Akureyri in Iceland from Ventura

We woke at 4 am this morning (Icelandic time) to discover ourselves surrounded by the most spectacular views. We had entered the Eyjarfjord an hour earlier and were sailing gently towards the Icelandic town of Akureyri. This is northern Iceland's largest fishing port and its cultural and industrial capital. We soon caught a glimpse of the town before we finally docked just before 8 am.

We were one hour behind UK clocks, but as there was less than 50 minutes between sunset and sunrise, the whole idea of  time felt slightly surreal. Once again the weather seemed to forget that we were so close to the Arctic Circle, and, after a leisurely breakfast, we headed ashore wearing only lightweight coats. The one and only hop on hop off bus was waiting for us. It ran once an hour so we were lucky to find a seat.

The bus took about 45 mins and cost around £20 each, which is probably more than you would pay in the UK . The literature on the bus described the town as 'dynamic', which seemed to be rather a flattering description of this reasonably quiet little town. Nevertheless it was a very good way to discover all the various points of interest, including the museums, Botanical Gardens, and shopping areas. We had to admire the way the residents of this remote northern location had created a thriving town with eye-catching ideas to raise a smile.

  Apparently all the red traffic lights were changed to a heart shape after the Icelandic bank crash in 2008.

Once we had finished our bus tour we took the ten minute walk into the town centre.

The architecture of the Icelandic houses was interesting, and there was plenty of seating to rest in the semi-pedestrianised town square before entering the main shopping street.

They had also provided many information display boards throughout the town to help us discover its history and find the selection of cafes and souvenir shops in the main street.

We  finally purchased a few Christmas tree decorations at a souvenir shop before embarking ready for our journey to the next port of call. So here is one final photo from our sailaway back up the fiord. We spotted several whales emerging above the water surface as we left Akureyri. It was almost impossible to capture an image of them on my phone, but I made an attempt. The whale is the black dot about 20 feet in front of the red whale spotting boat. I hope the whale spotters managed to take some better photos than this one....

 

  

Port of Torshavn in the Faroes from Ventura

So far on our cruise we have been enormously lucky with the weather. The outside air temperature sometimes feels chilly, but the sea is still calm, and the ship is surrounded by sunshine. It’s hard to believe that we are so close to the Artic Circle. Our approach into Torshavn in the Faroe Islands yesterday was overcast, but the skies soon cleared.  

The Faroe Islands are situated halfway between Norway and Iceland, and, although under the sovereignty of Denmark, they have their own language and culture. The local currency is the Faroese Krona, but Danish Krona are also widely used. As we sailed into the harbour in the early morning, the surrounding countryside was haunting, though not as bleak as I had expected.

 Brightly coloured houses were dotted around on the hillsides and the town of Torshavn itself combined tourism with industry.  

There were numerous ship's tours to choose from, but Chris and I chose the less energetic option of wandering around the charming little town. Complimentary shuttle buses were provided to transport passengers through the towers of containers to the port gates, but most people chose to ignore the buses and take the five minute walk along the port side to the information kiosk and the pretty harbour and then into the town centre.

There was a great view of Ventura, as we approached the harbour.

The town was hilly, but there were plenty of seats along the way, some quite entertaining for the less able to rest en route.

Cruise passengers filled the little town, but we were made to feel very welcome. Cars stopped to allow us to cross the mostly narrow roads, and shopkeepers were more than happy to allow us to browse with interference offering help only when needed. I suspect that the arrival of a cruise ship provided a welcome boost to their island community. Goods were expensive, but many tourists purchased coffees and small souvenirs. Chris purchased a Faroese hat, and I used the change to purchase one tiny Christmas tree decoration.

We loved the eco-friendly grass roofs, but couldn’t help but wonder how they could be mowed in safety.

We also enjoyed the statues and monuments dedicated to local writers and heroes.

When we sailed out of Torshavn at about 5pm the sun was blazing on the open decks, and many people chose to watch or join the entertainment team as they danced us away from the Faroe Islands.      

Sailaway parties do not particularly appeal to me, but I have to admire the hard work and ceaseless energy of the entertainment team.

Today is another sea day, but at 3.30 this afternoon the first Icelandic snow capped peaks appeared on the horizon, and a whale allowed us a glimpse of his circling body as he danced close to the ship. More to follow......

Ventura Blog: Weather, Wifi, and Technology

When I first asked Chris where he would like to go on our next cruise, and he replied "Iceland", my heart sank. I do enjoy a bit of sunshine, and you don’t choose a cruise to Iceland if you are seeking hot weather. But yesterday’s fine weather on our first sea day was a real bonus. I sat for over an hour in the heat of our cabin balcony until the fear of sunburn called me inside.

We also attended a meet-up of all those facebook members who had joined the cruise event on social media. With so many passengers onboard, it's a great way to connect in person with a few familiar faces.

The threatened overnight thunderstorm never appeared though rain did wash the decks after dinner.

The evenings are growing longer now as we anticipate our arrival in the land of the midnight sun, and there are always interesting things to see in the North Sea.  

As I write this we spending our final sea day before we arrive in the Faroes. We are currently sailing between the Orkneys and Shetland Islands, and although the sky is clear, the temperature is definitely dropping. It’s time to pack away the T-shirts and find the jumpers.
Swimming in one of the two outside pools today would only be for the very brave, but Ventura also has a large all-weather pool with a retractable roof. Although unoccupied when I took this photo, several active souls went in this afternoon.

For me, today was a good opportunity to chill with a book and to catch up on some technology.  Wifi onboard is not necessarily cheap, but there are a variety of packages to choose from.

The occasional user can select a ‘pay as you go’ option, which will cost very little if you compose your emails off-line then only connect to wifi post them. There are also three daily or cruise packages. Chris and I share the cost of the ‘browse’ package for the entire cruise. This gives us internet access to everything except video streaming. We can’t both go on line at the same time, but with a bit of negotiation we seem to manage. All the cabins also have a TV (two TVs in balcony deluxe and suites) which show a wide variety of films, popular TV shows and international news channels. The TV also streams ship’s information and port talks. We do enjoy the navigation channel which has a live link to our location.

And while I am on the subject of technology, I have a confession to make. Yesterday my watch strap broke, and the only small size really cheap replacement I could find in the onboard shops was a child's Barbie Doll one. So instead, I treated myself to a Fitbit watch from the ship's Dixon's Travel Shop. I now have a step tracker and calorie counter attached to my wrist which is motivating me to use the stairs instead of the lift. I doubt my new found fitness enthusiasm will last long!  

       My next blog post will be about our day in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands.

Ventura: Embarkation and Sailaway

We are on board P and O Ventura heading through the North Sea towards the Faroe Islands. The sea is very calm, and the Norfolk coast is to our East, though not visible. After a tiring day yesterday, it is great to be surrounded by ocean, with the prospect of two sea days before we reach our first port of call.
With the house sitter installed, and instructions left re watering plants etc, we were in our taxi by 10.30 yesterday morning for an uneventful journey to Southampton. However once in the terminal, we discovered that the air bridge had broken, and we found ourselves held up for over 90 mins before we could board. The atmosphere was humid, and you could feel the growing stress levels of the waiting passengers. It was with relief that we finally entered our beautiful cabin at about 3 pm. The Champagne was waiting.

With the introductions from our cabin steward and the mandatory muster drill at 4.30 pm, we barely had time to empty one of our three cases, before Ventura set sail at about 5.30 pm.
The outside temperature was warm and you could sense the diminishing passenger stress, as we all emerged onto our balconies or the open decks to watch our departure from Southampton.

There were three other ships leaving the port, and we enjoyed listening to the blasts of each ship's horn as they greeted each other in the sailaway.

Explorer of the Seas was the first to set sail followed by Queen Victoria and finally the impressive Queen Mary 2.

I am looking forward to the first meeting of our facebook group today, but before that I still have two cases to unpack!