashing up. There was an excellent selection of beer (over 40 bottled beers) and a decent small bites menu. We ordered the Beef Cheeks (Sheppards pie) and the Spiced Chicken dish. Both were very good. It is a 10:00 fee pp for the food, and we ended up here 3 different times during the trip. The only issue we had was that 1 time the flat bread pizza was barely warm. The kitchen where the Gastrobar food is cooked is a ways away on deck 4, and by the time it got to us it was not hot. They did not charge us and were very appologetic. I like the idea of the Gastrobar, but the bar needs to find its identity. Not many folks order food at the 10.00 cover, so they seemed over whelmed when you do order food. Good place to hand out and watch sports with 2 large screens as well. We attended a lecture series on the origins of Norway, and how the Fjords were created by the glaciers etc. It was interesting, but a lot of folks nodding off. We hit the afternoon trivia in the Sky Bar and really had a relaxing day. At night we had reservations at Murano. One of our fellow cruise critic members set up dinner for 10 of us in the Wine room. She got a great deal at 35% off for the group and scored the private wine room. The meals and company was great as we ended up sitting there for almost 4 hours eating, drinking and getting to know some new folks. As normal, we headed to Cellar masters for a few more wines before calling it a night

Day 2 – Bergen Norway – One of the best parts of this itinerary is waking up early to enjoy the sail into all of these towns/cities. As Bergen is closer to the coast, there are no tall peaks except for in the distance. It reminded us of the coast of Maine.

 

 

The ship docks at a working Port, so everyone must get shuttled into town (10 minute ride on buses provided). I was nervous as I required an accessible bus with ramp, but almost all of them had a ramp which made it very easy to get on/off. We took the shutle to town, and the bus dropped everyone roght in town next to a beautiful pond with fountains adjacent to the downtown area and waterfront. We traveled through the downtown and made our way to the fish market and to Gryygen.

 

 

 

 

Gryygen is the area of Bergen tah has all of the old wooden buildings that have sops, restaurants etc..Take some of the alleys as there are galleries and restaurants in the back of them. We went to one of them that was accessible, and has a restroom, and had a nice outdorr seating area. The menu was all kinds of Herring, Game burgers, and some Greenland Peawns (shrimp). We opted for some beers (real good) and got the Prawns. DW was not fond of the shrimp, so I got to eat a big bowl full. We also wanted some Norweigan knot sweaters (we have several dales which will last forever). We found some designs we had not seen in the states and bought 2 of them. They were about 350.00 US apiece which is a little less tha what we pay at home. There is a 13% tax that gets refunded with a program offered by the Norweigaan Government. They come on the ship and give the rebates for all quaified purchases. We ended up getting 150.00 US or just under 1200 NOK. We did not take the trip to the funicular train. Those that did said it was well woth the trip up to over look the city. It is at the top left of the photo.

 

Statues and fountains throughout the downtown

 

As Bergen was an 1100 am arrival, we left at 8:00pm and the sail out had some great views of the sunset that was about 910PM. We had eaten at bistro on Five again for dinner, headed to the sunset bar for sailaway, then did the normal round of martini bar, cellar masters, and hit the World Class bar for a couple of different cocktails including the smoke wood infused rum on the rocks…very good.

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4774Papa

4774Papa

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We visited Bergen on the NCL Star last year and loved Norway.

We would love to go back and do a cruise up beyond the Arctic Circle. I didn't think Celebrity had one that goes all the way to the North Cape.

 

I know Royal Caribbean and NCL have cruises that go to the North Cape.

 

Interested in reading the rest of your step by step review.

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Sonoma fans

Sonoma fans

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The next morning we awoke to the sound of waterfalls with steep mountains on each side of the Fjords as we headed to the port of Flam. These photos should be on the shutterfly link

 

These were all shots taken from our balcony as we had room service breakfast on the balcony each morning. Flam is interesting as there are only 350 residents and there is a gift shop, restaurant, anf of course the Flam train. Make sure you book the train ahead of time as it sells out ahead of the cruise.

This was an 0800 port call, and our pre booked train was to depart at 0945. We had researched and they pull out a ramp for accessibility and I was able to walk up with some support.

 

The train is very nice with chairs three across on each side. Some windows can be pulled down but we left ours closed as there was some intermittent rain. The photos still were good. There are several stops at small stations, and a 5 minute stop at the kjosfossen waterfall which is magnificant. The next several photos in the shutterfly link are from the train ride:

 

The scenery on the Flam Train Ride was gorgous, and the waterfalls and streams were still running strong for August. They must be something earlier in the season. After the Train Ride we went to the gift shop and bought some small items as keep sakes . We got back to Flam at 1200 Pm and made it back onto the ship for lunch. It was raining off/on so we stayed on the ship the rest of the day having a few after noon cocktails.

 

The Sail out was not spectacular as it was a bit rainy and overcast. Next stop would bring Geirainger.

 

Day 5 Geiranger- The Sail into Geiranger is not to be missed. It is several miles up the Fjord until you get to the end and this tiny town appears in front of you with great mountains all around. Although we did not dock until 1100am, We were out on the balcony all morning for the sail in as you would see great snow covered peaks, and many waterfalls as you headed up the Fjord. We again had breakfast on the veranda for the sail in.

 

It was a partly sunny morning with temps starting out in the 60s (F) as we started into the Fjord, and was in the 70s (F) as we docked. A lot warmer than we expected.

 

Celebrity must pay dearly for the use of the Sea Walk. This is a portable docking system that is brought to the ship once tied onto permanent buoys deep in the harbour. Once in place, it is like you are at a regular dock. It is 10 ft wide and allows all folks to be able to get off of the ship with ease. This allowed for a cruise with no tendering ports. A big plus for folks with accessibility issues.

 

Gieranger – Once docked, you get a great view of the Town from the sunset bar. There is a waterfall that runs from the top of the mountians above the town, and spills out in the center of the town . There are set of stairs that allow you to get up close and personal with the water flow…We had pre booked a boat ride up the Fjord to the Seven Sisters and suitor waterfalls. We got off the ship to check out the gang ways to the boat and found them to be too steep for my comfort level. We decided to cancel the boat trip for which they gladly refunded our money.

 

We walked around the town but did not spend a lot of time exploring as I did not come off with my mobility scooter. Many Folks did the bus trip to the top of Mt Dalsnibba and thought it was excellent. Great views etc. Many opted for Eagle Bend as well to cut across the waterfall that feeds the town. There is plenty to do for excursions.

 

After returning to the ship, we hunkered down at the sunset bar tables and had some cocktails enjoying the almost 75 degree (F) temps and sun. We could not have asked for better weather. We ended up eating at Tuscan at 6:00 Pm and had the great view of the town and waterfall while we enjoyed a great italian dinner with some great wine. We went up to the mast bar for sail away at 8:00 pm so we could get some shots of the seven Sisters waterfall and the many others in that exceptional Fjord.

 

Day 6 – Alesund – This was the day I was most looking forward to and my wife most dreading. With the help from Lars (Icruiser), we put together a self driving tour to the Troll Road. I wanted to do the full loop to get the best perspective on the land and beauty in these areas.

 

The ship docked at 0700, and we had our normal breakfast on the veranda. We left the ship at 0730 for the ½ mile walk to the Avis rent a car center. We had reserved an Audi A3 well ahead of time for the trip. The Main road is one block up from the docks and although not exactly accessible, I was able to walk to Avis. The car was ready, and in about 15 minutes we grabbed snacks at the 7-11 next store , loaded up the GPS & maps and headed on our way.

 

Lisa was the designated driver, and neither of us has driven a manual transmission car in about 8 years. But once she started out she was right back!! There was some traffic leaving downtown Alesund, but we were onto clear roads on our way shortly. Because we booked this on our own, we had to be cognizant of the time to be back by 4:30 for the ship.

 

We decided that we would travel from Alesund to Valldel which follows the StorFjorden or the Fjord that the ship took to travel up to Geiranger . The drive takes you through some great scenery, farms, etc..What was unexpected was the legnth of some of the tunnels that have been built through the mountains. Many were over 4 miles long, and you could see the cut stone on the walls of the tunnels. Very nicely Engineered and constructed. The ride to Valldel from Alesund was about 75 Miles, so we stopped in Valldel to use the facilities and to grab some waters.

 

From Valldel, you head on Route 63 that takes you into the mountains enroute to Trollstigen. This was a nice ride with water running in rivers and streams all around the area. One of the biggest crops we saw were fields of strawberries. They were being offered for sale at several road side stands.

 

After about 2.5 Hours, we arrived at Trollstigen. There is a restaurant, gift shop and bathroom facilities here as well as look out platforms that have been built to be able capture the great views of the troll ladder and of the magnificent waterfall that runs through it.

 

The first platform is surrounded by a water collection area with several small man made waterfalls that lead to the rock wall at the top of the troll ladder. The pictures from here are good, but nothing like from the other platform or from the actual drive down the hair pin curves.

 

There are many stairs to climb to get to the outer platform. I was unable to get there, but Lisa went out to the other to get some shots of the waterfall from that perspective

 

After enjoying the views for ½ hour or so, we hit the facilities and gift shop and prepared for the trip down the Troll ladder and the 11 hair Pin turns. As we started down, we noticed that there are no true guard rails, but small rocks to prevent you from going over the edge. (not sure how much they would help). The road is really designed for 1 car with several widened cutouts to let others get by in strategic places.

 

We really enjoyed this excursion, and the total time to do the “Loop” with about ½ hour at the Troll Ladder was 6.5 Hours. I highly recommend you venture out on your own to do this drive.

 

We dropped the car back at Avis and walked back to the ship. There was a lot to see in Alesund, but we were a bit tired after the full day of adventuring to one of the most beautiful places we have been.

 

We enjoyed several martinis and wines that night celebrating a successful excursion that Lisa had been worrying about. She was now very relaxed. We ate in the Ocean View café, and had steaks to order that were not too bad. This was our first time having any meal in the Ocean view on any of our 4 cruisers on the S class ships. We have always bought the Ultimate dining package and ate at all of the specialty restaurants for the week. Things worked out well without the package as times in port were different than we are used to.

 

I will upload the Geiranger and Alesund photos shortly... They are not to be missed

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LuvCruzn4Evr

LuvCruzn4Evr

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LOVE your pics! We are booked for next August and can't wait. Anxiously awaiting to see the rest of your trip report. Did you fly from London Heathrow on your trip home? If so, how did you get from Southampton to the airport and what time was your return flight? Any problems? Trying to get an idea on what time we should book our return home flight.

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Sonoma fans

Sonoma fans

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https://tomandlisanorwaycruise.shutterfly.com/pictures

 

I have uploaded the rest of the photos I chose o share for this review. The newest photos are of our excursion to the troll Ladder and of our last Port Stavenger.

 

This was a cruise we had wanted to do for some time, but we kept procrastinating. It was one of the best trips we have taken for the sheer beauty of Norway and the people that live there. The Eclipse and all of the great folks we met on this trip were also a big reason for the fantastic time we had.

 

If you are thinking about Norway, I recommend this cruise. If there are any questions or any info I can provide, please ask.

 

Tom & Lisa Trainor

Sonoma Fans

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LuvCruzn4Evr

LuvCruzn4Evr

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https://tomandlisanorwaycruise.shutterfly.com/pictures

 

I have uploaded the rest of the photos I chose o share for this review. The newest photos are of our excursion to the troll Ladder and of our last Port Stavenger.

 

This was a cruise we had wanted to do for some time, but we kept procrastinating. It was one of the best trips we have taken for the sheer beauty of Norway and the people that live there. The Eclipse and all of the great folks we met on this trip were also a big reason for the fantastic time we had.

 

If you are thinking about Norway, I recommend this cruise. If there are any questions or any info I can provide, please ask.

 

Tom & Lisa Trainor

Sonoma Fans

 

We're trying to get an idea on what time we should book our return flight. We're planning to take the cruise transfer back to London Heathrow. How was disembarkation? Did it take very long to go through immigration? Any suggestions? Thanks!

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Sonoma fans

Sonoma fans

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We booked a 4:00 pm flight from Hethrow to Boston. We ended up sitting at the airport for several hours. If we were to do it again, would book an earlier flight. Getting off in Southampton is easy, no customs. We had our driver there for 9:00 am, but we were off by 8:00 without rushing. With minimal traffic, the ride was 1.5 hours to Hethrow. It is a Hugh airport so allow some time for security and trains to your gate. I would be comfortable with a flight from 1230 on.

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