The morning starts disappointingly. The captain comes on the tannoy and announces that the wind is too strong to safely enter the port of Ålesund.
It’s a pity as the town was rebuilt in the early 1900′s in an Art Deco style after it was devastated by fire. No matter, worse things happen at sea. Hang on a minute…
Anyway, off we head to our next stop, the tiny town of Olden at the head of the spectacular 60-mile long Nordfjord. This is fjord scenery at its best and there are a good couple of hours of it to enjoy. As we approach the town of Olden, the hills get higher and steeper.
Ventura alongside the dock in Olden
We’re soon moored on the dock and head off for a walk to stretch the legs before dinner. We head to the other side of the harbour and up to a headland to get a great view of the area and the ship.
Ventura looks a little unusual in this setting to say the least. She is twice the length of the dock to which she’s tied and towers above the buildings on the hillside alongside her berth.
Fantastic scenery as we hike the Oldendalen Valley
Later in the evening we’re enjoying our meal when time after time cars passing by would stop in their tracks and hurriedly pull over to the side. A camera would then appear and a flashgun would pop another picture of this leviathan to show the folks at home.
Olden gives us a chance to strap on our walking boots and take a hike up the Oldendalen Valley with lakes, rivers, waterfalls and glaciers making up the spectacular scenery.
The 3 Swords monument - a symbol of national unity
Our final port on the journey is Stavanger, a European Capital of Culture in 2008 and an eclectic mix of modern architecture and traditional old houses.
We head off to the 3 Swords monument which commemorates the unification of the country by Harald Hårfagre a thousand years ago. The three enormous swords look as though they’re thrust into a headland and the handles and hilts of the swords are based on original Viking designs.
Wooden houses in old town Stavanger
After lunch on the harbour front, we stroll through the old town district of white-painted wooden houses but all to soon it’s time to return to the ship for our final sailing back to Southampton.
So have the “Virgin Cruisers” enjoyed their first trip onboard. Well, I think that’s an easy one – yes we have indeed. We’ve had a great time and enjoyed our trip immensely.
One thing that we’ve learned from talking to seasoned cruisers is that each ship and cruise operator have different styles and so can give quite a different cruise “experience”.
Ventura is great for families and provides activities and entertainment for all ages and it does it all very well in an informal environment. That may be just what you need for your first cruise taster.
If you’re looking for a more “traditional” atmosphere on your cruise then perhaps one of the other ships in the fleet would be more suited to your taste.
The most important thing when choosing your first cruise is to decide what you would like, read the brochure and choose the ship which gives you the cruise you want.
Now, where did I put that brochure…?
If you’re interested in a Norwegian cruise, here are a few to get you started.
7 Nights Norway Cruise on P&O Arcadia Departing May 2010
7 Nights Norway Cruise on P&O Oriana Departing July 2010
Alan Ramsey
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