Always when I am on a cruise or holiday I seem to meet up with people who complain about various things not going right. Very often it is that they have chosen the wrong holiday but don't want to admit it. Sometimes, especially on a cruise, if something goes wrong - either with the ship or the weather or anything else you can think of - the complaints are hung out on the line.
Let me tell you about my latest cruise -
The first port of call was Andalsnes and the tour I went on was delightful. Whenever we got off the coach the pavements were clear of snow and ice. But, come the second port of call, Tromso, not only were there some hills and slopes I couldn't have managed, but the pavements hadn't been cleared of snow and ice - just gritted. So I did not get to see the Arctic Cathedral, the Planetarium or the Museum.
This was NOT the fault of the shipping line or the tours department. It was MY fault. I should have checked out the excursion and the town more thoroughly.
Then came the BIG NIGHT OUT. Going to find the Northern Lights. As it would be below freezing we were all well wrapped up - and had to unwrap on the coach as it was an hour's drive to get to the camp. There we hurried to the cabin where hot chocolate and cake awaited us. After I had had mine I braved the cold and went outside. Fortunately there was enough snow that my boots could get a good grip but there was a horrendous north wind which was fine if it was behind you but trying to walk into it was a nightmare. I strolled, I stood, I sat on benches and like everyone else I looked up at the sky. Saw stars and clouds. Didn't see any lights. Back indoors for a thaw out. Another try to see the lights. A guide pointed to something in the sky - he could see it, I couldn't but I pointed the camera and took a photo. Nothing. The problem is that to the naked eye the 'lights' often look like wispy clouds. It is only when you photograph them that you see the colours. All those lovely photos we see in magazines and on telly are taken with special time-release cameras and videos. The average camera doesn't photograph them well at all.
I gave up and found a coach to get me back to the ship. Some people on the later tours did see the lights so my advice is that if you are ever going, take a tour after 9.00 p.m. I suspect that the lights are stronger then.
The next morning I woke up at 6.00 and we were still in port - and it was snowing. Turns out we should have left at 3.30 a.m. but because of the tremendous wind we needed two tugs to get us safely away from the dock and only one tug was available. We finally left at midday after a second tug came to our aid.
We should have called at Stavanger for a morning but now there wasn't time. Of course there were complains and suggestions that if we had speeded up we could have been at that city for the afternoon. As I pointed out - on several occasions - there may not have been room in the port later in the day. Not to mention the fact that shipping is not so much monitored as martialled through the channel between the UK and the European mainland. Think aeroplane take off and landing times and how they are monitored.
I will, when I have a moment to spare, do a blog on the wonderful drive through the Romesdalen Valley from Andalsnes.
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