Devall Travels

Arrived Dover around 8am the time we were supposed to leave our cabin and wait in the lounge for our departure slot. At least we got breakfast. In fact we were early enough to have packed and left the hand luggage in the cabin and once fully breakfasted we could go back and collect it and assemble in the Britannia Lounge until customs formalities are complete and disembarkation can start. All in all the cruise has been pretty fantastic. The food and service were excellent the whole time from the off to the return. I'd certainly think about another cruise. Whether with Saga or another line I don't know. Saga are more expensive and many things are included that may not be on other lines. But at least the experience has been a very good one. Roll on our next holiday!

A day at sea so we didn't get up too early for breakfast. Once that was out of the way we had a couple of hours reading in the Drawing Room. One of the benefits up there apart from the view is tea and coffee plus cakes and biscuits. The jazz lunchtime show kicked off in the Britannia Lounge with Kenny Martin and Elaine Delmar Then lunch and a rest in our room watching Skyfall before siesta!!!  This evening we have a cocktail evening and dress is casual. For most that means suit and tie. So for me jacket and trousers but no tie! And Claire looking lovely in a blue dress. So off to shake the Captain's hand and hopefully get a few cocktails down us before dinner. Then to bed after packing the suitcases and leaving them to be collected ready for disembarkation.

The last day in Norway. We were awakened by the captain over the tannoy telling us we had arrived in Bergen. For some reason I had been awake until about 4am and so a wake up call for coffee at 0715 and then tannoy announcements were all I needed! After breakfast we took the shuttle bus into Bergen. It's not far but we are in an industrial berth and not one of the tourist berths. The Minerva is! Maybe that's why the upped anchor earlier than us yesterday!! Having to wait for the buses to arrive and then get into the city, and of course, get back again, wasted quite a lot of our shore time. Claire at the fish market quay.  Loads of seafood but again not sold as we would expect in Folkestone!  No Norwegian version of Chummies. We did have a small taste of a 59kr pot of caviar. Large balls but not as tasty as the lumpfish we buy at home in Lidl or Aldi for the equivalent of 20kr!! We did buy a small punnet of strawberries. A Slimming Worl...

We have pretty much a full day in Olden and with it being Sunday there might not be anything open. We are alongside the dock today and another ship is at anchor in the fjord and using its tenders. The other ship is the Swan Hellenic Line "Minerva". It used to be the Saga Pearl. Maybe today we will find an elusive post box for our cards bought and stamped on Friday? After breakfast we'll take a stroll into town. Or maybe lazily take a ride on the tourist train. We are on holiday after all. Light breakfast taken.  We took the little tourist train. It was 300kr for two. A little pricey but we saw things that if we had been on foot we'd never have seen. The train takes you past Olden centre and out on the road to the Briksdalsbreen Glacier. We opted for the local tour as we went to a glacier yesterday. A couple of stops to look at the lakes formed by the glaciers in the ice age and the waterfall on the outskirts of the town. ...

Arrived Jondal early morning. Awakened to the loud noise of machinery as we anchored in the fjord off the town. Good job as we may have overslept!!  The mountains towering in the background are snow capped. Out of the bright sun it is very chilly. After breakfast we had a more leisurely start as we were part of the second wave of people on the Folgefonna Glacier trip. In wave two we were coach 5! So possibly the most popular of the trips to date. Firstly as the roads are very narrow we had a short trip some ten miles further up the fjord to a small village, Herand, with a harbour. Our guide today is a young guy studying in England at Warwick, but who is back home know. Very knowledgeable about the area and Norwegian history. His name is impossible to write from the sound but is something like Chirtle!! Then we set off up the mountain. Waiting occasionally for cars and campers. Plus a long wait for coach 1. Eventually we a...

Arrived in Stavanger just as we were getting up. We should have thought about it and set the alarm for a bit earlier. However, the first pix are from the cabin window!! Sadly not good quality but from my phone.... Between our arrival and coming out from breakfast the Cunard Liner "Queen Elizabeth" had arrived across the port from us. More apartment block than ship!! Our excursion today is to Flor & Fjære garden. To be honest I have never been a fan of the coach party. For many years I have had photos and trips ruined by the coach hordes, from Morocco to Austria!! I'll post more pictures when the wifi becomes available. The gardens are stunning. A long cold winter had held back planting but to think that tropical and desert plants can exist in Norway is amazing. From an area of barren rock that no one valued in 1965 the owners have worked to make a tropical paradise. Most of the trips are for the rest...

Up at 0800 with coffee from our steward for the day. It seemed a little early for a holiday but there is so much to do! The night was a bit of getting used to the sound of the air con and also sleeping in different beds. We chose twin beds instead of a double. I don't think either of us slept too well. Of course at sea there is no phone signal so blogging isn't real time. Need to find a wifi signal in the first port of call. Apparently according to Tripadvisor they have a McDonalds! And so to breakfast. Once again in the Pole to Pole Restaurant, and once again restrained. You could easily put on a stone a day with the amount of food that can be consumed. Slimming World it ain't! At 0945 we had the welcome talk and some information on the excursions. We have two and they are Friday and Saturday in Stavanger and Jondal. One small worry was that the Jondal trip to the glacier was cancelled. Luckily there are two and it was the hike and n...

The driver arrived early and we weren't quite ready. So in the end we arrived early at the port and got straight on in time for tea. Leaving misty Dover and tug-free heading into the Channel. Time for the phone to have mobile data turned off! The list of what is going to happen appears in a newsletter called "Today". It told us today was a casual day so we didn't need to dress up for dinner. My new suit can wait until tomorrow. Once tea was over, and we were very restrained, we had enough time to get back to the cabin to see the luggage was waiting for us, but just in time to get our life jackets for the emergency drill. Our lifeboat is number five and is accessible from Deck 9. Our cabin is 6050 on deck six. Once that was over there was time to get back to the cabin and unpack before heading to the bar for a cocktail. Haven't had a screwdriver in my hands since Sunday... and then it wasn't a vodka and orange one....

Our first proper cruise.  We had done an overnight in-port stay as a taster, then a two night cruise from Edinburgh to Dover.     So we have taken the plunge and will take to the high seas on a Saga cruise to the Fjords in Norway. The itinerary is: 12 Jun Dover, England Embark Saga Sapphire. Depart 1600. 14 Jun Stavanger, Norway Arrive 0800. Depart 1800. 15 Jun Jondal, Norway Arrive 0700. Depart 1400. Land by launch or tender. 16 Jun Olden, Norway Arrive 0800. Depart 1700. 17 Jun Bergen, Norway Arrive 0800. Depart 1700. 19 Jun Dover, England Arrive 0800. Disembark Saga Sapphire after breakfast Still over six months to go......