Cruise - part 2

 

Day 3 was a day at sea. Here's my view from bed when I woke up that morning.  

I finally caught up on sleep. I like sleeping with the blinds open to wake up to a view of the sea and sky. But, we were heading into the Land of the Midnight Sun, so I  had to give that up and lower the blinds overnight after this.

After breakfast (including some Apple Kringle!), I went to the theater for a talk given on whales.  The speaker was a young American female Marine biologist who shared a lot of info and kept it all very interesting.

After that talk, another talk was scheduled by a different speaker about Norway's people and customs...so I just stayed in my seat for that one too.  Interesting but a bit slower paced.

Then it was time to look aound the ship. Cold and windy outside so no one around the pool. You can see a few people on deck 15 above...walking and running laps. 

I went up there too, but didn't stay long.

Here's a fancy passage way...

A nicer restaurant..."Blu"...available only for those who choose a top tier level of cruise.

An area called "Eden". Two levels of seating, a bar, food at breakfast and lunch. Sometimes there was entertainment, then at night, the area was a specialty restaurant...meaning there was an extra charge to eat there.

On this ship, the public restrooms are stocked with a supply of little rolled up towels that one can use to dry their hands. Paper towels are available too, if desired.

That evening was a formal evening. I spruced up a little, with black pants and a nice top, but like other cruise lines, there was a mix of people dressed very elegantly, some at about my level of dress, and some just with the clothes they'd worn all day.

I went to the center plaza to have a glass of Merlot and find out what was "The Chandelier Show" mentioned in the schedule.  It was just the giant chandelier in the center, changing colors and flashing

The real entertainment was the bartenders at the Martini Bar below, using this time to take turns doing juggling acts and a fancy multiple mixed drink pour as a grand finale.

 

The evening show was a rock music performance. It was good.  Looking back on the cruise, now, I'd say that Celebrity does many things very well, but their entertainment isn't nearly as professional and polished as that of other cruise lines I've been on.

It was still broad daylight at 11pm when I lowered the blinds at bed time.

On Day 4, I woke up around 5:30 am, and opened the blinds to see this. We were sailing very slowly up through the fjord to Flam, Norway.

Just as I thought, that overhanging part above my balcony cuts off my view.

You can see here how the ship is built and the way that upper floor extends out over the rooms below.  No problem though, I quickly got dressed and went up to the top decks to enjoy the full views.

The port area in Flam had some shops and coffee shops. I looked around a bit while waiting for my trip on the Flam Railway.

I had bought my ticket online at home a few months ago. It's a popular trip and can sometimes be sold out.  Boarding is right there in the port area.

It's about a 2 hour round trip...winding up through the mountains to the station at Myrdal. There, one can change trains and continue on, or just stay seated and go back down to Flam, in reverse direction.

Very beautiful and scenic (more so than my cell phone camera photos can capture).

Lots of streams and waterfalls, fed from the snow melting off the mountains.

The train passes through lots of tunnels and along the edge of steep drop-offs.

Can you see that long skinny waterfall coming down this mountain?

Here's another stream coming down and a very curvy road nearby.

We made at stop at this big waterfall, the Kjosfossen.

At Myrdal. I was hoping to switch seats and be on the other side of the train on the return trip...but nope, everyone stayed on the train.

The weather was sunny and perfect. Temperatures around 80 degrees, which is unusual for this area.

Sail away was mid afternoon. I spent a bit of quiet time in my cabin, reading and stitching by the big window.

In the evening I saw two shows. The first one, in "The Club", was a musical acrobatic and dance production.

Then the second, was in The Theater. It was music and comedy by an Irish performer.

Funny and entertaining!

Day 5 was another day at sea. It's nice to have these long relaxing days between port days.

I had a leisurely breakfast and read awhile with a second  cup of coffee.

Then there were two different talks in the theater.  One, was on gin and martini making, the the other, by the interesting marine biologist, was about glaciers. Both were interesting.

I stopped at the Future Cruise desk to discuss taking advantage of a special offer on a future cruise.  I didn't pick out anything that day, but I did reserve the offer with a small deposit and I can shop and pick a cruise from the comfort of my recliner at home.

After lunch, I went to a show that was a female singer. Her style was to meld together a variety of just the beginning snippets of many songs.  

Not a favorite of mine, but the Britih cruisers seemed to love her. Possibly she is more well known there.

And mentioning that, I wanted to add that there is a mix of nationalities on this cruise.

Americans, Canadians, British, Indians, Asians, and others,  I heard languages I did not recognize.

It makes things interesting but also different. Not much interaction in elevators or public spaces...but still a lot of conversations while sitting waiting for a show or for a tour to begin.

I ended that evening watching a magician performance in The Theater.  

After that I was ready for bed.  I drew the blinds around 10:00 pm to a still bright and sunny sky.

I'll have to stop here and continue with at least 2 more posts.