Baltic , Norway , Iceland and the U.K. on the Zuiderdam 2019 with photos

scubacruiserx2 · June 26, 2019

We left MIA on Monday , May, 27th flying on a British Air 747-400 for our first transatlantic flight on BA . A train runs out from beneath the lounge to the gate .

We were flying Business Class on the upper deck which seats only 20 passengers

It has an unusual seating arrangement where one rides forward and the next seat backward facing each other .

My seat facing my wife's seat and my foot rest

Seat instructions

Edited June 26, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

scubacruiserx2 · June 26, 2019

The aft facing seats have 4 windows and 3 storage bins .

If you need to walk or go to the bathroom and the other person is sleeping or has their legs on the foot rest you may have to step over their outstretched legs ( not my wife's legs but another passenger's legs ). They did take our dinner order before leaving the ground but they said that they were out of beef already .

But they did have wine .

The Rolls Royce engines make a very distinct sound

We could see the Port of Miami with a cruise ship leaving the port .

scubacruiserx2 · June 26, 2019

A snack

Leek and Potato soup

The Salmon was OK

As a Florida native I've had a lot of Key Lime pies before but never one like this

The fold flat bed was nice but a bit narrow and if you're over 6 ' tall as I am it is a bit short .

erewhon · June 27, 2019

Looking orward to the remaindeer of your review

Super photos, thank you.

Surprised that they had run out of beef on the menu.

smurfgirl06 · June 27, 2019

I've never been a fan of British Airline's business class for the reason that you have to step over someone else. American and Delta's are fantastic.

Sue from Canada · June 27, 2019

37 minutes ago, smurfgirl06 said:

I've never been a fan of British Airline's business class for the reason that you have to step over someone else. American and Delta's are fantastic.

Air Canada's business class is wonderful

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

8 hours ago, erewhon said:

Looking orward to the remaindeer of your review

Super photos, thank you.

Surprised that they had run out of beef on the menu.

Us too and the photos get better . We were also surprised .

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

6 hours ago, smurfgirl06 said:

I've never been a fan of British Airline's business class for the reason that you have to step over someone else. American and Delta's are fantastic.

Air Canada's business class is wonderful

Thanks for the recommendations . We also really like Virgin Atlantic .

Krazy Kruizers · June 27, 2019

Great pictures so far.

I would be am unhappy camper with no beef.

We have only flown First Class on British Airways.

Looking forward to more.

puppycanducruise · June 27, 2019

You're off to a great start.

Looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks.

ski ww · June 27, 2019

Looks like a great itinerary. Great photos. Looking forward to reading about your cruise.

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

When entering London they didn't stamp our passport . Our driver was waiting for us and took us to the Double Tree by Hilton . We arrived at 8:30 in the morning and our room wasn't ready so we had something to eat in the bar . I saw this car across the street and could't resist taking a photo for the grandsons .

Our assigned room had a view of the river .

We wanted fish and chips and stopped by this garden for a break .It has a creepy past .

Site: St John the Evangelist burial ground (2 memorials)

SW1, Horseferry Road, St John the Evangelist garden

The garden's modern information board reads: This garden was acquired by the church of St John the Evangelist, Smith Square, for the use as a cemetery and was consecrated by Dr Wilcocks, Dean of Westminster, on 29 July 1731. the burial ground was overcrowded within 20 years and three feet of earth was deposited over the whole area as a solution to problem {sic}. Overcrowding continued to cause difficulties, and fees were raised several times in attempts to prevent "low fees attracting interments from other parishes". One report said that 5,126 graves had been dug in ten years. The burial ground was not protected by a wall until 1784, but two watchmen were appointed for night duty in 1781, when the stealing of bodies for dissection was common. In 1814, after a time without watchmen, they again were needed, and were armed with pistols.

In 1823 Lord Grosvenor sold adjoining land to the parish, and this was consecrated as a burial ground on 23 June that year. Lord Palmerston closed the burial ground in October 1853, claiming it had become a great public nuisance. After closure it was neglected until 1880 when a committee of inhabitants was appointed to convert it into a public garden. A strip of the ground was given for the widening of Horseferry Road. The garden was opened on 23 May 1885 by the Duke of Westminster, and in 1887 the MP for Marylebone, Sir Frederick Seager Hunt, paid for a shelter to be built in the centre. The layout of the garden remains the same today.

Except, clearly, the shelter has now been replaced with a fountain, and this plaque, recovered from the shelter or elsewhere, has been reclaimed and laid into the slabs around the fountain.

Both plaques are laid into the paving around the fountain.

Our favorite fish and chips shop

A number of temporary shops have obscured the entrance to the shop

The old fire station

Gotta go ?

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

25 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Great pictures so far.

I would be am unhappy camper with no beef.

We have only flown First Class on British Airways.

Looking forward to more.

First class was already taken - like the beef .

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

21 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

You're off to a great start.

Looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks.

You're welcome , so are we as we really haven't had time to look at the photos .

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

6 minutes ago, ski ww said:

Looks like a great itinerary. Great photos. Looking forward to reading about your cruise.

Thanks , a lot of photos to sort through and we did like the itinerary . We first booked Iceland in 2015 but my DW broke her knee cap 2 weeks before the cruise and we had to cancel that one on Princess .

yerdua · June 27, 2019

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise. DH and I are booked on the Baltic segment (also on zuiderdam) next summer so I'm especially interested in following you on your trip.

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

We didn't sleep well on the plane so we tried to take a nap but it was noisy in the hotel . We walked down to the Lambeth Bridge and along the river .

We did notice somebody napping on the bench who was more successful then we were

The Tate Britain is where we had a nice visit on our last Baltic cruise 3 years ago

We had a nice dinner at the White Swan on Vauxhall

After dinner this group serenaded us on the Vauxhall Bridge

The rock that doesn't roll

The view from the elevator landing

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

1 hour ago, yerdua said:

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise. DH and I are booked on the Baltic segment (also on zuiderdam) next summer so I'm especially interested in following you on your trip.

You're welcome , we hope that you have a great trip .

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

There was a lot of sirens and door slamming that night and we tried to upgrade or change rooms but they were filled . The next morning after breakfast we walked down to the London Eye where we had a morning reservation . We were surprised to see that part of Parliament building and Big Ben were encased .

From the bridge we got a good view of the Eye .

The Eye wasn't operating when we got there so we hung out for a bit .

When it began running we got in line and noticed that they were stopping the wheel to make some repairs every few minutes .

It usually runs non stop and you have to jump on or off as it is moving . It take about an hour per cycle . At last we were on .

Saint Paul's Cathedral sits at the highest point in the city

A shot of the clock tower from a previous visit

Exiting the Eye

Sir PMP · June 27, 2019

great job..

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

1 hour ago, Sir PMP said:

great job..

Thanks

AncientWanderer · June 27, 2019

Oh man...you're making me crazy to get back to London -- my favorite city!

Will be following along here on your wonderful trip!

scubacruiserx2 · June 27, 2019

2 hours ago, AncientWanderer said:

Oh man...you're making me crazy to get back to London -- my favorite city!

Will be following along here on your wonderful trip!

It's one of our favorite cities also and thanks for joining along on this trip .