Celebrity Silhouette, Norwegian Fjords Sept. 1 2019

[Bimmer09]

 

We are at the funicular station and as Carol bought the tickets on line before we left home we were able to bypass the line snaking through the stanchions. Once inside though we had to wait 15 minutes or so while those who had entered previously waited for their train to arrive.

 

Then it was our turn to go on the boarding steps and wait for our ride. It's a bit of a scrum boarding as there is only one bench in each stepped section and the rest of us have to stand and hold onto a metal bar.  I needed both hands to take photos as I was by the last big window

but have good balance.

Up we went as it was our only option

 

a train going down

 

I had to be quick taking "between the trees" shots

 

 

 

steep!

 

A look back through the car

 

Carol rests on the bench . We want the crowd to get ahead of us

[Bimmer09]

A group of kids get on when we get off

 

Look Ma! I'm on top of the World!

 

 

I see the park with the lake and a fountain where the shuttle bus to the ship is rumored to be

 

The long and winding rail

 

Wide angle shots taken with my new lens-Zeiss Distagon 21mm

 

isn't she lovely?

(telephoto shots with Canon 70-200mm F4 L)

 

Bulk of the shots from Bergen including bus and funicular with Canon 24-70mm F4 L)

[Bimmer09]

Not the iconic harbor and mountain view but there's more to Bergen than that (dedicated to Jasperdo)

* 5 shots stitched together via Adobe Lightroom. 200mm Canon zoom

 

I brought my tripod on the cruise but didn't take it on the bus tour and am glad I didn't as the seating was cramped enough so these are handheld and that worked

This is 2 photos merged 

 

That black red and white ship is Hurtigruten's Nordkapp

 

The triangular building with the 4 red awnings is where the pay toilets were-next to the furthest awning

 

[Bimmer09]

I see that train a' comin', coming' down the line...

 

 

It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry

 

 

eye-candy city

 

 

Time to go back down. We are hungry!

[Bimmer09]

The line to go down

 

unfortunate mascot but like the Irish leprechaun they're stuck with it

 

a face not even a mother could love

 

the gift shop

 

and down we go...

coming soon-we get to eat in a Norwegian restaurant 

 

Norris

[silkismom]

Crown Princess 2011, wow, doesn't seem that long ago.

[JF - retired RRT]

isn't she lovely? Stevie Wonder?

I see that train a' comin', coming' down the line... Johnny Cash?

[Bimmer09]

17 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

isn't she lovely? Stevie Wonder?

I see that train a' comin', coming' down the line... Johnny Cash?

 Indeed!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

 

 

[Redrobo]

Look Ma! I'm on top of the World!

 

I remember as a child watching James Cagney utter the words, as he was led to the chair my sister went hysterical for reasons unknown, so engrossed in the film.

[pd7277]

 

Bob Dylan - It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a ... - YouTube

[MisterMet]

On 9/26/2019 at 2:06 PM, Bimmer09 said:

 

Trip, it's great to have you following along on this voyage!

Agreed on the coastline. Rocky and rugged is how I like them.

 Have you written a Navigator review?

Norris

Norris,

 

It was only a 4 nighter to Nassau and Coco Cay.  I really hadn't thought about writing one, but perhaps I should considering I was alone.  Maybe someone would like to read one from that perspective.

 

Trip

[Deck Chair Queen]

<<Long and winding ... rail>>

 

Best band ever. 

 

Also a shoutout to Harold Arlen for Somewhere Over The Rainbow earlier. 

 

As can be seen having booked the funicular tickets online saved time going up but for obvious reasons did not help going down. A bench or two would have been most welcome, adds Bench Girl. 

 

I’m seeing Norris’s photos for the first time and I am gobsmacked. It’s as if I were there! Oh yeah, I was. 

 

Deck Chair Queen aka Carol

Edited September 28, 2019 by Deck Chair Queen

[silkismom]

Carol, LOL

[Oceansaway17]

enjoying your photos of Norway.  I did this trip last year on another cruise line.  Loved Bergen and Geiranger.

 

So keep the Silhouette safe and clean.  I get on her on Oct 3rd taking her to Canaries.  I can't wait.  This will only be the 2nd cruise on Celebrity having done the Summit to Bermuda in 2016.  I am booked on Apex in 2021 out of Fla as well.

 

I agree Bergen is a great city to just walk around.

[Jasperdo]

11 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

Not the iconic harbor and mountain view but there's more to Bergen than that (dedicated to Jasperdo)

Thanks for the shout out. Those are terrific photos of the residential part of town from the top of the funicular. It looks like many of those homes would have a great view of the harbor. (I also like your strategy of letting the masses off first. That's what we always do as well. And I watch which way they're all headed and go the other way. That way, when we get to the classic viewpoint area, most everyone else has dispersed to other areas.)

[Bimmer09]

3 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

enjoying your photos of Norway.  I did this trip last year on another cruise line.  Loved Bergen and Geiranger.

 

So keep the Silhouette safe and clean.  I get on her on Oct 3rd taking her to Canaries.  I can't wait.  This will only be the 2nd cruise on Celebrity having done the Summit to Bermuda in 2016.  I am booked on Apex in 2021 out of Fla as well.

 

I agree Bergen is a great city to just walk around.

 

The Silhouette is my favorite ship to date, for mainly visual reasons as its like a floating art gallery moreso than any other ship I have sailed on and I love the grass and the Lawn Club Grill.

The buffet unbeatable so far. The Reflection only improved upon the Sunset bar and that's all-for me.

I'll show you a lot of her as this goes on. You'll love her I hope/imagine.

 

Yes, if I am in Bergen again I'll want to just walk around the harbor, pop down a few alleys and see what's there. I wouldn't take an excursion but rather just amble along going where my nose leads me-which usually means an outdoor restaurant, a coffee house or a bar. A park too.

It made a wonderful first introduction to Norway for us both.

Norris

[Redrobo]

7 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

enjoying your photos of Norway.  I did this trip last year on another cruise line.  Loved Bergen and Geiranger.

 

So keep the Silhouette safe and clean.  I get on her on Oct 3rd taking her to Canaries.  I can't wait.  This will only be the 2nd cruise on Celebrity having done the Summit to Bermuda in 2016.  I am booked on Apex in 2021 out of Fla as well.

 

I agree Bergen is a great city to just walk around.

 

 

See you onboard, hoping that Lorenzo will head further North as it is predicted to travel East.

[Bimmer09]

Back from the funicular we walked down to the Bryggen to the restaurant Carol had spotted.

On the way we stopped in a souvenir store looking for a fridge magnet of our liking. At the rear of the store we came upon a Troll room. 

 

The restaurant is the dark colored building to the left of the low green one

 

We decide not to eat outdoors at the few tables there as it's too cool. We enter and go upstairs

 

 

We asked for a table by a window and were told we'd have to be finished by 7p.m as it was reserved then. As it was just 5 p.m we had no problem with that. Menus came along with us and for drinks I ordered a beer. For madame a Ginger Beer. Listening, we were the only Americans.

this hit the spot (@ $9 -cheaper than the ship)

 

there were some lighter dishes, smaller plates including smoked whale from Lofoten

 

we opted for the bigger plate menu

 

I had to have Laks- steamed salmon and chose an order of fries which I was craving @$28.90. For Carol pan fried trout from Hardangerfjord with a summer salad @$32.50. Meanwhile we enjoyed some warm "home baked" bread and butter @ $3.50

 

A few words of Norwegian (basically please and thank you) brought smiles from our waitress and the food brought smiles to our stomachs

 

fantastic crispy chips/fries

 

Carol's trout dish

 

Best salmon I've ever eaten and Carol loved her dish too. The bill was 900 Krone ($90 including $18 VAT). We thanked our waitress for the meal in Norwegian. Big jolly smile. We were going to retrace our steps and take the stairs down

 

but the hostess offered to let us use the staff elevator which we gladly accepted.

Great meal!

[scubacruiserx2]

Riding the Floibanen in Bergen

 

 

 

[TenneSea]

What, no lutefisk ?

[TenneSea]

How was the internet/WiFi on the Silhouette?  We're doing the same trip in June 2020.

[Bimmer09]

2 hours ago, TenneSea said:

What, no lutefisk ?

 

Sorry, no. I don't even like music played on a lute.

Norris

Edited September 29, 2019 by Bimmer09
spelling

[Bimmer09]

2 hours ago, TenneSea said:

How was the internet/WiFi on the Silhouette?  We're doing the same trip in June 2020.

 

I just asked Carol and her answer was "it was fine" corresponds to mine although I seldom used it. She could download 3 newspapers to her iPad in 15 minutes which is twice as fast as on any other line we have sailed. Her Kindle was useless for downloading however. I used wi fi up by the satellite dishes while drinking a beer and checking Facebook. It worked well with no frustration.

In ports we used our phones on a Verizon plan for Europe.

Hope this helps.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

 

Them belly full, but we (not) hungry

 

Buon appetito!