• Escape the Heat (August ‘26)
    1While enjoying his coffee, Mui saw Insignia passing ... the ship on which we did two world cruises.
    1While enjoying his coffee, Mui saw Insignia passing ... the ship on which we did two world cruises.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Feels good to enjoy some time on the aft deck.Fish farm on the last leg to Bergen.Fish farm on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Scenery on the last leg to Bergen.Time to bid the Norwegian coast "ha det" ... Bergen is just around the corner now.

    SB Day 12: Bergen Bound

    August 19 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    The last day of our voyage.

    Overnight, we stopped in Ålesund, Torvik, and Måløy. The short stops went unnoticed. But I can’t say the same about the motion of the ocean between Torvik and Måløy. That was very much felt.

    To travel between these two ports, ships have to go around the Stad Peninsula into the Stadhavet Sea. The open water here is considered particularly treacherous because this is where the currents of the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea meet. There are no islands of any size to offer protection from the sea conditions. Some historians even claim that the Vikings used to haul their vessels overland to bypass the waters in question.

    Norway has come up with alternative manhauling vessels. To avoid this stretch, a ship canal/tunnel is planned that will cut through the Stad Peninsula. When completed, it will be the largest such maritime tunnel, allowing vessels up to 16,000 gross tons to pass through it. The contract was apparently awarded earlier this summer. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and the canal/tunnel is scheduled to open in 2031. (More info here: https://tunnelbuilder.com/News/Norways-Stad-Shi….)

    Should be a soother ride. In the meantime, back to our day.

    We were at breakfast when we made the 15-minute stop in Florø at 8:15a. With nothing special planned for the rest of the day, we enjoyed a leisurely meal before returning to the cabin to finish packing.

    Even though we were not due to arrive in Bergen until 2:45p, we needed to vacate our cabin by 10:00a so that the crew could begin preparing for the northbound passengers who would be boarding once we disembarked. We met that deadline, placing our luggage in a designated area on our deck for the crew to move to the cargo area.

    The good news? We’d been promised great weather for this last day on the ship, and the promise was kept. So, in addition to the lounges, we had all the outdoor decks available to while away the time. We found a spot on deck 5 that gave us a place to enjoy the scenery when we were inside … and also leave our carry-on bags when we were outside or at lunch.

    With the gorgeous blue skies and sunshine, clicking the camera shutter was a pleasure, and the scenery was delightful.    Read more