NORWAY 2025 ON AMBASSADOR AMBITION

 

NORWAY CRUISE ABOARD MV AMBITION OF THE AMBASSADOR LINE - AUGUST 2025.

I'D BEEN TO NORWAY IN 2006, BUT WANTED TO TAKE SUE. SHE WASN'T REALLY SOLD ON CRUISES, SO I HAD TO CHOOSE CAREFULLY!

I NEEDN'T HAVE WORRIED - SHE LOVED IT!

This was the itinerary. There was only one place on this cruise that I'd visited before - Bergen, so I was just as excited to be going again to see the new places, ESPECIALLY Geirangerfjord - but......

Read on!

Our route began in Newcastle, a fair old drive from Bakewell, where we live, but needs must if we wanted to do this trip. Ambassador also sail from Tilbury too, which was just as far, but I preferred to drive to the less frantic Newcastle on Tyne.

In the event, we didn't do this actual (above) Norway itinerary, for two reasons.

What we ACTUALLY did was

Newcastle

Dundee

Alesund

Andalsnes

Maloy

Bergen

Stavanger

Oslo

After an eventless drive and quick boarding, we settled in to the life of sailors, albeit pampered ones!

Cheers!

As soon as we could, we set about exploring Ambition.

She's not a large ship, which was the main reason for choosing her, and at only 1,200 passengers we never felt crowded.

These smaller (often older) ships don't have all the bells and whistles of their larger progeny, but they have a certain charm - which we were very comfortable with.

This was one of the restaurants, Borough Market, which we used every day for breakfast, and some afternoon treats. The ship had, like many others, gone through a 'facelift', with Ambassador spending millions to bring the ships up to date. This was mainly cosmetic, but we liked it.

This was the special place reserved for those who chose to do the 'chef's table' experience. It was a truly fine dining, and drinking, experience, if you so desired.

At £85 per person, this WASN'T cheap, but this included specially chosen wine with each course. 

There was quite a heavy sell on this by the waiters, with the 'threat' of it; 'selling out very quickly'. I imagine they get a bonus for selling places.

Once we had tasted the restaurant food, we decided that there really was no need to pay that much extra for this. However, it's sold as an 'experience', and if taken as such, then why not?

One of several comfortable lounges to drink in or just relax.

This is the Cavern Club bar.

This is a dedicated wine bar, the Purple Turtle, (can you tell by the decor'?) We didn't drink in here once - but only because we got settled in the other bars, and were quite happy.

Lupino's Italian - one of the speciality restaurants that you can eat in, but there's a cover charge. 

Again, we didn't go there, as the 'everyday' food was just so good!

Saffron, the Indian restaurant.

The chef from here did a cooking demonstration one afternoon and, on the smell alone, we would definitely have eaten here! I was amazed to be told that they not only bought raw spices, but cooked and ground them fresh for their recipes. The demo really had everyone drooling, the smell and the flavours (yes - we were given a taste) were just divine!

As we set to leave, we watched the nautical world going by.

A spin around the deck is always a good idea. Many people used this as their 'constitutional', and, as the song 'Parklife' says - went round and round and round..... :-)

Our first lovely sunset - we were to discover that you were treated to one of these most nights.

 

Cruises, I have to tell you, are VERY romantic! Everything is just so relaxed, with a great vibe throughout the ship. 

It goes without saying that the crew try their utmost to make your holiday special. (You get plenty of opportunities for kisses and cuddles too) 💓💋

The sunny deck, wet from a shower.

Our weather was to be mixed in the coming ten days, but hey! You don't go to Norway to sunbathe!

That sky though 💕

The Cavern Club wall art.

Movie sweep of the Palladium theatre.

This was one of my concerns. Would the shows be just 'A.N. Other' and second rate? What could we expect from a small ship?

I can tell you - one word - A-MA-ZING! (Apologies to Craig Revel-Horwood 😀)

The shows, and I am a HARSH critic, were as good as anything I've ever seen!! I include the West End in that statement. We were just blown away by every one. It got so we were clock watching at dinner, so as not to miss the start of any show. We had our favourite seats (which we got most nights), and the waiters soon got to know what we liked to drink.

After sailing overnight up to Dundee to pick up more passengers we enjoyed a relaxed breakfast on the ship aft & after that, had a full day to explore Dundee.

These were the bridges in the harbour.

The Victoria and Albert museum on the docks was the stand-out building. Ship-shaped, it was striking as you approached it.

Some REALLY expensive whisky in some very arty presentation pieces.

 Piece explanations.

This is a collaboration of architects and fine Dalmore whisky.

In drydock here is the  RRS Discovery. The ship was built here in Dundee, and carried Scott and Shackleton to the Antarctic.

Avast there!

Hard about.

It started to drizzle, then rained so we retreated to a coffee shop, then made our way back onboard.

The Ambition's signature as we sailed away to Norway.

The next day was at sea, steaming towards Norway and our first stop.

There was plenty to do on board, but the curry demonstration REALLY drew us.

First though, we had to find out where it was! These deck plans are EVERYWHERE - but it didn't stop us getting lost 👀

After a short tour of the ship, we settled in the Cavern club to watch the chefs do their magic.

It wasn't long before the most wonderful smells were wafting all over - we were like Bisto kids (ask your Mum), sniffing the air expectantly.

The poor guy doing the commentary was, like the rest of us, drooling by now!

I wish this was 'smellyvision' 

The array of freshly ground spices that the chef was using.

The weather was quite benign on the trip over, and we had a very pleasant trip on deck, poking in all the corners to see what was what and what was where.

We sort of latched on to the Clifton bar. They had a piano player in here, which I was initially pleased about, as I LOVE a piano, but he wasn't playing my kind of stuff. I didn't find it relaxing, and it was over-amplified (and being a grand, it really didn't need it).

Meet the officers.

All too soon , it was time to put on the finery for this evening first formal night.

The sun was dipping into a silvery sea, and all was well in our world.

SHOWTIME!

This was our first Palladium experience - we were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the sheer professionalism of the entire cast. 100% commitment from everyone made for a superb night of entertainment.

This first production was called; 'Love is in the air'.

Quite apt, really. 💓

ANDALSNES.

After finding out that we WEREN'T going to our top listed place to visit, Geirangerfjord, due to emissions problems, we were told we were heading for Andalsnes.

Never heard of it!

Sailing Romalsfjord.

At this point, we realised the ship wasn't sailing towards Geirangerfjord. An announcement was made, and we were told we had 'secured a berth' at Andalsnes. The weather was fair, and the sailing and views were really good, so we were resigned to the new destination, but still bitterly disappointed to be missing the jewel in this cruise's itinerary :-(

Sailing in Romsdalsfjorden

Some really good cloud inversions. 

You often see these in the fjords in the mornings.

The views were really getting stunning now - this is what we came for!

A silvery morning sun reflected in the almost mirror-like surface of Romsdalsfjorden.

Every way we looked - breathtaking!

This was yet another cloud inversion.

Can you think of a better breakfast place?

No - me neither!

Deckmates, taking it ALL in!

Sailing towards Andalsnes.

The bridges here are epic - just look at this one - it's not so much a bridge, as a piece of art.

Cruising Romsdalsfjord

We could see glaciers on the high mountains.

The deck, or a photo gallery?

You decide.

Although quite sunny, it wasn't sunbed weather, and there weren't many in the pools either!

A bit pointy, this one!

Before long, and after the most wonderful fjord cruising, with so many photo opportunities, we tied up in Andalsnes.

Looking around here, we were like kids in a sweet shop!

This was a two horse town - the two horses were the railway, reputed to be one of the best train journeys in Europe, and the gondola to the top of Nesaksla mountain.

As the train was currently out of commision, that just left the gondola trip (which we would have chosen anyway).

We disembarked as quickly as we could, expecting queues.

Ambition, docked in Andalsnes.

THE GONDOLA TRIP TO

THE TOP OF NESAKSLA.

As this is Norway, and everything is breathtakingly expensive, we weren't surprised (or put off) by the cost of the round trip ticket - 340NOK, or £35

This is looking up the cable we would be going up!

Only the ONE support between the base station and the top.

😲

Looking back down, on a beautiful, sunny day.

Even though we'd missed Geirangerfjord, we felt this day was making amends and trying to atone for our loss.

Time to go!

Looking back on the way up in the cable car, the views are outstanding - especially on such a clear day as today!

A short walk up the mountain path of Nesaksla gave these mind-blowing 360 degree views - safe to say, we took FAR too many photo's.

If you like mountains - and we LOVE them - then feast your eyes on THIS!

I'm sorry - but I AM going to overload on pics of this fabulous place. We've never seen anything quite like it before, and we've been up a LOT of mountains in our time.

Sue enjoying the view of Isfjorden, from the flanks of Nesaksla, panning along Romsdalsfjord, and the gondola cafe and top station. 

We didn't realise just how lucky we were - within a short time, the paths and particularly the cafe, would be SWAMPED with local day trippers.

The topographic plate, detailing all the peaks and places we could see.

Soulmates, both in their personal heaven. 💓💓

The glacier to the south west.

I THINK it's named Adelsbreen.

360 views of the glacier and surrounding mountains and fjords.

Ever wanting more, we decided to climb higher. The paths up here are great, very easy to navigate.

More people were now arriving, and the mountain was getting busier.

We couldn't stop looking at all this brutal landscape. This bit was particularly severe! 😮

A very happy bunny, looking up Romsdalsfjord.

Ambition, patiently awaiting our return, but we weren't ready to leave this wonderland just yet - not by FAR!

Things were REALLY busying up at the summit cafe now.

They MUST be mostly Norwegians, as they were eating and drinking! 💰💰💰💰

All too soon, it was time to retrace our steps back to the top station to catch our gondola down. There was hardly anyone when we ascended, but now, we found we had to queue to get on.

ALESUND.

I must admit, after all the staggering vistas we'd seen, Alesund was just a bit underwhelming!

This is the harbour - what do you think?

There's not a lot to do here either, so we opted for a trip up the local viewpoint, Aksla, and a walk around the town. The weather was a bit overcast with the odd shower.

This is the top viewpoint of Mount Aksla - a bit of a grand name for a hill :-)  

Sue takes five in one of the giant chairs ( not the most comfy of chairs, it has to be said!

Mount Aksla panorama.

The harbour was quite pretty, the house colours really set it off.

We'd been told about the lovely cobbled streets too, so we went off to find them.

We didn't have to go far. The streets are great for feet, but the cars rattled terribly over the cobbles!

Loving the colour scheme!

Always good to mix and make friends with the locals!

😆

I saw this yacht next to our ship, and wondered what it was? It was flying the Norwegian flag. I noticed the name 'Norge', so did a bit of Googling.

HNoMY Norge is the Royal Yacht of the king of Norway. One of only three remaining Royal Yachts in Europe, the ship's name Norge is Norwegian Bokmål for Norway. The Royal Yacht Norge was the Norwegian people's gift to King Haakon VII in 1947.

Soon, it was time to cast off and leave for our next destination.

I love the way these Norwegian cruises leave port in the evening, and arrive in the morning. 

Sailing out of Alesund

Lots of little islands in and around the fjords.

After jumping ship (literally) the pilot left us to carry on.

And, of course, evenings and mornings mean sunsets and sunrises, and we had some GREAT ones on this trip so far.

Silver sunset timelapse

I am a bit of a foodie, and I have to say, the food on Ambition was exemplary! Not always piping hot, but that's fine by me. I'm more interested in flavour. The food was an acceptable temperature for me, but I'm sure some would want it hotter.

MALOY AND BERGEN

Cruising the fjords, with the weather taking a downward turn and sea conditions a bit rougher.

Singer and band, Maloy harbour.

anding at Maloy, I'm sorry to say we were again underwhelmed! The dreary weather didn't help. :-( The thing about Maloy is the street art, so we set off to see it.

I have to admit - it IS impressive.

We went into a deli' on the main street, but of course, the stunningly high prices stopped us buying anything. Also, on a cruise, you're in a constant state of satiety!

Dried fish anyone?

I couldn't help wondering just WHY this sea dog was wearing a rappers bling???

I've said it before, but the bridges here just leave you agog! Such gorgeous structures.

Wavy and beautiful, a sweeping statement of architecture.

There was a LOT of work going on in Maloy's streets, and it was a bad time to visit because of that, so after seeing the street art, we headed back to the ship.

Time to chill out in the sauna.

A room with a PROPER view 😮

As you can see, I was the only one in there.

We sailed away from Maloy, and headed for Bergen. I'd visited before, and found it really interesting, so I was looking forward to it.

Last time I was here, we chartered a seaplane from Fonnafly, but this time we just decided to explore on foot.

You can see the flight on my previous blog;

CLICK HERE

Bergen harbour, with Ulricken in the distance. We hoped to go up there today, but again, the weather was closing in :-(

A rainbow - beautiful, but a portent of rain.

All right, all right - I KNOW

The world heritage site that is the Bryggen.

Unesco says;

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis 

Bryggen is a historic harbour district in Bergen, one of North Europe’s oldest port cities on the west coast of Norway which was established as a centre for trade by the 12th century. In 1350 the Hanseatic League established a “Hanseatic Office” in Bergen. They gradually acquired ownership of Bryggen and controlled the trade in stockfish from Northern Norway through privileges granted by the Crown. The Hanseatic League established a total of four overseas Hanseatic Offices, Bryggen being the only one preserved today.

Bryggen has been damaged by a number of fires through the centuries and has been rebuilt after every fire, closely following the previous property structure and plan as well as building techniques. Bryggen’s appearance today stems from the time after the fire in 1702. The buildings are made of wood in keeping with vernacular building traditions. The original compact medieval urban structure is preserved with its long narrow rows of buildings facing the harbour, separated by narrow wooden passages. Today, some 62 buildings remain of this former townscape and these contain sufficient elements to demonstrate how this colony of bachelor German merchants lived and worked, and illustrate the use of space in the district. It is characterized by the construction of buildings along the narrow passages running parallel to the docks. The urban units are rows of two- to three-storey buildings signified by the medieval name “gård”. They have gabled facades towards the harbour and lie on either one or both sides of the narrow passages that have the functions of a private courtyard. The houses are built in a combination of traditional timber log construction, and galleries with column and beam construction with horizontal wooden panel cladding. The roofs have original brick tiling or sheets, a result of fast repairs after an explosion during World War II. Towards the back of the gård, there are small fireproof warehouses or storerooms (kjellere) built of stone, for protection of special goods and valuables against fire. This repetitive structure was adapted to the living conditions of the Hanseatic trading post. The German merchants took up winter residence in the small individual wooden houses and the storerooms were used as individual or collective warehouses. A true colony, Bryggen enjoyed quasi-extraterritoriality which continued beyond the departure of the Hanseatic merchants until the creation of a Norwegian trading post in 1754, on the impetus of fishermen and ship owners of German origin. Today, Bryggen is a significant part of the historic wooden city of Bergen.

We skittered around, in and out of places to dodge the showers. We actually bought a coffee, which was surprisingly reasonable!

We also explored the back streets, which I didn't do on my last visit. They are fascinating. You can see where they have been repaired most minimalistically, as there are STRICT rules about how much (or little!) you can replace.

Obviously, being wooden, the houses and surrounding structures suffer from the Norwegian weather. Bergen is particularly wet, which is why I felt so blessed last time to get a good day.

This time - not so lucky!

If you look at5 the bottom of this support post, you can see a small section that has been replaced.

Next, I was keen to show Sue the fish market. It's an amazing place, with more choice than Ive ever seen before. Thing is, the locals (one told us) don't buy here, as it's 'tourist prices', so they prefer another market not too far away with better prices.

Sea urchin - never tried one, but I understand they are a delicacy.

Everything was so fresh-looking and so wonderfully laid out.

(Yes - that IS whale meat for sale).

Prawn sandwich sir - that's just £9!!

Maybe a seafood salad - only £18 😲😲😲

Seafood paella in Bergen market.

The fjords are BRIMMING with these King Crabs, but they only eat the legs (don't ask me?).

£164 per kilo.

You HAVE to admit - this is like a piece of art! My mouth was watering. It's a good job I wasn't hungry.

This almost broke me - we LOVE fresh sushi, and you couldn't get fresher! I was SO CLOSE to saying 'bugger it' and buying some.

OMG visual excellence and food perfection at every turn.

These little pots of fruit were £12 each.

We walked back to the harbour to meet up with our tour coach that would take us to the Ulriken funicular. Again, I had done this in clear weather, but today the rain was HAMMERING down. Oh well, we'd paid our £31, so we might as well go.

View of Ambition as the cable car started upwards.

Everyone quickly crowded into the cafe on the top, surrounded by thick mist. As we sat drinking our coffee, the mist miraculously cleared, so we all rushed out to get 'the' picture!

Sue, with Bergen harbour far below.

We were hardly basking in the sunshine, but views?? 

We'll take THAT!

After the trip up Ulriken, we returned to the ship and stood on deck for the sailaway.

This is yet another fabulous bridge over Bergen harbour.

When we booked the cruise, I asked for a table of six. You CAN choose 2,4,6 or 8, but of course, you take a chance on your tablemates. We were REALLY lucky with ours. We couldn't have asked for better. They were great company.

That's me, blue shirt, then Sue, Carol, Lynne, Paul, Neil and Pauline. (she 'celeriac', she told me - 😂😂😂)

Great thin was, she got the following night's menu every night, so the chef's could prepare what she wanted. Of course, this meant that WE got a sneak preview too!

The kitchen are BRILLIANT with and allergies etc. Pauling said her food was just great!

A lot of cruisers eat well in the afternoons, and there are grills, snacks, cream teas, cakes etc, but to be honest, breakfast lasted us ALL DAY! We DID try what I called a cheat cream tea - just a biscuit with a bit of clotted cream and jam.

This was Cirque, just one of the amazing shows. Hats off to the theatre company - I've seen Cirque, and other productions, in London, but these guys were JUST as impressive and professional! I was absolutely AMAZED at  how good the productions were every night. It got so we were excited to get to the theatre every night!

STAVANGER & 

LYSEFJORD

Now THIS is what we've been waiting for - the REAL fjord experience! Like Geirangerfjord, I'd pre-booked a fast boat trip up Lysefjord, but this time it HADN'T been cancelled!

I'm REALLY hoping these videos can be viewed on this blog, because these are great, and give you the feeling of what these monster fjords are really like.

Again, the weather wasn't the best, but......LET'S GO!

Looking around Stavanger port, from the ship.

Again, showers dogged us as we explored the town.

The cathedral.

The Valbergtarnet tower.

Probably the best, most beautiful back cobbled streets of the whole cruise. We loved it here, even in the light drizzle.

So pretty, and all the houses painted white.

This was our boat route up Lysefjord to view Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock. Quite a long trip, but very exciting due to speed and views.

As it wasn't due to leave until 13:30, we had time for a coffee in a harbourside cafe, overlooking the dock.

As 13:15 came around, I saw a boat leave - but that's ok, still lots of time before OUR boat left.......wasn't there????

😲

OH NO! As we casually walked over to the (empty) dock, and after asking, we realised it was OUR boat that had pulled out - EARLY!!!

Long story short, we were lucky, as there was ONE more boat - a smaller (and, according to the guide,) better one.

Well, he was right - and we gratefully embarked.

It was only half full, and the earlier bad weather was improving by the minute - RESULT!

More street art on the harbour buildings - this time more poignant.

Speeding towards Lysefjord.

This trip was great! We were both excited, and took so many pictures! The boat wasn't crowded, so we could stand anywhere.

Looking forwards up Lysefjord.

Looking up Lysefjord.

We were really hoping for dolphins - but we got GOATS!

Ah well, beggards, and all that!

When you looked at these almost vertical fjord faces, you realise just what masters of the rock these animals are.

Above these goats were what looked like (for us) just bare, straight up rock faces!

This was one of the highlights of the trip - Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, as it's known.

About

Preikestolen or Prekestolen is a tourist attraction in the municipality of Strand in Rogaland county, Norway. Preikestolen is a steep cliff which rises 604 metres above Lysefjorden. Atop the cliff, there is an almost flat top of approximately 25 by 25 metres. Wikipedia

Elevation: 604 m

Coordinates: 58°59′07″N 6°11′03″E / 58.9852°N 6.1843°E

Topo map: 1313 III Lyngsvatnet

After an equally exciting ride back up Lysefjord, back to Stavanger, we re-boarded Ambition - only to find this notice.

....and a complimentary bottle.

As darkness fell, I was on deck, hoping to see us pull out (this was before we saw the notice) and wondered WHY people were still getting on board at such a late hour and SO CLOSE to sailing time - now I know!

We were going to stay out of the heavy weather tonight, and party on the ship. Stavanger looks lovely all lit up.

YAY! Party time after another great meal and show.

♫🎜 Opps, upside your head, I said oops upside your head......

We'd never done a silent disco before, but they're GREAT fun!

CRUISING TO OSLO

FROM STAVANGER

After staying over in Stavanger, due to heavy weather, we had a leisurely cruise to Oslo, with lots of entertainment laid on for us.

Among other things, a 'meet the officers' thing was put on in the theatre, where lots of the behind the scenes stuff was explained. 

The captain is third from the left.

Sue was very pleased with our first towel art in our cabin. 

(She still has the rose)

💓

Later in the afternoon, some of the galley staff showcased their skills at carving fruit.

I'm always amazed by just how good they are.

Fruit carving

Beautifully done from a melon.

We went up on deck for a walk and some air - there wasn't much swimming going on in the pools!!!

Looks like we were in a hurry to get to Oslo!!

😂😂😂

Yet another great sunset was racking up, so we had just enough time to savour it before dinner.

OSLO

WE FOUND OSLO THE BEST CITY WE'D BEEN TO.

IT HAD BEEN GENTRIFIED GREATLY, BUT IN THE MOST TASTEFUL WAY.

We had booked a city walk around Oslo to get all the best bits. I also really wanted to go to the museum, where they had one of Edvard Munch' 'Scream' paintings.

As soon as we left the ship, it was evident that they had spent a LOT of money in this dock area and, like London, Liverpool, Glasgow etc, had 'gentrified' it - now these apartments were some of the most expensive in Norway.

They also put plenty of thought into how it looked, with many little pieces, like this anchor, to lift it.

The old Akershus fortress - the old keeping eyes on the new.  Would it have approved?

Looking up the main street, Carl Johan's Street, straight up to the Royal Palace. Very reminiscent of the Mall, in London.

Oslo city hall.

Oslo National Theatre. Sadly, this iconic building is in very bad repair, and they are in ongoing discussions on the best way to proceed with repairs.

Many of the apartments had private moorings - much like you'd have a garage in a 'normal' apartment.

The walk leader pointed out this bell to us. Apparently, it was out of tune with the other bells, and rather than scrap it - they decided to make a feature of it.

Here's the story;

Instead of being silenced, a bell out of tune with the rest of the carillon at Oslo City Hall (globally recognized for hosting the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony) has become a solo artist. The 1.4-ton bell, cast in 1949, is tuned to D#, but incongruous with the instrument's other 48 bells. 

The bell was removed from the bell tower and sent to the Nauen Bell Foundry, where it rested, mute, on the foundry floor for more than a decade. Rather than having the bell retuned or recast, but wanting to give it more purpose, the foundry acquiesced to lending the bell to KORO Public Art Norway for an outdoor installation. Two mammoth plinths were erected in the square between Oslo City Hall and the Oslofjord, with a steel cord connecting the two. In the middle, the old bell hangs anew. Pedestrians traversing the plaza may gently tap a foot pedal installed near the base of one of the plinths that support the suspended bell’s weight. This tap signals the bell to toll, sending deep reverberations cascading from above.

Now, the bell hangs in pride of place, un-tuned but unworried, for the world to see and enjoy. We can’t think of a more beautiful and needed allegory for being true to oneself. 

Their patron saint - Saint Halvard, 

overlooking the centre of Oslo.

Oslo city hall - built in 1950, hence the 75 banner.

. 

Side view of city hall.

The aptly named 'Peacock Fountain'

The royal palace, followed by some city views around Oslo.

The fountain with the finger in Oslo is called Christian the 4th's glove, and is located in the square. The sculpture is a large, gloved hand pointing to the ground, commemorating the legend of King Christian IV who is said to have declared that the new city would be built on that spot after a devastating fire in 1624

The entrance to Oslo castle.

It's not known when it was built exactly, but best guess is around 1290. AI says;

Akershus Castle, also known as Akershus Fortress, has a history that dates to the late 1290s when it was built by King Håkon V to defend Oslo. Over the centuries, it has been a royal residence, a military stronghold, and a prison. The castle was modernized into a Renaissance castle in the 17th century and has survived numerous sieges, though it was surrendered without a fight to the German forces in World War II. Today, it houses museums and the Royal Mausoleum, making it a significant historical site in Oslo. 

Soon, we reached, and went into, the National Museum.

A very grand building with many unusual and strange exhibits.

This one took my eye - a macabre wall full of skulls.

On closer inspection, each one had a bullet hole in it.

AI says;

The "wall of skulls" at the National Museum in Oslo, an installation titled "Pile o'Sápmi," represents a powerful protest against the forced culling of Sámi reindeer herds. The 400 reindeer skulls, each with a bullet hole, are arranged in a way that resembles the Sámi flag and highlights the struggles of the indigenous Sámi people against government policies. The artwork is also a statement about how art from indigenous communities is often overlooked and aims to show the museum's commitment to reflecting all aspects of Norwegian culture

Now - it was time for what we came here for, and we made our way to where the famous 'scream' painting was. 

Well, it's actually one of FIVE 'Scream' paintings - this is the most famous one.

I wish I had a pound for every tourist that did this - but HEY! It just HAD to be done!

My son was SO jealous, he's a serial famous painting visitor, with many ticked off - but not this one however, so he asked me to try and sneak it out to bring home for him........

The guard wasn't very impressed!!!

A single apartment here is 1/2 a million pounds upwards,

depending on position - prime locations will fetch more.

You can see their 'garages' - aka moorings.

After a really informative walk around the city and castle, it was time to head back to the ship.

Leaving Oslo sailaway.

PARTY TIME - THE TRIP HOME.

So, that was it - our time in Norway was at an end, and we left Oslo for the journey back to Newcastle. No time for heavy hearts though, as it was entertainment, shows, food and dancing to finish off our cruise.

We had been approached to see if we were interested in a cocktail making demonstration. As we hadn't opted for a drinks package, we decided to give it a go. To pay an extra premium for this would have gone against the grain if we DID pay for a drinks package, but it seemed good value for us.

We would be shown four (or was it five?) cocktails, and how to make them. Then we would be allowed to have one and mark it for preference.

We obviously didn't think this one through though - four cocktails in quick succession, in the AFTERNOON 🤯🤯🤯

....AND we were given shots.......AND we were given a second one of the cocktails which was our favourite.....

The waiters tried a bit of fancy juggling between making cocktails.

You really have to hand it to these guys!

SHAKE it, baby!

This was my favourite - called the choco bliss.

.....and it WAS!

The rainbow cocktail finale.

Thi....thi....thish wash my secun' one (hic).....

(you can see the shots on the table too).

After a lie down in an alcoholic daze, we refreshed ourselves, got changed and went down to our last dinner.

Our best table mates were waiting to welcome us.

This was a scallop, covered in cheese starter (with garlic bread).

The sweetest, softest lamb was the main I chose.

After the mains - a big fanfare!!!

 it was time for an Ambassador tradition - the Baked Alaska parade!

The waiters flamboyantly parade and present the Baked Alaska, before delivering it to the tables.

Topped off with berries - it really was divine!

Afterwards, and a final finale - quality chocolate selection.

We were all joking about who had the most - the waiter heard us, and I was the last one to be served - with THIS huge plateful!

(The diet starts Monday) 

Although they must do this THOUSANDS of times - the waiters are always up for it, and look like they're REALLY enjoying it, and their enthusiasm is infectious!

Replete, it was time for our last show, and the cast of Ambition went out with a HUGE bang! 

Another fantastic show to send us on our way.

But the night was still young(ish!), so we made our way to our favourite bar for an evening of dancing and general merriment.

Here are the girls, Pauline Lynne and Sue, giving it large!

And the boys - Me, Paul and Neil.

 God, we've had some fun on this cruise, made ALL the better by their company.

Thanks guys and girls 💓

One final sunset to add to the collection.

....and one final moonrise. 😍

EPILOGUE.

I honestly can't fault Ambassador or our ship, Ambition.

OK, it's not the bling, it's not sparkly and new, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the 5,000 plus megaships, but what it DOES have, in SPADES, is love, care for the customer, and enthusiasm, which runs through the entire crew's DNA.

Would I book with them again?

Erm.........

That's a big YES then!