THE BOWERS IN NORWAY 2017

THE SHIP, STAFF, CLEANLINESS.FOOD AND ACCOMMODATIONS WERE EXCELLENT. HOWEVER ONE OF THE TENDERS TAKING US ASHORE WAS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE AS THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS BELCHING BLACK SMOKE WHICH MADE US ALL ON THAT DAY FEEL HEADY AND SICK. THE FUMES ROSE AS HIGH INSIDE THE SHIP AS RECEPTION. SURELY WHEN THIS WAS NOTICED ANOTHER TENDER SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOWERED AND THIS ONE REPAIRED. A CHILD OR AN ASTHMATIC WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY ILL. WE PERSONALLY FOUND THE ENTERTAINMENT NOT TO OUR TASTE, EXCEPT THE PIANIST IN THE EVENING.UNFORTUNATELY THE JAZZ NIGHT WAS NOT REPEATED AS WE MISSED THE FIRST ONE. WE ALSO FOUND THE GRATUITIES TOO ONEROUS FOR A 7 DAY CRUISE.
FINALLY THE REAL BONE OF CONTENTION FOR SOME OF US WAS THAT ALTHOUGH WE HAD ALL PAID THE SAME FOR THE HOLIDAY DEPENDING ON THE CABIN CHOSEN, WE ALL FELT LIKE 2ND CLASS PASSENGERS ON THE BLACK TIE/CPTNS NIGHT JUST BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE AN EVENING SUIT OR GREY LOUNGE SUIT! SO LONG AS A BLAZER TIE AND DARK TROUSERS WERE WORN BY MEN THIS SHOULD BE MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH. DRESSING UP AT NIGHT IS SO OUT OF DATE THESE DAYS. RETIRED PEOPLE DO NOT NECESSARILY STILL HAVE LOUNGE SUITES OR EVENING DRESS UNLESS THEY ARE ROTARIANS OR MASONS. IT IS EASY FOR THE LADIES. WE HAD TO MAKE DO WITH THE BUFFET WHEN THE DRESSERS UP HAD LOBSTER BEEF WELLINGTON WINE AND CHAMPAGNE OR SO WE WERE TOLD. MY HUSBAND AND I FELT VERY OFFENDED BY THIS AND I CAN ASSURE YOU HE IS VERY SMART AT ALL TIMES ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO SOME OF THE SIGHTS WE OBSERVED. WE MAY TRY ANOTHER CRUISE NEXT YEAR BUT WILL EXPECT A NAVY BLAZER ETC., TO BE QUITE ACCEPTABLE.