Travelspin

Norway - guest post by Les Gosden

On the cruise itself - we had a great time, service on board was excellent as approx 40% of those on board were staff . Food was presented in the modern way of using trendy plates, vibrant sauce colours, no large portions but just right in size. Taste and quality were excellent. Drink prices were fair, it was best to buy a bottle of wine at the meal table than buy by the glass, as the Wine Waitress always sealed the bottle ready for the next day. The wine list was extensive and they had some good Australian Reds. The ship was very stable and sea was moderate 90% of the time. Passengers on board could roam freely and the crows nest (situated on top deck, there are 10 passenger decks) was a social area with tables and chairs and stunning views looking out to sea, with background music. We spent a few evenings chilling with a drink and watching the light fade as the ship gently glided from one fjord to the next. Waiter service was excellent and the guys remembered who had what drinks, even into the next day! The ship had a large theatre with regular shows featuring a South East London magician to singing and dancing troupes.

Aurora cruise ship

Cabins were spacious and spotless, with their own flat screen TV and SKY plus screen digital map updates showing progress of the ship from Southampton to Norway. Showers very modern, clean and spacious. We had a large oval port side window with a wide internal ledge, where you could casually recline and relax with a glass of red, which I did upon leaving Southampton and watched other sea craft in the Solent as we sailed by, very nice.

We travelled through the night and were level with Scotland by Saturday morning, arriving at our first port of call, a fjord with the town Stavanger, berthing Sunday morning.

Watching the ending of another day......

There are certain times when a Pilot has to be onboard the cruise liner. The Pilots boat has come along side the Aurora to despatch the Norwegian Pilot and is now leaving

Aurora in Norway

Evening meal was semi formal and we sat with the same group for the cruise duration, in our case six were all English. Consisting of a retired couple living in Manchester, mother and daughter from Devon & two Essex ladies. We all got on well, had a good laugh, making meal times fun, one evening we were the last sitting and had to move as the second sitting were due in. There were other places you could eat in if you did not want to have the regular slots. There was a burger bar and a pick what you want from a set selection of cooked/uncooked with a vast range of food and some lovely cakes!! Plus an endless supply of coffee, tea or water. Lovely glass sided sun decks, considering we were in the North Sea it was surprisingly hot and sheltered!