Trip report: just off Celebrity Apex - Norwegian Fjords Cruise - May 15-23, 2024

[Jim_Iain]

9 hours ago, hcat said:

i learned this from you awhile ago

. much better presentation.  forever grateful!

 

It really does make the pictures stand out as separate pictures.

[BuckeyeMark]

DAY 6: ALESUND - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
 

Alesund greeted us at 8 AM this morning, and it was kinda nice that it is on the coast and we didn’t have to get up early for a fjord sail-in. We didn’t see much of this town or the port because as soon as we arrived we were walked off the ship to a beautiful, large cabin-cruiser for a sail up Hjørundfjord. One again the weather was beyond perfect. Blue skies, bright sunshine, no clouds and about 60 degrees. Just lovely. And the water was flat as glass, which made reflection pictures something almost unbelievable. If the postcard people and jigsaw folks had been out with us today with us they’d be set for a long, long time!
 

Hjørundfjord is amazing and incredible. I feel like I’m repeating myself here but Norway is very special. This fjord was a little different than Flam and Geiranger. It is not as steep on the cliffs, and there are not as many waterfalls, but there are more snow-capped peaks in the background. Really felt a little like we were in the Rockies. The boat was very nice. A fully enclosed cabin kept us snug, with a concession stand offering coffee and tea and more. Bathrooms too. If you wanted you go up front out over the bow and enjoy the view without looking through a window. Truthfully, when the boat was moving it was very cold out there and you couldn’t stay out long. However, when we got to the top of the fjord, which was breathtaking and so picturesque, the captain slowed it to a crawl, and we all clambered out forward for pictures. Stunning doesn’t begin to cover it. If you think the pics are amazing you ought to go see it for yourself!

 

As soon as we got back, we hot-footed it back to the ship to meet up our Alnes lighthouse excursion. Our guide for Hjørundfjord came with us and was our guide for that tour too, which was good because he was very good. He made some practical notes about Norway’s high taxes and that their social services perhaps aren’t as good as they are cracked up to be. I love Norway but don’t think I’d like donating 35%-40% of my income to the government every year!

 

The Alnes tour was tremendous. We stopped for a few minutes at a beach overlooking a bay. Our guide told us that in the caves we could see across the water remains from hunter-gathers from 5000 years ago had been found. How anyone lived in Norway 5000 years ago just boggles the mind! We also made a stop at Giske church (built in the 1100s) and then went on to the lighthouse at Alnes. It was gorgeous. A huge field of dandelions surrounded it, our guide found the key to the lock so we could go up and everyone enjoyed an amazing view and made great pictures. The gift shop sold Norwegian brown cheese and we had to try it. I was very reluctant but it was a smash hit with everyone. Sweet like peanut butter it was delicious!

 

We got back to the ship in plenty of time for all aboard and a nice dinner in Tuscan. DW and I both agreed the food in the MDR was improving. Tonight we had carrot cake for dessert and it was fabulous. 

 

It’s a little sad that we are nearly done with our tour of Norway but we’re trying not to think about that. Tomorrow we have a half day in Kristiansand and another lighthouse awaits us!

PS I've tried everything to get pictures in the text instead of at the end. Today I wrote a paragraph and then "choose files" but then I couldn't write any more. They were at the bottom of the post and that's all there was to it. Oh well ... Enjoy Alesund and Alnes lighthouse!

 

[H2OH!]

3 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

DAY 6: ALESUND - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
 

Alesund greeted us at 8 AM this morning, and it was kinda nice that it is on the coast and we didn’t have to get up early for a fjord sail-in. We didn’t see much of this town or the port because as soon as we arrived we were walked off the ship to a beautiful, large cabin-cruiser for a sail up Hjørundfjord. One again the weather was beyond perfect. Blue skies, bright sunshine, no clouds and about 60 degrees. Just lovely. And the water was flat as glass, which made reflection pictures something almost unbelievable. If the postcard people and jigsaw folks had been out with us today with us they’d be set for a long, long time!
 

Hjørundfjord is amazing and incredible. I feel like I’m repeating myself here but Norway is very special. This fjord was a little different than Flam and Geiranger. It is not as steep on the cliffs, and there are not as many waterfalls, but there are more snow-capped peaks in the background. Really felt a little like we were in the Rockies. The boat was very nice. A fully enclosed cabin kept us snug, with a concession stand offering coffee and tea and more. Bathrooms too. If you wanted you go up front out over the bow and enjoy the view without looking through a window. Truthfully, when the boat was moving it was very cold out there and you couldn’t stay out long. However, when we got to the top of the fjord, which was breathtaking and so picturesque, the captain slowed it to a crawl, and we all clambered out forward for pictures. Stunning doesn’t begin to cover it. If you think the pics are amazing you ought to go see it for yourself!

 

As soon as we got back, we hot-footed it back to the ship to meet up our Alnes lighthouse excursion. Our guide for Hjørundfjord came with us and was our guide for that tour too, which was good because he was very good. He made some practical notes about Norway’s high taxes and that their social services perhaps aren’t as good as they are cracked up to be. I love Norway but don’t think I’d like donating 35%-40% of my income to the government every year!

 

 

 

 

May I ask who you used for the sail up Hjørundfjord and for Alnes Lighthouse? 

 

Thank you for all of your words of wisdom and the gorgeous pictures! We loved Alaska so am excited to see Norway! 

 

 

[little britain]

@BuckeyeMark thanks for review. In Flams we are also on the train that gets back at 11:30 then taking the 12:00 noon bus to Stegastein… how far is bus stop/station from the train station please? I’m guessing not far but which direction do you head when you get off the train? Thanks x

[BuckeyeMark]

7 hours ago, H2OH! said:

 

 

May I ask who you used for the sail up Hjørundfjord and for Alnes Lighthouse? 

 

Thank you for all of your words of wisdom and the gorgeous pictures! We loved Alaska so am excited to see Norway! 

 

 

We did both of those through Celebrity.

[BuckeyeMark]

3 hours ago, little britain said:

@BuckeyeMark thanks for review. In Flams we are also on the train that gets back at 11:30 then taking the 12:00 noon bus to Stegastein… how far is bus stop/station from the train station please? I’m guessing not far but which direction do you head when you get off the train? Thanks x

It is not far at all - the place where you get in line for the train is NEXT to the parking lot/store/bus stop for the Stegastein overlook tours. It is literally about ten steps over from the train to the buses. If you arrive at 11:30 you will have plenty of time to grab a bite to eat/shop a minute and be ready to board your bus before 12.

[little britain]

1 hour ago, BuckeyeMark said:

It is not far at all - the place where you get in line for the train is NEXT to the parking lot/store/bus stop for the Stegastein overlook tours. It is literally about ten steps over from the train to the buses. If you arrive at 11:30 you will have plenty of time to grab a bite to eat/shop a minute and be ready to board your bus before 12.

Perfect, thanks. I think our train arrives back 11:39 for some reason. 

[MandL]

Thanks for the wonderful review. Really helpful.

[little britain]

Ps: the witch 🧙 at the waterfall was definitely a man with a beard when we last did the train in 2011!! Look at your photos of him/her closely!! 

[bluwes]

Loved your review, we are on  board Apex for a similar itinerary in August, no Bruges for us. Looking forward to it.

[dalesmouse]

On 5/29/2024 at 4:11 AM, BuckeyeMark said:

DAY 3: A DAY AT SEA

 

Sea days are wonderful, especially when you’ve been on vacay for five straight days. The flight overnight to London, a day in the Cotswolds, a day in Oxford, then heading down to Southampton via Stonehenge, followed by a rather damp day in Bruges (a perfect day for ducks but I’m not a duck) made us ready for a day off.

 

The sea day gave us a chance to explore the Apex further. What a ship it is! We were constantly blown away by its design, cool vibe, and amazing features. For example, the Eden space in the very back of the ship was incredible. We were there in the afternoon, and everyone was reading or visiting quietly. It was such a very cool place to chill out. So much green! I believe in the evenings it may take on a more nightclub vibe and I know there were some acts that played there at night, but in the afternoon it was really relaxed. We also visited Café Al Bacio. As a certified coffee nerd, I was anxious to try the coffee. All in all, it wasn’t great but a lot of our friends (who are regulars with Green Mermaid coffee) thought it was pretty good. I found if you ask for a double-shot you get a coffee that isn’t too bad.

 

Here’s a good place to say that we had the Wifi-Drinks package on this trip and it turned out to be a very good thing. Since we don’t drink I was a little hesitant but it was very nice to be able to grab a Coke, a bottle of water, or a coffee whenever we wanted. It’s not always about dollars and cents - sometimes it’s about convenience and being on vacation!

 

Celebrity had a digital scavenger hunt before lunch, and we joined in. The task was to find 12 works of art on the ship in one hour. After running all over the ship the hour ended without DW and I collecting photos of all 12. But a comparison to the key that the assistant cruise director had showed a couple of pieces of art had been removed and weren’t on the ship anymore! He was using an old key! It was still fun though. You kinda have to keep this sort of thing in perspective - it wasn’t the Super Bowl! You can see some of the artwork in my pics below.

 

We had lunch in the Ocean View Café, and that was wonderful. I can’t say enough good things about the OVC. Big salad bar area, a carving area, a sandwich bar, daily hot food choices, Asian specialties and a lot more. Emphasis: a lot. Truthfully, by this time, we were ready to ditch the MDR and just eat here all the time! It was huge, airy, and so spacious you never felt like you were bumping into other people or having to stand in line very long. The variety was just unmatched. Every day it changed, every day it seemed to have more fresh ideas, and every day it was just delicious-ness. The pizza bar on the back of the OVC had the best pizza I’ve ever had at sea. The OVC was a real highlight. Whoever designed and is running it needs a medal (and should be asked to help the folks downstairs in the MDR figure out how to make top-notch food). One down note: a lot of folks were playing cards or other games and were taking up a much-needed table during the lunch hour. I guess it’s like saving pool loungers - hard to do much about it. But when you’ve circled the OVC twice trying to find a seat, and there are tables of card players, you’d sure like someone to ask the gamers to wrap it up!

 

That evening we ate at Cosmopolitan. The service was quite slow but the food had improved. It wasn't 5-stars by any means, but it's better. The best part of the evening is that it was “Evening Chic night.” I was surprised by the number of suits and ties I saw, with a few tuxes rounding out the mix. It seemed like most of the ship participated, and most were dressed up a little. DW had a new dress that looked amazing. I thought we looked very “chic” together!

 

The night ended with the show “Tree of Life” in the main theater. The reality is DW and I just aren’t production show fans. It could be done at the highest level by the best dancers and singers in the world, all holding an Oscar and a Tony while balancing a Grammy on their heads, and it would still remind me of something done by the fourth graders on PTA night. We watched a little and then moved on. That’s just not for us. And that was okay because we had a very early start to tomorrow planned.

 

Tomorrow what we came for: Flamm fjord!

Just wondering was there 1 or 2 chic nights in the 7 days ? Thanks 

[BuckeyeMark]

1 hour ago, dalesmouse said:

Just wondering was there 1 or 2 chic nights in the 7 days ? Thanks 

Two!

[BuckeyeMark]

7 hours ago, little britain said:

Ps: the witch 🧙 at the waterfall was definitely a man with a beard when we last did the train in 2011!! Look at your photos of him/her closely!! 

OH MY! That doesn't help at all!  LOL
In all seriousness, I'm pretty sure there were TWO women playing the waterfall "spirit" - one went down into the cliff and another emerged further over. Think it was two women.

[dalesmouse]

1 hour ago, BuckeyeMark said:

Two!

Fabulous,love a chic night

[hcat]

20 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

DAY 6: ALESUND - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
 

Alesund greeted us at 8 AM this morning, and it was kinda nice that it is on the coast and we didn’t have to get up early for a fjord sail-in. We didn’t see much of this town or the port because as soon as we arrived we were walked off the ship to a beautiful, large cabin-cruiser for a sail up Hjørundfjord. One again the weather was beyond perfect. Blue skies, bright sunshine, no clouds and about 60 degrees. Just lovely. And the water was flat as glass, which made reflection pictures something almost unbelievable. If the postcard people and jigsaw folks had been out with us today with us they’d be set for a long, long time!
 

Hjørundfjord is amazing and incredible. I feel like I’m repeating myself here but Norway is very special. This fjord was a little different than Flam and Geiranger. It is not as steep on the cliffs, and there are not as many waterfalls, but there are more snow-capped peaks in the background. Really felt a little like we were in the Rockies. The boat was very nice. A fully enclosed cabin kept us snug, with a concession stand offering coffee and tea and more. Bathrooms too. If you wanted you go up front out over the bow and enjoy the view without looking through a window. Truthfully, when the boat was moving it was very cold out there and you couldn’t stay out long. However, when we got to the top of the fjord, which was breathtaking and so picturesque, the captain slowed it to a crawl, and we all clambered out forward for pictures. Stunning doesn’t begin to cover it. If you think the pics are amazing you ought to go see it for yourself!

 

As soon as we got back, we hot-footed it back to the ship to meet up our Alnes lighthouse excursion. Our guide for Hjørundfjord came with us and was our guide for that tour too, which was good because he was very good. He made some practical notes about Norway’s high taxes and that their social services perhaps aren’t as good as they are cracked up to be. I love Norway but don’t think I’d like donating 35%-40% of my income to the government every year!

 

The Alnes tour was tremendous. We stopped for a few minutes at a beach overlooking a bay. Our guide told us that in the caves we could see across the water remains from hunter-gathers from 5000 years ago had been found. How anyone lived in Norway 5000 years ago just boggles the mind! We also made a stop at Giske church (built in the 1100s) and then went on to the lighthouse at Alnes. It was gorgeous. A huge field of dandelions surrounded it, our guide found the key to the lock so we could go up and everyone enjoyed an amazing view and made great pictures. The gift shop sold Norwegian brown cheese and we had to try it. I was very reluctant but it was a smash hit with everyone. Sweet like peanut butter it was delicious!

 

We got back to the ship in plenty of time for all aboard and a nice dinner in Tuscan. DW and I both agreed the food in the MDR was improving. Tonight we had carrot cake for dessert and it was fabulous. 

 

It’s a little sad that we are nearly done with our tour of Norway but we’re trying not to think about that. Tomorrow we have a half day in Kristiansand and another lighthouse awaits us!

PS I've tried everything to get pictures in the text instead of at the end. Today I wrote a paragraph and then "choose files" but then I couldn't write any more. They were at the bottom of the post and that's all there was to it. Oh well ... Enjoy Alesund and Alnes lighthouse!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photos are beautiful..very sharp.

they might show even better if after you post them you hit edit and then add a  space and then repost..(does not resolve your concern but might make a difference).. sort of worked!

 

Edited June 2 by hcat

[hcat]

20 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

 

my attempt to sep . these lovely pics failed  but worked  somwhat above

 

sorry if this broke the flow of things!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 example of separating a bit   

oh no..it did not work..sorry!

Edited June 2 by hcat

[BuckeyeMark]

DAY 7 - KRISTIANSAND - 1:00 - 8:00 PM
 

We are not thinking about how the cruise is quickly coming to an end. Instead we’re looking out our Infinite Veranda and seeing the Lindesnes Lighthouse. That’s pretty exciting because in a couple of hours, we’ll be visiting that lighthouse, so to see it from the seaside before we see it on the land side is really fun. We’re not 100% sure we’re looking at Lindesnes but when we arrive later that afternoon we confirm it. Excellent! One of the ways we know this is Lindesnes lighthouse is that we have binoculars with us. They live on the little table in the Inf Veranda area and we’re constantly grabbing them and taking a look at something during the cruise. Bring binocs! You’ll be glad you did.
 

A little before 1:00 we pulled into Kristiansand. It’s a fairly industrial port, although there was a very nice lighthouse on an island that we passed by. We piled off the ship and headed for our buses for a trip to Lindesnes. This tour was arranged through https://www.nord-dmc.com. Since we weren’t in port very long, it took some special arranging to get it all done, but they were easy to work with. We had a group of people who wanted to go and it worked out to be around $60 a piece, which is a bargain. 
 

The only downside to the tour was that they can’t pick you up right at the port. We had to walk several blocks to a nearby hotel. Not too bad but I wish they’d been more up front about that part of things. I was under the impression the pickup was quite close when it turned out to be a good little walk. As the day was very sunny (which we would appreciate once we got to the lighthouse) it was quite a warm walk to the bus. 

 

The drive to Lindesnes was marvelous. I was reminded of Oregon and the wilds of the northwest coast over and over. Beautiful forests, rivers, huge rocks and cliffs - it was a superb drive. Our guide knew everything about the land and people and towns so we got tons of good Norway info (did you know Norway pays for your cemetery plot for the first 20 years you use it, but after that your family will need to pay rent?). We passed a lot of seaside marinas with boathouses painted in deep red and ochre, all neat and tidy just like you’d expect in Norway. 

After about 90 minutes we arrived at the lighthouse. It is on the coast (of course - it’s a lighthouse) but it’s also on Norway’s most southern point, and that’s a place where the coast is savage and beautiful. There’s a huge cliff there, with lots of inlets and bluffs and rocks that made for incredible photographs. However, it was very windy - as in “secure your cap” or it’s headed to the Atlantic. But even with that, we had a great time at the lighthouse. There’s an enclosed theater cut into the rock, known as the Mountain Hall, and we got a brief introduction to the lighthouse there. Then we headed up the trail to the tower, and from there, up the tower to see the view from the top. It was a little bit of a climb but so worth it. Our guides said you can’t see Denmark from the top of the lighthouse but I am pretty sure I could!  🤣

 

 

 

 

 

Lindesnes offers more than just the lighthouse. We took a quick look at the keeper’s home and an ammo bunker carved into the side of the cliff face (with its corresponding path carved into the rock). Several gun emplacements where the Germans had mounted cannons are still visible, too. The guns are long gone, but the circles of concrete remain—scars of a terrible time when Norway was under the boot of an evil empire. 
 

 

 

Lindesnes is a long ride out from the port, but we really enjoyed it. I think some of that was compounded by the fact that not a lot else in Kristiansand really appealed to us. There is train ride (sorta like Flam) but it got canceled (don’t know why). There is a cannon museum but I’m not sure that can beat out the view from Norway’s most southern lighthouse! We really liked Lindesnes. It made for two lighthouses in two days but DW and I are major lighthouse collectors. We’ve traveled both US coasts, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf Coast to see US light stations. We love’em. They are always in the most rugged and scenic spots. To add two lighthouses in Norway to our “collection” made this trip extra special.  

 

We got back to the ship in time to walk a few blocks into town and hit a big souvenir shop. Nearly everything we saw in all the souvenir shops in every port was the same. Same hoodies, shirts, mugs and trinkets. But since there was our last stop we wanted to grab a few more items. I bought a hoodie thick and warm enough that I expect I won’t be wearing it more than a few days a year in Texas, but I needed that hoodie!

 

When we got back to our stateroom, DW commented on the haze on our window. I had read some folks commenting about how dirty the Inf Ver window gets during the cruise. Candidly, I thought such was mostly whining but it is so that after a week at sea there is a decent cloud on the windows that does mar the view. So I grabbed a washcloth from our bathroom, put the window down, and went to work to clean it a little. I am tall and certainly wasn’t doing anything crazy or dangerous like leaning way over the window. I could easily wipe down a wide swath of the window with my long arms. What I quickly discovered is that the sea spray had congealed into a thick and sturdy layer of salt that was determined not to come off the glass. It took some real elbow grease to make a dent in it. If you think you can just wipe the window clean you’ll learn, as I did, that is not happening. It would take some cleaning fluid and a lot of work to get that grime off. So, I’m working away ferociously (and largely in vain), and then it happened. As I was scrubbing away I dropped the wash cloth! It fell four or five decks below, landing on the roof of a lifeboat (see picture), where it remained for the rest of the cruise. I guess Celebrity can bill me for one lost washcloth!
 

 

And, as you can tell, I've finally figured out how to insert pictures *into* my report. I changed browsers and suddenly the command to "insert" appeared. Thanks for your patience as I went through this learning process.
 

Tomorrow: the last day of the cruise - a sea day - and the mystery of the stinky toilet solved!
 

[hcat]

great photos..they look better seo..glad it worked  to insert!

 

very nice lighthouse and tour

[lovesthebeach2]

On 5/26/2024 at 10:07 PM, BuckeyeMark said:

We were traveling in a big group, and we arranged it through Celebrity's group desk. It wasn't available to individuals. On the way home we used International Friends for an excursion to Bath and Windsor Castle. I believe they do a London to Southampton trip via Stonehenge - I'd recommend them.

I just found this thread and I’m excited to read it all, we have Apex booked next August to. Norway in an Infinite Balcony and this will be our first Celebrity (of many booked now).

Is International Friends the name of a company you used for your visit to Windsor?

 

I also was wondering about the pre-cruise Stonehenge trip, we reserved the post cruise excursion there from Celebrity which will drop us off at the airport after. We plan to stay that night and fly home the following day. I just started reading so I may have more questions…. Thanks for this post!

[BuckeyeMark]

2 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I just found this thread and I’m excited to read it all, we have Apex booked next August to. Norway in an Infinite Balcony and this will be our first Celebrity (of many booked now).

Is International Friends the name of a company you used for your visit to Windsor?

 

I also was wondering about the pre-cruise Stonehenge trip, we reserved the post cruise excursion there from Celebrity which will drop us off at the airport after. We plan to stay that night and fly home the following day. I just started reading so I may have more questions…. Thanks for this post!

Yes, Int Friends is who we used for Bath and Windsor. Great tour. And they took us right to our hotel in London.

The pre-cruise trip to Stonehenge is something Celebrity did for us because we had a large group all needed transport from London to Southampton and we were able to convince them to add in Stonehenge. That took almost an act of congress to make happen but it did - and it was marvelous.

I think Int Friends does that Stonehenge-on-the-way-to-Southampton thing - you might check. Full disclosure: Stonehenge isn't really on the way but it's close enough to make it work.

[swigso]

What a beautiful picture 

[BuckeyeMark]

LAST DAY - SEA DAY

 

Today is our last day, and fortunately it was a sea day. That means we get a day off, to relax and recharge before vacation ends. It’s a wonderful day. The ship is bustling with activity - everyone is out and about. We even see the captain mingling with the passengers! But before that, it is time for the Great Mystery of Mysteries to be solved.

 

Why does the Toilet Smell?

Like the complaint about the glass getting smeared with sea spray I had read about people complaining about the smell emanating from their toilet. I figured this was, like the complaint about the windows, mostly whining. It’s a bathroom! Bathrooms are a place where some smelly things occur. It’s part of the deal. However, after a few days on the Apex I realized it wasn’t just whining. The bathroom can, from time to time, smell like a highway rest area in west Texas on a hot July day. Yes, bathrooms have an odor but this certainly seemed to be more than normal. Why is that?

 

The answer lies in Celebrity’s insistence that you close the toilet lid. They actually have the flush button located behind the toilet lid so that you must close it to get to the button. Why does this matter? Because when the toilet is sitting idle there is a pool of water in the bottom that completely covers the drain hole. That pool of water (and a standard toilet has a “trap” configuration in the piping to make this even more secure) keeps malevolent odors sealed below the water. They may come wafting up the pipes but that water denies them access to your nose. Bad smells can’t get through the water. But when you flush (and I was brave enough to keep the lid open to check this out) there isn’t enough water to completely seal the drain hole. Thus as the flush is taking away the waste there is a time when the hole is partially open enough so that bad smells can climb out of the pipes and into the toilet bowl! Oh no! What makes this worse is that the lid of the toilet is (usually - unless someone who is writing a Cruise Critic trip report is in full Sherlock Holmes mode) closed tightly. That means that all those unfortunate odors are trapped in the toilet bowl waiting for your next visit to the bathroom. You open the lid and voila! You’ve got stinkiness. Solution? Close lid to flush and then immediately open the lid back up. That lets the odors out now, and usually they’re not very noticeable at that moment. Then, leave lid open. Any smells will quickly dissipate and not be waiting to ambush your delicate and sensitive nose.

 

This is way too much about stateroom bathrooms, and someone else has probably posted all of this before (and explained it better). But just in case you’re experiencing “rest stop restroom syndrome” now you know why and how to fix it. On to our sea day...

 

The Sea Day 

There’s not much to report except that the food in the Ocean View Café was over the top. They’d gone all out with specially decorated cakes that would've made "Cake Boss" envious, and a chocolate crepe making bar. Unbelievable. Crazy good food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That night at the show - Rockumentary - our cruise director took up 20 minutes introducing various staff members (who were all present at the beginning of the show and we had applauded for already) and begging us to leave a good review. He even went into detail about how anything below a 9 is trouble for them so don't even think of rating them below 9. It was all a bit much. It’s one thing to say “We hope you had a great cruise and here are the people who made it happen, please give us a good review.” It’s another thing entirely to go on and on AND ON about the mechanism of the review process and how to use it and that we must use it and this is what we must put on it. “Are you going to give us a 10?” Yes, actually, I am, except if it asks me about the cruise director. LOL!

 

The show that night was another production number. Singers and dancers to classic rock hits. I love classic rock. That’s the music of my teen years. Can’t get enough of it. I raised my kids on Journey, Styx, Boston, and Abba. DW and I lasted exactly 7 minutes before what was mostly a big karaoke performance drove us out. Can I get a magician? A funny comedian? A real singer, with a real band, who can entertain with his or her singing and doesn’t need stilted prancers around them while they’re singing? I guess not. Sigh.

 

That puts this one to bed then. Early the next morning we docked in Southampton and, like on all cruises, found ourselves off the ship quicker than you can say “Wait, I don’t want to go!” Amazingly we walked off the next morning without ever showing a passport to anyone or even having it scanned. Not even kidding - we showed no one our identification, didn’t feed it into a machine, or have to be scrutinized by a customs official. Nada. Nothing. Nobody. Uh, I’m not sure that constitutes border security! 
 

So what’s the last word on the Apex and Norway and Belgium? This is the cruise of cruises. The ship is unbelievable. The fjords are incredible. As I said before, I’d give this cruise a “20" on a scale of 1 to 5. We loved it. I can’t recommend it enough. Any and all complaining I’ve done here should be filed in the drawer marked “Nitpicking.” This was a phenomenal trip and we are so blessed to have gone on it!

Edited June 3 by BuckeyeMark

[plutosmom]

Thank you SO much for the best review I’ve ever read!  Glad you had a great time! 

[ohiopops4]

Thank you, we loved reading your review and seeing the beautiful pictures.  We're on the Apex July 8th for a similar itinerary so your insights were very helpful!  Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience!

[mickeysgal]

What a review! Thank you. We have an upcoming Norway cruise and this has been so helpful.
 

How cold were you in these ports? What kind of layers worked, what didn’t work? Do you have a summary list of your tour guides and what port you used them ?