Cruise musings SoA 7-14 May Norway

[Tothesunset]

It started long ago, of course, with the booking, getting the tickets and the rest of the foreplay but the real start is the moment the transport arrives. 

 

Last year we had a Caravelle to ourselves for the trip to the ship and an E class merc for the return. One of the very few benefits of Covid. This time a Vauxhall 8 seater arrived bang on time and off we went picking up another couple that added only a few minutes to the journey. Good vehicle, good driver. 

 

Check in at Dover was simple, Covid passes not requested and on to the SoA to be shown to our upgraded cabin seemingly only a blink of an eye since checking in. Lovely jubbly. 

 

Saga, clearly recognising the spirit of erudition and sophistication we bring with us, had upgraded us from a standard to a deluxe cabin. I've got to say that the deluxe cabin is larger, has a walk-in wardrobe and more space but is it worth the price difference? I don't know, only you can judge on the basis of your own needs. We think the standard cabins are very acceptable and would carefully consider a deluxe dependent on the price difference. 

 

Meeting our travelling companions who arrived about an hour after us took place in The Grill. Our one and only visit to that venue. Now, don't get cross but I just don't like the Grill. For a start, I want to be served rather than have it dished out by the dinner ladies. For another start I don't really go along with the upmarket Motorway Services vibe. But I'm a snob. However, under duress I would concede that the quality of the food is very high and the variety almost bewildering. 

 

The remainder of the day was spent gossiping and being bitchy about mutual friends and acquaintances - God knows what they say about us but, hey, we're going to Norway. On a Saga ship. In an upgraded cabin. Am I bovvered? 

 

Dinner taken in the Restaurant to recharge us for more gossiping before a relatively early night. In our upgraded cabin - did I mention that? 

 

More tomorrow. 

[lincslady]

So far so excellent, Tts.  Looking forward to reading about the alternative restaurants some time.

[Tothesunset]

On to the restaurants, then. Let's start at the top and work down. 

 

The Grill. I think I've covered this previously but I'll try and be impartial. It seems to be very popular for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I think that's great. Why? Because it keeps people away from all the other, nicer, destinations! Actually, that's unfair. It seems that the offerings are very good, there is waiter service for bread and drinks and you can dive in, get fed and be out again in minimum time if such is your need. 

 

Also on deck 12 is the verandah which is open for food at lunchtime and benefits from outdoor seating and splendid views. The food offerings are of the fish and chips, burger variety, but what they do they do very well. The gourmet burger is exceptional. Not fun when it's windy, though. 

 

I shall ignore the Living Room. We didn't eat there and the one time I repaired there for a cappuccino it was quite busy which accounts for the 30 minute wait for service. What the snacks are like I couldn't say. (Service in Britannia was similarly glacial.) 

 

Amalfi. Nope, no idea. On boarding I rang the spec restos reservation number but could only book one speciality because apparently: a.  The ship was full and b. That meant only one booking per cabin on this 7 day cruise. Disappointing but understandable. 

 

Khukuri. Loved it. Great food and very slick and personal service. Gold star. 

 

Supper Club. Was called from the wait list to say we could have a table of 4. Yes please. The food was so memorable that I can't remember what we had - must have been good; I'd have remembered otherwise. Very disappointed they don't have any live music other than some muted piano-playing. It's a supper club, for goodness sake, not a crematorium. There's plenty of choice elsewhere for noisophobes so I don't get the "live music would spoil it for many guests" nonsense. 

 

We ate in the main restaurant for all breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners (oh, and one afternoon tea). Look, I've paid good money for the cruise so I want the full shebang. We find the restaurant a very pleasant space. The service was generally good even though one or two waiters could have tried smiling and they could write down my cheese selection rather than try to remember it. Incidentally, the cheese selection is impressive and the cheeses themselves very good. 

 

Unquestionably, the standard of food prep and presentation is very high. The Exec Chef deserves top marks. The free-pour wine selection suited the 4 of us although I, in particular, have no idea about wine. 

 

Their Irish coffee is a joke, mind. Decent enough coffee but with Scotch and squirty cream! Awful. Talking of booze, we tried the Britannia lounge for cocktails but the Margaritas were weak and OH's mojito had sugar granules in the bottom of the glass. So tried same in the North Cape bar. Ditto. Then tried the Supper Club bar and bingo! Good cocktails, great service and the best waiter on the ship. Thanks, Walter. 

 

I'm as bored as you are now. 

 

Any questions at the back? 

[lincslady]

No questions, thanks for that.

[twotravellersLondon]

37 minutes ago, Tothesunset said:

Supper Club. Was called from the wait list to say we could have a table of 4. Yes please. The food was so memorable that I can't remember what we had - must have been good; I'd have remembered otherwise. Very disappointed they don't have any live music other than some muted piano-playing. It's a supper club, for goodness sake, not a crematorium. There's plenty of choice elsewhere for noisophobes so I don't get the "live music would spoil it for many guests" nonsense. 

 

Been a couple of months or so since we were on the Adventure.

 

We can't forget the retro prawn cocktails and knickerbocker glories... not to mention the wonderful steaks.

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed late and the music became more cabaret.

 

[david05]

1 hour ago, Tothesunset said:

The Grill. I think I've covered this previously but I'll try and be impartial. It seems to be very popular for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I think that's great. Why? Because it keeps people away from all the other, nicer, destinations! Actually, that's unfair. It seems that the offerings are very good, there is waiter service for bread and drinks and you can dive in, get fed and be out again in minimum time if such is your need. 

I know you didn't eat in the Grill but do you know if they were running it as a buffet every evening. I know they did this at one time but the most recent cruises we have been on it was waiter service, except for the occasional themed buffet evenings. We are amongst those who prefer the Grill over the MDR but we do want waiter service in the evening.

Khukuri is the probably best speciality restaurant we have ever tried on board a cruise ship.

[Tothesunset]

4 minutes ago, david05 said:

I know you didn't eat in the Grill but do you know if they were running it as a buffet every evening. I know they did this at one time but the most recent cruises we have been on it was waiter service, except for the occasional themed buffet evenings. We are amongst those who prefer the Grill over the MDR but we do want waiter service in the evening.

Khukuri is the probably best speciality restaurant we have ever tried on board a cruise ship.

I can't answer your question. I don't know what was happening in the Grill of an evening. 

 

Agree about Khukuri. 

[david05]

6 minutes ago, Tothesunset said:

I can't answer your question. I don't know what was happening in the Grill of an evening. 

OK Thanks

[LandC]

We were on board SoA earlier this month, and I can confirm waiter service was offered in the Grill in the evenings, except for one night when there was a special buffet.

[Tothesunset]

Let's talk entertainment. But first please appreciate that we never go to the show unless there is a compelling reason. 

 

Bearing the above in mind I have only 3 experiences to relate: 

 

1.  A recital in Britannia by a Ukrainian ensemble comprising violin, viola, cello and piano. They played a couple of pieces by Sibelius and some movements from Peer Gynt in honour of Greig whose hometown of Bergen we had just visited. Well, they were superb, especially their interpretation of Hall of the Mountain King. 

 

2. Pianist in the Supper Club. My sister-in-law was with us and since she is a professional pianist her opinion was that he was accomplished if somewhat muted. 

 

3. And now the biggie - Ray Lewis, lead singer of The Drifters, did a show in the show lounge which had the packed venue jumping like a 70s disco. Not strictly my type of music (give me Clapton, The Who etc) yet his vocals were outstanding. This was probably the highlight of the shipborne element of the cruise. 

 

So there you go. Not much help, I suppose. We prefer to take our entertainment over a Margarita with friends in the bar. 

 

Be good, my children. More tomorrow. 

[lincslady]

I have found the entertainment on Saga generally to be of a good quality, in particular the  East European string quartets, who are invariably very talented and also charming.  It is sad that they cannot get enough work ashore, but there are so many excellent players the market is a bit overprovided.  My grandson is a very talented guitar player, and had the sense some years ago to concentrate on being a bass player - his theory being too many lead guitarists - and it is paying  off in that he has been working with well known singers and groups, in the USA.

[BestGuessed]

Thank you Tothesunset, I am loving following your thread and really enjoying your humour !!  
We were onboard SoD last summer, it was our first Saga cruise and we were very impressed. 
Thank you for refreshing our memories, have a lovely holiday. 

[BestGuessed]

Correction … we were onboard SoA the same as you 🤦‍♀️!! 

[Tothesunset]

Fellow guests. Well, where to start? As a foursome aged 65,66,69 and 84 we probably brought the average age down about 5 years. I'm constantly surprised and also somewhat impressed by the sprightliness of nonagenarians many of whom I've got 30 years start on but couldn't hope to keep up with. Clearly, there are many guests with mobility issues and it's comforting to see how well the crew manage and how much enjoyment the less mobile get from the experience. 

 

In total there were 4 medical emergencies, one of which necessitated medevac by helicopter during the final night. Exciting stuff, unless you're one of the 4, of course. Bet the included Saga insurance came in handy. 

 

Tea. What is it about you Brits and your tea? I'm guessing the total weight of provisions in the food and beverage orders must comprise at least 50% tea bags. I think we can assume that Saga do a decent cuppa. But, and there's always a but, their coffee was, to be generous, of variable quality. I had a few very good cappuccinos; sadly, though, I also had a few cups of brown water with foam on top. Still, the other 3 in our party did their best to drink Saga out of tea and were happy with the offerings. 

 

Anyone want to hear about the ports and excursions? OK then. I'll even try to append some photos. 

 

More later. 

Edited May 19, 2023 by Tothesunset

[lincslady]

The 'old' ships had coffee making machines in their casual restaurants, which made what I thought was fairly good coffee.  Also in one of the lounges.  Do they have them on the Spirits?

[Tothesunset]

18 minutes ago, lincslady said:

The 'old' ships had coffee making machines in their casual restaurants, which made what I thought was fairly good coffee.  Also in one of the lounges.  Do they have them on the Spirits?

Eeek. They might have. I don't know. 

 

I'm useless. 

[david05]

1 hour ago, lincslady said:

The 'old' ships had coffee making machines in their casual restaurants, which made what I thought was fairly good coffee.  Also in one of the lounges.  Do they have them on the Spirits?

If you are referring to the self-service coffee machines they are in the Grill, the Library and the Secret Garden. Although they presumably have the same coffee they don't always taste the same!

[JoJo1947]

4 hours ago, lincslady said:

The 'old' ships had coffee making machines in their casual restaurants, which made what I thought was fairly good coffee.  Also in one of the lounges.  Do they have them on the Spirits?

Library,grill. Living room and Britannia Lounge yes. We find the coffee awful.

[Tothesunset]

Bergen. 

 

After the 1st sea day we happened upon Bergen. That's the place you see on all the Norwegian tourist literature with those multi-colour wooden buildings on the dockside (bit like Copenhagen on a budget). Norway's second largest city with a population size similar to that of Leicester. That's where the comparison ends because Bergen is a clean, attractive, friendly and cosy place. 

 

The harbour is, of course, the hub of the town and has been since it's founding by German traders of the Hanseatic league. 

 

 

The included tour was a couple of hours on a coach with 2 or 3 stops for photos. Bergen's most illustrious son is the composer Edvard Greig, brother of cricketer Tony (I made that last bit up). He doesn't only get a statue but a whole concert hall shaped as a grand piano. The local guide was very proud of the concert hall but I have to say it's external skeleton resembles rusty  girders and it's underwhelming. Doesn't lessen the master's genius, though, even if he did have an uncomfortably close affinity for composing in a minor key. 

 

Mr Greig's life-size statue (he was all of 5 feet tall in stocking feet and nightie):

 

 

And the concert hall built in his honour:

 

 

I'd not rush back to Bergen. It's fine. It's alright. It's OK. And it isn't Leicester. 

 

However, who goes to Norway for the cities? Lots of people, probably, but we wanted the Fjords so we shall move on. 

[twotravellersLondon]

1 hour ago, Tothesunset said:

Bergen. 

 

After the 1st sea day we happened upon Bergen. That's the place you see on all the Norwegian tourist literature with those multi-colour wooden buildings on the dockside (bit like Copenhagen on a budget). Norway's second largest city with a population size similar to that of Leicester. That's where the comparison ends because Bergen is a clean, attractive, friendly and cosy place. 

 

The harbour is, of course, the hub of the town and has been since it's founding by German traders of the Hanseatic league. 

 

 

The included tour was a couple of hours on a coach with 2 or 3 stops for photos. Bergen's most illustrious son is the composer Edvard Greig, brother of cricketer Tony (I made that last bit up). He doesn't only get a statue but a whole concert hall shaped as a grand piano. The local guide was very proud of the concert hall but I have to say it's external skeleton resembles rusty  girders and it's underwhelming. Doesn't lessen the master's genius, though, even if he did have an uncomfortably close affinity for composing in a minor key. 

 

Mr Greig's life-size statue (he was all of 5 feet tall in stocking feet and nightie):

 

 

And the concert hall built in his honour:

 

 

I'd not rush back to Bergen. It's fine. It's alright. It's OK. And it isn't Leicester. 

 

However, who goes to Norway for the cities? Lots of people, probably, but we wanted the Fjords so we shall move on. 

 

And did you find the Heavy Metal studio in the basement of the Grieghallen? Bergen hosts on to the largest Heavy Metal/Gothic Rock festivals on earth every summer. 

 

And the very elaborate graffiti down by the harbour... must be seen to be believed... don't have stuff like this in Leicester.

 

 

 

Bergen hosts on to the largest Have Metal/Gothic Rock festivals on earth every summer. 

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by twotravellersLondon

[Tothesunset]

1 minute ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

And did you find the Heavy Metal studio in the basement of the Grieghallen? Bergen hosts on to the largest Have Metal/Gothic Rock festivals on earth every summer. 

 

And the very elaborate graffiti down by the harbour... must be seen to be believed... don't have stuff like this in Leicester.

 

 

 

Bergen hosts on to the largest Have Metal/Gothic Rock festivals on earth every summer. 

 

No we didn't. And that's a shame. Somehow the gentle city of Bergen seems an atypical venue for heavy metal. 

 

Spent quite a bit of time searching for a Norwegian pullover that we could afford without a mortgage, though. Failed. 

[Medeba]

@TothesunsetI'm having such a laugh reading your posts.  Keep it up!  BTW I too love margaritas and probably had one too many one night on our recent cruise on SofD🤣.  

[Tothesunset]

13 minutes ago, Medeba said:

@TothesunsetI'm having such a laugh reading your posts.  Keep it up!  BTW I too love margaritas and probably had one too many one night on our recent cruise on SofD🤣.  

Too many Margaritas? That's like being too rich, too handsome or too kind. 

 

Reminds me of telling my sister-in-law that we always had a Margarita before dinner. Her response? "Why would you have a pizza before dinner?" 

 

I know! 

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, Tothesunset said:

Too many Margaritas? That's like being too rich, too handsome or too kind. 

 

Reminds me of telling my sister-in-law that we always had a Margarita before dinner. Her response? "Why would you have a pizza before dinner?" 

 

I know! 

 

Too many Margaritas , leads to to many Wives. My wife asked me why I  had one eye closed all the time. I said if I open both there was two of her. She rationed my intake after then

[Tothesunset]

SoA sailed from Bergen to Geiranger at the head of the Geiranger Fjord where we would stay overnight. I missed the sail in which was nothing at all to do with being too lazy to get up early. Well, maybe a little bit to do with that. 

 

This was a very painful day. To understand why you must know that I spent my teenage years in West Yorkshire where they cleave to thrift like a barnacle to a tea clipper. (Tea. Again!) You might well imagine, therefore, the angst caused by actually paying for a tour. No, really. 

 

We'll come on to the Fjord itself later. Geiranger town, if such it is, has a population of around 250 so our arrival quadruplified it. (That is a real word. I should know cos I just made it up. If you think about it, all words are made up. I rest my case.) Of course the fruitless Norwegian jumper hunt kept Mrs TTS quiet for a while. To be honest that's about all there is to do in this beautifully situated but otherwise unremarkable settlement. 

 

The tour, however, was rather splendid as well it might be for £69. That's my clothing budget for a decade. 3 hrs on a coach with frequent stops in geography of biblical intensity and beauty. Some snaps:

 

SoA looking tiny:

 

About half way through we stopped for a toilet stop. For a coachload of prostatically challenged geriatrics this could have been the highlight, if only there had been more than one toilet. However, in this age of chivalry and self-sacrifice the approach was littered with the broken bodies of grey-haired women who'd been foolish enough to get in the way of the male stampede. And then, just as the queue started to organise itself another coachload turned up. My brother-in-law endeared himself to the leg-crossers by getting himself locked in. I now understand how wars start. 

 

Clearly, such excitement whets one's appetite to be satisfied by the verandah grill's monstrously large hamburger. Not a bad setting for lunch:

 

Tomorrow was the sail out from Geiranger, along the Fjord and back to the open sea but we shall leave you now as we spend the remainder of the day chatting, drinking and eating.