Friday, September 20, 2024

Good morning from somewhere with dolphins and gentle waves as we sit on our balcony. We have indeed had the finest weather this trip! 

Today, at sea, is as busy or as lazy as we want. The Captain’s Circle party includes us as travelers with 7 Princess cruises under our belt. (We’ve cruised with Carnival and Royal Caribbean too.) There SO MANY choices of entertainment today that Mark made a list … we’ll do a few 😜.

Last night’s violinist blew us away. We’re not fans of violins and such but that was wild! ACDC performed on the Swarovski bedazzled violin by Christopher Watkins in tight black pants, dazzling white streamered shirt, rhinestone boots and black eyeliner … see where the reference to Adam Lambert came in! 

The fog just rolled in and Caribbean Princess sounded the International alert to ships in the area. There it goes again … very eerie especially since “we” hit something at midnight! It woke us … rattled our balcony door as if a huge bird hit it! 😳 

Not quite pea-soup fog yet. The ship’s horn is blaring. Exciting? Sort of. 

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Good morning from Aarhus, Denmark. 🇩🇰 It’s a gorgeous day for walking … no touristy shops here but some gorgeous handmade items. Ca-ching! 😳

We didn’t book any tours through the ship but instead ate a yuugge breakfast on Deck 15 then walked 1.5 miles each way along the waterfront to a Viking Museum. It’s located in the basement of a bank building. 

Memorial to the dock workers who unloaded the ships

Heavy work!

The statues are so detailed! 

It wasn’t easy to find, but Mark asked a lady on the street who was walking a Yorkshire terrier. She was so nice and helpful and spoke English very well.  🥰

Here’s the Viking museum that’s in the basement of a bank building. There wasn’t an awful lot there, but considering they’ve been digging since 1964 and have gotten down 12 to 15 feet using little brushes and a dustpan, it’s quite amazing what they have found! 

This poor fellow, they expect, was killed inside his little house. His head is missing, except for his law lower job bone with extremely nice well formed teeth. He was tall for the time period. 

One of the city’s Runestones uncovered as a construction project was going on. It was buried under a staircase. Amazing it was found.  

On the way back to the ship, we did a little shopping where they had some handmade goods. Beautifully done. Back on the ship, we came back to our cabin, poured a drink and put a movie on for an hour’s R n R. 

 

About our ship … we’re the 2nd to last cruise before she’s going to Italy for a refit. Twice every 5 years these massive ships are hauled out for hull cleaning, refitting and updating of the decor and finishings. (I tentatively booked us for a 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale in November 2025 on this ship.) 🙃 We shall see after the bills filter through from this extravaganza. 😂 

After a late lunch we walked the Promenade Deck 7 then back to our cabin. Here’s the view from our veranda … 

There’s plenty of construction of residential buildings visible from our cabin. Some are rather uniquely shaped. Both Aarhus and Copenhagen are building for an influx of immigrants in the next 2 years. 

Here are a few pics of Caribbean Princess, a mid-sized ship with a max of 3100 passengers. (One thousand you’ll never see.) 

Entertainment goes on here throughout the cruise in the way of violinists and various musicians. 

It’s a versatile area with comfy seats by the windows flanked by the Promenade Deck. 

No way I can post the various eating spots … here are a few of the choices … 

Basic dining room layout; semi private islands. We enjoy dining at large tables and meeting new people. Last night was interesting … a mother/daughter pair from Mexico and two women who are cousins from California. 

What a show tonight … CHRISTOPHER WATKINS (the Adam Lambert of Violinists!) Check him out online. Wow! 

Wednesday, September 18, 20

Good morning from Copenhagen, Denmark! 🇩🇰 

It was sweater weather last evening! This morning we drifted in through fog. Apparently there was a partial eclipse of the harvest moon overnight but we missed it. At this latitude there wouldn’t have been much to see. 

Room service arrived at 7 a.m. as we’re booked for an early tour of the city then a canal cruise. I hope we will see some of the picturesque sights! 

Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” sits in Copenhagen harbour. Our tour guide told the story how her head was stolen in the 1960s and had to be replaced. And then another time, her arm went missing.

The King granted a poor woman as much land as she could plow in 1 night. This is her statue on her point of land next to the Anglican Church. (Actually she and her 4 boys ploughed all night. The boys are represented by 4 bulls.) Artists 🙄

This cool thermometer is on the side of City Hall’s building. The gold part is a girl riding a bicycle. 

Tivoli Gardens is a park and amusement area inside the city. 

It was supposed to be in the mid 70s today, but with the fog never really lifting it was cool. Mark gave me his jacket.  🥰

It’s 1:30 and we’re back from our tour. It was great … good tour guide both on the bus and canal boat. Too bad it wasn’t sunny … but “winter” starts at the end of September here (apparently.) No snow to speak of but gloomy, foggy, rain and no sunshine. Still, it appears to be a very liveable city. Bicycles are more popular mode of transportation than cars! There’s an entire LANE devoted to bicyclists and 1 for cars. Also, an underground electric unattended train goes round the city. Hop on every 20 minutes!

The buildings and statues are marvelous. 

Just a few pictures of the canals around Copenhagen. 

Tonight, we have dinner in the island dining room with a group we hadn’t met before. Well, let me correct that as two of the ladies were staying at the Wilde in London … we had met them there. That was really funny. Anyway, we shared stories about the day, and they are some of the highroller gamblers on the ship.

Now, back in our cabin we are going to enjoy a movie and a relaxing evening. We have just heard from the captain that in the port that would take us to Paris, they have a strike, and we will not have our berth for the ship! Darn. No trip to Paris! Instead, princess is going to take us to the isle of Portland. We will see you tomorrow what side trips will be available there. A bit disappointed not to see Paris, but oh well, I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Good afternoon from THE cleanest city we’ve seen! Gothenberg was founded by the Dutch/Holland early on and built like Amsterdam! It’s evident in the layout of the city. The canals reminded us of San Antonio Texas! 

No graffiti, no litter! Wowsa! There are canal boats for tourists, but no top so if it rains 🤷‍♀️

Electric cars & electric trolley buses! The city is now building underground trains … quite an undertaking!

The Posidon statue was controversial when it was built … you be the judge! Ooo la la … bit seriously, this city has plenty of parks and public squares! 

Hockey is a mainstay with a city arena. This city, Gothenberg, has a Maritime climate which means, in this part of Sweden, the canals don’t freeze. It’ll get down to Zero Celsius and rain for the winter months. It’s dark by 3 in the afternoon … very little sunshine throughout the winter. (Depressing, said our guide.)

Northern Sweden already has snow and -10C 

This lovely old church was built in 1914 had a great view of the area. There’s a city fort wall frim the 13th Century still visible in several areas!

It was fusty-musty in there. 😜

Canals and boats in the background 

Our tour bus dropped us off at the ancient area, Haga, a cobblestone city and had lunch at a sweet restaurant. Outdoor seating is adundant during tourist season. The clothing shops offered boxy-looking heavy woolens for coming winter. But today was summer at 69F. 😍

A shop Dawn & Randy would like!

See Dawn! Super-cute!!!

I loved how these buildings just “hang”an addition of a patio on the side! Voila! 😂

The harbor looks like a nice area for recreational boating. We’ve seen a few small sailboats and a couple yachts. It’s rocky island bits here and there! 

It’s time for dinner and entertainment! Ta ta. 

Monday, September 16, 2024

Good morning from the fjords of Norway! 🇳🇴 

Room service woke us at 7:30 with a tray full of goodies! We’re going to expect this after the cruise is over. 😂 Sitting on the bed drinking coffee, our reflection in the Stateroom glass balcony door was a laugh. We looked like a pair of gnomes! 😂 Our shoreside tour begins after lunch! It’s 55F now … so jeans and a jacket are the order of the day. 

Quite interesting to think what our ancestors undertook to emigrate and how their DNA wound up with the likes of Mark and me! Both of us have Norwegian roots. It’s a long story apparently! 

This reminds me of a funny family story!

Sitting around our dining room table, Dad enjoyed  a celebratory drink, announced the mortgage was paid off and lit 🔥 the papers over the highly polished wooden table! (The family was horrified! This wasn’t our 1st fire. 😂)

Questions came up… What’s a mortgage? Dad, you’re gonna burn the house down. Eek!

Dad explained that when he died, mom and us kids would be able to stay in the house because there was no money owed on it.  That seemed pretty nice.

Dad had a morbidity about an early death. All his friends would say “Archie, you gotta lose weight. You gotta stop the drinking … quit the cigars. You’re gonna die young!” (Meanwhile, the only thing dad changed after his heart attack at age 36, was he quit cigarettes and took up cigars?)

Dad stated he wanted a Viking funeral!

Me … “What’s a Viking funeral daddy?”

Dad … “It’s when you’re laid out on your boat, lit afire 🔥 and pushed out from the dock!”

Totally horrified I yelled out … “BUT I WANT THE BOAT DADDY!!!!” 🤣

The Vikings were amazing explorers! 

An original Viking ship found in 1960 preserved by being buried in blue clay! Two old women and 1 man were found aboard. This ship is sealed in a safe environment awaiting its new display room. 

This Norsk Maritime Museum also housed the ship that sailed to the north and south poles.

In another building was the Kon Tiki raft which sailed the Pacific in the 1900’s. 

All in all, it was a very good afternoon. We got back and hurried up to supper in the Palm dining room.  We sat with a mother and daughter, duo, and a couple from California. It was a night of good conversation and some fun.  

SUNDAY, September 15, 2024

Good morning! Room service arrived at 7:30 with a loaded tray. What a fun way to wake up. 🥰  Our good sleep was interrupted by a medical emergency call for a blood donor. Hopefully it turned out well. We’re steaming to Oslo, Norway so it’s a lovely day at sea and a formal night with Champagne waterfall, Broadway Production show and a bazillion more to choose from. 

There’s something for everyone! 

It’s now 1015 and there is a helicopter above the ship evacuating a passenger to Germany. I guess it was a very serious situation. Everyone on the Port side has to be off their balcony and the door closed, but we are on the starboard side, so I will try and get a picture.  

The helicopter returned for the travel companion. Wishing the best of care at the German hospital. 

Mark and I shopped … a Brighton pendant holder necklace and a carved glass piece for the curio cabinet which he chose. Wam bam, done. ✅ 

Mark wanted buffet lunch whereas I do better with full service and a menu. 🤣 We had Bailey’s & Coffee with Perrier on the side then Mark found the carving station and had a delicious looking meal. I didn’t see the carving station (big sign) 😳 and found crab salad and deli cuts. So … Mark found the meatloaf and turkey with mashed potatoes for moi. 🥰 Yeah, I’m like my mom; she couldn’t “find anything “ at a buffet. I understand. 🤪

Now we’re quietly sitting on our balcony listening to the waves while Caribbean Princess runs along at 20 knots to Norway! 🇳🇴 Life is good. 

By the way, Dawn sent a message that Randy is feeling much better. They hope to treat his kidney stones with sound frequencies. 

Did I mention frying my NEW hot rollers in London? Well it happened! So now we’re off to formal night and my hair’s a muddle. 🙄 Maybe no formal pictures? 

Tonight’s dinner of prime rib roast was delicious followed by a Broadway musical show with 16 cast members. It was high-energy dancing with amazing set changes. I took a pic of 1 … 

Yeah, not a great picture. 🙃

That’s it for tonight. We had a great day, some relaxing good company at dinner and a real nice evening show. Tomorrow we’re off to Oslo Norway.