Celebrity Silhouette, Norwegian Fjords Sept. 1 2019

[Walt fan]

All caught up again and enjoying every minute.  Norway, there aren't enough words to describe the beauty.  And you always have me at waterfalls.  

[bunnyette]

Another fabulous review Norris!

[Bimmer09]

11 hours ago, Marvy Mare said:

Norris. Great commentary & photos as always. I’m finally all caught up. A semi-technical question . You mentioned that you took your tripod. I did purchase a travel tripod and considering taking it on our next cruise. Just wondering about where to pack it. If it’s in a suitcase will it looked like I’m ‘armed’ if the suitcase is scanned? And did you use your tripod much? Is it even worth taking. I’m thinking on board photos? Did you use your tripod for the beautiful interior photos that you took?

 

Maris

 

 

Maris, my tripod exactly fits my carry-on bag so I take it with me with the intention of using it .

On this trip I didn't actually use it but I had intended to do some wi-fi selfie shots with a fjord as a background. I also intended to take some night shots on the ship on a long exposure but ended up just snapping handheld. The decks were often very windy and cold at night so time was of the essence-in the Caribbean things will be better for low ISO high detail shots. We'll see.

 

I have used the tripod on a few cruises but that was because I was running two cameras with 2 different lenses and could switch from wide angle to zoom in seconds. So I will continue to take the tripod-just incase I can benefit from it. Essential? No.

 

It has caused no problems on x ray scanners. Nor have the cameras.

 

All the shots in this review were handheld and many through a moving bus or train window, where I have no choice. You'll see some small boat pics where we were bobbing up and down with a waterfall and rain soaking me and the camera.

 

Thanks for the compliments, Maris!

 

I'm glad you have found the review and stopped by. Where and when is your next cruise?

 

Hope this helps!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Flamsbana

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flåm_Line

 

On the platform looking at the mountain we just tunneled our way through 

 

We are on a railway platform in Myrdal (one L not the two I have sometimes bestowed)

and we've been told 2 things. (1) Stand by number 13 and get in the car stopping there which is reserved for us and (2) no assigned seating.

 

a few minutes later

 

 

 

 

all these people will be going through one narrow door

 

We are dignified people who are not pushy so we give way to those who are more elderly than us which is a diminishing number as the years fly by.  I see a seating arrangement (2 facing the direction of travel and 2 going backwards down a mountain) with only one man seated and proceed to join him only to be told "these (empty) seats are taken". He was an alpha male who was sent forth to push his way through apparently. I moved on, and on. Carol was somewhere in the scrum behind me. I ended up in another carriage for the journey while she found one seat in 13. I did get a window seat but I was going backwards. This is the way the cookie crumbled but no matter.

I would take pictures regardless.

[phabric]

We plan on an oceanview cabin doing Norwegian Fjords.
 

Should we pick a cabin port side or starboard side?

[Bimmer09]

Pictures from the  train

 

 

 

early in the ride the train stops for a brief (5 minutes of so) look at the Kjosfossen waterfall

where there's music playing and a woman in red with blonde hair is dancing around in the distance  by an old house ruin. As we are in the last car by the time we get off there is already a crowd there and I see very little of the kitschy woman (there's actually two so when one disappears the other appears in a different place as if by magic).

 

ruin on the right halfway into the shot

 

I think I took some video at this brief stop. That will come later if I did...

 

neat bags of gravel for between the railroad sleepers imagine 

 

further along

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

8 hours ago, phabric said:

We plan on an oceanview cabin doing Norwegian Fjords.
 

Should we pick a cabin port side or starboard side?

 

Hi, I think you won't be in your cabin much.

In Bergen the port side faces the town 

In Alesund it's starboard

In Flam it's port

In Stavanger the town was to starboard and the port and open water  was port

There's scenery on both sides sailing in and out of each

We were on the starboard side

 

Hope this helps,

Norris

[lydnsyd]

Hi Norris, Loving your review and eagerly awaiting the next installment.

 we are going on the Norwegian Fjord cruise next June - I was wondering do most places accept credit cards or is it best to take an adequate amount of cash (NOK)

Just another question which I am sure you will cover as your review goes on - How many Chic nights are there on your 7 day cruise?

Thanks

[jlf1]

Norris,

 

You may have had a back facing seat but the pictures are stunning as usual.

 

Judy

[tcmagnum]

On ‎10‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 10:49 PM, Bimmer09 said:

 

 

 

Just wow!!!

[Marvy Mare]

On 8/25/2019 at 9:34 AM, awhfy said:

Lovely (very small) island. We felt perfectly safe there last year walking around. We did the Woodwind Snorkel in the afternoon & wandered the port in the morning.  This time we’re doing the golf carts. Melody & Les

 

14 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

 

Maris, my tripod exactly fits my carry-on bag so I take it with me with the intention of using it .

On this trip I didn't actually use it but I had intended to do some wi-fi selfie shots with a fjord as a background. I also intended to take some night shots on the ship on a long exposure but ended up just snapping handheld. The decks were often very windy and cold at night so time was of the essence-in the Caribbean things will be better for low ISO high detail shots. We'll see.

 

I have used the tripod on a few cruises but that was because I was running two cameras with 2 different lenses and could switch from wide angle to zoom in seconds. So I will continue to take the tripod-just incase I can benefit from it. Essential? No.

 

It has caused no problems on x ray scanners. Nor have the cameras.

 

All the shots in this review were handheld and many through a moving bus or train window, where I have no choice. You'll see some small boat pics where we were bobbing up and down with a waterfall and rain soaking me and the camera.

 

Thanks for the compliments, Maris!

 

I'm glad you have found the review and stopped by. Where and when is your next cruise?

 

Hope this helps!

Norris

 

[Marvy Mare]

Thanks Norris

 

So I may bring it. I'll see how much room I have.

 

Our next cruise is on the Reflection to the ABC Islands, Cartegena, & Grand Cayman. We will be sailing on March 2, which also happens to be my birthday. I can't think of a better way to spend my special day. There are people on our cruise who were booked on the Silhouette in January but the cruise was canceled because the Silhouette is being refurbished. I guess that will happen when it returns from Europe. 

 

Maris

[Bimmer09]

9 hours ago, Marvy Mare said:

Thanks Norris

 

So I may bring it. I'll see how much room I have.

 

Our next cruise is on the Reflection to the ABC Islands, Cartegena, & Grand Cayman. We will be sailing on March 2, which also happens to be my birthday. I can't think of a better way to spend my special day. There are people on our cruise who were booked on the Silhouette in January but the cruise was canceled because the Silhouette is being refurbished. I guess that will happen when it returns from Europe. 

 

Maris

 

Reflection, like the Silhouette, has the lawn club grill and the alcoves. It also has an improved Sunset Bar.

I will have to wait and see what happens to the Silhouette following her Edge-ification. If the grass and the LCG goes then I follow them. They are beautiful stunning ships but those features to me are what interests me most.

Time will tell

 

Re tripods I use mine a lot in Chicago, but only in the Botanic Gardens for close-up shots of delicate flowers. I will definitely have one with me in the Western Caribbean in January but mainly for night shots.

 

Too early to wish you a Happy Birthday but I'll be thinking about you March 2!

 

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

Before I continue with the train window photos here is the brief video I shot at the Kjosfossen Falls after leaving Myrdal

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

The train chugs along its 5 and a half degree gradient down towards fjord level and Flam (pronounced Flom)

 

 

 

 

 

another train passes

 

 

 

 

 

yet another waterfall? yup!

 

 

more...

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

 

I see 2 people walking up the road in this one

 

so much water that fell from the sky

 

 

beautiful train

 

last picture before Flam

[Joy_K]

Beautiful train ride!  Loving your review.  We are leaving Tuesday, headed to London for a Norway northern lights cruise with Princess.  This ports isn't on our itinerary but hope to do Norway in a Nutshell one day.  We will be visiting Alesund, Tromso, overnighting in Alta and lastly Stavanger.

[Bimmer09]

On the Waterfront

Back in Fram on terra firma

 

Carol is somewhere among the people still coming from the train 

 

I take a photo of where I am standing and text it to her. We meet on the harbor where there are benches, as seen in the first photo. While she enjoys a bench I mosey around taking photos in this very pleasant place

 

a tender from Pacific Princess

 

cute tourist train

 

cute tourist ship

 

The blue area is Tuscan Grille and above it deck 6 and above that deck 7 (logically)

and the cabin at extreme right before the corner is ours- until Sunday morning.

Today is Thursday, September 5

 

a Sognefjord cruise boat

 

by the Princess tender dock

 

 

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

we are returning to the ship as it will leave soon

 

Next time in Flam we agreed that we would just buy Flamsbana tickets at home and take the train out to Myrdal and see what we missed this time-that's 2.5 hours there and back. Then we could explore the lovely dock area and enjoy an outdoor lunch, weather permitting which it certainly was on this nice day. The wet forecast that gave us frowny faces back in Chicago has so far been kind during our port stops and Norway was looking her best and her best is gorgeous.

[Bimmer09]

3 hours ago, Joy_K said:

Beautiful train ride!  Loving your review.  We are leaving Tuesday, headed to London for a Norway northern lights cruise with Princess.  This ports isn't on our itinerary but hope to do Norway in a Nutshell one day.  We will be visiting Alesund, Tromso, overnighting in Alta and lastly Stavanger.

 

Thank you Joy!

Bon voyage!

 

How much time will you have to savor London before you sail? 

Norris

[Joy_K]

Thank you.  We will have 2 nights in London and 1 in Southampton.  Visiting the War Rooms, already planned but more excited now after your review, and going to the newly opened Mamma Mia The Party at the O2 -dinner show.

 

Would also like to thank you for always including the smoking areas in your reviews too!

Edited October 12, 2019 by Joy_K

[CruiserRob]

Norris, gorgeous pictures from the Flamsbana.  Our cruise didn't go to Flam last year and that is one spot that was on my Norwegian bucket list.  It was a cruise that I didn't intend to take at that time, but the offer was just to good to refuse.  We had an inside cabin which I never do, but we went to North Cape and the sun didn't set for about 5 days in the middle of the cruise so I went for the inside to have a dark cabin.

 

Robert

[Bimmer09]

On 10/11/2019 at 7:33 AM, lydnsyd said:

Hi Norris, Loving your review and eagerly awaiting the next installment.

 we are going on the Norwegian Fjord cruise next June - I was wondering do most places accept credit cards or is it best to take an adequate amount of cash (NOK)

Just another question which I am sure you will cover as your review goes on - How many Chic nights are there on your 7 day cruise?

Thanks

 

Yes, most places accept credit cards. We took Norwegian cash as we like foreign currency and when buying fridge magnets we pay in cash. We paid the taxi in Bergen in cash. We paid for a meal in Stavanger and tipped a guide there. Having foreign currency with its different colors and designs in Chicago just adds to our anticipation that we are soon going to somewhere beyond the dollar norm. I hope I put up a photo early in the review? We also liked having Pounds Sterling again.

 

Elegant Chic nights were the sea day after leaving Southampton (Monday) and after leaving Stavanger (Friday)

 

Thanks for following along!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

On 10/7/2019 at 3:29 PM, twincheryl said:

Norris... loving your review... We are going on the same cruise next August and I'm making notes as I follow along.

 

We're not fans of ship excursions and always either get a private guide or make it a DIY day.  Since it appears quite easy to purchase train tickets online, do you think the Flamsbana train to Myrdall both directions would give us a good idea of the scenery in the area?

 

I assume we would need to find transportation to/from the train station, unless it's within walking distance of the port (which I haven't researched yet).

 

Anxious to read the rest of your trip notes.  Thanks for taking the time!

 

Hi, sorry it has taken so long  to answer your question.

Yes the trip out to Myrdal and back would indeed give you the flavor of the area and would have you back in Flam for lunch in 2.5 hours.

I'm happy to have you along for the ride!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

We are back onboard the Silhouette and enjoying Afternoon Tea on the poop deck which has nothing to do with the seagulls overhead.

I had made a mental note in the morning to take a shot of these little houses with their indoor boat shelters. They say "Norway" to me

 

We have pushed away from the dock

 

we leave nothing behind except a cloud of funnel smoke

 

A long day ashore but a very memorable one!