For today one more Apartment building was added to Stavanger. Luckily for both the locals and our guests it was only one extra building.

The good ship Sky Princess arrived somewhat early at the entrance to the old port and the captain decided to swing on arrival. Which made sense, as A. it is always better to be docked nose out, so you can get away if an un-expected calamity pops up, and B. they will need the time getting back to Southampton  as it is a long run, and you cannot afford to be late as there are a lot of suitcases to off load with 4000 guests on board (3921 according to the Lady from the Loyalty Desk). Gangways were out by 10 am. and the invasion of Stavanger could start. We were the only cruise ship in port today  so the locals did not have to brace themselves too much. There are days with 3 mega liners in port that the 15000 mark is reached.

Even with one ship in port there was considerable pressure on the facilities. The tour to Lysefjorden with the Pulpit Rock was sold out and here the whole ferry is being filled up. See also next photo.

I took the chance to run ashore and have a quick look at the shop side of the Maritime Museum. I visited the exhibition in the  museum several times through the years, there are some nice models from the Norwegian America Line ships, but the exhibition is fairly static. The maritime history of Stavanger is not that elaborate, having been a sleepy fishing village until well into the 19th. century, before the herring boom and the later oil boom. For the oil boom there is the “Petroleum Museum” on the East Side of the old harbour, which well worth visiting. So the Maritime Museum focuses more on the stuff around fishing. The shop was even smaller than last time and the book section reduced to 2 small bookcases. One with new books and one with second hand books. But nothing there for me, it seems that my collection is getting too all-compassing. I was a bit startled by a question of the sales lady behind the desk. She was on a gap year and helping out here was part of her immersion in the local culture. She wanted to know why I was looking for Maritime Books I said that it looked normal to me, maritime books in a maritime museum. Her Norwegian colleague now collapsed with laughter but the lady herself remained confused even after I pointed out that there were no maritime books on Tik-Tok so I looked for hard copy’s of new maritime books that were not available in the UK. But puzzlement remained, who buys maritime books ?.  So her colleague had some work to do.

They got everybody on board  the tour catamaran but it was standing room only.

We had a tour in the afternoon so we continued our own tour around the ship. Now having a look a the Lido area or the “The Fresh Market Place”. Because of the size of the ship it is open nearly 24 hrs. a day, with breakfast rolling into lunch and lunch rolling into dinner, which is served until 22.30 hrs. They can do this as this self service restaurant is, apart from an identical port and starboard side, also split up in a forward part and an aft part.

The aft part of the Lido restaurant with the “Wake View Bar”.

So while breakfast is winding down in one section, the other section can be set up for lunch. In between the two is an extensive “Pastry Shop”  so that those who get withdrawal symptoms between meal times can still get something.  Scattered around in the area are a few more outside bars which, even in port, were well attended with the nice weather. That Lido continues on the outside, with an elaborate bar and small swimming pool wedged in between. Apart from the Piazza it is one of the most densely populated areas of the ship, where food, booze and sun come together.

“Vines” the wine bar, located on the Starboard side of Deck 7.

Around the piazza there are a few more public sections, there is a sushi bar, manned by two very friendly cooks who are absolutely not from Japan (one is from Ghana, the other from Guatemala) which you have to pre -book as it is very popular.

Bellini’s. Could not get a clear shot, as this gentleman marched in and did not want to wait a few seconds. The need for a cocktail must have been urgent

Then there are two more bars, Bellini’s which is advertised as a Champagne Bar but seems to be selling more coffee than anything else, and then on the starboard side there is  “Vines Wine Bar” and wedged in between is “Good Spirits at Sea”  a cocktail bar. All three are open from 11.00 onwards but until cocktail time they act also as seating area for those who decided to get their lunch from the “International Cafe”, open 24 hrs. a day.

We went for lunch in  the Lido this time, as I wanted Taco’s and Lesley Spaghetti Bolognese which is made fresh on the spot. Drink service was fast and attentive but then the restaurant was still mostly empty as the tours had not returned yet. We did an early lunch, as we had booked (part of our Princess Premium package) a panoramic tour called “Easy Stavanger”.  We did this tour, with another ship, about 10 years ago and now wanted to see if Stavanger had changed.

It had. A large number of apartment building had been constructed, courtesy of the money flowing in from the oil boom. roads had been upgraded and parking garages tunnelled into the rock on which Gamle Stavanger, or the old city, sits.

Some of the apartment buildings gone up in the last few years. All on land left empty for years and years before the oi came in.

Standard and compulsory stop for all the tours is at the fjord were in 1983 King Olav unveiled 3 , ten meter high replicas of Viking Swords. The sculpture is called “Swords in Rock” or “Sverd ifjell”,  and overlooks the fjord. The life size originals are in a Norwegian Museum. It commemorates the battle of Harsfjord in 872 AD which united Norway of the old days. Then Norway became part of Denmark and Sweden until independence  was managed in 1905.

The monument /sculpture of the three swords at the fjord. The authorities were busy with remodelling the bus top, so there was very little space, so we were lucky to be in the only ship in port.

Our guide was very knowledgable and took us in a very pleasant way through the Norwegian history. You do not often get them like this. He even handed out is own made time frame of Norwegian history with an explanation why the Norwegian land was empty between  542 and the early 600. In 542 there was the great meteor bursts in Siberia and the shock waves flattened most of the trees in Norway as well. So most of the population left only two return 2 generations later when the forests had restored themselves. Then there was 782 when king Charlemagne defeated and massacred  4000 soldiers of the Saxon army where the Norwegians were part of. That gave rise to the Vikings as we have heard of them, and the raids on towns and cities as far as the South of France. Apart from raids they also settled down there (Do not forget William the Conqueror from 1066 was a Viking) and they even made it as far as Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland.

Most farms have mixed land. Grass for the cows, vegetables for the markets and also cereals for bread etc.

What was also of interest was that Norway , with all its ice and rocky mountains, can supply about 80% of their town food. For this the Norwegian Government has to subsidise the small farms in the fjords but as it sits on pots of money (from the old and current oil and gas revenues) but it also has to do it, as most of the Norwegians want fresh and pesticides free vegetables and fruit. The story goes that a few “forward looking” politicians wanted to stop these Government Grants, and found themselves voted out of office. Not something politicians like, so since then it has been quiet. It is also one of the reasons that Norway is not in the European Union but has open borders and agrees to most of the international agreements.

The other large apartment building in Stavanger, if only for the day, blocking most of the view of the old town. The houses in the foreground have been built in old Stavanger style but are modern and are part of a large Marina complex.

So, with the tour we were up-to-date again with what is going in Stavanger. We will check again in a few years time. Back on board we had to get ready for the Captains Circle Party, for repeat guests. Although we are first time Princess cruisers, we had been invited because we are Platinum status based on our P&O days. When P&O and Princess split up a number of years ago,  both side recognised the other sides Day count and thus here we are. Tonight was also formal night and thus we knew that the guests at the party would be decently dressed. According to our Concierge the dress code was also enforced at the party, but it turned not to be the case, so there were still a number of guests in T shirts, shorts and Jeans.

The Officers who came on stage to support the captain with saying thank you.

We arrived 20 minutes late (partly to avoid waiting in line and partly because we were talking to other guests in the Concierge lounge) and the Loyalty manager had already started the proceedings. But there were appetisers and free drinks at the bar, so were ok. The captain did his speech and then the three highest day cruisers (between 862 and 1100) were recognised with a bottle of Prosecco  not champagne. Then  a large group of officers appeared on the stage to say thank you, followed by the most mind boggling thing I have ever seen during a repeater party.  Guests were invited to have a photo taken with the whole group on the stage. Luckily there were only 15 of them but still the whole group of officers had to stay on stage for about 20 minutes, as if they had nothing else to do.  I said to the captain when I met him I told him that was for me a call way beyond duty………………..

A new twist of have your photo taken with AN Officer, to have you photo taken with ALL the officers.

We went for dinner to the Italian restaurant Sabatini’s  for the 2nd time as the food had been so good and there were some 20:10 reservations left. The Food was very good again, the service lacklustre with all the serving staff taking short cuts while serving. (Reaching over the table, delayed serving of sparkling water, changing cutlery before the last dish was cleared away,, etc. etc.) So when the Head Waitress popped up to ask how it went, and expecting compliments, she got a listing of all my observations with the request to do some re-training or a refreshment course) She ran off and 5 minutes later there was the Maitre d’hotel to investigate my complaints. I was not complaining, no moan, moan, as it had been a good meal and I was just pointing out that I was not expecting excuses and “I am so sorry” but a promise that it would not happen again. He promised that he would do some training for the benefit of future guests. Maitre left, and the waiter pops up, apologising for his imperfect service. When I asked him what he was apologising for, he could not say, but the Maitre had told him to apologise…………………… and that was not what this was all about.   So I gave up my little bit of trying to lift Princess to a higher level of quality.

It was formal night, so we went for a photo shoot again. In the Princess Premium package we have included all the digitals of any photo shot we had, and each 3 hard copy’s of the best one.

We did not go to the show, as it was “The Trawlermen”  who had a show of a mixture of folk music and sea-shanties. I know American country music, but I do not think that English Sea-shanties should be sung with an American accent.  The 3rd show lounge Princess Viva, was full again eager guests attending the “Trivia quiz”. followed by a game show with the option to win a real Princess Notebook. In the Vista Lounge there was “family dance” going on, so we went to the Crown Bar for nightcap listening to the in house pianist which was most enjoyable.

Tomorrow we are at sea, mainly cloudy skies are expected with with the ship being at sea and going against the wind it will be a lot chillier than in the last few days, with temperatures. Being around 16oC / 61oF.