2022
Image 1: Jellyfish decorations
This is a regular holiday or a weekend holiday with work for Norwegians, for Germans as well! The boat goes from Norway, Oslo to Germany, Kiel and then back to Oslo over the span of two and a half days. If you were to get on this boat in Oslo or Kiel the boat will dock at 14 o’clock –and arrive at the opposite location at 10 am the following day which you’d have 3,5 hours to wander around, before rushing back to the boat and be back in the first country and depart the boat by 10 am. Whilst for me, going to view the Kiel Winter Market was lovely the main reason to go on this boat is for all the great places to be whilst out on the sea. As you read on, I will explain a bit about what I did as well as what there is to do. By the time you get on the boat you can get a table for the lunch buffet which lays at the bow (front) of the boat. There are multiple restaurants open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner here which have different serving options à la carte or one venue has a buffet. The buffet is surprisingly good for all the meals of the day and desserts as well. I left “Grand Buffet” feeling full as ever, honestly a bit too full.
I have spent many weekends on this boat since I was young, and this boat is child-friendly as it does have a few spots for families. Such as a playroom is somewhat a place to do so as it has some games and television to keep them entertained. For further games, there is an arcade here too and to my disappointment it was lackluster and was small. When I was younger and used to go here it was probably a lot more fun, but I cannot say it got more fun with age. But I am sure with the limited time on the boat a child would be busy for a day.
Image 2: Aracde for children
There is an Aqualand for children and adults there is a spa room which has a steam room/sauna with a view out to the water and a jacuzzi which is where I spent my 2 hours. As it should be booked quickly the time slots do fill up here and I was only able to spend one of my days lounging in the pool. This is worth having a visit during the day as it will make a significant difference in my opinion when trying to view the ocean view. During the winter season, it does get dark past 4 pm.
In the evening times there is a show that last about 50 minutes and you can purchase tickets before which is recommended. The show is a cabaret style show, in which the one I attended they were singing and dancing to pop songs in addition there were acrobatics. It is a pleasant experience to attend this show. There is you don’t get a seat for their first show, they do two a night so make sure to get in queue a head of time to secure a table.
Image 3: The view I had with a pre-paid package.
Image 4: The cabaret team.
Plenty of places to go shopping for branded clothing, perfumes, leather goods, watches, spirits, candy, and nicotine in the diverse stores. Most of these items are cheaper to buy on the boat than it is in Oslo so it can be a good treat. I hear that there are good deals on the boat compared to the mainland, but I did not notice that when I got my total sum of items. One thing I through the years I have noticed is that it is a bit stagnant when it comes to updated fashion brands. Nonetheless, there are lots of nice clothing here. You can also wait till you dock in Kiel, Germany as the main strip and malls are close by. As when we came to Germany it was Sunday which means all stores are closed, I got to do all my shopping on the boat.
Image 5: The bar and shopping strip
I will say that when I laid down in bed, I feel the waves which I personally think and feel as really relaxing and I enjoy the feeling. But I can understand for some this might be a lot so do take into consideration.
Image 6: My bedroom for the week (three star room)
When you dock in Kiel you can manage to get around far as buses and taxis and now also with electric scooters. Two things that you must keep in mind is firstly that the boat will leave without you so make sure to be on boat 30 min before and secondly you will need a passport. My time here I spent looking at the Christmas Markets they had set up which was cozy and nice, and I visited my favorite park here.
Image 7a: A treat I got!
Image 7b: Christmas market decoration in Kiel
Image 7c: Christmas market decoration in Kiel
As it is still the weekend here, I decided to use the last of my night time to check out their later late clubs but firstly I rented their fun golf simulator. It felt a bit broken as the putting system was not working that well. So, we never got to get a winner.
Image 8a: The dining hall.
We had dinner at the Oceanic à la Carte with a good 3-courses meal. The food here is of good quality!
Image 8b: The main course
Later I had some coins laying around, so we went to the casino here which has lots of slot machines that do not take coins, two blackjack tables and a roulette board. It was packed and I had to be patient waiting for my turn. Later in the evening I had a cheeky drink in their fabulous Manhattan Bar and caught a classy piano and singing performance. The is also a nightclub with a small but decent-sized dance floor that you can shake your tail feather as they do have a DJ! I had a fun time here and they do check IDs as it is I think 20+ age limit due to the Norwegian law that venues with alcohol over 21% are in a different age bracket.
When I left the next morning there was still plenty of things left to do but from a previous time here, I think it should be said that a virgin-cocktail in their 360 view bar is a must! During summer days you can sit up high and watch the sunset behind the North Sea. It is as nice as it sounds.
