Hello From Eurodam!

[martini cruiser]

Just wanted to add my name to the list of those that appreciate and enjoy your posts!

 

Hope we sail together someday,

 

Martini Cruiser

[earl_m]

i Look Forward To Reading Your Post Each Day. Keep It Up!!

[Travelrd]

Brian,

 

Your posts are just fabulous! It's almost like "Tales of the City" all over again without as much drama. Keep up the good writing.

 

 

Thank you

[sail7seas]

Fun, fun, fun..........:) Keep enjoying!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

- I couldn’t help but giggle as Greg kicked my foot and Dad peeked under the table to see what color shoes she was wearing.

OK Brian I just gotta know what color were her shoes?:D Were They Ruby Red by chance ;)

[innlady1]

I'll bet they were, Lisa. Red Mary Jane's!

[calm_seas]

Brian We are enjoying all of your posts.... keep them going! L.B.

[ger_77]

I just have to tell you I'm loving your thread - your "tell it like it is" style is great. I'm dying to know what your Dad bought for your Mom . . . come on, fess up!

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[cruznon]

Brian, your posts are a delight to read! Thank you.

[ItaliaBella]

Hi Brian, I've been lurking around and reading your live post as well as Rev Neal's. Thanks for all the updates on the new ship.

 

Have fun and I look forward to reading more soon.

[ldog]

I'm loving hearing about the fun you guys are having. thanks

[tomc]

Brian !! --

At the party, we found Jerry and Wilda.

I have NEVER run into another person with my mother's name. Can you ask her how she got it? I never learned how Mom came into it, as her family was plain New England Yankees.

[bepsf]

July 8 – Alesund, Norway

 

The phone rings: Scotty answers and asks “What time do we want breakfast delivered?”

“What time is it?”, I grumble from beneath the covers.

“Seven”

“Nine”, I reply.

Apparently, the folks with room service noticed that i’d forgotten to order breakfast so they called to see what time we wanted breakfast delivered and they pretty much duplicated what we’d ordered the day before - Now that’s what I call service!

 

Dad knocked on the verandah doors shortly thereafter to point out the sights of beautiful, sunshine-y Alesund - I suddenly realize that he and Mom are getting alot more sleep than I since they typically retire immediately after dinner. Mom sends me back to bed, saying something about me needing to adjust my schedule...

After breakfast and dressing, we chat with Liz across the hall who is assisting with the Alesund Art Nouveau Architectural walking tour - she leaves a bit early to help set up and shortly thereafter the 4 of us ramble down to the room known on my shipboard bill as the Vista Lounge to meet our tour. In a while, we’re on the pier and meeting with our Norwegian Tour Goddess, Sidsel. She’s a lovely lady about the same age as Mom and she ably takes our small group of 25 persons into the sunny mid-day explaining what life is like being Norwegian, what the area industries are, where Norway’s wealth comes from, etc. - carefully providing a background for understanding before proceeding with the architectural walking tour.

There are probably several websites devoted to the story of the great Alesund Fire of 1909 and its subsequent rebuilding so I won’t go into details here, but suffice it to say that we marched up and down hills, along the waterfront and eventually into what we’d call the city’s historical society/building museum for a multimedia show plus coffee and dessert. Afterwards, the 5 of us did some independent shopping where we bought souvenirs, including a pair of comfy walking shoes for me.

We returned to the ship about 5pm and toddled up to the Neptune for a snack before I came to the suite for a little nap - at about 6.45, Mom knocked on my verandah door, alerting me to dress for the evening and Scotty came in shortly thereafter from a soak in the Thassolotherapy pool. We dressed and went up to the Silk Den for a quick cocktail before the Captain’s reception in the midship Lido with many other invitees. Scotty and I were among the last to greet Jeroen and Stan before the Captain was called to the Bridge to supervise our exit from Alesund - after chit-chatting with other CC’ers, we then ran down to our tables in the Dining Room arriving slightly late which resulted in dinner wrapping up @ 10.30 and us missing the show.

The gang dawdled and chatted some more in the Photo Gallery and finally went up to Crow’s Nest for a nightcap and to listen to the pianist before bidding the waiters and one another “Adieu” and collapsing into bed @ Midnight.

[bepsf]

July 9 – Vik & Flam

Vik

Dad knocked on the verandah door (Do you see a pattern here?) to point out the amazing views of the fjord we’re cruising as well as jellyfish the size of trashcan lids languidly floating beneath our hull.

Scotty retrieved some breakfast from the Lido for us (no call from room service today) and we dressed for our 9.30am appointment: the evening prior at the cocktail party, Jeroen had graciously insisted that Scotty and I bring my parents up to the Bridge!

 

Bridge Sailaway

Just as we were approaching on Deck 8, there was a general announcement from Captain stating that we were a bit late leaving Vik because of troubles in retrieving a tender that was used to take excursions ashore as the davit mechanism wasn’t functioning properly - as a seaman admitted us to the Bridge, we greeted Jeroen with the announcement, “We’re the Tender Repairmen!”

Obviously the Captain was a bit distracted with the situation, chatting with his senior officers in Dutch, and we tried to stay out of the way as much as possible as I explained to Scotty and my parents the various bridge mechanisms, controls, etc. to the best of my recollection from an earlier Bridge invitation from Jeroen when we were aboard Oosterdam several years ago.

As we took pictures and enjoyed the views, and Jeroen would break away from his duties from time to time to chat or joke with us briefly and showing us our morning’s route to Flam on the charts before going back to his work - we also listened to Frank the Port Lecturer and chatted with him and amazed at the views of the fjords and the ship itself from the various vantage points on the Bridge: Anyone who thinks that their shipboard verandah is a private space is sadly mistaken: folks on the bridge can and do see much, much more than you think!

As we gazed at the surroundings, we noticed that there is a window from the bridge overlooking the verandah to the Captain’s Suite that didn’t exist aboard the Vistas - and soon thereafter, we saw Pam seated out there reading a book. We knocked on the window, made faces and took pictures before she suddenly realized she was being observed when she broke into gales of laughter, flinging her arms over her head and tilting her head back in a classic Hollywood Pin-up Girl pose for her improptu paparrazzi!

[bepsf]

Flam

We could have stayed on the Bridge all morning but Mom needed some nourishment, so we thanked Jeroen for his gracious hospitality and made for the Neptune where we had some nibbles and tea - I stayed and read a bit while Scotty took Mom and Dad out to the sale on the Lido Deck. I eventually returned to the suite and enjoyed the sail-in to Flam and watched for the errant tender to follow us into the fjord where we tied up at the pier.

We all then marched down to the showlounge and did the tag & ticket routine, meeting other CC’ers on the same tour - We were ushered off the ship and to the nearby trainstation where we waited for the Flam Railway which was delayed for 30 minutes, so we shopped for some souvenirs.

Finally we boarded the train and rode up the mountain, making several stops along the way as we circled to the top - the views were simply astounding and at one point we were allowed off the train while in a tunnel to view a huge waterfall where music played and ladies dressed as wood-nymphs briefly appeared and danced on the rocks overhead.

We finally reached the top where a picturesque inn surrounded by Alpine scenery awaited us with the promised tea and waffles within its various windowed dining rooms. Then at the appointed time, we ambled down to the tracks again to await the arrival of the return train, but it didn’t appear - when it finally did arrive on the uphill run about 20 minutes late, it continued up the mountain before re-appearing on the downhill route about an hour behind schedule. Finally after several stops and delays, we rolled into the Flam Railway terminus over an hour late: the decks of the ship were lined with onlookers and Jeroen leaned on the whistle 3 times, eliminating any consideration by the 500-some-odd excursioners to delay for last-minute souvenirs. As as strode up the pier to the gangways Scotty and I waved at the Bridge - seeing us from the enclosed Bridge-wing, Jeroen briefly blipped the whistle to personally greet us.

We all went up to the suite and hors d’oervres had been delivered into our staterooms, so Scotty and I organized an improptu party: We pulled out the leftover nibbles from Copenhagen sailaway and gathered ice and glassware from the nearby pantry and dialed as many friends as we could - those who answered came over, and after a couple drinks we agreed that we were just too exhausted to change and go into the public rooms, so I lifted the phone and ordered in an assortment of plates for dinner which we all shared - then we ordered several desserts which we enjoyed while we lounged around and watched the passing scenery through the windows and the TV bow-cam.

After the party broke up, I decided to take a bubble-bath to relax before putting on my pajamas to write this - meanwhile Scotty dressed and went out to meet the gang for a nightcap and to do some shopping, making some purchases and filling in our friends on the details of the afternoon and making our apologies for not joining them for dinner.

[bepsf]

July 10 – Stavanger, Norway

Dad knocked on the door this am at 7 again this am - Scotty and I merely grunted. Scotty finally got up around 9 and I didn’t get up until 10.

When I finally did roll out of bed, I went out to look at the harbor - we are moored practically in the town center along with Seabourn Pride and MSC Opera. We finally went off the ship around 11am and walked the scenic town enjoying the beautiful weather - through the sidewalk/farmers market, up to the local cathedral where they were having services, around the adjacent park with it’s pond, and down through the shopping district where we had a delicious lunch at a local sidewalk cafe and I purchased a navy cotton corduroy blazer that was on sale for over 75% off!

The harbor was filled with a variety of large orange, yellow and blue jellyfish, which the ducks and swans snacked on - we even saw a family of swans with their 4 downy-grey babies paddling into the harbor.

We’re back aboard ship and relaxing before dinner - Tonight is formal night and we’re booked into the Tamarind for dinner. My cousins, Susan and John Parker just came by and dropped off little giftie things, including an early birthday present for me: a stainless business-card case engraved with my name and an enameled cruiseship on the front! (my shipboard card fits perfectly too)

[babyher]

Brian

 

 

All sounds very nice . :)

 

Glad you are having such a great time.

 

Enjoying your reports , thanks for sharing them.

 

ENJOY:)

[satchiesmom]

Brian, It's so much fun reading your posts! I look forward to seeing what's new every day. Thank you so much.

 

Susan

[takemewithyou]

Happy early Birthday! Really enjoying your posts. Thank you. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

July 10 – Stavanger, Norway

Dad knocked on the door this am at 7 again this am - Scotty and I merely grunted. Scotty finally got up around 9 and I didn’t get up until 10.

When I finally did roll out of bed, I went out to look at the harbor - we are moored practically in the town center along with Seabourn Pride and MSC Opera. We finally went off the ship around 11am and walked the scenic town enjoying the beautiful weather - through the sidewalk/farmers market, up to the local cathedral where they were having services, around the adjacent park with it’s pond, and down through the shopping district where we had a delicious lunch at a local sidewalk cafe and I purchased a navy cotton corduroy blazer that was on sale for over 75% off!

The harbor was filled with a variety of large orange, yellow and blue jellyfish, which the ducks and swans snacked on - we even saw a family of swans with their 4 downy-grey babies paddling into the harbor.

We’re back aboard ship and relaxing before dinner - Tonight is formal night and we’re booked into the Tamarind for dinner. My cousins, Susan and John Parker just came by and dropped off little giftie things, including an early birthday present for me: a stainless business-card case engraved with my name and an enameled cruiseship on the front! (my shipboard card fits perfectly too)

 

Happy Early Birthday!!

Great gift!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great report!!

[mamaofami]

Brian, I can't wait to hear what you think of Tamarind. Happy Birthday!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Happy Birthday, Brian ... whenever it may be:) . Loving all your stories! Sounds like a wonderful time and no wonder everyone left behind is so envious of all your fun.

[MrsMuir]

Brian, I bet you're glad that you were on a HAL shorex, since the train was an hour late. My fear of missing the ship keeps my adventurous spirit in check.

 

How great that you and your parents got to spend time on the Bridge. I was invited to the Bridge once, long ago, as the Island Princess left San Pedro. I knew the Captain from a previous cruise. I remember placing my little clutch purse in a space between some controls and the big front window and asking the Captain: "Are you sure it's OK for me to be here?" He replied, "It's MY ship!"

 

Looking forward to your next posts!

[raadsel]

Brian,

 

Thanks for your reports and taking the time out to write them; I appreciate and enjoy your work, as well as being allowed to vicariously sail along with you.

 

I hope you have a wonderful Birthday!