Today is a full Sea day. Ian is not feeling all that we are off to see the ships doctor at 9:00am this morning. Hopefully nothing too series but just a cold of sorts.

I am going to spend the day catching up on Blogging previous days and planning some of next years trips and retreats etc,

Our current location! Just crossed into the Arctic Circle.

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Today is day four of our cruise. Saturday 7th October, Norway time.

We met Bev and Chris on deck 5 and made our way off the ship. After checking out with our medallion, cameras, everything charged up we were off!

ABOUT TRONDHEIM

Trondheim is a city with a rich history, stunning natural beauty, and a vibrant cultural scene. I  hope include some info and pictures of all the points of interest we managed to get to today. Plus a few we missed. Also some little tips that might help some future travellers.

Day at Sea. 

Today we were supposed to be docking at Stavagen and it's a little dissapointing that we're not, however the storm in the Norwegian sea is quite bad so we understand the Captains decision to increase speed along the coast to avoid the worst of the storm. Having said that, the sea is still quite rough, lucky we are at the back end (aft) of the ship where it isn't too bad.

We went to the Information session to find out a bit about our port stop tomorrow at Trondheim. I tried to mentally remember as much as I could, so we could visit the main sites. 

After lunch, we watched the line dancing in the afternoon and straight after that I joined the others in Trivia. I tried a Mojito and then had a Mai Tai, so I think that's enough cocktails for one day. We didn't win Trivia, too much competition, however our overall score wasn't too bad. 

Afternoon tea we indulged in a slide of the layered chocolate cake but at least we shared it between the four of us ie Bev, Chris, Ian and myself. We made a good go of it!

I must admit I am still having trouble navigating the ship, but hey exploring is half the fun right. Despite the occasional confusion, getting lost on a cruise ship can be a rewarding adventure. Over the last few days I have stumbled upon hidden lounges, cozy corners, and a bar or two that I might have missed otherwise.

The waves are getting a lot worse as the day progresses. The ship is rolling more and you can feel it more so at the front of the ship. 

Our dining room evening meal was at 7.20 and we made our down and met the others within seconds of each other. As we progressed with our meal we ended up reliving some of our childhood adventures. Mainly the siblings had some stories to tell and  someday I will need to document them.

By the end of the meal, I had a throbbing headache (courtesy of the two cocktails earlier) and also felt rather seasick so we skipped the evening show and I went straight to bed. Here is a pic of us all at dinner.

This is our first full day at sea on the Island Princess. I suppose we spent some of the day getting to know the layout of the ship. It certainly is a bit of  a higgledy, piggledy design. Apart from the layout, there are a few noticable differences on this ship. Very modern compared to my last cruise I was on which was Carnival Pacific Islands.

Firstly, on each floor mainly near the lifts are digital interactive maps of every area on the ship on screens. These nifty gadgets help in some respect but  they're not always foolproof. Trust me; I've followed the digital breadcrumbs only to realise I've ended up in the ship's galley! Just kidding. They include a digital layout of the ship by level it does help to some extent.

Second, each of us are given a medallion with a GPS signal (instead of the old lanyard style). The Passenger Medallion System, often referred to as the OceanMedallion.  Each passenger is given a  OceanMedallion. This device is about the size of a 10 cent coin  and can be worn as a wristband or as a pendant The medallion is equipped with various sensors and technology that allow it to interact with the ship's infrastructure. 

Pretty cool huh! Here is some info I found out about the OceanMedallion:

 Before the cruise, us passengers provide personal information, preferences, and any special requests through a mobile app or website. This information is linked to their OceanMedallion, creating a profile that helps customise the onboard experience.

The medallion system uses a network of sensors and antennas placed throughout the ship to track the location of passengers in real-time. This enables various features and benefits such as keyless entry to cabins as the Medallion serves as the cabin key, automatically unlocking the cabin door when the passenger approaches and then locking it magically when you leave.

Crew members can access a passenger's profile and preferences, allowing them to provide personalised services. Even magically bringing you your fav drink. Thats a plus! 'Margarita Please'. 

Passengers can use interactive maps on their smartphones to navigate the ship, locate onboard venues, and find their friends and family members. I tried this and it works really well. Hint to Princess Cruises. Two maps required, one for the men and one for us women.

Alert! Alert! The OceanMedallion is linked to our onboard account, allowing for cashless transactions. Passengers can make purchases at onboard shops, restaurants, and bars without the need for cash or credit cards. Charges are automatically added to our account. Yep this makes it a little dangerous. However you can track of expenses on the app. 

The system also helps us  make the most of their cruise experience by suggesting personalised activities and entertainment options based on the preferences we add. 

We can connect up with fellow passengers for chatting purposes  making it easy to stay connected with friends and family onboard.

Book into daily activities and add fellow family members to events. My BIL Richard decided to book me into some activities that I might not normally be interested in. Very Naughty he was, as I am definetly not interested in trying out for ships entertainment or joining in with Bible study (no offence intended to those who do). The only downside to this is you can delete yourself out of an activity.  

So I guess you can tell that I was impressed with the whole process.

Moving on from this which turned into a rather long explanation. I think when I get back home I might  cut this section out and move the medallion information to a separate Blog Post.

Hmm, now where was I, well not much else to really write about. Another nice dinner in the dining room.

A drink in one of the bars, we watched one of the bands for a while and the decided to hit the hay.

Our morning adventure was set in motion with an Uber pickup scheduled for 9:00 am, a quick 20 minute ride that would carry us from our current location to Victoria Station. Our ultimate goal? To board a bus destined for Southampton.

As the clock ticked towards our anticipated departure, our anticipation grew, but the journey to our rendezvous with the Uber was not without its share of unexpected twists and turns. The bustling backdrop of a prominent London hotel, surrounded by the ceaseless flow of traffic, added an extra layer of complexity to our Uber pickup. The driver's chosen parking spot became a topic of conversation, as in where was he? causing a momentary delay of about 10 mins. We soon found him just around the corner.