28 Day Norwegian Fjords & Icelandic Intrigue on Sojourn - July 27th through August 24th - Our Experience

[SLSD]

We began our journey with a flight on British Airways to Heathrow and an hour and fifty minute drive by car service to our lodging at The Pig at Bridge Place near Canterbury.  Tomorrow morning we will have a less than thirty minute drive to the port at Dover.  I cannot say enough good things about our lodging.  The Pig is a charming hotel and the employees have shown us the most gracious hospitality.  They have been friendly and helpful in every way possible.  I highly recommend The Pig at Bridge Place if you are sailing from Dover and want a special start for your cruise.  The hotel restaurant is provisioned from a beautiful and extensive onsite kitchen garden which adds to the ambience of this delightful bucolic hotel.  The food has been excellent.  We like the hotel bar as well.  I'm including a few photos from The Pig.  We chose room #11 at the hotel which is in an adjacent building and looks out over a meadow as shown in one of the photos.  

Edited July 26 by SLSD

[Isklaar]

Great photos.  Have a fabulous cruise! 

[robertmartha]

SLSD - so excited to travel along with you over the next several weeks! Looks like you are off to a fabulous start. Enjoy every minute!

 

Bob

[lincslady]

Have a lovely cruise - you might be on board by now, having your first glass of something nice.  It is a lovely day here in Lincs., hope it is too in Dover.

[markandjie]

Looking forward to following along! 

[highplanesdrifters]

Hotel looks charming,  thanks for the tip.  

 

Look forward to hearing about your travels, fair winds.

[SLSD]

Embarkation at the port in Dover was fast, easy and quite civilized.  Our suite was ready by the time we boarded around 12:45.  Our luggage came quickly.  We had a leisurely lunch on the veranda of the Colonnade. Since we don't do buffets (or try not to), I was pleased that there were choices from a menu at lunch.  It's not a huge menu, but includes hot dogs, minute steaks, salmon, chicken breast, hamburgers, and a pasta dish.  We can make do with that for lunch when The Restaurant is not open.  

 

There was the usual Sailaway and introduction of the cruise director (Robert), entertainment director, the Seabourn singers and dancers.  

 

Dinner tonight in The Restaurant was quite good. We dined with friends after meeting them for a before dinner drink in the Observation Bar.   At dinner, I ordered cold shrimp, as an appetizer and filet mignon as my entree  with raspberry sorbet for dessert. A little plate of petit  fors were brought to our table as well.   It was just right.  Our waiter was Simba who is always so cheerful and understated in his approach--which we appreciate.  We remember him from last summer's Norwegian cruise on Ovation. 

 

After dinner we went to the Salon for a quite impressive (and loud--wearing ear plugs from now on) program based on dance.  We followed this with a trip to the Obs Bar where David is bartending.  We asked him  to make us Chimayo cocktails with tequila, creme de cassis and apple juice.  He did just that, and they were excellent.  

 

Edited July 27 by SLSD

[markandjie]

4 hours ago, SLSD said:

Our waiter was Simba who is always so cheerful and understated in his approach

 

Simba is outstanding! He was our waiter in Antarctica in November and did an excellent job!

[SLSD]

This is our second time to sail on Sojourn--the first being five years ago in 2019. Generally, the ship looks to be in very good condition.   I think I am noticing a few places where refurbishment has been done.  Specifically, there appears to be new upholstery in the Obs Bar.  The banquettes have all been upholstered in black fabric.  Probably not what I would have chosen, but what they used. We noticed new loungers around the pool.   Mr. SLSD thinks that the table in our suite is different from what we had in 2109.  One quirky little thing is the telephone in our suite.  It is labeled in pen!  Someone has handwritten the labels for Guest Services, Room Service, etc.  I'll try to make some more observations tomorrow.  

 

Our second day onboard is going to be a Sea Day.  

[Juno1956]

We lived in Canterbury for 16 years and our daughter went to school in Bridge. Lovely place, never got to the Pig though! 
We are on the Sojourn in November. I hope Robert ,the cruise director ,is on board then. He has an amazing voice and really made trivia such fun!

Have a great time, I shall look forward to reading your posts!

[nancygp]

Susan,

 

great write up’s!  So glad you’re off to a good start.  Catch up soon

 

N

[SLSD]

Today began with a late Room Service Breakfast for a leisurely Day at Sea.  Nelson was our room service waiter.  I had a Western Omelette with toast, fruit and tea.  Mr. SLSD had granola, yogurt, a blueberry muffin, orange juice and coffee.  All was delivered on time.  

 

Following breakfast, I attended the first lecture of this cruise.  The speaker was Dr. Colleen Batey who spoke about the Vikings in the vincinity of The Isle of Man during the 800s and 900s.  Dr. Batey is an expert in archaeology as it pertains to the Vikings and what can be learned from recent finds.  I look forward to her next two lectures.  

 

Friends onboard convinced us to play Trivia this morning,   We usually do not play.  We were a small team of six and had a great deal of fun.  Lo and Behold, our team won first prize--and by a large margin.  Are we overconfident now?  No, we are not!

 

Following Trivia, we had a delightful lunch in The Restaurant--which was open as we are having a sea day.  I splurged (calorie wise) and had the most excellent Moussaka. I was so busy enjoying the dish that I forgot to take a photo.   Of course a toast with wine  was involved to celebrate our win at Trivia.  

 

What's  on for the rest of the day?  Perhaps a bit of Name that Tune, and later we may try dinner at Earth and Ocean.  As we head north, it is only going to get colder and we like tonight's menu there.  We'll participate in the next Formal Night, but are going casual tonight.  

 

 

[Nops]

On 7/28/2024 at 3:31 PM, SLSD said:

Today began with a late Room Service Breakfast for a leisurely Day at Sea.  Nelson was our room service waiter.  I had a Western Omelette with toast, fruit and tea.  Mr. SLSD had granola, yogurt, a blueberry muffin, orange juice and coffee.  All was delivered on time.  

 

Following breakfast, I attended the first lecture of this cruise.  The speaker was Dr. Colleen Batey who spoke about the Vikings in the vincinity of The Isle of Man during the 800s and 900s.  Dr. Batey is an expert in archaeology as it pertains to the Vikings and what can be learned from recent finds.  I look forward to her next two lectures.  

 

Friends onboard convinced us to play Trivia this morning,   We usually do not play.  We were a small team of six and had a great deal of fun.  Lo and Behold, our team won first prize--and by a large margin.  Are we overconfident now?  No, we are not!

 

Following Trivia, we had a delightful lunch in The Restaurant--which was open as we are having a sea day.  I splurged (calorie wise) and had the most excellent Moussaka. I was so busy enjoying the dish that I forgot to take a photo.   Of course a toast with wine  was involved to celebrate our win at Trivia.  

 

What's  on for the rest of the day?  Perhaps a bit of Name that Tune, and later we may try dinner at Earth and Ocean.  As we head north, it is only going to get colder and we like tonight's menu there.  We'll participate in the next Formal Night, but are going casual tonight.  

 

 

When we were on the Sojourn last year we loved the secret breakfast venue. On the pool deck there is a small buffet for things like fruit and granola, but it is mainly waiter service, there were always three interesting specials and the same al la carte menu as the Colonnade. These that seem to cook in the kitchen there so are always fresh. The fabulous waiting staff always had a grapefruit juice for my wife waiting for her before she sat down. Used it on all days on a Trans-Atlantic except when there was an absolute deluge. Never many people there.

[SLSD]

42 minutes ago, Nops said:

When we were on the Sojourn last year we loved the secret breakfast venue. On the pool deck there is a small buffet for things like fruit and granola, but it is mainly waiter service, there were always three interesting specials and the same al la carte menu as the Colonnade. These that seem to cook in the kitchen there so are always fresh. The fabulous waiting staff always had a grapefruit juice for my wife waiting for her before she sat down. Used it on all days on a Trans-Atlantic except when there was an absolute deluge. Never many people there.

Thank you  for this reminder Nops!

Edited July 29 by SLSD

[SLSD]

Last night's dinner was at our very favorite restaurant on Sojourn (or Encore/Ovation).  Earth and Ocean!  Our idea of cruising certainly includes dining on great food while watching the sea.  The weather was perfect and the meal could not have been better.  We were so busy enjoying ourselves that I forgot to take photos except for one of Mr. SLSD's appetizers.  We chose to split a Ribeye steak (medium rare) and I added a great endive salad, while my husband enjoyed the pictured pasta appetizer.  Really pretty apple tarts made a wonderful dessert.  Dinner was marred only by some adorable (cherubic looking) children who were playing by the hot tub from 7pm until 8:15.  Mr, SLSD is usually very tolerant, but he wrote a note for the hotel manager concerning the distracting noise at dinner.  There were black nets seeming to signify that the pool area was closed during dining hours, but it was the chosen play area for children during our time at Earth and Ocean.   

 

We followed dinner by going to the Grand Salon to watch the West End chanteuse Phillipa Healey.  She has a beautiful voice and a sense of humor.  We both wore ear plugs to save our hearing.  Mr. SLSD measured the decibel level at 92.  (If exposed to that level of noise for half an hour, you will suffer damage to your hearing--thus, the silicone ear plugs).  

 

 

Edited July 29 by SLSD

[SLSD]

Today is Monday and we arrived at our first port, Douglas, on The Isle of Man, early this morning.  The tenders got a bit of a late start due to some ferry traffic at the port that had to be completed before our tenders were alllowed to sail.  We chose a ship's excursion which included riding on a Victorian Era narrow gauge electric train.  In fact, we rode on two trains, changing from one to the other at the station at Laxey.  I don't know what my expectations had been for the Isle of Man, but they were certainly exceeded.  The isle is beautiful, consisting of about 80% farm and grazing land.  Seeing the countryside from the vantage point of the train was enjoyable.  We saw many goats, Europe's largest water wheel, beautiful flowers and interesting terrain.  Our guide was quite good and explained some of the background information about the Isle of Man including the fact that it has the oldest continuous parliament in the world. 

 

After lunch (from the menu) on the veranda of the Colonnade, (Mr, SLSD had a hot dog and I had baked chicken with vegetables), we played trivia for the second day in a row.  You are not going to believe this, but our team won first place again.  Mr. SLSD was particularly pleased with the prizes today.  They are pictured below.  I just have to mention that our fellow Cruise Critic poster nancygp  and her husband made up a third of our team and are excellent players.  

 

Tonight will be our first time to try Solis, the newest restaurant on Seabourn ships.  Stay tuned for my report.  

Edited July 29 by SLSD

[Isklaar]

I'm so enjoying your reports. Thank you for taking the time to post them.

 

It looks chilly weather on the Isle of Man, considering the attire of the people in your photo. I am currently on the mainland around 100 miles from Douglas as the crow flies. It's been 78F and sunny here today! 

[SDuckers]

All regulars here are not in the least bit surprised that you and Nancygp are winners at trivia!  You sneaky devils!

[Cybercsp]

I am enjoying your wonderful posts and will be following along as we will be taking a similar Sojourn cruise net year.  Thanks!

[jondfk]

Thanks Susan, I’m envious.  So, it’s clear restaurant is operating on a limited schedule (as compared to when we sailed Ovation together last year), correct?  How disappointing.  

Following closely for all of your tips.  Enjoy every moment!

[nancygp]

1 hour ago, Cybercsp said:

I am enjoying your wonderful posts and will be following along as we will be taking a similar Sojourn cruise net year.  Thanks!

We’re all having a great time!

 

Nancy

[SLSD]

39 minutes ago, jondfk said:

Thanks Susan, I’m envious.  So, it’s clear restaurant is operating on a limited schedule (as compared to when we sailed Ovation together last year), correct?  How disappointing.  

Following closely for all of your tips.  Enjoy every moment!

Jon, the restaurent appears to be only open for breakfast and lunch on sea days.  I guess I am resigned to that.  Some of my very favorite meals have been in The Restaurant at lunch.  Yesterday's moussaka was memorable.  We still are not doing buffets.  At lunch we order from the limited Colonnade menu.  It does seem to be expanded a bit--with a pasta entree, salmon, hot dog, chicken, hamburger and maybe something else I am not remembering.  I did take a look at the buffet offerings today as I walked through the Colonnade on our way to the veranda. I have to admit that the food looked quite good,  That is not my objection.  I don't want to handle implements that everyone is handling (and I a not a germaphobe).  Also, I prefer a curated menu that I can order from.  I am. in no way criticizing those who like buffets.  

[SLSD]

33 minutes ago, nancygp said:

We’re all having a great time!

 

Nancy

We are!  And I have to say that Mr. SLSD and I are having such a good time with nancygp and Mr.nancygp. 

[SLSD]

So far, I am failing at remembering to take photos!  Tonight, we had our first meal at Solis and I forgot to take a camera!!  My apologies.  Long story short, we thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant and thought the food we ordered was quite good!  I do prefer it to the TK Grill offerings of the past.  For my appetizer, I ordered that Greek dip that starts with a TZ. (you know the one--I can't spell it).  it was served with fried rounds of zucchini.  Mr. SLSD ordered lobster ravioli.  My entree was grilled shrimp.  I could tell that the shrimp was high quality and it was some of the best I have ever tasted and I've had a lot of shrimp.  Our table shared a grilled vegetable dish and a potato dish.  Both were quite good.  For dessert,

I had a delectable strawberry/meringue/ice cream dish and the table shared birthday cake for a friend. 

 

The Solis dining room on Sojourn is small--and rather cramped, but I think the staff do their best to make it quite a fine dining experience. While I look forward to trying additional menu items, I pronounce Solis to be a success. 

 

After dinner, my husband and I adjourned to the Obs Bar as we do most evenings.  The bartender David continues to be a true star--always smiling and very quick to serve us. Tonight, Esther was assisting and I recognized her from our cruise on Ovation last year.  She told us that our Ovation cruise had been her first contract.  Like David, she is constantly smiling and is a true joy in terms on the service she provides.  She told us that we looked familiar to her--and I told her that I hoped we didn't look TOO much older.  

 

We are just a few days into this cruise and are having a wonderful time.  

Edited July 29 by SLSD

[SLSD]

5 hours ago, Isklaar said:

I'm so enjoying your reports. Thank you for taking the time to post them.

 

It looks chilly weather on the Isle of Man, considering the attire of the people in your photo. I am currently on the mainland around 100 miles from Douglas as the crow flies. It's been 78F and sunny here today! 

It did get a bit chilly on the Isle of Man as we were boarding our bus to return to the port  to meet the tender.  Our guide told us an old folktale about a Manx necromancer who would cover the island with a cloak of clouds and fog if the island was ever threatened by those who might do it harm. He assured us that the culprit was not on our bus.  

Edited July 29 by SLSD