Trip Index
- Planning and Day 1 of Northern Allure cruise on Oceania Riviera: Southampton pre-cruise, embarkation
- Days 2-3 of Northern Allure cruise on Oceania Riviera: Bruges battlefields, Zaanse Schans windmills near Amsterdam
- Days 4-5 of Northern Allure cruise on Oceania Riviera: at sea, Copenhagen
- Days 6-7 of Northern Allure cruise on Oceania Riviera: Gothenburg (Sweden), Oslo
- Days 8-9 of Northern Allure cruise on Oceania Riviera: Stavanger, Bergen (Norway)
- Days 10-11 of Northern Allure cruise on Oceania Riviera: Shetland Islands (UK), Faroe Islands (Denmark)
- Days 12-14 of Northern Allure cruise on Oceania Riviera: at sea, Akureyri, Reykjavik (Iceland)
- Exploring Reykjavik, Icelandic cuisine, Northern Lights hunt
- South Coast, Golden Circle, Silfra snorkel
- West Coast, returning home
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Here we go again - another spur-of-the-moment cruise not unlike the Celebrity
Millennium transpacific we took back in April, but with only 6 weeks
before sailing. There was a last-minute offering for a 14-night Northern
Europe itinerary on Oceania Riviera. I had my eye on Oceania for a while, hearing about the good food onboard. Plus, the itinerary would
bring Kaleb and I to new places, such as Belgium, the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
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| Northern Allure itinerary |
PLANNING
CRUISE
Oceania is a luxury cruise line made up of smaller ships carrying around 700-1250 guests. With fewer passengers compared to lines like Royal Caribbean, the atmosphere is more intimate. Oceania's tag line is having "The Finest Cuisine at Sea". There is a main dining room, but the specialty restaurants onboard (French, steakhouse, Italian, Asian) are complimentary. Given the late booking, tables for two were only found at 8pm or later, which we didn't mind. As Jacques (the French restaurant) was so popular, two-top tables were booked for the entire voyage, so we ended up with a shared table reservation.
Oceania is a luxury cruise line made up of smaller ships carrying around 700-1250 guests. With fewer passengers compared to lines like Royal Caribbean, the atmosphere is more intimate. Oceania's tag line is having "The Finest Cuisine at Sea". There is a main dining room, but the specialty restaurants onboard (French, steakhouse, Italian, Asian) are complimentary. Given the late booking, tables for two were only found at 8pm or later, which we didn't mind. As Jacques (the French restaurant) was so popular, two-top tables were booked for the entire voyage, so we ended up with a shared table reservation.
The buffet is exquisite with fresh and tasty selections, mostly served to you by staff inside the stations. There would be theme nights like sushi or local cuisine based on the day's port of call. The grill offered meat and seafood cooked to the temperature of your choosing.
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| dinner choices at the grill |
Non-alcoholic drinks were included as well as one wi-fi login per cabin. Depending on the fare paid, economy flights, on-board credit, shore excursions, and alcoholic beverage package may also be included. The cruise-only price worked for us as we were planning to redeem miles for business class air and book our own shore excursions. After Kaleb's experience with a premium beverage package during our Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity, we've avoided purchasing them on port-intensive itineraries. Not having to sign a receipt for every drink was convenient, but there wasn't enough time onboard to "get our money's worth". However, if your itinerary has many sea days, beverage packages are worth considering. We did buy the non-alcoholic one during our Celebrity transpacific cruise.
Four days before departure, I got a "Move-Off Opportunity" email from Oceania. Apparently, the cruise was oversold and incentives were offered to cancel: a full refund plus $525 cash, not enough to interest us. At any rate, I would only entertain such offers if our air was booked through the cruise line so that we wouldn't have to worry about airfare change/cancel fees. Sometimes the deal is worth taking - I've seen some where you get an upgraded room on a longer itinerary, with all airfare arrangements rebooked plus cash back.
EXCURSIONS
We usually book tours on our own, but ended up doing the Bruges excursion with Oceania as there wasn't an independent option departing from Zeebrugge port.
FLIGHTS
135,000 AAdvantage miles per person were redeemed for a one-way business class flight on American Airlines from San Jose (SJC) to London (LHR) with a transfer in Los Angeles (LAX). The leg from SJC to LAX was in first class, with the leg to LHR in business class. We were able to pre-select our dinner entree on the LAX-LHR flight.
Two one-way economy class tickets on Icelandair from Reykjavik to San Francisco cost a total of 64,505 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Using Chase points to purchase airfare is similar to paying with cash (1 point = 1 cent), so frequent flyer miles can be earned on the flight. Since Kaleb had the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, 1 point = 1.5 cents, so 33% fewer points were needed to purchase the tickets.
PRE-CRUISE HOTEL
We usually plan to arrive at our destination the day before a cruise departs, just in case there are delayed or cancelled flights. Since Southampton was about a couple of hours from London, I thought it would be best to spend the night at a hotel by the port. Our stay at the Holiday Inn Southampton was covered by a free night certificate from having the IHG Select credit card (no longer available for application). It wasn't exactly free as the card had a $49 annual fee, but it was more preferable than paying $130 a night.
POST-CRUISE HOTEL
TRANSFERS
To get from Heathrow to Southampton, I pre-purchased tickets for the National Express bus, costing $25 per person. It would be walking distance from the Southampton Coach Station to the Holiday Inn Southampton. We planned to take a taxi from the hotel to the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal as it was in a working industrial area. Had the ship been docked at Ocean Cruise Terminal or closer, it would have been walkable.
Now onto the trip...
Kaleb and I arrived to a relatively quiet SJC airport. The flight to Los Angeles was on a jet with a 1-2 seat configuration in first class. When we booked our tickets, both windows on the 2-side were taken, so we had to separate, with Kaleb in the 1-seat row and me in the aisle across. It wasn't a very long flight anyway, and I ended up making friends with my window seatmate. I tend to avoid conversations with fellow passengers, but for some reason, she and I hit it up like we had known each other for a long time.
It was about a 15 minute walk from Southampton Coach Station to the Holiday Inn. The room was quiet, clean and comfortable.
I didn't have a restaurant in mind for dinner, so we searched the internet for a decent place nearby and settled on Dancing Man Brewery, located in a historic building. I recommend their handmade savory pies. They even have a "dog menu" where you can order a dinner for your pooch.
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and called for a taxi to take us to the cruise port, using a dedicated phone sitting next to the front desk. The pick-up was prompt and it was a short ride to the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal. The fare was around 10 GBP - I had leftover pounds from previous trips to the United Kingdom, but the 10 GBP note I gave the driver was taken out of service the year before! Fortunately, I had 20 GBP notes.
- Bruges: "Ypres, in Flanders Fields" shore excursion
- Amsterdam: take a public bus from Centraal Station to see working windmills in Zaanse Schans
- Copenhagen: walk around the city, visit the Little Mermaid statue and Tivoli Gardens
- Gothenburg: nothing planned, maybe visit town
- Oslo: go by ferry to visit museums
- Stavanger: if timing and weather were in our favor, take a ferry and bus, then hike up to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
- Bergen: take the funicular and hike around Mount Floyen
- Shetland Islands: drive a rental car (on the left side of the road) to Jarlshof
- Faroe Islands: Golden Circle bus tour with MM Tours
- Akureyri: Lake Myvatn bus tour with Saga Travel (now out of business)
- Reykjavik: explore the city by foot, take independent bus tours to see the Northern Lights (Saga Travel), South Coast (EastWest), Golden Circle/Silfra (Troll Expeditions), and Snaefellsnes/West Coast (EastWest). All tours except the Northern Lights were purchased through Chase Travel using Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
FLIGHTS
135,000 AAdvantage miles per person were redeemed for a one-way business class flight on American Airlines from San Jose (SJC) to London (LHR) with a transfer in Los Angeles (LAX). The leg from SJC to LAX was in first class, with the leg to LHR in business class. We were able to pre-select our dinner entree on the LAX-LHR flight.
Two one-way economy class tickets on Icelandair from Reykjavik to San Francisco cost a total of 64,505 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Using Chase points to purchase airfare is similar to paying with cash (1 point = 1 cent), so frequent flyer miles can be earned on the flight. Since Kaleb had the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, 1 point = 1.5 cents, so 33% fewer points were needed to purchase the tickets.
PRE-CRUISE HOTEL
We usually plan to arrive at our destination the day before a cruise departs, just in case there are delayed or cancelled flights. Since Southampton was about a couple of hours from London, I thought it would be best to spend the night at a hotel by the port. Our stay at the Holiday Inn Southampton was covered by a free night certificate from having the IHG Select credit card (no longer available for application). It wasn't exactly free as the card had a $49 annual fee, but it was more preferable than paying $130 a night.
POST-CRUISE HOTEL
320,000 Hilton Honors points were redeemed for a 5-night stay at the Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel. We only needed 4 nights, but since the 5th consecutive award night is free, I chose to check in on September 10 to coincide with Oceania Riviera's arrival in Reykjavik (and overnight in port), ensuring that our room would be ready early September 11 morning when we disembarked from the ship. Plus, we could pop into the hotel for a rest during the day if needed.
TRANSFERS
To get from Heathrow to Southampton, I pre-purchased tickets for the National Express bus, costing $25 per person. It would be walking distance from the Southampton Coach Station to the Holiday Inn Southampton. We planned to take a taxi from the hotel to the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal as it was in a working industrial area. Had the ship been docked at Ocean Cruise Terminal or closer, it would have been walkable.
The Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel was on the other side of town from Reykjavik port, so we planned to take a taxi.
Gray Line airport transfers were pre-purchased online, picking up from Bus Stop #3 in Reykjavik.
Now onto the trip...
Kaleb and I arrived to a relatively quiet SJC airport. The flight to Los Angeles was on a jet with a 1-2 seat configuration in first class. When we booked our tickets, both windows on the 2-side were taken, so we had to separate, with Kaleb in the 1-seat row and me in the aisle across. It wasn't a very long flight anyway, and I ended up making friends with my window seatmate. I tend to avoid conversations with fellow passengers, but for some reason, she and I hit it up like we had known each other for a long time.
After the plane arrived in LAX, we exited onto the tarmac with buses standing by to deliver passengers to their terminals. We were off to Terminal 4 and the American Airlines Flagship Lounge. Kaleb and I had been given vouchers to enter the lounge when we checked in at SJC. I expected the flagship to be really nice, and it was certainly so compared to the usual domestic airline offerings. The food looked fresh; a grilled cheese sandwich station was available. If you like alcohol, there was plenty to be had.
Our flight from LAX to LHR was comfortable. The business class seats were adjustable to many positions, including lie-flat for sleeping. There were Bang and Olufsen noise-cancelling headphones for passenger use, though Kaleb and I bring our own Bose QC35 IIs.
The flight attendant came by to re-confirm my entree selection, the braised short rib. Kaleb had the barbecue chicken breast. Meal service started quickly after takeoff since it was already late evening. I was able to get a few hours of sleep afterwards. Breakfast was served promptly.
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Our flight from LAX to LHR was comfortable. The business class seats were adjustable to many positions, including lie-flat for sleeping. There were Bang and Olufsen noise-cancelling headphones for passenger use, though Kaleb and I bring our own Bose QC35 IIs.
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The flight attendant came by to re-confirm my entree selection, the braised short rib. Kaleb had the barbecue chicken breast. Meal service started quickly after takeoff since it was already late evening. I was able to get a few hours of sleep afterwards. Breakfast was served promptly.
The lady seated across the aisle from Kaleb was coughing a lot and touching almost everything in her path to get to the lavatory; I was concerned that we would catch her bug. (foreshadowing...) She was so sick that she slept through breakfast and announcements. Flight attendants had to wake her up a few minutes before landing to get her seat upright and personal items put away.
We received a complimentary Fast Track ticket to skip the wait at immigration. However, when we got there, there were no lines but we went through Fast Track anyway. I suppose we could have saved the voucher for a future use?
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We received a complimentary Fast Track ticket to skip the wait at immigration. However, when we got there, there were no lines but we went through Fast Track anyway. I suppose we could have saved the voucher for a future use?
Our National Express bus was to pick up from Central Bus Station in the airport. There was decent signage indicating the direction. I had purchased tickets departing at 5:15pm, but since our flight had timely arrived with no wait at immigration, I was able to change to a 3:15pm bus for a cost of 6 GBP per ticket. The bus station was pretty busy and it was a muggy day. It was worth paying the change fee to not wait another two hours.
We didn't know which bus stop to wait by as the board would update only minutes before the bus arrived. Eventually our route and bus stop number came up; passengers queued in an orderly fashion to drop off luggage and have their tickets scanned by the driver. The bus was empty when we boarded, and as it made other stops around Heathrow airport, it got fuller and fuller. It was good to have gotten on at the beginning of airport pick-ups to ensure we had seats together.
This particular bus was supposed to have wi-fi, but it never worked. At least the USB power port at each seat was operational. I turned on our PokeFi data hotspot to pass the time.
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It was about a 15 minute walk from Southampton Coach Station to the Holiday Inn. The room was quiet, clean and comfortable.
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I didn't have a restaurant in mind for dinner, so we searched the internet for a decent place nearby and settled on Dancing Man Brewery, located in a historic building. I recommend their handmade savory pies. They even have a "dog menu" where you can order a dinner for your pooch.
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| beef pie |
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and called for a taxi to take us to the cruise port, using a dedicated phone sitting next to the front desk. The pick-up was prompt and it was a short ride to the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal. The fare was around 10 GBP - I had leftover pounds from previous trips to the United Kingdom, but the 10 GBP note I gave the driver was taken out of service the year before! Fortunately, I had 20 GBP notes.
There were porters rolling luggage trolleys up to each arriving vehicle, but for some reason, our car was passed, so Kaleb and I ended up taking our check-in bags to the designated luggage area. I don't know if it was because we looked like we didn't need help, but I'm sure one of them would have stopped if we asked.
Riviera was not yet cleared for boarding; a line formed at the entrance. Once guests were allowed inside, organized lines and efficient service got us on board in no time.
Riviera was not yet cleared for boarding; a line formed at the entrance. Once guests were allowed inside, organized lines and efficient service got us on board in no time.
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The cabin decks were closed for cleaning, so we hit the lunch buffet at the Terrace Cafe. The format was different than on the larger cruise ships. Most of the items were served to you by staff behind the counter. Even a regular salad was tossed to order. There were a few items that were self-serve, such as bread, whole fruit, condiments and small savory/sweet plates. Overall, it was a good system to keep the environment relatively clean. (especially at this time, as I am writing this during the COVID-19 pandemic)
Guests had to be very particular with what they wanted at each buffet station. For example, while getting some sliced fruit, I had to ask for a specific number of each type I wanted. Lines may sometimes form if a guest took a long time deciding. You can be patient and wait for the transaction to finish, or you can move to a different part of the buffet that is free in the meantime. However, there was one place where you couldn't avoid a wait - the grill. It was very popular with the surf-and-turf crowd.
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After lunch, we explored some of the ship.
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After hearing an announcement saying that the cabins were ready, we headed to our room on Deck 8.
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After muster drill and sailaway, Kaleb and I went to the Grand Dining Room for dinner. There are no set dinner times or seating assignments here. I was surprised to find the restaurant quite empty at 6:30pm...no problem getting a table for two by the window.
Vegetarian selections were marked on the menu. The second page provided recommended courses, including a Canyon Ranch "balanced selection". Every dish was elegantly presented and had nice flavor. The portion size was perfect; if I wanted more, I could always order another.
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After dinner, we went up to the Terrace Cafe to peek at tonight's dinner buffet offerings. Many main dining room courses could be found here. With so many quality selections to choose from, this is one top notch buffet! Guests can enjoy fine dining without dressing up.
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| Day 1 dinner buffet menu |
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***
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Wow, what an exciting start to your Northern adventure! Your detailed planning and insightful tips really make me feel like I'm right there with you. One thing that could make your journey even smoother is considering Manchester Airport Cheap Parking options by EzyBook Compare Parking. It's a fantastic way to save both time and money, leaving you with more to spend on exploring those captivating destinations. Looking forward to reading more about your travels!
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