All Aboard and Bon Voyage

Saturday, I checked out of the Rho Hotel, left Amsterdam and headed to the Felison Cruise Terminal in Ijmuiden for a 17 day cruise on the Azamara Quest called "Norway Intensive".  




I managed to get a few photos from the Uber as we left the city.  I had intended to go for a walk in the morning and take some proper ones but it was just too damn hot!




The cruise is port intensive as can be seen from the map below.  I have never been to Norway so am looking forward to seeing its dramatic scenery.  Because of the time of the year, it will be light almost 24 x 7 while we are there.


Boarding was so easy and in less than 1/2 hour of arriving at the terminal, I was checked in and having some lunch on the ship; such is the beauty of being on a small ship - 676 passengers this time.  The majority are Americans (284) but Canada (100),  Australia (78) and the UK (76) are well represented.  There are also Dutch, Belgian, Brazilian, New Zealand, Irish, Spanish, French and various other nationalities on board.  

After a couple of hours, our staterooms were ready and it was super to think that this will be my home for the next 17 days; same bed but new places every day!






Later that evening, as we sailed north from the Netherlands, we passed hundreds and hundreds of "wind farms".  It was around 10 pm when I came back to my stateroom to go to bed and, unsurprisingly, it was still quite light outside.









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