In the fjords

Gerainger does not have docking facilities for a ship like the Spirit of Adventure but it does have the Sea Walk. This is a long walkway which ‘folds’ and sits parallel to the quay side when not in use and stretches out to form a walkway from ship to shore when needed. The problem on this occasion was that the engine which drives the folding was out of use and a small boat had to do the work. Diva knew that this was not a well-practised procedure when the driver of the boat – attached by a rope to the walkway – shouted panicky instructions to the people on the walkway and as soon as the rope went taut the driver’s assistant fell over from the rebound. However, after much revving of the boat’s engine and application of its pull and push power to several strategic points on the walkway, the folding operation was completed and the Spirit of Adventure could make its way back down the fjord.

Before long, the group of waterfalls known as the Seven Sisters was reached and Captain Jason twirled the Spirit of Adventure for a while so that everyone had a good view.

The location of Andalsnes is even more spectacular than that of Gerainger, as there are more snow-capped jagged peaks in many directions. TSH and Diva enjoyed the brighter warmer weather and, after a walk around the small town, had their first outdoor lunch of the cruise on the lido deck. Salad and burger for Diva and salad and fish and chips for TSH. This was also the first occasion of coinciding with the Hurtigruten coastal voyage.

A chat with one of the waiters, who has also worked on Silversea ships, revealed the interesting fact that he thinks that the crew are treated better on Saga than on Silversea and he is trying to persuade his friends who work on Silversea to join Saga instead.