Solo First Time Cruiser Disney Magic Norwegian Fjords September 2022 - Updated Final Thoughts

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Background
Some may remember that I originally booked my first Disney Cruise in July 2019 for September 2020. That was supposed to be a 5 night Western Europe Cruise. I was very active here on the cruise section planning and researching for that cruise. Then the events of 2020 happened and my cruise was cancelled. I did a virtual trip report of what that cruise was supposed to be.

Virtual Online Disney Magic 5 Night Western Europe September 2020 Trip Report

I rebooked using DCL future cruise credit offer for Norwegian Fjord in September 2021 and started my planning all over again.

But that cruise was also cancelled. Again I rebooked using DCL future cruise credit offer for Norwegian Fjord in September 2022.

Finally I made it onto my cruise, 3 years after originally booking.

This is my cruise trip report which I'm finally able to post here. I know some of my information is out of date, as The Magic is not in Europe and the UK port has changed to Southampton but this is my experience from 2022. I wanted to include as much information as possible, as there is not a lot of trip reports for the Norwegian Fjords cruises on Disney.

The cruise was outstanding in every way. And yes I did get emotional when I saw the ship for the first time.

I'm so glad I did a 7 night for my first cruise, not just for the ports but to fully experience as much as I could on the ship.

I didnt want to leave but at the same time I had crossed off almost everything on my to do list.

Itinerary

Travel Day to Dover Saturday 3 September 2022

Embarkation Day Sunday 4 September 2022

Day At Sea Monday 5 September 2022

Alesund , Norway Port Day Tuesday 6 September 2022

Nordfjordeid, Norway Port Day Wednesday 7 September 2022

Eidjford Norway Port Day Thursday 8 September 2022

Stavanger Norway Port Day Friday 9 September 2022

Second Day At Sea Return To Dover Saturday 10 September 2022

Debarkation, Goodbye Dover, Hello London Sunday 11 September 2022

Final Thoughts

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Travel Day To Dover
For those who may not know, I am a solo female cruiser from Ireland.

My day started with a taxi to Dublin airport. My flight was at 11.15am. In the previous weeks to my travel, Dublin airport had a lot of delays with check in and security. I decided to give myself plenty of time so I arrived at the airport and was doing back drop at 8.20am. I checked in online with Aer Lingus yesterday and had my boarding pass, so it was very quick to use the self service machine. Looking over at the normal check in queue and it looked huge. I was done in 5 minutes and heading up to the security area.

Security took a bit longer but still not too bad. I was into the shopping area by 8.45am.

Next it was breakfast in Starbucks and a wander around the shops.

In Dublin airport they have self service cheap water for sale. These are located in various place in the terminal. There is a water display and box to put your money in. The bottles cost €1. I bought 2 and refilled my water bottle.

After checking out the shops, Boots , a UK pharmacy chain which is similar to CVS or Walgreens is new since my last flight in June, I checked the departure board.

My flight was at 301 gate, which I knew was a long walk, so I decided to just head to the gate.

Gate 301 is actually in Terminal 1. To get from the shopping area in Terminal 2 to the shopping area in Terminal 1 you have to take the corridor at the end near the Tax Reclaim desk and follow the signs. You go down one floor using the lift or escalator and then walk along a corridor. Its a bit long so there is a moving walkway. At the end of the moving walkway you go down again and follow the signs and suddenly you are at Terminal 1 security area.

The 301 gate is past Terminal 1 security area and through a corridor in the middle of the shopping area. Its actually one of the original gate areas from before the big refurb and building of Terminal 2. I flew to New York from this gate area in 2006.

I got to the gate area just after the flight before mine had just left. I didnt mind, I love being in the airport so I found a seat and just read my book
.
I checked my Airtag and saw that my bag was in the holding area nearby.

The plane arrived and it looked like we were boarding soon.

But oh no, my flight was delayed. They said due to operational reasons, but the flight crew only turned up about 10 minutes before boarding so my guess is that there was a last minute scheduling issue, maybe someone called in sick and they had to get someone else in.

Once we were on the plane I checked my Airtag and my bag was on the plane, whew thats a relief.

Finally we departed at 12.pm, originally scheduled departure was 11.15am. I was a bit stressed but there was nothing I could do, I just read my book and tried to stay calm. I was booked on the 3.40pm train from St Pancras to Dover, with a non refundable ticket.

We landed at 1pm and then began the mad dash to make up some time.

At the bag reclaim area I checked my Airtag and my bag was outside Terminal 2, phew, its off the plane.

It took a while for my bag to come and then I was off.

First the walk from bag reclaim to arrivals area.
Then out to the elevators down to the transport area.
Then the big long walk along the corridor to the underground tube station.
Then past the tube station and along 2 more moving walkways to the Heathrow Express area.

Down the lift and to the platform.

New since my last time in London, The Elizabeth Line now shares the same platform and track as the Heathrow Express.

Most people got on the Elizabeth Line to Paddington. The Heathrow Express was 3 minutes behind and we passed the Elizabeth Line train half way through the journey.

I was on the 2pm Heathrow Express and got to Paddington at 2.15pm.

Next it was find the tube. The short way to the tube is up the stairs at the end of the platform, and yes I did it, with all my luggage and no help.

Then a walk with purpose to the tube platform.

I have a UK bank account from when I lived in The UK so I just used my contactless bank card to pay for the tube.

Finally on the tube platform and there was a train in 3 minutes.

Oh my goodness, on the tube at 2.30pm and arrived at St Pancras at 2.50pm.

WOW, I made it with time to spare.

I collected my prepaid train ticket from the ticket machine and had time to buy food in Marks and Spencers, a UK grocery store and then it was time to find my platform.

I got to the platform and had to wait about 10 minutes as the train was not in yet.

As I looked around I could see people with Disney luggage and Disney tshirts.

Its starting to feel real, the cruise is happening, its not just a random trip to London.

The train pulled in and I got on. Not too many people in the carriage, but I can hear some German people a few seats away talking in their language about the cruise.

Just 1 hour on the train and oh wow, Im in Dover. The lift is out of order so again I drag my bags up and down the stairs.

Out the door and there are taxis waiting. A short taxi ride, £6 to my hotel, Travelodge.

After checking in , I went out to explore. It was only 5pm so I had plenty of time to relax after the stressful travel day.

I went to Superdrug , a UK pharmacy chain which is similar to CVS or Walgreens and Marks and Spensers. I bought some last minute things for the cruise, water for my room and wine for the cruise. On Disney cruises each adult can bring onboard 2 bottle of wine / sparkling wine or a 6 pack of beer.

After shopping I went to get some food. I had checked out food options before getting to Dover and I decided to get an Indian takeaway. I found Cinnamon Island was highly rated so I walked there and ordered my takeaway.

While I was waiting for my food I walked to the seafront.

This is where I got a bit emotional. For 3 years I have been watching the port webcam, during the shutdown when The Magic was in Dover, then the UK Staycation cruises and then finally this year when the Magic did the reposition a few weeks ago. I could not believe I was actually standing on the beach I knew so well from the port webcam.



Then it was time to go back and collect my food from Cinnamon Island.

As I walked back to Travelodge, the queue for Nandos, a popular UK Chicken Piri Piri restaurant was out the door.

I had brought a plastic plate and plastic knife, fork and spoon with me, so back in my room I had my Chicken Pasanda and Pilaf rice.

After my food, I repacked my bags. At the port the next morning my checked bag would be taken by the port staff and brought onboard separately. The room would be available before my bag would be delivered to my room, so I packed things I would need in the afternoon in my carry on bag, as well as the normal things in my carry on like travel documents, spare clothes, medication, electronics, etc.

I also packed my wine, as thats not allowed in checked luggage.

Then it was time for a shower and early to bed, tomorrow would be a long day.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Embarkation Day Sunday 4 September
I woke early, my normal time to wake up is 7.am. Breakfast in Travelodge started at 7.30am. I had prebooked breakfast, just to make things a bit easier this morning. There were other breakfast options nearby, Burger King and Costa Coffe, a UK coffee chain similar to Starbucks for anyone who didn’t want the hotel breakfast.

The breakfast was standard UK hotel buffet and cost £8 which I thought was very good value for what was provided.

• Tea, coffee, juice,
• cereal
• fruit
• bagels
• croissants
• toast

UK / Irish Cooked Breakfast Items

• bacon
• pork sausages
• hash browns
• fried mushrooms
• fried tomatoes
• scrambled eggs
• baked beans

After breakfast I went for a walk out to the seafront. And oh wow, my first time to see The Magic in real life in Dover. The last time I saw The Magic was in Dublin in September 2019 when the ship visited on The British Isles cruise.

I sat on a bench and just enjoyed the early morning by the sea. Lots of locals on their morning walks and some even swimming.

I stayed for a while and managed to hear the announcement chimes for the first time.

By now it was almost 8.30 so I went back to the hotel to get ready to get on the ship.

My Port Arrival Time was 11.30am. I asked at the hotel reception about a taxi to the port. They said just to go out to the front of the hotel as all the taxis do circuits of the hotels on cruise days.

At about 11.10am I went out and there was another family waiting there too. Their taxi arrived in 5 minutes, and then 5 minutes later another arrived which I got into.

The drive to port was fast, about 10 minutes. At the port, at the first security check point I was asked for my PAT. As It was 11.25, the taxi was allowed to drive direct to the terminal. If I had a later PAT time there were directing people to a holding area.

Driving up to the terminal and seeing the ship so close for the first time was amazing. The taxi cost £8 . When I got out of the taxi, I was directed to the queue for people who did not have luggage tags. There were port staff members at a table with a list of people. I gave my room number and name, was ticked off the list and given a luggage tag. They wrote my name and room number on the luggage tag, and then it was over to the door where all the porters were loading the bags. I gave my bag to the porter and then joined the queue to enter the terminal.

They were letting people into the terminal in groups, so I had to wait about 5 minutes at the door.

Then once they gave the go ahead for the next group, I was in. In the door, around the corner and up the escalator to the security check queue.

At the security check they scanned my Port Arrival QR Code, and my photo came up on the handheld device. Then through the security scan machines and into the Disney Check In queue. As I was going through the security check, they started calling boarding groups 1 to 3 so I knew I would be boarding soon. At the Disney check in I had to show my passport and my Port Arrival QR Code again. By now they were calling groups 1 to 10, so I went straight over to the boarding queue.

Through the boarding queue and then down to the ship. Before the final walk to the ship, I had to show my Prenatics Cleared to Sail.

And then, oh my goodness, I am finally doing the walk to the ship, along the glass corridor that I have watched so many times on YouTube.


I had already decided to have a bit of fun with the welcome announcement, so when the Disney CM asked my name, I was welcomed on to the ship as Elizabeth Swan

It was a bit chaotic and overwhelming. I was hustled out of the atrium and into Fathoms. At the door of Fathoms, I talked to the CM. He asked did I have the App set up and did I know where my Assembly Station is. I said yes to both, and he said I didn’t have to stay and could go straight through Fathoms and up to deck 4 for my Assembly station.

I had watched a YouTube video of the deck 4 walk around and I knew that my Assembly Area H was forward, so I took the forward lift up to Deck 4 and quickly found my Assembly Area and did the check in through the App.

Next on my plan was to go to Guest services and find out about where the dining changing would be. It was now 12.15pm so I was doing good on time. Guest services said the restaurant changes would be in Promenade Lounge from 12.30pm. As it was just nearly that time I just went there. There was already a queue of people waiting to see the dining team. My priority was to put my name on the waitlist for Palo brunch. When I checked the App when I got onboard, I saw that I had been moved from early dining to late dining. I wanted to change that back to early dining.

Palo waitlist and MDR time changed, next it was time for lunch. Most people go to Cabanas, but I had decided that I would eat most meals in the MDR when possible. Lumiere’s was open for Concierge Lunch and Rapunzel’s was open for general lunch.

Rapunzel’s was almost empty, and it was so nice to have a quiet relaxed lunch after the hustle of the morning.

I didn’t want a big lunch, so I just got an entrée and the drink of the day.

I got Pennetta Pasta, with tomato basil Provencal sauce, goats’ cheese and a spinach paste.

For my drink, I got the drink of the day which was High Tide and cost $7.08 which included the automatic 18% gratuity.

I felt a bit more relaxed now, so I went back to deck 4 to fill my water bottle at the water station and take some photos of the port area and the cliffs from the ship. Then I went to explore a bit, finding the shops and then up to deck 10 to Vibe and Concierge Lounge. Near the Concierge lounge I found the radio station. I took the midship lifts down and the doors opened on deck 7 and I saw people waiting for rooms. It was now 1.50pm I guessed the rooms would be ready by 2pm. I decided instead of just standing on deck 6 like everyone else I would sit at deck 4 midship and watch some of the welcome announcements.

At 2pm I took the lift up to deck 6 and found my room.
My Key To The World Card was in the Fish outside my room.

I was in room 6003, Forward, Port. This is an inside standard room Category 11B. However, it has an unusual layout. It is a sideways room. It is the same size and footprint as other inside standard room Category 11B rooms, but a different layout. The door is in the centre of the room, facing the sofa. The bed is on the left side of the room and bathroom is on the right side of the room. It feels roomy as you walk straight into the sofa area. I had researched the rooms on The Magic and had specially requested a sideways room when I booked the cruise with my travel agent.



After taking photos and video it was now time to decorate my door.. I had decided on a Peter Pan theme for my door.
I had researched the size of this room number and used it as the centre part of Big Ben. I bought Big Ben and Peter Pan wall decals from Amazon, covered them in clear sticky plastic and put magnets on the back. I also put magnets on the back of glow in the dark stars.



I had joined a Fish Extender Exchange Group so I put that out too. I made mine which matched my Peter Pan door magnet theme.

I had brought a pin trading board for my door. I used magnetic hooks to hang this on my door under the Peter Pan decals.


As I was decorating my door, my checked bag arrived but I didn’t unpack.

I checked the App, it was 2.45pm, Cabanas closed at 3.15pm so I decided to check out Cabanas. I just got a carrot cake and filled up my drink’s container. My MDR dining time was still showing late, so I went out to the pool deck and got a slice of pizza from the quick service area.
I saw on the App that the Spa raffle was at 3.30pm so I decided to try my luck with that.

After the spa raffle I found Cove Café and got a chocolate muffin from there and some melon from the quick service and I brought them back to my room for snacks for later. I also got an empty wine glass from Signals Bar for the wine I had brought with me.

By now it was 4pm and on the TV there was an announcement that the safety video would be at 4.30pm.
I decided to out to Deck 10 to watch the safety video and get a good spot for the sail a wave party. I managed to get a spot at the railings facing the stage and the screen.

At the end of the sail away I felt the ship start moving so I went to the railings to watch the sail out of Dover harbour past the cliffs.



By now it was after 5pm and when I checked the App, I saw that my MRD time had been changed back to 6pm, so I went back to the room to change for dinner.

I also got a notification that I had a reservation for Palo brunch for tomorrow, Monday 5 September, first day at sea.

Tonight, I was in Animators Palate, and it was Sorcerer Mickey night. My outfit tonight was MSEP t shirt, which is blue with Mickey Mouse, and I had the 2022 Ears from Disneyland California. My Mask was Sorcerer Mickey.

I was at Table 11 which was to the side and the back, but I didn’t mind, as I was near the screens and had a great view of the restaurant. I was at a table on my own, which I requested, but I was beside a couple from Maine, and I talked to them a few times during the meal. It was nice to be at my own table but at the same time be able to talk to the people beside me. It meant that I could have the meal at my own pace, and I didn’t have to wait for table mates to arrive and I could leave when I was finished.



For my drink I had a glass of Santa Margherita Brut Rose which cost $10.62, which included an automatic 18% gratuity.

• Black Truffle Pasta Purseittes
  Pasta Purse Filled with truffle scented cheese and coated with a Champagne Sauce
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
• Pork Cordon Blu
  Breaded Pork Loin stuffed with ham and gruyere cheese served with snow peas and roasted potatoes
• Warm Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice-cream.

My serving team was

• Head Server Cedomar from Croatia
• Server Cristal from Mexico
• Assistant Server Sandra from Portugal

As I came out of Rapunzels restaurant, the jewellery shop was having a free raffle, so I decided to stay for that. The CM doing the raffle was also in charge of the main shops and gave an apology about the Disney merchandise, and said they were having supply issues and that if we wanted anything special to go tonight as they would not be restocking during cruise.

After the jewellery raffle, I went straight to the main shops. It was very crowded, but I managed to get a Disney Cruise Spirit Jersey in my size. I had a quick look at other things, but it was mainly the spirit jerseys and t-shirts which people were buying, so I knew I could come back in a quieter time for other things.

I went back to my room with my shopping and decided it was time to unpack.

During the time I was at dinner, my stateroom host Migual from Honduras had done the turn down service and left me a gift of a towel animal and some chocolate.

I checked the App to see what activities were on and I decided to see Thor Love and Thunder at 9.45pm.
There were very few people in the cinema which was great

After the film I decided it was time for bed, as the clock went forward tonight as Norway is one hour ahead of The UK. When I got back to my room I found I had some gifts in my Fish Extender.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Day At Sea Monday 5 September - Formal Night Captains Reception

I woke this morning at 6am, my normal time, even though I was late to bed. I was up and out on deck to see the sunrise at 7am and then it was time for some food. I got some fruit and yoghurt from the buffet Cabanas which opened at 7.30am and then a caramel latte from Cove Cafe. The coffee cost me $6.79. I didn’t get much food as I had a reservation for brunch at Palo at 10.30am.

I brought my food and coffee back to my room using a Starbucks holder I had brought with me and got ready for the day. Todays Disney Bounding out was Rapunzel, pink and purple skirt, yellow t-shirt, pink cardigan, sun symbol mask, and purple and white crown ears. I wore Minnie Mouse slippers as it was a sea day and I wanted to be comfortable.

The first activity of the day was a pre booked Princess Meet and Greet in the Main Atrium Lobby. Before the cruise I booked this for 11.30am, but then yesterday I changed it to 9.15am when I got the Palo Brunch reservation.
I got to the Main Atrium Lobby about 9am and the CM checked me off the list and said I could join the queue. The Princesses were Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana and Mulan.
Everyone got a few minutes to talk to each Princess in turn and get a hug or sign an autograph and get photos.
I specifically wore my Rapunzel outfit so that I could get a photo with Rapunzel.



After meeting with the Princesses, it was back to my room for a quick freshen up and to change into my high heel shoes.

Palo is an Italian themed fine dining restaurant, and they have a stricter dress code than the rest of the ship. Brunch cost $45 for an al a carte menu. Brunch used to be a buffet but switched to al a carte after the restart.

Both Palo Brunch and Dinner are very popular and can be pre booked before the cruise. As a first-time cruiser, all the reservations were booked before my booking window opened. However, they hold some reservations which can be booked on embarkation day. This is how I got my brunch reservation, I put my name on a waitlist with the dining team as soon as I got on the ship.

Once I was ready, I had some time to spare before my reservation, so I went to the adult pool area at deck 9. It was a bit windy and the water in the pool had waves but there were people in the pool. You could who was American and who was European, as the Americans were wrapped up in coats and hats looking cold, whereas the Europeans were just in jumpers or t-shirts.

At 10.30am I arrived at Palo and was brought to a table by the window. I had an amazing view of the sea at the back of the ship.



To start I had bread service and a complimentary mimosa/ buck’s fizz.

• Almond Croissant
• Blueberry Pancakes
• Eggs Florentine
  Poached Eggs on Toasted English Muffin, with Spinach and Mornay Sauce
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast Topped with a San Marzano Tomato Basil Sauce and Mozzarella cheese, served on a creamy Arborio Rice Risotto.
• Tiramisu

There’s no additional tip / gratuity added on, so I gave $10 which brought the total to $55. I thought it was well worth the price for the amount and quality of food. I had a 5-course meal plus an alcoholic drink for the same price as a 2-course meal and non-alcoholic drink at Café Orleans in Disneyland.



After Palo I went back to my room to change my shoes. Today is a sea day and I wanted to be comfortable walking around on the ship, so I changed back into my Minnie Mouse slippers.

I found the comfy portholes by Keys in the adult and sat for a while watching the sea. The water was a bit rough, but it’s the North Sea so its to be expected. To me it was just like getting the ferry from Dublin to Wales.

I checked the App and saw that there was Star Wars Trivia in O’Gills at 12.45pm so I decided to try that. I didn’t do too well, I got 11 out of 40, the winner got 37 out of 40. The CM said not to feel too bad, as the questions were originally for Star Wars Day At Sea, so they are a bit hard for more casual Star Wars Fans.

After Star Wars Trivia I went back to my room to collect my Disney Pins as there was an unofficial pin trading meet up at 2.30pm.

On the way to my room, I took a detour to the shop. Far less crowded than last night and I bought some pins.
After getting my pins from my room, I came back to the comfy portholes outside Keys and got the drink of the day, Cool Breeze which cost $7.08 including the 18% automatic gratuity.

About 10 people came by to do pin trading which was nice. I managed to get a Tinkerbell pin to add to my collection.
I brought my pins back to the room and checked the App and saw there was Marvel Trivia at 3.45pm. I got 16 out of 25 which is a bit better than the Star Wars Trivia.

After Marvel Trivia I went back to my room to freshen up for dinner and to collect my Pixie Dust items. This is another tradition on Disney Cruises. People leave Pixie Dust items in random Fish Extender holders. The Pixie Dust items are just small little gifts. I had about 6 Princess Air Fresheners which I just randomly dropped into Fish Extender holders along deck 6.

When I went back to my room, I found I had some more Fish Extender gifts.

I forgot to say yesterday that I gave out my fish extender gifts last night. I decided to give them out on the first night so that I wouldn’t forget about them. I was in a small group of 4 rooms, including me, so I had gifts for 3 rooms.

Tonight’s dinner was in Rapunzel’s Royal Table. I was ready by 5.15pm, so I decided to sit for a while at the portholes in Promenade Lounge and listen to Disney on Piano with Bernadet which started at 5.30pm.



Even though it was a different restaurant, I had the same table number, 11 and the same serving team. My table was again off to the side, and I had a great view of the restaurant.

My assistant server Sandra remembered my drink from last night and asked did I want the same one and I said yes please.

Tonight, in Rapunzel’s it’s the Thugs and Rapunzel celebrating her birthday. I had an ok view of the show, but I didn’t mind, as it was just really a lot of singing and dialogue.

Same drink as before, Santa Margherita Brut Rose which cost $10.62, which included an automatic 18% gratuity.

• Bread Service
• Grilled Knockwurst Sausage on white Onion Mash with crisp shallots and Sweet Bavarian Mustard
• Wild Mushroom Soup with White Truffle Oil and Chives
• Butternut Squash Stroganoff
  Oven Roasted Butternut Squash, Carrots and Tomatoes, in a Yoghurt Sauce over Wild Rice
• Traditional Bread and Butter Pudding with Rich Custard Sauce

Tonight, was Formal Night so there was a Captains reception in the Lobby Atrium. This was on twice, 5.30pm and 7.30pm, so that people from both dinner seating’s can attend.

I went to the Lobby after my dinner at 7.30pm and I got one of the free drinks, a Rum Punch.
It was a bit too crowded in the Lobby so I went to the seating area at Preludes outside the Walt Disney Theatre to have my drink and watch the character meet and greet. Donald and then Mickey were in their formal costumes.

Then at 8.45pm it was time for the first of the Broadway Style shows, Twice Charmed. The theatre opened about 30 minutes before the show and there was a big crowd waiting to get in. I got a seat near the front and to the side.

Before the show the cruise director Leslie came on stage and gave some announcements and then Captain Robert came onstage and introduced the senior officers.



Then it was time for the show.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this show, I have stayed away from all spoilers. Also, they ask people not to take videos or photos. It’s the Cinderella story but with a different twist, kinda a sliding door what if storyline. The singing, dancing and production were amazing, but I’m not sure about the storyline and script.

After the show I decided to have an early night, as I wanted to be up early to see the sun rise and sail in to our first port. When I got back to my room, tonights towel animal was an elephant.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Alesund , Norway Port Day Tuesday 6 September 2022

Today is Alesund, Norway our first port day. I woke at 6am and checked the ship webcam and saw that we were still at sea but it was sunrise. I quickly got dressed and went up to deck to get some photos.


I refilled my drinks container at the drinks station on deck 9 and then came back to the room to shower and get dressed for the day.

I had decided to have breakfast every morning in the MDR when possible. Lumieres restaurant is open for breakfast each day from 8am to 9.30am.

I was there just as they opened and was brought to a table by the windows. We were still at sea.


I had coffee, orange juice,

• Blueberry Parfait
  Blueberries, raspberries, plain yoghurt, toasted oatmeal and granola.
• Eggs Benedict with Sausage on the Side
  Two poached eggs on toasted English Muffin, coated with Hollandaise Sauce, and Rosemary ham and tomato.

I finished breakfast by 8.50am, perfect time to watch the sail in to Alesund. I quickly went back to my room to put on extra layers, as I knew from earlier it was very windy and cold on the top deck. I had brought a big warm cardigan, and a fluffy snood, which I wear in winter at home, as well as heavy jeans and waterproof sketchers runners.

There were a lot of people on deck 10 but I managed to get a spot at the railings, right at the front of the ship, right beside the ship webcam.



It was too windy to take video, so I took a photo about every 10 minutes, to put into a photo slideshow. We were due to arrive in Alesund at 10.45am so I stayed on deck the whole time, from about 10am until we were moored at the pier. The weather was amazing, other than the wind, it was such a clear sunny morning.

There was another ship in port, The Costa Diadema and it was fascinating to experience the docking process. The Costa Diadema was facing from out to sea, ready to sail out.

We sailed into the harbour, past The Costa Diadema, then went backwards and sideways to the pier.



As we started the docking process at Alesund, the crowds on deck disappeared as everyone got ready to get off the ship on excursions. I stayed on deck to watch the first running of the bulls, AKA, all the passengers going on excursions.

First view of Alesund with Mount Aksla and the viewing point of Fjellstua in the background.



Then at 11am I went back to my room to take off all the extra layers and to get my passport ready to get off the ship. I had decided that I would have lunch every day in the MDR where possible. Lunch was at 12pm in Rapunzels Royal Table. I had about an hour before lunch, so I went exploring around the ship and took lots of photos with no people.

At 12pm I went to Rapunzels for lunch. The restaurant was almost empty.

I had

• Thai fish cakes with sweet chili dip and pickled cucumber
• Gemilli Pasta with kale, lemon, mascarpone cheese and walnut pesto

After lunch it was time to explore Alesund and get off the ship for a few hours.

Today we were getting off the ship at deck 1 forward. When I got the lift down, I realized this was where the ships medical centre is located.

It was now almost 1pm and there were not that many people in the gangway area as most people were out on excursions.

I had decided not to do any excursions and I had made a walking tour for myself using Google Maps. It was a sunny, warm afternoon so after taking so photos of the ship and port area I set off the explore Alesund.

At the port area there were tourist shops and kiosks for various sightseeing tours and the hop on hop off bus.

My walking tour was basically a circuit of the main town centre, starting left of the port area, down to the tourist office, along one of the waterways and then back up through the main shopping district and then back to the port. Alesund is actually a collection of islands joined together by various bridges.

At the tourist information centre, they have free Wifi so I logged on and sent my family some photos. I had decided not to buy WIFI on the ship but just to find free Wifi in the ports.



After the tourist information centre, I walked through the main shopping district and into the decent sized mall. I always love to explore a local grocery store when I travel, and I had a great wander around the mall and bought some Norwegian chocolate. I had brought Norwegian Krone to spend in the ports. I had budgets approx. €50 per port, just for souvenirs and random things, as I knew I couldn’t buy much due to my weight restrictions with Aer Lingus.
When I finished the circuit of the town centre and found myself back at the port, I wasn’t ready to get back on the ship, so I decided to sit by the water for a while.

All aboard was 6.15pm but I wanted to be back on the ship a bit earlier to get ready for dinner at 6pm.

I was back on the ship at 4.45pm and went straight up to Frozone on deck 9 to get the drink of the day and the souvenir cruise glass. Today’s drink of the day was Cool Breeze and with the glass and 18% gratuity cost $18.
I brought the drink back to the room to have while I got ready.

Dinner tonight was at Lumieres. My table, number 11 was at the back door of the restaurant, beside the window onto the corridor and I had a great view of the sail out of Alesund while I ate.



I decided to just go with it and try the French menu items.
I had the same drink as previous nights with my meal.

• Gaston Escargot Gratinee
  Herb marinated snails, with finely chopped mushrooms, topped with garlic butter
• Yellow Pea soup with crispy bacon
• Crispy Roasted Duck Breast, with cabbage, shallots, honey parsnip mash and a duck red wine jus
• Grand Marnier Souffle served with Grand Marnier Crème Anglaise

I checked the App when I was eating and saw that the Oceener Club and Oceener Lab, two of the kids clubs had a scheduled open house. This means they are open for adults to visit. Outside of these times, they are secure sessions for the children only.

I went up to deck 5 and had a great time looking around and talking to the CM’s

I also found the secret corridor between the two clubs, which means the children can move freely between the two areas. It is very cleverly designed, and you wouldn’t notice it unless you were looking for it.

After exploring the kids clubs, I went up to deck 9 to the spa to ask about the Rainforest Room. This is a shower and sauna area in the Spa which is an optional extra upcharge. They said that now they were only selling length of cruise passes which cost $179 plus the 18% gratuity. They said they would be selling the day passes which cost $29 plus the 18% gratuity in a few days when the length of cruise passes was sold out. They were also selling a scrub package for The Rainforest Room which cost $15. To get the day pass for the Rainforest room you just come on the day, it can’t be booked in advance.

It was now about 9.30pm so I decided to go back to my room and have an early night as I wanted to get up early again to see the sunrise.

When I got back to my room I saw that I had some new pins on my pin board.

I was feeling a bit hungry so I decided to order a snack from room service. Room service on Disney Cruise is complementary so most people tip when it arrives. I got Buffalo Chicken Wing with honey mustard and blue cheese dressings and cake of the day, which I think was lemon meringue pie. I asked for mayonnaise as I don’t eat blue cheese dressing. I gave the room service $5 which I had saved from my trip to California in June.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Nordfjordeid, Norway Port Day Wednesday 7 September 2022

I set my alarm for 5.45am as all ashore at Nordfjordeid was 8.00am. I turned on the tv and saw that we were already in port, so I quickly got dressed, got some coffee from cove café and went up to deck 10. I got the same space at the front of the ship. We were stopped a good way from the pier and there was a lot of small boat activity in the harbour. I was a bit confused as this port was not listed as a tender port.



There was a buoy in the water just in front of the ship and eventually one of the small boats came over and the mooring lines from the ship came out and we were tied the buoy. I moved over to the starboard side as I could see there were harbour staff on the pier.



After a while I heard a motor engine start and then I realised that the pier was folded up sideways and was now being unfolded and moved out to meet the side of the ship.
To get a better view I moved down to deck 4 starboard and watched the pier walkway fold out and move to the shup. Once it was fully extended and at the ship, the harbour staff tied the pier walkway to the ship.

At 7.30am I left deck 4 and went back to my room to take off the layers and get ready for a day a port.

At 8am it was time for breakfast, again at Lumiere’s. As I was there early, I was brought to a window table and had a beautiful view of Nordfjordeid as I ate.



The breakfast menu was the same as previous days so I decided to try the famous Mickey waffles that everyone talks about.

I also had Two poached on fresh Southern Hash potatoes, with Chorizo sausage, Cilantro, Green Onions, and Peppers with melted Jack Cheese.

While I was eating, I saw that Encanto would start soon in Buena Vista Theatre. This is one of the more recent Pixar animated films which I hadn’t yet seen. I decided it was a great opportunity to see it in a cinema.

On the way to the cinema, I took some more photos of the empty ship.

The cinema was empty, just me and another couple and II really enjoyed Encanto.

After the film I went up to deck 9 and got a chicken shawarma and some melon and a rice Krispy treat from Cove Café, as I wasn’t having lunch on the ship today.

Just like yesterday, we were using deck 1 forward gangway, beside the medical centre to get off the ship.

I was off the ship by 11.30am. There was a large tourist shop right in the port and by the time I got off the ship, most of the crowds had passed. I decided to buy my magnet and postcard now, as it could get crowded in the afternoon when everyone starts to come back to the ship.

It was another lovely sunny day with clear blue skies, and I set off on my walking tour of the village.



Nordfjordeid is a small village fight at the end of a fjord surrounded by towering mountains. The main village high street runs parallel to the water, from the port area to the Church.

I took my time strolling through the village, just enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Eventually I made to the Church. This whole area is very historic and there has been a Church in this location since 1689.


The church was open, so I went inside. There was no one else there so I spent a while just in the quiet, taking in the history and atmosphere. As I left, I put some Norwegian cash into the donation box, as I guessed many of the cruise passengers would visit but not that many would give a donation.



In the graveyard beside the church, the uncle of the famous Norwegian painter Edward Munch is buried.

After the Church I walked down to the waterfront and the mall. I went into the grocery shop and bought some food and then had a browse in the other shops.
At the other end of the mall there were some picnic tables outside, so I sat by the water and ate the food I bought I bought in the grocery store. It was so nice just to sit by the water, in such beautiful surroundings.

After sitting for a while, I went back into the mall for another look around the shops.
All aboard was 4pm, so at about 2.30pm I slowly started making my way back to the ship.



When I got back onboard, I decided to go to the comfy portholes near Keys to watch the sail out.
While I was there, the window washers came by. These guys are amazing, hanging from the side of the ship in a tiny platform cage and power washing the portholes.

I saw that Keys was open but there was no one there, so I went in and got an amazing view place for the sail out of Nordfjordeid.



I stayed watching the sail out until it was time to get ready for dinner.

I went back to my room and changed out of my port clothes, back into my Disney Bounding outfit. Tonight, was my second night in Animators Palate.

Tonight, was the drawing show, so before I could even order a drink, I had to draw my character. My server then took my drawing to give to the Disney Pixies for later

For dinner I had my same drink and bread service.

• Malaysian Chicken Satay Skewers
  Grilled Chicken Skewers marinated in Turmeric, Chili and Coriander, served with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber
• Lobster Bisque
• White Cheddar and broccolini Soup with toasted croutons
• Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Ratatouille, Roasted Thyme Potatoes, and a Rosemary Red Wine Reduction
• Chocolate decadence

.

I decided to try the Lobster Bisque, as its many years since I had one and I wanted to see what the Disney version tasted like. The broccoli soup was the soup I had most of.

After the desert was served, the animation show started. This is where the drawings everyone did before the meal through the magic of Disney animation become part of the show. The drawings are animated and dance with various Disney characters from multiple well-known films. Its great fun to see all the drawings brought to life.

Tonight, was one of the main Disney stage shows Tangled, The Musical in The Walt Disney Theatre. Before the show I just walked around, enjoying he atmosphere of the ship

The show started at 8.45pm and the theatre opened at 8.15pm.

Again, before the show Leslie the cruise director came onstage for a few announcements.

After the show I went down to deck 3 and found that there was a late-night buffet in O’Gills. I didn’t have any food, but just took some photos.

I decided to have another early night, as again I wanted to see the sunrise and sail in to the next port.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Eidjford Norway Port Day Thursday 8 September 2022

Again I was up early to see the sunrise and sail in to Eidjford. I got coffee at Cove café and got my spot right at the front of the ship. There were very few people on deck this morning, so it was really nice to enjoy the quiet sail in through the fjord.


The only other people up this early were the yoga class.

At 8am I went to breakfast at Lumieres.

• Coffee and orange juice
• Pineapple, mango, papaya, plain yoghurt, passionfruit drizzle, coconut and granola parfait
• Very Very French Toast with Sausages on the side
  Butter soaked Brioche griddled until golden brown served with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar

Again the restaurant was empty and I had a window table with a view of Eidjford.



I could see that we were still not in port so after breakfast I went back up to deck 10 and the front of the ship.

It was really cool to experience the beautiful scenery as we went through the fjord all the way to the end.

I noticed a bridge in the distance and then deck 10 started to get crowded so I guessed we were going under the bridge. It was amazing, to see the approach to the bridge and then we were underneath and then it was gone. You don’t really feel how fast the ship is moving until you can measure the speed against something like going under a bridge.



As we arrived into the harbour area there was another ship, AIDAdiva stopped a good way from the pier area. They were also in port today but had to tender to shore. We had the pier.



By now there was a good few people up on deck as it was after 10am. Watching the docking process was fascinating. We had to turn and then move sideways to be parallel to the pier. The views were amazing.



People started moving away to get ready for their excursions at about 10.30. As soon as I saw that the ship had stopped moving and they were getting ready to let people off the ship, I went back to my room to get changed for The Rainforest Room.

I had decided to do this in the morning, as I knew many people would be getting off the ship.

I had brought a facemask and scrubs with me and put them in a ziplock bag.

I was checking in at the Rainforest Room at 11am. I paid $34.22 total which included the 18% gratuity.

At the Rainforest room, once you pay, you are ten given a spa key and you give your KTTWC to the spa reception. I had a waterproof card holder which attached to my swimsuit. You are also given a robe and brought to the changing area.

In the changing area there are keypad lockers, toilets and a relaxation room with a sauna.

Once I was changed and had put my clothes in the locker and put on the robe, it was time to go to the Rainforest Room.

To get into the Rainforest Room you swipe the spa card at the door.

I had seen video on YouTube, so I knew what it looked like inside, but I was surprised to find it totally empty. There were towels on a shelf to the left of the door and drinking water jugs on the right.

It was so nice to have my first experience of the Rainforest Room totally private. I was there from 11am to about 12.15pm. I did my facemask and lay down on the heated stone recliners, I was in and out of the showers and steam rooms multiple times. I could have stayed there a lot longer, but I was mindful of the time and that I wanted to have lunch before getting off the ship.

I went back to my room to get ready for the day and then it was time for food.

I had lunch today in Cabanas as Rapunzels was closed. It was interesting to try Cabanas, but I much prefer the MDR for lunch. I took my food to outdoor seating area.

I was off the ship by 1.45pm and went straight into the tourist office to ask about tickets for the Troll Train. This is a little motorised train that starts and end at the cruise port and takes a 1-hour journey around the area.

It cost 150k which I paid for in Norwegian cash and the next English tour was at 2.20pm.

While I waited for the train a went for a walk up the road from the port area and found the knitted trees. This was a community project a few years ago where locals made knitted jackets for trees. Some of the designs are very creative


I then went back to the port area and bought some snacks and a bottle of water in the Co Op shop. In Norway they are big into recycling and have plastic recycling machines in the shops for the plastic drinks bottles. There is an extra charge on the plastic drinks bottles which you get back when you use the recycling machine. Again, I used my Norwegian Krone cash in the Co Op.

Then it was back out to the carpark to wait for the train.

I did enjoy the tour around the local area and up a bit into the mountains. But it reminded me very much of parts of Ireland I have visited with my family over the years. I guess its aimed at Americans who have never experienced scenery like this. I’m glad though I did it, it was a nice day to drive up into the mountains



After the Troll Train I walked around the village and went shopping. In the main supermarket I timed it just right as they had just brought out some fresh from the oven pastries. Again I used my Norwegian Krone cash in Joker supermarket.

I went for a walk and found some picnic tables by the river as it enters the fjord. I sat here for a good while, just enjoying the scenery and quiet and I had my fresh pastries.

On the way back to the ship I had a quick look in the hotel and I brought my empty drinks bottle back to the CO OP to put in the plastic recycle machine. I got a receipt from the machine which I could have brought to the till and got some money back but I didn’t. I had a good chat with one of the shop workers about the plastic recycling and she was surprised when I said I had Norwegian Krone cash as most cruise ship passengers don’t. She thanked me for using Norwegian Krone cash as they lose money on card transactions.

Even though we were due to leave at 8pm , I was back on the ship by 4.50pm as tonight was Frozen Theme night and I wanted to get ready for the deck party after dinner.

Tonight, was my third night in Animators Palate but the menu and theming tonight was Frozen.
All of the MDR had the same menu tonight.

• Elsas Coronation Scallops
  Princess Scallops baked in a Shrimp Cognac Tarragon cream sauce topped with flaky pastry
• Svens Carrot soup with caraway and cream
• Hans Juniper marinated Pork tenderloin with spatzle, kale, baby roasted turnips, and a wild mushroom cream sauce
• Oaken Warm apple pudding cake served with a butterscotch cinnamon sauce and vanilla icecream

I was finished dinner by 7.30pm so I went straight up to deck 9 to get a spot for the Frozen Deck Party. This time I decided to be down by the stage area. I sat for a while at a table near the stage but then I moved to the rope barrier at the stage area.

I had seen the Frozen Deck Party on YouTube, but it was something so special to experience it in Norway, with the amazing backdrop of the fjords. During the show the ship started to move and we turned from sideways to sail out of the harbour and into the fjord.

I will never forget Elsa singing Let It Go, the “snow” falling as we moved out into the open water of the fjord.



As the show ended, I decided to go up to deck 10 and see the sunset. The sky was this amazing vivid red colour which didn’t really come out well in photos.



As I was on deck 10 watching the sail out and sunset, I heard bits of conversations around me about King Charles the Third. It was now about 9pm and suddenly I realised OMG, The Queen of England.

I hadn’t checked the Ap to look at the night activities, so I just went back to my room and put on the TV and found BBC News. Then I checked the App and saw we had a notification from DCL about The Queen.

OMG, well that was me in for the night, I just couldn’t turn the TV off.

Tomorrows port would be an early arrival, so I ordered room service breakfast for delivery at 5.30am. I filled out the piece of paper and hung it outside my door.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Stavanger Norway Port Day Friday 9 September 2022

I fell asleep watching BBC News, goodness gracious, never expected THAT to happen on my cruise.

My alarm went off at 4.45am as I had asked for my room service breakfast in the 5am to 5.30am window. It arrived at 5.15am and because I wasn’t fully awake, I forget to get the cash tip from my purse, so I signed the tip on the receipt. I gave $5 as that’s what I had budgeted for room service tip.

I mainly wanted the coffee, but I got a croissant and cream cheese as well.

I was on deck 10 at 6am and there was no one else up. It was still dark, so I got some amazing photos of the pool deck with all the lights on.


We were almost in port and the sail in to the harbour during the sunrise was so beautiful. The ship had to turn at the pier and the sky was an amazing red colour as we turned and then moved sideways to the pier.



I stayed on deck until about 7.30am and then went back to my room to take off the layers.

Then at 8am it was time for breakfast. I got a coffee from Cove café and filled up my drinks cup on deck 9. In Cove Café they have a snack cabinet, and all the snacks are complimentary.

Then into Lumieres at 8am and to my now usual table by the window.

Breakfast today was

• Pineapple, mango, papaya, plain yoghurt, passionfruit drizzle, coconut, and granola parfait
• Goofy’s Get Up and Go Breakfast
  Scrambled Egg, Sausage, Tomato and Diced Fruit

After breakfast it was back to my room to get ready for the day. I was off the ship at 9.30am today as we had an early departure.

As I walked from the ship up the waterfront to the city centre there was a stand for the hop on hop off bus. The next departure was at 10am so I decided to do the full circuit which came back to the waterfront area. I again paid in Norwegian Krone cash. As this was my last Norwegian port, I had added up all the Norwegian cash I had left over from previous ports. So today I wanted to try to spend all my Norwegian cash.

It was interesting to see parts of the city I wouldn’t have been able to walk to and to get a brief overview of the history of the city.

Back on the waterfront, my next stop was in Starbucks. I collect Starbucks mugs on my travels so that was a must do on this trip. I also stayed for a while to use the Wi-Fi and send some texts to my family.



Then it was time for shopping. There was a little market in the square in front of Starbucks and then I just started walking through the cobbled side streets of the main shopping area. I popped into H & M to see if they had anything different to at home. After H & M I did my walking tour down to a street called The Coloured Street. This is a pedestrian street where the shops are decorated with flowers and painted various colours. Then back up through the shopping area.


I bought a magnet in the market and then went into the supermarket to get some Norwegian chocolate. I checked my money and I had just enough cash left to get some food, so I decided to go to Burger King and then sit by the water for a while. I did really well with my spending, I had brought the equivalent of €200 to spend over the 4 days in Norway and I came home with 2 20-krone coins which is about €3.90




I was back on the ship by 2pm. On the way back to my room I found the laundry room on deck 6.

In my room I watched some more BBC News and had a short nap as I was up so early this morning. I was ready for dinner by 5pm so I went for a walk around the ship before going to Rapunzel’s Royal Table at 6pm.

Tonight, at Rapunzel’s it was the Lantern show.

• Ravioli “Tiroler” Filled with Pulled Beef and Portobello Mushrooms tossed in a Red Wine-Thyme Reduction served with Roasted Carrots and Pearl Onions
• Potato Cream Soup with Carrots, Leeks, Celery, and Knockwurst
• Flynn Rider Platter Grilled Smoked Pork Loin served with Roasted Smoked Pork Belly, Bockwurst, Braised Red Cabbage, Fried Potato Dumpling, and a Spätburgunder Wine Jus
• Warm Braided Apple Strudel served with Vanilla Sauce and Butter Pecan Ice Cream

After dinner I decided to go to some of the night entertainment as tomorrow would be a sea day and I didn’t plan to get up early.

I had planned to do the TV tunes trivia in O’Gills but by the time I got there after dinner, it had started. I decided to stay and watch. It was mainly based on American TV theme tunes so I wouldn’t have got a high score.

After watching the TV tunes Trivia I went to the Walt Disney Theatre for the main evening show. Tonights show was Once Upon A Song, which is a seasonal show not preformed on all cruises. It is the main theatre show cast singing and dancing Disney songs as themselves, not characters. The talent on stage is just astounding, seeing the individuals just perform and not in character was so cool. The Lion King section was one of the standouts but really all the performances were just amazing.

Then it was down to Fathoms for Magic Quest. This was a scavenger hunt type game based on things that people were wearing or things that could be easily food in the room. That was great fun.

I stayed in Fathoms for the next activity which was 90’s music trivia. I did ok but the winning group got every one right.

The next activity was a silent disco, so I decided to stay to see what it was like. Everyone got headphones which had 3 channels of different styles of music. I stayed for a while in my seat going through the various types of music, but it wasn’t really music I liked.

After the silent disco I decided I had enough for the night, and it was time for bed. When I got back to my room, I found that my stateroom host had left the tip envelopes as part of the turn down service.


The tip amount is $14.50 per person in a stateroom, which for me as a solo cruiser on a 7-night cruise came to $101.50 and it was divided between 4 people:

• Stateroom host
• Head Server
• Server
• Assistant Server

You get a sheet which breaks down how much each person gets with tearable sections to put in the envelopes. Before technology people had to put cash in the envelopes, but now the tips are automatically added to your room account. My tips were added to my room account on Thursday 8 September.



You don’t have to put the slips of paper into the envelopes and give them to each person, but it’s a nice tradition to do. It just lets them know that the tips have been paid and I would imagine it helps them with their personal budgets, to know how much and when the tips have been given to them.

I also wrote a personal note to each person and gave them an extra cash tip in the envelope. Again, that’s optional and not something you have to do. I did it not just for the service and doing the basic job, but for little extras they all did which were above and beyond their job. Sometimes in the parks as a solo person in a restaurant I have felt that I have had less attention and sometimes been ignored due to being on my own. On the cruise this was never the case, in fact the serving team made a special effort to talk to me and stop by the table.

Tonight the clocks go forward in preparation for arriving back to Dover on Sunday morning.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Second Day At Sea Return To Dover Saturday 10 September 2022

Last night was a bit rocky leaving Norway and out into the North Sea. It was a strange experience, being in bed and feeling the ship move so much. I didn’t feel sick, but I did find it a bit hard to sleep.

As a result, I slept a bit later this morning, which I had planned anyway. I was ready for breakfast about 7.30am. While I waited for Lumiere’s to open I took some video of an empty Atrium Lobby. It seemed very quiet on the ship this morning, I guess most people are having a relaxing morning.

I knew tomorrow’s breakfast would be a limited menu, so this morning I decided to repeat my favourites from during the week.

• Pineapple, mango, papaya, plain yoghurt, passionfruit drizzle, coconut and granola, parfait
• Eggs Benedict
• Two poached eggs on toasted English Muffin, coated with Hollandaise Sauce, and Rosemary ham and tomato
• Mickey waffles with strawberry cream and fresh fruit

After breakfast I went back to my room to get ready for the day.

As I was getting ready, I checked I checked the App and saw that Vibe kids club had an open house so I went there. I had a great chat with one of the CM who was planning a first time visit to Disneyland California.

Then I checked the App and saw that Jack Jacks Diaper Dash was on at 11.30am. This was an activity I hoped would be on my cruise as its one of the standout activities. Its baby racing in the main Atrium Lobby.

I went to deck 4 balcony around 11.15am so that I could get a good spot. I got lucky and managed to get a spot at the railing facing the start line. The other balcony railings filled up very quickly.

The entertainment set up a carpet race line and spectator area. Babies were registered and they ended up having 2 heats and then a final.



The babies had to be crawling age, if the baby walked, they would be disqualified.

One parent put the baby at the straight line, and one parent or a family member was at the finish line. The person at the finish line could have snacks, toys or anything that would encourage the baby to crawl to the end. The adults were not allowed to touch the babies, they had to make it to the end by themselves.

It was so funny, and the crowd was huge.

After the excitement of the baby racing, it was time for my last lunch in Rapunzel’s. On the way I went to Cove Café for a coffee, which I brought to the restaurant.

• Mulligatawny Soup
  Curry Spiced Lentils and Tender Pieces of Chicken
• Orecchiette Pasta
  With Spinach, Tomatoes, Cremini Mushrooms and Ricotta
• Warm lemon pudding served with lemon curd sauce and whipped cream

While I was eating, I checked the App and there was a character dance party in the lobby atrium at 1.30pm, so that was next on the list.

I was there a bit early, so I sat on the steps of Lumiere’s for a while as they set up. It turns ut I had a great spot for the dance party as the characters came down the stairs and they used the front of Lumiere’s as a stage.

It was a great dance party show, with all the characters dancing with the children in the lobby and then having a solo dance spot and then everyone came back to the stage area.

After the dance party I saw that Art of The Theme Show Tour was on at 3pm. This was one of the ship tours that I had read about and was recommended to do.

The meeting point was in Palo where the CM tour guide explained about the tour, that it was a ship tour about the art of Disney and how the imagineers incorporated that into a classic Art Deco design for The Magic.

The tour started in Palo, explaining about the design and look and what the imagineers wanted to achieve.

We then moved down to deck 5 and deck 4. One of the more interesting aspects about the ship design is the carpets and how they used designs to signify the different areas and decks.

After the tour I decided to back to my room to pack as tonight the checked bags would be collected by the CM’s ready to be brought to the luggage collection area in Dover port.

I found Daisy Luggage tags on my bed, so I filled one out for my bag and kept the rest.



While I was packing, I decided to get a room service snack.
There are secret items on the room service which are not listed on the menu. I decided to order a Mickey Bar ice-cream as everyone talks so much about them and Uncrustable Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. I again gave $5 tip which I signed for, so it went onto my room account.
These two items you have to pay for in the parks, so I have never got them, but I decided to try them on the cruise.
The Mickey Bar wasn’t that good, it tasted like any other choc ice, but I guess as its in the shape of Mickey ears its special?

The Uncrustable was nice in a strange way. I eat peanut butter anyway so I would order this again. It’s called Uncrustable as its compressed and there are no crusts.



I almost packed my checked bag; it was a bit too early to close it up for the last time.

I was ready for dinner a bit early, so I decided to have a walk around the outside of deck 4 and do one full loop. On The Magic, on Deck 4 walking running track, you can go all the way to the front and see part of the behind-the-scenes area where the ships anchor, and mooring ropes are.



Then at 6pm it was time for my last dinner at Lumiere’s. Again, I was at a table by the window and had a lovely view of the sea during my meal.

• Aged Prosciutto served with sundried tomatoes, Parmesan Cheese, and roasted garlic
• Braised Oxtail Soup with Spinach and Roasted Garlic Tortellini
• Pan Seared Venison Medallions with Marinated Red Cabbage, Potato Croquettes, and a Port Wine Juniper Sauce
• Chocolate Lava cake served with double chocolate sauce, and vanilla ice-cream
• Raspberry Vanilla Crème Brulee with Lemon Madeline

I couldn’t believe the cruise was almost over, I had such an amazing time.

After dinner I went back to my room and got changed into comfortable clothes and finished packing my checked bag.
My room host said the bags would be collected at 9pm so I wanted to have it all done before I went to the night activities.

Tonight’s main show was Disney Dreams in The Walt Disney Theatre at 8.45pm. For the last time I found a seat in the front section at the edge of a row.

What a show to finish with.

This was like a condensed journey through so many Disney classics, with some very unexpected character appearances and special effects. The power of the voices was just something else, and at times it was hard to believe we were on a ship in the middle of The North Sea.

After the show I just walked around the ship, taking it all in for the last time. The shops closed at 11pm so I had some money left on my account, so I decided to do some late-night shopping.

After the shops, I got the end of Till We Meet Again in the lobby atrium and then I decided to go to the bar areas.

Another thing I had found out about during my research during the lockdowns is something called a Sommelier Bin. This is in the bars where they open a bottle of wine when someone orders a glass of wine. They keep the open bottle of wine and then sell it at a cheaper price for the Sommelier Bin The only catch is you don’t know what the wine is before you order it. You can go to any of the bars and ask for a glass of wine from the Sommelier Bin.

I went to Keys, and it was a red wine being offered in the Sommelier Bin. I don’t normally drink red wine, so I thought it was a good chance to try something different.
The glass of red wine cost $14.16 including 18% gratuity. If I had just ordered it as a glass of wine it would have cost $18.29 including 18% gratuity, so I saved $3.69. I know, not a whole lot but still it’s the fun of not knowing what you are getting and saving a bit of money.

After getting my glass of wine, I went next door to Fathoms and got the end of the variety show by Pete Matthews.

By now it was after 11pm so I decided to go back to my room and finish my packing. This was the part I didn’t want to do, take the magnets off my door, and pack my carry-on bags and totally clear the room of all my things.

When I got back to my room, my checked bag was gone, and my stateroom host Miguel had left the Disney Cruise Line survey on my bed.



This survey gets a lot of chatter in Disney online communities.

My serving team did mention about the survey but only as I was leaving Lumiere’s after my last dinner. They did not mention it at any other time during the cruise.

This survey is Disney Cruise main way of rating all aspects of the cruise experience. Disney expects EXCELLENT in all sections and if you don’t rate excellent, there can be consequences for the CM’s in that department. The same way, if you name CM’s specifically for outstanding service, it counts towards their progression in the company, scheduling requests etc etc. So, this survey is very important and Disney takes it very serious.

My room cleared and the survey filled out, I still wasn’t ready for the day to end so I took a late night walk out to deck 4 for one last time, to just take in that very odd experience of being out at sea and hearing the waves.

 

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Debarkation, Goodbye Dover, Hello London Sunday 11 September 2022

And just like that we are back in Dover.


I woke early and put on the tv and saw we were already in Dover. My breakfast this morning was assigned 7am and in the same restaurant as last night’s dinner, Lumiere’s.

My serving team were doing breakfast this morning.
Everyone has to be out of the staterooms by 8am, so when I went to breakfast I had to take all my carryon bags with me.

One last time I left my room and said goodbye to my stateroom host Miguel.

Outside Lumiere’s they had a box for the DCL surveys.

I knew this morning’s breakfast would be a limited menu.

Freshly Cut Fruit Bowl
Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Honeydew and Pineapple
Fruit Yoghurt

Southern Hash with fried eggs.
Southern Hash potatoes, with Chorizo sausage, Cilantro, Green Onions, and Peppers with melted Jack Cheese

You could really feel a change in the atmosphere this morning. Everything was a hustle to get you done with breakfast and off the ship.

I said goodbye to my serving team and went for one last walk around the ship.

Self-debarkation started at 7.30am. This is where people who didn’t put checked bags out can just walk off the ship as soon as the ship is cleared by customs to debark.

People were queueing in the lobby for self-debarkation as I went into breakfast.

Once self-debarkation started, then they started calling the different character groups to get off the ship to go to the luggage collection area.

My luggage group Daisy wasn’t called for a while, so I took some photos of Dover from Deck 4.

I didn’t want to leave but at the same time I had the 9.50 train to London booked and I didn’t know how big the taxi queue would be.

I heard my luggage group being called so I just went down to deck 3 and for the last time scanned my KTTWC and walked off the ship.



It was strange walking back through the glass tunnel, remembering how excited I was this time last week.

At the end of the glass tunnel, I found myself in a big open space underneath the terminal building. The port staff were very helpful directing everyone to the right luggage area.
I could see a big Daisy flag at the far end of the hall and as I walked down, I could see my bag.

I double checked it was mine and then it was over to the exit line. I was surprised that I didn’t have to go through any passport check. But I’m wondering did Disney put me in a group with UK people as I am an Irish citizen.

As I walked out I saw that we had come out through the area where the porters had been loading the bags on embarkation morning.

The taxi queue was in the island area directly in front of the terminal. People who had booked taxis were being directed to the far left side.

I joined the queue and was surprised to only have to wait about 10 minutes. There weren’t that many people ahead of me.

The journey to the train station only took about 10 minutes and the fare is a set fare of £8 from the cruise port to the train station.

I got to the station early, in fact I was there in time for the 8.50am train to London, but I didn’t mind. I was glad I was on the later train as there were a lot of people on the platform waiting for the train. There was another cruise ship in the port, so the trains were busy.

Once all the people got on the 8.50am train I found a seat and just relaxed for a while. My mind was a whirl of all I had experienced, and it felt so unreal to be sitting at Dover train station after being on the ship for a week.

By the time the train arrived there was a good lot of people on the platform, but I managed to get a seat by the door.
It was just a short 1-hour journey back to the reality of London.

In St Pancras, the Dover trains are on the upper level. Last week I was able to manage my bags going up on the escalator but I knew I couldn’t manage them going down, so I went over to the lift.

There was a big queue for the lift, as all the other cruise passengers had lots of luggage like I had.

Finally I got on the lift and went down to the ground level.
Next it was time to go to my hotel.

I know the Kings Cross area well, so my brain just went into auto mode, and I started walking to the main high street and then over to my hotel, Travelodge.

It was now about 11.30am but I knew I would be arriving around this time, so I had paid extra for early check in.
When I got to the hotel, I checked in and brought my bags to my room.

I went straight back out again, back to the train station to get some food, as I knew that once I sat down I wouldn’t feel like moving.

After getting my food I went back to my hotel and had a nap and relaxed.

It was so strange to be back in a Travelodge room after the really nice room on the ship.

I dint do much in the evening, just caught up with the news and online.

Monday 12 September
I used to live in London, so I just walked and walked, through areas I know so well. Its been over 3 years since I was last in London so there were plenty of changes in familiar areas.

I ended up at Green Park and I decided to go an see all the flower tributes in memory of Queen Elizabeth. Green Park is the park beside Buckingham Palace. Due to the huge amounts of people wanting to leave flowers for The Queen, the park management organized an area in the park for all the flowers. It was organized so well, sign posts all through park guided people to the designated area. All flowers had to be removed from plastics and various volunteers were making the flowers into art designs. It was an amazing sight to see and experience, the collective grief of the UK people for their Queen.



After spending some time looking at all the flower displays I ten went on through the park to Buckingham Palace. Usually you can just walk up to the gates but now, due to the huge amount of people just wanting to be in the area, there was a barrier pathway to control the crowds.



At the Palace Gates it wasnt that crowded. People were just staying a few minutes to pay their respects. No one was allowed to put flowers at the gates or railings, all flowers had to go to the designated area in Green Park. I stayed a while, just taking it all in. While I am Irish and my country has had a complicated history with the UK, I felt it was the right thing to do, to go there and respect the collective grief and mourning of the people for their Queen.


After spending some time at the Gates of Buckingham Palace I went back to my hotel and got some food.

Tuesday 13 September
Finally going home. I went out to Starbucks for breakfast and then came back to the room and repacked for the flight.

My flight was at 2.20pm from Heathrow so I decided to leave early and just get the Piccadilly Tube from Kings Cross direct to Heathrow. This is a longer travel time than using the Heathrow Express from Paddington but it is more direct.

I had checked in online, so I just had to go to the Aer Lingus bag drop area. I was early so there was hardly anyone at the bag drop and check in.

Then it was through security and time for some food. I went to Pret A Manger, a UK chain sandwich shop and had lunch and sat there until it was time for my flight.

My flight boarded on time and finally I was on my way back home. What an amazing adventure.

 

[kathi]

We will be sailing Norwegian Fjords 2 weeks from today!

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

We will be sailing Norwegian Fjords 2 weeks from today!

Oh cool, I had a look at your ports, its a very different itinerary to 2022. You only have one port the same Nordfjordeid.

I did DIY in all ports, what are your plans for Nordfjordeid? I'll try to get to uploading my report from that day as soon as I can, so you can have an idea of what to expect.

I know I will cover this in the rest of my trip report but some bits of info
The days at sea up to Norway through the North Sea and back to England are more an indoor day, than a day by the pool. To me the seas were not that rough, Ive crossed the Irish sea from Ireland to Wales many times and I have also done the Dover to Calais ferry. But many Americans were a bit shocked by the rough seas and cold temperatures. The pools were open in the morning times but you could really see the movement in the water. The night time wasnt too bad on the way to Norway but coming back to England it was a bit rough and I could hear conversations about the ship movement the next morning at breakfast.

If you can try to be up early for the sail ins the fjords. The first morning everyone was out on the top deck but I was one of the few people who went out every morning. I got some amazing photos and it was one of the highlights for me, to be up on deck in the early morning just enjoy the sights and the peace and quiet. Be prepared for it to be very windy and chilly. Many Americans would come up to the top deck in shorts and tshirts and get a shock at the wind and cool air , as it was blue skies and sunny.

 

[EllinK]

Great timing! I am about to do my first solo cruise next month so I'm very interested in your experiences. I never thought of getting a table on my own. How did that work out for you?

Your travel day seemed like a marathon and everything worked perfectly! Looking forward to reading more about your adventures.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Great timing! I am about to do my first solo cruise next month so I'm very interested in your experiences. I never thought of getting a table on my own. How did that work out for you?

Your travel day seemed like a marathon and everything worked perfectly! Looking forward to reading more about your adventures.

You can request a private table in the App. Go to Special Requests, then click through to Table Requests, then you will see an option which says Please Select Where You Prefer To Be Seated and then select one of the following

1. Near a Window
2. In a Quieter Location
3. Near a Screen for Entertainment
4. At a Private Table
5. Near the Center of the Dining Room

I do solo travel a lot, I go to Disneyland California solo, so I am very comfortable dining alone. I didnt feel left out by my serving time, I still got excellent service and had a chat each night with my team, the same as every other table. I guess it helps that I'm a chatty person anyway but I made the effort to introduce myself to the table beside me. Also, because I do Disneybounding and match my outfit to the restaurant theme, it is a great ice breaker.

I used to live in London, so I have done the journey between Ireland and England so many times Ive lost count. If my flight had left on time, it wouldnt have been so stressful and rushed but it all worked out fine in the end.

 

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Post number 4 updated Day At Sea Monday 5 September - Formal Night Captains Reception

 

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Post number 5 updated Tuesday 6 September Alesund Norway Port Day

 

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Post number 6 updated Nordfjordeid, Norway Port Day Wednesday 7 September 2022
@kathi

 

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Post number 7 Updated Eidjford Norway Port Day Thursday 8 September 2022

 

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Post number 8 updated Stavanger Norway Port Day Friday 9 September 2022

 

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Post number 9 updated Second Day At Sea Returning To Dover