| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
12th July 2026 |
LHR -> OSLo |
Late afternoon flight |
 |
13th July 2026 |
Oslo Norway |
On board by noon |
 |
14th July 2026 |
Aalborg Denmark |
Walking Tour |
|
15th July 2026 |
Copenhagen Denmark |
Christians- borg & Tivoli Tour |
 |
16th July 2026 |
Kiel Germany |
Kiel Brewery Tour |
|
17th July 2026 |
Warnemunde Germany |
Mecklenburg & Molli Railway Tour |
|
18th July 2026 |
Warnemunde Germany |
Behind the Iron Curtain Tour |
|
19th July 2026 |
Ronne Bornholm Denmark |
A Taste of Bornholm Tour |
 |
20th July 2026 |
Klaipeda Lithuania |
Legends of the Witches Hill |
 |
21st July 2026 |
Riga Latvia |
Districts of Riga Tour |
 |
22nd July 2026 |
Tallinn Estonia |
Glacier Memories Walk |
 |
23rd July 2026 |
Helsinki Finland |
Suomemlinna Fortress Tour |
 |
24th July 2026 |
Stockholm Sweden |
Home by 21:10 |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke just after seven o'clock, but had a lot of packing still to do. I had several bananas for breakfast that needed eating up and I took three more with me. Just after 10:30 I ordered a StreamLine taxi to take me to the BoMoH Coach Station. The 11:30 FlixBus (£13.49) arrived on time, but took over fifteen minutes to load up as it was very nearly full. I dozed for about one hour of the two hour run to LHR, getting into the Central Coach Station fifteen minutes late.
SAS check-in was straight forward and my passport was immediately recognised by the machine. I got in a bit of a tangle with the baggage strips for my two cases. The flight cost Oceania $345. I then went walkabout outside in the hot sunshine, but didn't find a good viewing platform in the shade. Back inside the Queen's Terminal 2, I whizzed through security in ten minutes. I then found a working power socket to update this blog. Here I had one of the bananas that I had brought from home.
At 16:45 the gate was displayed and they were already boarding when I had arrived. Having checked in my carry-on bag, I didn't need to rush, so I hung back. We boarded on time, but didn't take off until thirty five minutes later. I had a good view of the new HS2 Colne Valley viaduct and the Brent Harp reservoir.
I connected to the great free Starlink wi-fi and then started charging my Samsung 'phone on the USB-A socket. We were offered complimentary coffee, tea or water, so I opted for the former. It was good, but I didn't bother with a refill, as it might keep me awake. I had one fruit & nut Mars bar to eat, which I had brought from home. I then got out my laptop and connected to the wi-fi.
We landed at 7:40, but it was now 8:40 on Norwegian time. There were no queues at passport control, where I was fingerprinted and photographed. (Norway is in the Schengen area because of its long border with Sweden, although not in the European Union itself. Later it transpired that American flights arriving earlier that day had had two hour long waits!)
When my bags appeared, I moved out to the foyer, but my taxi driver wasn't present. I phoned the GAC Cruise HQ in Bergen, who said they would call him. After a bit he arrived and drove me to one of the Airport Hotels. He helped me check-in, before heading off again.
I had a lovely twin room on the ground floor, overlooking the courtyard. Both restaurants had already closed, but the receptionist said she could get me something to eat. I declined as I still had two more bananas to nosh on. I then went for a walk through the lovely pine forest towards the lake, but turned back before reaching it. I took photographs of the sunset, the hospital opposite and the hotel itself.
Back in my room, I updated this blog and killed a cockroach! I spent the evening watching CNN on the television. I went to bed at 10:45 on BST, but 11:45 on CET and it still wasn't dark. During the day I had done nearly ten tousand steps, equal to four miles of walking.
I awoke at 6:15 and got up at 6:45, ready for the full English breakfast at 7:15. Back in my room, I worked on my laptop and watched CNN on the television. At 8:30 I headed off into the woods to circle the large lake nearby. It took me one hour to cover the three miles around the water's edge.
Back at my hotel, I had a continental breakfast of two croissants and some cheese, but there was no ham or smoked salmon to be had. Back in my room, I updated this blog, whilst watching CNN. At 10:30 I packed up and moved out to the foyer. I checked out and awaited my transfer to the port.
At eleven o'clock the driver arrived and I was joined in the back by Jay McGee lead vocalist of the Rocking Berries 1960s pop group. He had flown in the day before from Hamburg via Stockholm. It was a thirty five minute run to the port, where Oceania Sirena was berthed at the Filipstad Quay next to one of the ferry terminals. I gave the driver a €10 note as a tip.
I was on board by noon, but my cabin wasn't ready until three o'clock, so I lunched on the roast beef in the Buffet. I then walked around the port to find the road exit, around the block and back in the pedestrian entrance. It was too hot to walk all the way into the city.
I then slept on a lounger by the pool, until I got to take possession of my room on board. I unpacked and met Sandip my steward from Goa in India.
Down in the back office, I met Shorex Manageress Valerie from Belgium and signed up to be a tour escort. Back in my cabin again, Sandip had got me a chair to replace the stool. I had a tin can of soda water from the minibar to drink. At 5:15 I met Assistant Cruise Director (ACD) Ilias from Ukraine, who gave me my varied lecture slots.
At 5:45 I went to the Horizons observation lounge to help host the solo travellers. Here I met Liz from Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, before American singer and social host D'shaud Howard arrived. Gradually a dozen people came along, including the Australian Cruise Director (CD), Bryn Jenke. I had just sparkling water to drink.
At 6:45 I offered to take people to the Grand Dining Room (GDR), but only Liz came with me. We sat with a couple from Morgantown in West Virginia, whose University has the unique Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system connecting its three campuses and the city centre. I had the lobster bisque, the Sicilian salad, the Burgundy beef and the no sugar added raspberry ice cream to eat. I had just sparkling water to drink.
After dinner I picked up my first escort assignment. At 9:15 I enjoyed the Blue Horizon party in which the four vocalists sang mainly disco numbers. When CD Bryn sang Suspicion, we danced the Electric Slide. They ended with a Fleetwood Mac medley, as had happened on Oceania Nautica in February. I went to sleep at 10:40 having done thirteen and half thousand steps, nearly equal to six miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:10, having slept for seven and a half hours. After abluting (notice my use of the ablative absolute alliteration here), I updated this blog. (Google AI later wrote: "I appreciate the clever linguistic gymnastics! An ablative absolute is a fantastic grammatical structure, and combining it with alliteration is a great way to flex those vocabulary muscles.")
At 7:30 I had the full English breakfast al fresco a la terrazza. At 8:30 I had to attend the Safety Briefing by reception. At nine o'clock Luis from Costa Rica and Jean from the Philippines set me up. I had first met the latter on the (Regent Seven Seas) RSS Mariner and RSS Splendor and we became friends on FaceBook. At 9:15 CD Bryn introduced me and I gave my forty minute talk on Hamlet: Prince of Denmark to a reduced sized audience given the time in the morning and the fact that many of the American guests were still jet lagged.
At eleven o'clock I moved out on to the quayside to escort my second choice Walking Tour of Aalborg ($59). Here I met guide Agnes and our twenty one guests. We had inside visits to the Monastery, Cathedral and the Castle.
Back at the ship at 2:30, I had my first Swiss cheeseburger of the cruise. I ordered sweet potato fries, but got ordinary one instead. Back in my cabin, I watched my Hamlet talk to the telly, before sleeping for TWO hours.
At six o'clock I moved up to the Horizons observation lounge where I met Connie from Chicago, Marcia from Sydney and Liz from Gettysburg. Only the latter wanted to dine, so we went to the Buffet, with great views as we sailed down the Limfjord. I had the potato soup with embellishments, the Caesar salad, the fish with red kidney beans & sweet potato fries and just one scoop of the Humphry Slocombe lemon curd ice cream to eat. I had just sparkling water to drink.
After dinner, I handed in my escort report and collected my next assignment from the back office. At 9:15 I enjoyed Jay McGee's first showtime, which was a little bit naughty. For example: if Syria entered the rear of Turkey, would Greece help? Some of the Americans and the Japanese didn't get some of his jokes. I enjoyed his Louis Armstrong, Tom Jones and Rod Stewart songs, but didn't know the rock 'n' roll one he sang. I went to bed at 10:30, having done over nine thousand steps, nearly equal to four miles of walking during the day.
I got up at six o'clock when my alarm went off, having missed the passing of Hamlet's Castle at five o'clock. At 6:30 I had my first continental breakfast of cheese and smoked salmon on two croissants al fresco a la terrazza, as we berthed in Wonderful Copenhagen. I had two glasses of orange juice, diluted with sparkling water, to drink.
Back in my cabin, I worked on my laptop. At 7:30 I went to the Internet Office to find out about OceaniaWiFi.Com, to get my laptop online. I already had my Nokia 'phone working, but my Samsung, normally on the local mobile 'phone network, wasn't working.
At nine o'clock I moved out on to the quayside for my first choice Christiansborg Palace & Tivoli Gardens tour ($189). Here I met guide Paul and driver Taheena with our thirty one guests. Our first stop was at the Little Mermaid, where one gent fell on the rocks but was OK.
At the Christiansborg Palace we saw the grand state rooms, but it was difficult keeping the group together as people wandered off. Our final stop was at the Tivoli Gardens, where they had one hour of free time. I raced around taking photographs and watching the fairground rides. Coming out of the gardens, I had to wait for two ladies who had gone back to have their hands stamped for re-entry. This meant I didn't see which way our leader had turned and assumed we would pick the coach up where it had been dropped off. Unfortunately this wasn't the case and it was only when one of the ladies phoned a friend that we learnt where they were parked.
Back at the ship I lunched on the red pepper soup and the Mexican buffet al fresco a la terrazza. I then slept for one hour, before having a tin can of soda water from my minibar. At 4:30 I did six lengths of the salt water cool pool, but it was a little busy in the hot sunshine. At five o'clock I watched the sailaway from Copenhagen, going past the Crystal Serenity and the Silver Dawn, both of which I have lectured on. At 5:30 I went with Liz to the Captain's Welcome cocktail party, where I had one glass of champagne and one of white wine. We were sat with a couple from New Jersey, but it was difficult to talk with the five piece band playing.
At 6:30 we sat with a couple from Idaho in the Grand Dining Room (GDR). He had been a math(s) professor having studied at CalTech. They have both cats and black labrador dogs back at home. I had the fish soup, the baby spinach salad with bacon, the prime rib of beef and the Humphry Slocombe Elvis: the Fat Years ice cream with bacon bits to eat. I had several large glasses of sparkling water to drink.
Having handed in my escort report and collected my next assignment, I went to the Headliners production show which I have seen twice on the Oceania Nautica and three times on the Oceania Vista. I then had to go up to the top deck to get a signal for my Samsung 'phone. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock having done nearly ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking, during the day.
I got up at six o'clock ready for my continental breakfast of two bacon croissants at 6:30. I was one of the first people off the ship soon after seven o'clock. I walked south along the quaysides as far as the bridge over the end of Kiel Fjord in the warm sunshine. I then worked my way back via the station, the new town and the old town.
Back at the ship at nine o'clock, I had already done nearly ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking, but it had started to drizzle. I had a decaff coffee and a Danish pastry in the Horizons observation lounge, before dozing for an hour and a half. At noon I had a bowl of soup and a mixed grill al fresco a la terrazza.
At 12:30 I met guide Ute and our 23 guests on my second choice Kiel Brewery tour ($139). We began by walking along the quay to the maritime museum, before crossing the bridge into the city centre. Eventually we arrived at the Kieler Brauerei am Akten Markt, where we had three different types of beer to drink and large warm salted pretzels to eat dipped into mustard sauce. Afterwards we continued the walk with twenty minutes in the large North German red brick gothic (Backsteingotik) church.
Back at the ship again, I had a tin can of coke light to drink as I updated this blog. At 4:40 Jean set me up and at five o'clock I gave my forty minute talk on the Story of the Vikings. At six o'clock I had a glass of sparkling water in the Horizons observation lounge, but only one other solo traveller passed by.
At seven o'clock I met singer & social host D'shaud Howard and future cruise consultant Cecilia Grimaldi in the Baristas coffee bar, ready to help host the solo travellers dinner party in the GDR. I was sat on a table with guests Marcia (pronounced Marsha) and Paul together with Cecilia. D'shaud sat on the next table with three other solos. I had the red lentil soup, the chicken tikka salad, the sirloin steak and the no sugar added bananas Foster to eat. I had just one glass of Merlot red wine to drink with lots of sparkling water on the side.
At nine o'clock I went to Jay's second comedy show, which was amusing, getting a standing ovation at the end. He sang numbers by Conway Twitty, the Bee Gees and the Beatles. I went to sleep at 11:30, having done nearly eighteen thousand steps, equal to over seven miles of walking during the day.
I got up just after six o'clock ready for one croissant with smoked salmon to eat for breakfast al fresco a la terrazza. I had one large orange juice diluted with sparkling water to drink. I was off the ship soon after seven o'clock and walked nearly four miles.
Back at the ship at ten o'clock, there was a crew drill going on, so I couldn't take a nap. Instead I moved up to the Horizons observation lounge where I had a decaff cappuccino and a small Danish pastry. Back in my cabin, I dozed for one hour when the drill had finished. At 12:30 I lunched al fresco a la terrazza on the vegetable broth and the mixed grill of various pieces of lamb and of pork.
At 13:30 I met tall, red headed guide Julian and driver Kasten in the RV park ashore. We had twenty seven guests to take care of on my first choice Mecklenburg Countryside & Narrow Gauge Railway tour ($209). We began at the Bad Doberan Cistercian Minster. This was built in the North German red brick gothic (Backsteingotik) style of architecture. Next we boarded the famous Molli steam train, which had two carriages reserved for our two coach loads of guests. We steamed down the main street of Bad Doberan, just like being in a street car or a tram.
At the half way station of Heiligendamm, we had to wait for the train coming the other way to pass us. We got out at Kuhlungsborn Ost, formerly Arendsee, station in the up market seaside resort. Julian led us to one of the East German watchtowers which looked for people swimming to freedom during the Cold War. We then had free time, so I walked nearly two miles around the lovely town, going down two wooden piers in the process. On the way back to the ship, we just skirted a thunder storm. I had last done this tour thirteen years ago in 2013, but it hadn't changed!
At 6:45 I had to rush to change my shoes and drop my bag off, before checking if anyone was waiting in the Horizons observation lounge. I then proceeded down to the GDR, where I asked for a sharing table, but with so many guests still away in Berlin, I eventually had to eat alone. I had the asparagus soup with smoked salmon pieces, the assorted green salad with manchego cheese, the grilled salmon with rice & green beans, and one scoop of the Humphry Slocombe strawberry ice cream. I just had sparkling water to drink.
Back in my cabin, I filled in my escort report form and updated this blog. Having collected my next escort assignment, I went up to the top deck to watch the dramatic thunder and lightning storm. At 9:15 I listened to the first two tunes of the local brass band, but couldn't keep awake, so I slipped out. I went to sleep at ten o'clock, having done seventeen and a half thousand steps, equal to seven miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke naturally at 6:25, having slept for over eight hours. At seven o'clock I had a single croissant with four rashers of streaky bacon to eat al fresco a la terrazza as an Aida ship was berthing behind us. I had just one small glass of orange juice diluted with sparkling water.
At 8:30 I met guide Ulf and driver Peter in the RV car park for my second choice Behind the Iron Curtain tour ($309). We had just thirteen guests to look after. It took just over one hour to drive through Rostock to get to the Putnitz Technical Museum. This had three huge aircraft hangers stuffed full of East German & Soviet Union hardware.
One large helicoptor had its noisy engine started and its blades rotated slowly. Various vehicles were driving around the large crowds attending a Geocaching event. We got to ride on an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), which was exhilerating. There we lots of Trabbys (Trabant East German plastic cars), Wartburgs, Ladas and Polski Fiats on display, as well as Erich Honecker's limousines.
Back at the ship, I had the potato soup and the mixed grill al fresco a la terrazza. I then dozed for three quarters of an hour, before going to the Sirena lounge to get set up by Jean. At four o'clock I gave my forty minute talk on the Story of the Baltic Sea to a select audience. The tours hadn't come back from Berlin, the sun was shining and we would stay in port all evening, so I didn't stand a chance. Afterwards I walked into Warnemunde via the Edvard Munch house to Aldi's supermarket to buy some shaving gel.
At six o'clock I adjourned to the Horizons observation lounge, but no solos appeared. At 6:30 I moved down to the GDR, where I asked for a sharing table. However many guests had still yet to return from Berlin, so I ended up eating alone. I had the spicy duck soup, the feta cheese salad, the lovely prawn curry and just one scoop of no added sugar chocolate ice cream to eat. Back in my cabin, I watched my Baltic Sea talk on the telly.
At 9:15 I enjoyed the Acoustic Sessions production show. The five piece band was sited on the dance floor, whilst the classical duo were on the stage. The four vocalists were joined by the two dancers, with the latter singing rather than dancing. I particularly enjoyed Elvis's "All Shook Up" and "Burnin' Love" amongst lots of classic songs. I went to sleep soon after ten o'clock, having done ten thousand steps equal to four miles of walking, during the day.
I got up to my alarm at six o'clock, ready for just one croissant with four rashers of streaky bacon al fresco a la terrazza. Back in my cabin, I updated this blog and got ready to escort my third choice Taste of Bornholm tour ($329). At 7:30 I met guide Stuart from Indiana, USA and local driver Johan at coach number 20. We had just 22 guests to look after on this super tour.
Our first photostop was at one of the famous round churches, where Stuart told us about the crusade to the Baltic states. The next stop was at the Pilegaard apple farm, where we sampled three different ciders. At the northermost fishing village of Allinge we had half a smoked herring on a slice of rye bread with raw egg yolk to pour over a small salad. I had a glass of Danish lager to drink, but many guests had coke instead. One lady gave me her herring, so I had two to eat!
Our next stop was at Svaneke fishing village, where we had a short guided walk to the main square and back to the port. The final stop was at the Wild gin distillery, where the guests had four or five different samples: juniper, coriander, rosemary and orange flavoured spirits.
Back at the ship, I dozed for three quarters of an hour, before Luis set me up. I then gave my forty minute talk entitled Hitler & Putin: a tale of four cities. I was wearing my Putin tee-shirt given to me by my neighbour Keith Fletcher who had been given it by his Russian friend Victor. As we had already left port and it was overcast, I had a good audience with several appreciative comments at the end.
At 4:15 I went to afternoon tea in the Horizons observation lounge for the first time this cruise. I had one ham sarnie and one chicken roll to eat and two cups of tea to drink. At 5:15 I did TWELVE lengths of the cool pool, double my usual quota, in the hot sunshine. At six o'clock I sat in the Horizons observation lounge, but no solos were forthcoming again.
At 6:30 I asked for a sharing table in the GDR, where I met Linley from near Boise in Idaho and Frenchman Albert with his American wife from New Jersey. I had the carrot & coriander soup, the Cretan salad, the sirloin steak and the no sugar added peach ice cream to eat. I had lots of sparkling water to drink.
Back in my cabin, I started watching my Hitler & Putin talk on the telly. At 9:15 I enjoyed Australian violinist Ian Cooper's show time. He played tunes from Spain, Ireland, Czechia and Hungary. He used an electronic violin to sound like a cello to play Saint-Saens "Swan" from the Carnival of the Animals. I finished watching my lecture, going to bed at 10:30, but it was now 11:30 on Lithuanian time.
I awoke at six o'clock, but it was now seven o'clock on Lithuanian time. My alarm decided to not go off as its time zone had changed! At 7:30 I had just one croissant with four rashers of streaky bacon to eat al fresco a la terrazza.
At 8:10 I met guide Edita and driver Amber at bus number twenty six. It was drizzling, so I had to use my small blue umbrella and wear my red, white and blue mac. We had twenty one guests on my first choice Legends of the Witches Hill tour ($139). The coach had to be driven on to the ferry across the lagoon to the Curonian Spit. Halfway along this long line of sand dunes, we stopped in Juodkrante to hike up the forested hill to see the famous wooden sculptures. These started off as nice people, followed by the witches and devils, before returning to the good folk on the way down.
In the Evangelical Lutheran church, the pastor spoke to us for a few minutes. He answered my question on women pastors in the negative, saying that they were a conservative church. Most Lithuanians are Roman Catholics, like the nearby Poles, not Protestants, like the North Germans who used to live in Memelland. We then crossed the road to the art gallery opposite. Our final stop was at the beach in Smiltyne, before taking the ferry back to the mainland.
Back in the port, I walked into the city, exploring the castle's ramparts. I turned on tracking for the return to the ship. At 1:45 I had the carrot & pumpkin soup, followed by the fish, chips & mushy peas al fresco a la terrazza as the sun came out. I then slept for an hour and a half, after my early rising in the morning. I spent the rest of the afternoon updating this blog with my old Baltic Sea photographs, whilst drinking a tin can of diet Coke.
At six o'clock I had a glass of sparkling water to drink in the Horizons observation lounge, before descending to the GDR at 6:15. Here I met, at their request, Steve & Caryl with homes in North Eastern Florida and Southern California. He had been a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy, followed by working for Texas Instruments and other computer chip makers. They have one son who was educated in a Jesuit school and at Santa Clara University. I had the Colombian soup, the iceberg lettuce salad, the Argentinian flank steak with sweet potato fries and the no added sugar chocolate baklava to eat. I had just sparkling water to drink.
At 9:15 I sat with Liz in the Sirena lounge to watch the Broadway in Concert production show with the five musicians, the four vocalists, but not the two dancers. I didn't know the songs from Hamilton, Wicked or Into the Woods, but did know many of the others. They ended as usual with a medley of songs from Les Mis. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke naturally at 6:30 ready for TWO eggs Benedict to eat in the buffet, as the terrace was closed off. I had just one glass of orange juice, diluted with sparkling water to drink. Back in my cabin, I had to submit Crystal and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines (FOCL) bids. At 8:45 Sandip came to service the cabin, so I retired to the terrace, to photograph Riga, and to the Horizons observation lounge for a regular coffee with a small Danish pastry, as we berthed alongside. Back in my cabin again, I worked on my laptop.
At 9:50 I met guide Ludmilla on the quayside, with just nine guests on my fourth choice Districts of Riga tour ($209). We began walking past the Anatomy Theatre and Museum to Elizabeth Street, where we caught a tram just two stops to the National Opera House. We then walked to the main railway station, where we caught a train to the coast. We walked down to the beach, before having some pizza and snacks in a cafeteria. I had strawberry cordial to drink.
Back at the beach station, we went just two stops south, before walking to the Art Nouveau Palace of Culture with its modernist lookout tower. Next we caught a bendy bus back to the city centre. Here I had to bid my group farewell as I rushed back to the ship along Elizabeth Street.
Back at the ship at three o'clock, I had to quickly get changed ready for Luis to set me up at 3:15. At 3:30 I gave my forty minute talk on Sibelius for the very first time to a reduced audience. The sun had come out and there was a sailaway going on, so again I didn't stand a chance. Afterwards I went up to the top deck to see the sail down the river to the Baltic Sea, whilst having a decaff cappuccino to drink.
Back in my cabin, I changed again and updated this blog. At 5:45 I moved up to Horizons observation lounge to help singer D'shaud host the solo travellers meet up. Only Liz and Paul turned up, with the latter having a reservation at one of the speciality restaurants, so I took Liz to the GDR. Here we sat with George Adams and his wife from Houston in Texas. He had been an oil industry executive working in places like England, Iran and Venezuela. I had the parsnip soup, the feta cheese salad, the teriyaki sirloin steak and the no added sugar strawberry ice cream to eat.
At 9:15 I enjoyed Ian Cooper's second violin show, but had trouble staying awake. I went to sleep at 10:15 having done thirteen and a half thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at six o'clock as usual and got up at 6:30. At seven o'clock the main buffet hadn't opened, so I had a continental breakfast of ham and cheese on slices of baguette bread to eat in the Waves Grill by the pool. I had just one small glass of orange juice diluted with sparkling water.
Back in my cabin, I worked on my laptop. At 10:30 Sandip's assistant was servicing the cabin, so I had a regular coffee and a small Danish pastry in the Horizons observation lounge. The former was a mistake, as I tried to doze for three quarters of an hour.
At noon I met Estonian guide Mart and Russian driver Leonid at minibus number twenty. We had just twelve guests on my first choice Glacier Memories: A Nature Reserve Walk ($159). It took an hour and a half to get there, stopping along the way to pick up the packed lunches.
We began walking through the Scots pine woods, until we came to the huge bog, littered with circular kettle hole lakes left over from the Ice Age, where we walked on a narrow board walk. We climbed a wooden watch tower for views across the swamps and sat beneath it to eat our packed lunches. We had a ham and cheese roll, a banana, a tub of yoghurt and a bottle of water. Back in the pine forest we climbed on to an ice age esker ridge surmounted by another wooden watch tower. The ride back to Tallinn city took an hour and twenty minutes.
At six o'clock I sat in the Horizons observation lounge, but no solos were forthcoming. At 6:30 I met Liz outside the GDR, where we sat with Bob & Ellie from North Carolina. I had the borscht Russian soup, the blue cheese salad, the lobster and just one scoop of Humphry Slocombe Harvey Milk & Honey Grahams ice cream to eat. (Humphry Slocombe ice cream comes from San Francisco, where the owners loved the British sitcom "Are you being served?" This starred Mr Humphries and Mrs Slocombe. Harvey Milk was the gay mayor of San Francisco who was assassinated. Honey Grahams is a popular breakfast cereal in the United States.)
At nine o'clock I sat at the back of the brand new, home brewed "Shaken, Not Stirred" production show. This starred the five musicians, the four vocalists and the two dancers. They sang lots of the James Bond movie themes, including Adele's "Skyfall" and Shirley's "Goldfinger". They ended with Paul McCartney's "Live & Let Die". The only non-Bond theme was "Fever", I think. I went to bed at 10:35 having done thirteen thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking during the day.
I got up at six o'clock when my two alarms went off. After abluting, I had a full English breakfast, al fresco a la terrazza, but without any eggs. I had just one small glass of orange juice, diluted with sparkling water. Back in my cabin, I worked on my laptop.
At 9:35 I met guide Karin and our seventeen guests on my first choice Suomenlinna Fortress tour ($109). We took the ferry to the offshore island which houses a Swedish / Russian / Finnish built fort. We covered two thirds of the two main islands, but didn't have time to go in the church or the museum.
Back in the city, I rushed back to the ship to get set up for my 1:30 talk on Scandinavian Pop Music. Luis set me up and I gave my thirty five minute talk to a small audience. All aboard was at 1:30, there was a sailaway and a wine tasting going on and its was still lunchtime until two o'clock, so yet again I didn't stand a chance.
I then ordered a Swiss Cheeseburger in the waves Grill by the pool, but got a plain burger instead. I did get my sweet potato fries this time! I then slept for an hour and a quarter, before updating this blog.
At 5:15 I went to the Our World production show, which I have seen many times. It featured songs from Argentina, France, Japan, India, Mexico, Greece, Australia, Ireland, Spain and Italy. The first included an Argentine Tango danced by the Ilias from Ukraine and his partner. At the end there was a crew parade as usual.
Just after six I adjourned to the Horizons observation lounge, where I met Liz. We moved down to the GDR at 6:30, where we sat with a couple from South Carolina. I had the green Thai curry soup, the iceberg lettuce with cheese, the poached Norwegian salmon and the no sugar added poached pear to eat. After dinner, I started packing, putting my case out at ten o'clock. I went to sleep at 10:40, but it was now only 9:40 on Swedish time, having done nearly nine thousand steps, nearly equal to four miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my alarms at seven o'clock, but it was now only six o'clock on Central European Time (CET). At 6:30 I had the full English breakfast al fresco a la terrazza in the bright sunshine as we approached Stockholm through the sea channel. I had one small glass of orange juice diluted with sparkling water plus one cup of regular coffee to keep me awake at the airport. Back in my cabin, I finished packing and checked out the coach fares for the evening ride home from LHR.
At eight o'clock I moved down one floor to the upper gallery, where I chatted to Liz and the couple we had had dinner with the previous night. At 8:25 red two tags were called and Liz departed. At 8:35, dead on time, red three tags were invited to depart the ship. Baggage reclaim and boarding the coach was straight forward and the latter had power sockets for my laptop.
The bus left at 8:55, bound for Arlanda airport, which is a long way out of town. At the airport we were dropped off at Terminal 4, but had to walk a fair way to Terminal 5 and then the length of this enormous international terminal. Check-in was straight forward and I off loaded both cases, so I could go walkabout. I explored the central outside area, including climbing to the top of one of the multi-storey car parks. I walked to the far end of Terminal 2 (Terminal 1 was never built!). One of the central terminals was derelict, like Terminal 1 at LHR. At 11:30 I ate the first of my bacon croissants that I had brought from the ship.
I then caught the free Arlanda Express train from Arlanda S(outh) station to Arlanda N(orth) station under Terminal 5. (Arlanda C(entral) station requires TWO tickets for just ONE journey!) I finally found a power socket with a view of the 'planes in the Sky City central foyer. Here I was able to update this blog and charge up one 'phone. I finished backing up my photographs from the cruise, as I drank a tin can of diet coke from my minibar.
At 1:30 it said security would take ten minutes, but it actually took twenty. At passport control they said I had exceeded ninety days in the Schengen area! They had no record of me arriving in Oslo twelve days ago, although I was fingerprinted and photographed there. Luckily I had my Oslo boarding card in my pocket to show them, as I had made some notes on the back of it. After half an hour of argy bargy they let me go, but said I had to contact EES in Brussels to correct my record! The same thing is going to happen in twelve days time, when I fly via Amsterdam to Bergen to join the Viking Mira.
After boarding they started refuelling, so we were half an hour late taking off. I then got the free wi-fi working on my laptop AND on both my mobile 'phones. I began the flight by eating my second bacon croissant that I had brought from the ship. At the first round of the drinks trolley, I got a coffee with TWO small cartons of milk to drink. That kept me awake for the rest of the journey home! At the second round of the drinks, I had another cup of coffee again with two small cartons of milk to drink. I was hyper all evening and had trouble sleeping that night, despite being in my own bed again!
We landed at six o'clock bang on time and passport control was empty. I had to wait a bit for my bags to come through as usual. The flight home had cost Oceania $264. I got to the central coach station just as the National Express (NE) bus was leaving at 17:45. I managed to book a seat on the 16:55 Flixbus service for just £18, nearly half the price of NE. We arrived in BoMoH at 20:50, ten minutes early and I was driven home by an Iranian taxi driver soon after.
Cruise Director Bryn wrote: ???
Caryl & Steve sent a card saying: "Steve and I enjoyed dinner together with you. We admired your knowledge and speaking capabilities. We do so hope to see you again on a future cruise. If so we will hope to have dinner again with you."
Maddy later wrote: "I eagerly awaited your blog from your Oceania Sirena Baltics cruise, and it did not disappoint. Even though I've been to some of the ports, your descriptions and insights on all of them were informative, and I'll use for future reference."
The highlights of the cruise were:
New berths: Oslo and Warnemunde.
New rides: Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), four ferries, three trains, one tram and one bus.
New sights: Christiansborg Palace, Putnitz Museum, Witches Hill, Estonian bog and Helsinki fortress.
I was glad to have revisited the Baltic States in case Putin invades!
1) "Hamlet: Prince of Denmark" Gasp at the slaughter in Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. (Needed to take place before Copenhagen) [9:30] 2) "The Story of the Vikings" Explore these great Scandinavian warriors. [17:00] 3) "The Story of the Baltic Sea" Martin, who has degrees in geography, geology and theology, will cover both the natural history and the human history of this great waterway. [16:00] 4) "Hitler & Putin: a Tale of Four Cities" Unfortunately history has a habit of repeating itself. (Needed to take place before Klaipeda in Lithuania) [15:00] 5) "Jean Sibelius: Finland's Greatest Classical Composer. Come and hear about the life & works of this great musician. (Needed to take place before Helsinki in Finland) [15:30] 6) "Scandinavian Pop Music" Come and hear about the popular music of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland. (Needed to take place before Stockholm in Sweden) [13:30] I have lectured on nine Oceania cruises on five of their ships. My most recent Oceania Nautica cruise is at: NAU260310
224 Cruises 58 Cruise ships (see below) 16 Cruise lines (see below) 12 Day cruise 10 Tours escorted 6 Lectures given 5 Production shows watched 4 Bacon continental breakfasts 4 Steak dinners 4 Full English breakfasts 4 Ferry rides 3 Mixed grill lunches 3 Fish dinners 3 Electric train rides 2 Taxi rides 2 Solo traveller meet-ups hosted 2 Smoked salmon continental breakfasts 2 Burgers with fries 2 Beef dinners 2 Hikes 1 Solo traveller dinner hosted 1 Continental breakfast 1 Eggs Benedict 1 Herring lunch ashore 1 Pizza lunch ashore 1 Packed kunch ashore 1 Bacon lunch at the airport 1 Prawn curry dinner 1 Lobster dinner 1 Comedian 1 Violinist 1 Steam train ride 1 Public bus ride 1 Tram ride
* Regent Seven Seas (NCL) * Oceania (NCL) * Silversea (RCCL) * Celebrity (RCCL) * Seabourn (Carnival) * Princess (Carnival) * Cunard (Carnival) * P&O (Carnival) * Marella (TUI) * Ambassador * Azamara * Crystal * Viking * FOCL * Saga * VoD
Black Prince Black Watch Borealis Boudicca Balmoral Braemar Bolette Silver Whisper Silver Spirit Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Silver Dawn Oceania Nautica (R5) Oceania Sirena (R4) Oceania Riviera Oceania Marina Oceania Vista Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Saturn Viking Neptune Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Edge Celebrity Apex Saga Rose Saga Ruby Saga Sapphire Saga Pearl II Quest for Adventure Spirit of Adventure (Old SofA) Spirit of Adventure (New SofA) Spirit of Discovery Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Queen Elizabeth (QE) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Mary 2 (QM2) P&O Arcadia P&O Aurora P&O Oriana P&O Iona Azamara Journey (R6) berthed next to us in Tallinn! Azamara Quest (R7) Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Ambassador Ambience Ambassador Ambition Regent Seven Seas Mariner Regent Seven Seas Splendor Sapphire Princess Caribbean Princess Marella Explorer VoD Discovery