Bonito Living

As the saying goes: “at sea, life is nicer !” And it may be truth. The allure of Ocean cruises and sea sailing are as old as humanity itself. It’s thanks to this urge to take to the mighty sea that the world has expanded: from vikings excursions to the proverbial “discovery” of the Americas, it’s all about sailing.

Our vessel is called The Spirit of Adventure and it is rather new one. The cabins were delightful, the social areas nicely decorated , velvet chairs, modern art, fashionable palette of deep blues and intense teals, with the lightness of yellow and pink combinations; Art Deco type of lamps and furniture and attention to detail. The staff is also fantastic and the company is generous with wages and opportunities for them to join many of the excursions onshore. Everything is organised with such precision that is a marvel of engineering at the service of experience. check here for SAGA cruises to Norway.

But sailing is not for everybody and cruises have their own idiosyncratic. The cruise we chose SAGA, caters to certain demographic: middle class, senior, mostly white population. So don’t expect diversity. All very well and polite of course! And you get to meet amazing characters who can teach you how to live life to the full. I fully recommend them, they go their way beyond to make you feel comfortable, from picking you up from your own house (and bringing you back) to the amount of attention, services, variety of food, entertainment, all included in the price.

Another thing to get used to is the rocking of the boat. It’s better to get some pills and get used to the waves. Until you get your sea-legs and realise that there is nothing you can do but to surrender to the mighty sea.

There will be days of sailing and for some this is unnerving. But there are plenty of activities on board: art lessons, craft groups, gym, presentations. Without mentioning the offer of restaurants and entertainment! With all inclusive there is the temptation to eat every delicious dish! But fear not! You can ask for “small portions” and avoid too much sugary snacks or Loaded breakfasts by asking room service and limiting your breakfast. The same applies for the endless holly of wine, spirits and cocktails! But as you are here to enjoy, let your desires to flow… and pack some elastic trousers!

For those who like to dress up there are plenty of opportunities for “formal dinners”, ball dancing, and parties. But if you don’t really like that scene, you need avoid the social areas on those evening, and perhaps enjoy the excellent room service. Although the amount for luggage is not a problem, it’s important to keep a balance between what you will really wear, and think that you will spend a lot of time in lounges and social spaces.

Which takes me to packing for the arctic:

Clothing: The secret is “layers”, make sure of having warm or high tech undergarments: M&S and Uniqlo have excellent products at good prices. A good jacket is a must and you can layer with fleece, cashmere or wool. I did not buy special winter clothes but something I realise is crucial is having good shoes for the coldest areas. I used my leather shoes and that went well but as they were getting old and their grip was weak so I had to wear double socks. I also recommend you to get some good gloves and warm hat and face covering (in this cases the mask is helpful!) . I brought my swimming cosie but in the cold there was little encouragement although the pool and hot tubs were heated.

Books: Mmm that’s the difficult question. I packed so many and I brought my kindle too thinking I would have time to read. It was not the case. I had great expectations about having time to write and the only thing I’ve written is texts and these blog posts – and only at the end of the cruise!-

Having said that, you can do some preparatory readings. I wanted to learn about Norse mythology -and I started with Neil Gaiman Nordic Gods. Later my friend Adriana recommended me the Norse Myths of Kevin Crossley-Holland, a beautiful book illustrated by Jeffrey Alan Love. Both highly recommended as they prepared me spiritually to start this adventure. As my friend Diana Uribe has taught us, travels start in the realm of dreams, and by reading about those places we will visit we ask permission to their gods.

Art materials: as many as you need. I carry a bag with brushes, scissors, wasi tape and three types of watercolours. I carry at least one travel sketchbook, glue and I collect all sort of paper material for my collages. In this cruise I had the opportunity to attend watercolour lessons and they provided the materials, but is always to have your own.

Appliances and internet: Wifi is included in this cruise but not all the cruises do that. The signal is not fantastic but enough to browse your social media and send whatsupp to friends and family. What you really need is a good camera, especially for the aurora boreal. Having said that we did well with our own iPhone camera. Being a British cruise the electricity and connection is UK standard. There is a good amount of tv channels although that change the farthest you go. We discovered the pleasures of Japanese channel NHK and it s gentle stream of food programs, crafting and bits of the dreadful news.

Shopping: it all depends on you. I love shopping but frankly in this trip I restrained myself as everything was very expensive and not so different to what I see in the UK. However certain clothing like Norwegian wool and crafts are always something different and unique. Also, don’t doubt, buy it now because these are living memories of your journey, and always connect you to the place. Finally, remember that it’s better to use your credit card, because the debit card may have exchange fees, and the credit card protects you to certain extent.

Tipping: in this cruise all is included I clouding the tips for the staff. That’s all right especially because you find so many at your service. But perhaps the closest relationship is with your steward and sometimes it’s nice to express our gratitude with an extra tip. It is up to you of course.

There are excellent sites dedicated to tips about each cruise, and also the companies do their best to give you all the information. My advice is to prepare, to start planning your excursions and start your adventure from the very moment you decide to travel!