Journey to the Far North: First Cruise Experience (Part 2)

Oct 9, 2023

Through clothing, education, entertainment and people, he explains the clothing, educational and entertainment activities and interpersonal interactions on the cruise, and shares his personal views on cruise travel.

Every evening, passengers will receive the next day's daily report , telling them when the cruise ship will arrive, when it will sail, and whether it will dock or use a tender. The daily newspaper will also introduce basic information about the port or city and its attractions or transportation.

The daily newspaper will also list the restaurant's business hours and whether it is free, as well as the opening or holding times of bars, cafes, gyms, spas or special events, etc., and have a column to introduce the theater performances that night.

Therefore, in addition to providing meals and accommodation, and shore excursions, cruise ships also provide various sports and entertainment facilities and spaces, and organize activities or performances suitable for different age groups.

Following the accommodation, transportation, and food in the previous article, this article will explain the clothing, education, entertainment activities, and interpersonal interactions on the cruise through clothing, education, entertainment, and people. Finally, I will share my personal views on cruise travel.

Cruise clothing

It is often said that there is a dress code for dining or attending activities on cruise ships, and you have to dress up for the captain's night. This is one of the reasons why I hesitate to go on a cruise ship.

However, some cruise ships emphasize Free Style, emphasizing freedom and leisure, with no clothing requirements and casual clothes are allowed throughout the journey. This is the case for cruise ships under the name of NCL.

Therefore, in Norwegian Star restaurants some people wear formal attire, such as shirts, trousers or dresses with high heels, while others wear sportswear, shorts or slippers (especially in buffets or light food restaurants). When watching a show in the theater, some people wear long dresses, while others are more casual.

This kind of Free Style is just right for us who pack lightly and have to lug our luggage around after leaving the cruise ship.

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The best thing about cruising is that you don’t have to open and close the luggage frequently.

When the suitcases were delivered to the cabin on the first day of boarding, we immediately unpacked them and took out all the clothes. Outerwear, trousers and skirts are all hung in the closet, underwear, tops, socks and sundries are all stuffed into three drawers or shelves, and skin care products are placed on the dressing table or washbasin. From the beginning to the day before disembarkation, I never opened the suitcase again.

Norwegian Star originally had laundry rooms on each floor. After they were removed during the epidemic, paid laundry services were provided instead. As long as you put the clothes in the laundry bag before a certain time, they will be washed, ironed, folded and sent back within a certain time. There is a limit of one bag per room and the charges are very reasonable.

We didn't use the laundry service because the cabin was air-conditioned. Underwear, inner tops, and socks were washed by hand the night before, hung on the clothesline or hangers in the bathroom, and dried early the next morning.

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The 30-day trip spans different seasons and climates, but the checked luggage is only 16 kilograms (including climbing equipment, etc., does anyone want to read the luggage unpacking article?!)

Although the clothing is simple, bring two or three scarves and scarves to keep yourself from looking too boring. No one is paying special attention to you coming and going on the cruise, so dress up for yourself. Comfortable clothing is the most important thing.

Should it be high-profile or low-key? ! Djúpivogur, Iceland.

Should you wear red or black? ! Nordkapp, North Cape, Norway.

Cruise ship education

When cruising on the high seas, passengers are on board the ship all day, so the cruise ship will arrange courses or activities for passengers to participate.

There are many types of courses on cruise ships, and they can be tailored to suit people, times and local conditions, such as language, ecology, social dance, fitness or cooking, etc. Some cruise ships will also arrange guided tours to visit the work spaces of the cruise ship, such as the theater backstage, kitchen, laundry room or cockpit, etc.

Most importantly, there will be various sports facilities on the cruise ship, such as: gyms, swimming pools, running tracks, trails, rock climbing ranges, golf putting ranges, basketball courts, tennis courts, billiard rooms, bowling alleys and even waterslides to help passengers To consume too much fat, there will also be a library, mahjong room, bridge room, electronic arcade or board game room to refresh the mind after a meal.

The stairwells of the cruise ship are all hung with magnificent paintings.

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Norwegian Star has a cockpit tour. We are still considering whether to participate, but it is already full. At Bliss Bar, social dancing, Tango, Cha-cha or Rumba, is taught every day. We enjoyed watching it, and the old American gentlemen and ladies also enjoyed it.

It has a library, but the space is not large and there are not many seats. Most of them are English books and periodicals. After visiting once, I never went in again. It often holds Sudoku competitions, and the participants are very enthusiastic. In addition, the cruise ship also provides traditional hand and foot stations or electronic board game machines for underage teenagers, and holds puzzle competitions and other activities.

It was mid-to-late August when we boarded the ship, and the temperature had dropped to 10-15 degrees Celsius in Iceland and the Arctic Circle. It was even lower than 5 degrees Celsius in Svalbard. Therefore, there were very few people swimming and the gym was often full. . The gym has all the exercise equipment you need, as well as a separate rhythm room with classes every day.

On days when we were cruising on the high seas, we sometimes went to the gym to run or do yoga, and sometimes we went to the top deck for a walk or run (the trails and runways are separate), but it was windy and cold, and there were not many people. The 8th floor deck has sports venues such as a golf putting range. Because it is sheltered from wind and rain, many people enjoy activities here.

Track on the top deck, unprofessional racing against strong winds in the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle.

On the eighth floor deck, this is not hopscotch. We play casually and make our own rules. Use a long stick to push the iron plate to see who has a higher total landing point score.

It is stipulated that you have to push it into the triangle on the other side before scoring. Does it look like mopping the floor? ! Hanging overhead is the Tender.

The blue area in the middle is the swimming pool. There are deck chairs around it, but there are only two or three people swimming. There are almost no people on the deck chairs, but you can imagine the grand scene in summer.

If docked, the cruise ship offers several sightseeing itineraries.

The itinerary can be divided into three levels: easy, medium and difficult, and the time can be two hours, half a day (about 3-4 hours) or one day (about 6-8 hours). The most easy itineraries are short-distance walking tours, sightseeing rides, or boating for whale watching or fjord viewing, while medium to difficult itineraries include long-distance hiking, glacier hiking, mountain climbing, or kayaking, etc.

If you have not booked or purchased a cruise tour, larger ports will have visitor centers that provide maps, walking routes or sightseeing itineraries. Smaller ports often have travel agencies stationed to solicit business on-site.

Therefore, you can arrange your itinerary according to the length of time and personal preferences, and pay attention to the deadline for boarding the ship.

After we disembarked in Alta, Norway, we walked to the Prehistoric Museum and then took the bus back to Alta city after visiting. In the Evergreen City, we first went shopping in the city, went back to the cruise ship for dinner, and in the evening went out to participate in the eco-tour and visit the mines and seed banks.

correct! On the first day of boarding, a safety drill will be held, and the gathering place and convener for passengers in each cabin on each floor will be designated. We must first watch the safety video in the cabin and then report to the convenor at the assembly location within the specified time.

If you don’t get off the boat, it’s not bad to just stare at the sea in a daze. This is a public space where you can sit and relax, and it’s always packed on cruise days.

Fun on a cruise

In addition to sports facilities, the cruise ship also has public spaces such as theaters, performance halls, banquet halls or social rooms, and there will also be bars nearby to provide drinks.

The theaters on top cruise ships usually have Hollywood or Las Vegas-level performances, while the theaters on expedition ships are smaller and have simpler performances.

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Among Star Norway's entertainment facilities, the most luxurious is the three-story Stardust Theater, which can accommodate nearly a thousand people. The theater has one or two performances each night, each lasting approximately 3-40 minutes.

The performances are diverse, including musical instruments, musicals, modern dance, magic, talk shows, etc. Although sometimes they are difficult to understand, the performers interact enthusiastically with the audience, often bringing laughter and applause. Before the show starts, you can take your seat early and place your drink order. The service staff will deliver it to your seat. You can drink and watch at the same time, which is very comfortable.

There are often band or musical instrument performances on the small stage in the high-ceiling atrium on the seventh or eighth floor or in the restaurant area on the sixth floor.

The Bliss Bar on the eighth floor has programs or parties almost from morning to night, including band or instrumental performances, old song singing and social dance performances, as well as song guessing and dance competitions or bingo, and singles nights in the evening. The most lively and joyful place is Bliss! .

There are also spas, spas, photo studios, casinos, duty-free shops, electronic playgrounds, children's play areas, etc. on the cruise ship (but we did not pay attention to whether there are claw machines or gashapon machines), which can meet the needs of various genders and ages.

Therefore, the days of cruising at sea can be leisurely or simple, busy or fulfilling.

The three-story Stardust Theater can accommodate nearly a thousand people, with boxes on both sides. There are one or two performances every night.

In the same theater, the scenery and special effects are different every day.

In the high-ceiling atrium on the seventh and eighth floors, there is a small circular stage after going up the stairs, where there are often band or musical instrument performances.

Bliss is catching the team guessing songs, and the host is very good at stirring up the atmosphere.

Bliss is playing bingo, and the lady in red wearing a paper hat in the photo is the bingo queen.

cruise ship man

Being blind and clumsy, I quickly scanned the passengers on the ship. Most of them were mature people (over 55 years old), a rough estimate of about 60 to 70%. Most of them were retired people, and there were also elderly people who seemed to be 8 to 90 years old or older. ; The remainder are about half and half from families under the age of 55 or with underage children. It is roughly estimated that about 60% to 70% of tourists are from the United States and Canada, 20% to 30% are from Europe (mostly Spanish), and the rest are from other regions. There are very few Asian tourists, and if you see Asian faces, most of them are from the United States and Canada.

This distribution of tourists gives us from Taiwan a special topic. What I say most often is: it took us 30 hours to get from Taipei to Iceland.

There are thousands of people on a cruise ship, and you meet people you seem familiar with every day. Sharing the same table with others in a restaurant or sharing the same boat and car with others on a tour often leads to cordial and interesting conversations, thereby establishing a short-term friendship.

We met a Filipino restaurant waiter several times. After a pleasant conversation, we learned about her seniority and family situation. We also learned that 70% of the staff on the ship are Filipinos and they work on the ship ten months a year. , two months of disembarkation, rotation on different ships, and the opportunity to sail around the world.

We interact a lot with Chinese-American tourists, but we have a special affinity with a Romanian family of three. We met on the boat, and we met when we got off the boat for a walk. Our enthusiastic mother always took the initiative to say hello to us. When we got off the boat in Tromsø, my daughter gave us her business card, took a group photo together and said goodbye. Unexpectedly, we stayed in the same apartment in Tromsø.

We meet each other everywhere in life, cruise ship is really a wonderful and special little world!

Summarize

Finally, here are my thoughts on this cruise trip:

If you get severe seasickness , don’t take a cruise.
Although the cruise ship is quite stable, it is inevitable to encounter strong winds and waves, especially in winter or in certain sea areas. If you are prone to seasickness and cannot overcome your inner fear or the discomfort of vomiting even after taking seasickness medicine, you would rather choose other smoother modes of transportation to avoid spoiling your travel mood.
If you don’t like the feeling of being unable to put your feet on the ground for long periods of time, don’t take a cruise.
Even if passengers disembark and go ashore, they usually can only stay on land for a few hours to a dozen hours. If you don’t like the feeling of being shaky and unable to keep your feet on the ground, maybe the bus or train is a better choice.
If you don’t want to waste your time , don’t take a cruise.
It only takes 6 hours to fly directly from Reykjavik to Pangasius and 2 hours to Tromsø. The cruise takes two days and one day. So if you think cruises are slow and a waste of time, take a flight!
If you don’t like an all-inclusive trip with food, drinks and entertainment , don’t take a cruise.
Cruises are an all-inclusive, all-you-can-eat travel method. It is inevitable that you will indulge in food, drinks, and fun, but not all services may suit your needs. If you don't like it, can't enjoy it, or can't control yourself, taking a cruise will only make you feel guilty or disgusted.
If you don’t want to have too much contact with people , don’t take a cruise.
Thousands of passengers and staff are on the same ship, and they often meet and communicate with each other. People talk a lot, and public areas are often noisy and no time to relax. Therefore, if you prefer a quiet and simple environment, the human interaction on the cruise may make you uncomfortable.
If you think cruise travel is too superficial , please don’t take a cruise.
Cruise routes and berthing times are inflexible, and each town or port you visit can only be visited within a limited time. Therefore, if you want to get to know a town in depth, a cruise is definitely not the best option.
If you think cruising is too expensive , don’t take a cruise.
Compared to low-cost flights or buses, compared to youth hostels or self-catering, it is undeniable that cruises are still a more luxurious way to travel. If your current financial ability is not enough to afford it, it is also great to travel in other ways.
If you are extremely worried about your lack of English skills , please don’t fly cruise or self-guided tours yet.
Fly cruise means taking a plane to the home port (starting point) to board the ship.
Cruise ships are the same as airplanes, both use English as the main language of communication. If you are extremely anxious or worried about your lack of English skills, you can first join a group tour with a travel agency, or take a cruise ship departing from or arriving in Taiwan; in the former case, a tour leader will accompany the group to take care of you; There are service staff who can speak Chinese.

In short, cruise travel is best suited for people who don’t like the hassle of traveling, moving around in accommodation, or packing luggage; such people are usually either elderly or traveling with children or young children.

If you ask me whether I like cruise travel, my answer is: I don’t particularly like it, but I don’t reject it either.

When traveling, I like to stay in B&Bs, interact with local residents, and observe their lifestyles; I also like to take trains, get close to the mountains and waters, and observe the changes in the scenery. As I get older, I become less and less lazy to pack and move, my luggage becomes easier and simpler, and my itinerary becomes more and more relaxed. Therefore, cruises are also a good choice.