Day -1
Arrived in Dover. Stayed at premier Inn, Marine Court. Booked in with a problem. The price they stated was different to which I was quoted. I produced my confirmation and price was corrected with an apology. I paid with Leisure Vouchers which meant I got 10% off the price. We stayed in room 227 facing the sea front. We could see France in the distance. The room was big, clean and had tea & coffee facilities. There was o soap in the room. The restaurant was nice. You must order by 10pm to get any food. In the reception there is a Ben & Jerry ice cream machine charging £2.50 an ice cream. Wifi is charged at £5 per hour or £10 per day.

Day 1
Check in was nice and smooth. There was a delay due to engine problem in Copenhagen which resulted in Balmoral arriving in Dover 3 hours late. Once on board we headed straight to our cabin, 9089. Our luggage was already there. We were greeted by Malou our stewardess who was both friendly and helpful. We went to Palms café for tea and cake and then got ready for our evening meal in The Spey Restaurant. The cabaret tonight was The Swing show performed by the Balmoral group. I thought it was fairly good. Afterwards we took part in the late night quiz. We didn’t win but didn’t disgrace ourselves. We joined up with a couple who’s daughter lives near us.
I had previously requested a table for two for personal reasons. We were allocated a table for 8. A quick word with the maitre’d and things were amended. He was so efficient and polite. Already a gold star awarded to Fred Olsen.

Day 2
We slept in but what the hell we are on vacation. We both had spa treatments. I had the gentlemen’s barbering concept with Jessie which was excellent and Mary had a French manicure. My treatment was suppose to last 30 minutes but was in fact 60 minutes. It was very relaxing and I felt good after it. The staff in the Atlantis Spa are very friendly and helpful. One word of warning, you are able to pre-book appointments online before the cruise, which I did, however not all of our bookings came through so we had to rebook them. It was not a problem for us but is something to check in future.
We enjoyed a lecture by Richard Grainger on Narvik in the Neptune Lounge. For lunch we went to Palms Café. It is very nice in their. Very open, spacious and more importantly the food was delicious, especially the diabetic cream cakes. In the afternoon we attended another lecture this time on the Battle of Jutland. It was a bit too heavy for me, it was geared up mainly for academics rather than holiday makers.
It was formal night tonight, the first of three on this cruise. The meal tonight was excellent.
The entertainment tonight was Sinead Blanchfield. An Irish Soprano singer, Ireland’s answer to Katherine Jenkins. I thought that she was very good. I enjoyed the show. Afterwards we joined in the quiz again. It was a theme on all things Black & White. We did OK.
There was a Code Alpha alert tonight. Which means someone has taken ill. The alert was called out in The Morning Light Pub. It doesn’t appear to be life threatening.

Day 3
Another Sea Day and another day of magnificent scenery outside.
This morning I went to the Port Talk on Honingsvag, which means Honey Bay. It was most informative. Afterwards we attended the morning quiz and then the dolphin racing in which I won a few pounds.
After lunch it was a nice relaxing afternoon lounging on the balcony with a glass of wine and enjoying the views. Every now and again the Captain makes an announcement describing the places we are passing.
There were two shows on tonight, one a comedian the other the Balmoral Show group performing The Wonder of Elvis. We chose the Elvis show, it was very good. The cast enjoyed themselves, they were well supported in the audience by the crew if the ship. We watched the comedian on the TV and was not impressed, however some others said he was funny. More quiz time this evening, the theme being chocolate. We came second. We were also entertained by the Rosario Trio who play classical music. I like them.

Day 4
I attended the Port Talk on Svalbard and Ny Alesund. Can’t wait to visit these places.
More quiz and Dolphin racing. At 11.00am we had a “Scenic Cruising” concert with the Balmoral Orchestra and Maridith. This was accompanied with gluhwein and bacon sandwiches. We passed a mountain peak which had a hole in it, fascinating and unusual. Mary attended the art and craft class again.
This afternoon we crossed the line into the Arctic Circle. I took the obligatory photo of the globe indicating the line of entry. We spent a couple of hours relaxing on the balcony in our shorts and T-shirts and a glass of wine enjoying the views. We passed what is known as the Black Glacier.
I attended another lecture by Richard Grainger, this won on Magdalena fjord. It was interesting and informative.
Showtime tonight was Parisian Nights by the Balmoral cruise team. It was good but I just wish everyone would stop singing Lady Marmalade. I hate that song, Afterwards it was another quiz and Showtime with Maridth. She was Ok but not really my kind of thing.

Day 5
We arrived in Narvik. We decided to go on Tour A, which was sightseeing in Narvik. We visited the Commonwealth Graves and in particular paid tribute to the British memorial. There were also memorials for Poland, France and Germany. After a brief journey around the town we went to the War Museum. It is a small museum but very interesting. You are given a booklet which explains everything in English. The cost to enter is 5 Krone but they will accept payment in Euro’s and Sterling. Narvik is a nice little town and worth a visit.
Shuttle buses were provided at a cost of £5 for unlimited travel all morning.
This afternoon we sat on our balcony and watched the beautiful scenery pass by.
It was Western evening tonight, so we all wore our jeans, checked shirts and hats to dinner. In the Lido Lounge we had a Hoe Down performed by the Ship’s company. It was very good. Afterwards was the Western quiz. Tonight we stayed up to watch the Midnight sun. I can’t believe that it is light 24 hours a day.

Day 6
Today we arrive in Honingsvag (Honey Bay). The cruise ship Mona Lisa has pinched our spot and we are struggling to get into the smaller dock. The Captain is positive he will do it. There is no reason to doubt him.
We took a walk up the high street and popped into a couple of shops. Honingsvag has an Icebar which may be worth a visit. There is also a nice little church at the end of the high street. The souvenir shop and museum is right next to the pier. It is quite a nice shop as they go and the prices are not horrendous.
We went on a ship’s tour of Megaroy Island. We first stopped off at a tradition reindeer farm and see the family in traditional clothing , their tents and of course reindeer. After this we visited two fishing villages, one of them called Skasveg. In Skasveg we went to the Christmas House and had some gluhwein and traditional Christmas cake which was nice. The Christmas House is also a Christmas gift shop which is nice.
As we toured the villages it was interesting looking at the houses and seeing the fish hanging off the roofs. The Norwegian people are so friendly and talkative. The houses are beautiful and very colourful.
We left Honingsvag late, The Captain said that they had to take a passenger to hospital.
There was a choice of entertainment tonight. In the Neptune Lounge was The Balmoral Company and Sinead Blanchfield. In the Lido Lounge was Cruise Host Jamie Clark. We opted for Jamie. He is a very funny cruise host. He sang tonight and was brilliant. Far better than some of the professional entertainers I have seen onboard cruise ships.
We have a few itinerary changes over the next few days. It is more or less a juggling about of when we visit places. There are no loss of port visits. However a number of people are complaining. They ought to get a life..
Palms Café had an Asian Buffet tonight, so we went to that. The food was delicious.

Day 7
We are cruising at sea today. We cruised passed Bear Island but unfortunately visibility is poor due to the fog. The satellite systems are down for TV and Internet access. Well we are now in a remote part of the world.
More quiz’s this morning. My team won so we got a prize point which equates to a coaster. The more prize points the better the prize. Following that was Dolphin racing and I won a few pounds on that. After lunch I went to a classical concert. It was unexpectedly enjoyable.
We have had another Code Alpha, I hope it is not serious.
Tonight we attended they show The Sound of Their Sound of Music, a tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein. The show was very good but there were sound technical problems with the sound. Prior to the show we watched the Weakest Link game show. The right person won. She won 43 key rings.
The quiz theme tonight was Music. They played a piece of music and you had to name the song and the performer. Mary & I won.

Day 8
Today we arrived in Longyearbyen. We decided to walk into town. We visited the Svalbard Museum . The entrance fee was 75 Krone. The museum told the history of the island and the wildlife. It was very good and well worth a visit. After the museum we did a bit of shopping, most of which is tax free. The prices are very good considering we are in the middle of nowhere. Of course we had to pop into the bar for an arctic beer. A reindeer wondered into town, but there are no sightings of polar bears. The Church on the hill is also worth a visit. We also got some good views of the glaciers.
We wrapped up warm to go into town, I wish we hadn’t. It is so warm, especially when that sun is shining.
I telephoned home, the signal is very good. Also in one the café’s they offer free wifi.
This evening’s entertainment was provided by Gavin Murray from the Balmoral Show Company. He was very good. He sang a good mixture of songs. A quiz followed afterwards. Tonight’s theme was “Outburst”. We had to name 10 things associated with a word or place. The 10 items had to be on the list by the quiz master. It was fun, we didn’t win.

Day 9
An early call by the Captain today. We are at Magdalenfjord. Surrounded by glaciers. This place is so beautiful. In the distance we can see reindeer, unfortunately no Polar Bears.
There are more lectures and games going on this morning. We stuck to the scenery.
This afternoon we arrived in Ny Alesund, a science and nature research centre, 600 miles from the North Pole. The last inhabited place before the North Pole. It is a bit desolate but in many ways very nice. We were able to walk around the centre as long as we stayed on the authorised track. We got to see some huskies, arctic foxes and Arctic Tern’s. Those who went too close to the nests of the Arctic Tern’s were attacked on the head by the Tern’s. Those who were attacked deserved it as they ignored instructions and were seen by the Tern’s as threatening. Ny Alesund is the base camp of Roald Amundsen as he began his trek to the North Pole.
The show tonight was Oh Boy. It was the best show so far. The Quiz theme was Wet n Wild. We did not fare well

Day 10
Another Sea day. We took it easy. We passed by Bear Island. This time we saw it. We saw no animals, only a few birds. Whales are swimming alongside the ship.
I attended a couple of lectures. This afternoon was also Afternoon Tea Dance. The cakes were well out and about. The inches on the waistline are increasing just looking at them. The decision was to suffer and eat a couple.
Formal night tonight and a Norwegian Gala Dinner.
The Showtime was either Big Band or Gavin Murray and a Tribute to queen. We chose the Queen Tribute. The Lido lounge was decorated out in Orange in support of the Dutch guests for the World Cup final. Many guests and staff have their radio’s on listening to the game. It was a shame for the Dutch guests that their team lost.

Day 11
We had a couple of spa treatments today. Mary had a Hot Stone Massage and I had full body Swedish Massage. They were great. The team in the Atlantis Spa are very friendly.
This afternoon we had a helicopter and fire drill in conjunction with the Norwegian Emergency services. As a result for a short while most outside areas were out of bounds. One of the crew offered to take some photo’s for me, which I gladly accepted.
There were two shows tonight, Victor Baccara, a violinist, and Lorna Dolan. We choose Lorna. It was a good choice, we watched the show twice.
We arrived in Tromso. We are a 30 minute walk from town. A shuttle bus until midnight has been laid on at a cost of £5.00 for unlimited use.
The quiz was on tonight and the theme was Stage and Film Musicals. We won another bottle of bubbly.

Day 12.
Up early today to do a tour. We went to the Polaria Centre. This is well worth a visit. There is a slide show on the Northern Lights, A Navigation Simulator, A multi Screen film on Spitsbergen, An area that rein acts life in the Arctic. It can get cold and then there is the Aquarium and seal pool. This place is well worth a visit. I wish we stayed longer. I bought the video of the film show we saw, it was spectacular. We then went on a Cable Car ride up the hills, mountains and saw some spectacular views. It is a lovely area to go for a gentle walk. Finally we had a sightseeing tour of town. A good tour and well worth the money.
This afternoon I attended the Wine Tasting of International Wines. New Zealand, Australia and France came out on top. There were 16 wines to taste. I tasted 13 and in most cases they were a decent size glass. The Wine Tasting cost £10. Well worth it. One of the Dining Room Section Leaders gave a commentary on the wines provided. Also we had plenty of cheese, Parma ham, bread and grapes.

Showtime tonight was with Don Paton. He is quite a good singer.

Day 13
Another sea day and plenty of onboard ship activities.
Tonight is also the Farewell Cocktail Party and last formal night. Dinner included the Baked Alaska Parade and the waiters all singing “Oh when the saints go marching in”.
Showtime tonight was the Crew show who provided plenty of singing and dancing. Our stewardess Malou took part in a Muslim dance which was very good. In fact the whole show was good, the best crew show that we have ever seen.
There was also a Abba show put on by the Balmoral Show Company, that was good. Everyone was up singing and dancing. The quiz tonight was based on the body. That was good.
Tonight also featured the chefs show which included carvings of all sorts. Very impressive. There were plenty of cakes on show. All available for eating.

Day 14
Today we arrive in Bergen. We are doing a tour on the Old and New Bergen. Bergen is a beautiful city. The buildings are outstanding and well worth a visit. Our tour took us just outside Bergen. We visited several islands, my particular favourite was Oen. The views were magnificent. We also visited The West Coastal Museum were we were served pancakes and coffee. The museum was OK. I wouldn’t go to it again. We also visited a local gas refinery station.
This evening was British Night on board. Most people were dressed in red, white and blue. The union Jacks were flying high. The menu for dinner tonight was traditional British fayre. In the Neptune Lounge was a British sing-along which everyone Seemed to enjoy. The show after was A Sailor’s Tale by the Show Company. It wasn’t my cup of tea.
The theme to the quiz tonight was Britain. Not many people did well. There was also a late night Fish & Chip Supper club. For the first time since we started cruising the seas are a little rough.

Day 15
Our final sea day. We managed another quiz and dolphin race. We also said goodbye to some new friends.
Dover here we come.