by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 29, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The ship stayed overnight in Bali so we had one more day to explore. We stayed closer to the port in Nusa Dua where there are many luxurious hotels. We went for our first dip in the ocean in a long time before walking through one of the hotels and, after some sweaty... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 28, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We reached Bali, another large center for yoga and Hinduism. We took a taxi from the port to Ubud. It took an hour and a half due to all the traffic, but cost us no more than 100 kr, so we thought he deserved a decent tip after getting us through that traffic jam.... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 27, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Just another chill day as the Edge brings us closer to Bali and Australia – stretching, pool, buffet, nap, dinner, possibly some trivia, cocktails, entertainment and music. We watched the brilliant Tom Ward on his guitar. Mesmerizing. Look him up, he’s well... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 26, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Since today was a sea day, and this weekend still has Black Friday offers and my credit card offers double points, I spent the day online shopping for Christmas. At least whenever the ship wifi didn’t drop out… 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 25, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Our next stop was Singapore. Compared to the other countries we’ve been to, this one immediately appears cleaner, more organized and well run. We walked to the Gardens of the Bay, a large park with myriads of flowers, observations decks and a world based on the Avatar... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 24, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
After staying on the Edge for nearly a month, we’ve come across a lot of fun and interesting people. And then from time to time we come across one or two that are a bit odd. Here are a few stories about the latter. 1. The Friday after thanksgiving a couple were seated... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 23, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Getting off the ship today took quite a while, and has been the only downside of this cruise – that immigration into and out of ports has sometimes taken much longer than anticipated. We were tendered today too, which means we had to wait for shuttle boats to... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 22, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Another sea day and one more karaoke with a little dancing added in. 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 21, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Another sea day! I love sea days. Nothing to plan but still lots to do. This picture is technically from last night when I finally convinced Terry to do karaoke singing “Stand by me”. People loved it and asked if he sang professionally! One person came up to him at... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 20, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The ship stayed overnight in Sri Lanka so we had a full day to explore. We went to the Gangaramaya temple (didn’t try to pronounce it) and it was amazing! So many rooms, colors, gold, buddhas and knickknacks. It was beautiful. There was even a wedding going on that we... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 19, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The day after leaving India we arrive in Sri Lanka a little late in the day since there were 9 passports missing their departure stamps in India and the captain and his crew spent the evening looking for them before we could depart… In Colombo we waved off the swarm... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 18, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Kochi is different from Mumbai, but it’s still India. Which means there’s a bit of chaos, plenty of smiling people and something to see on every corner. Luckily we got off the boat early and reached the Broadway market before anyone else and it was calm with few... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 17, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We have one sea day before arriving in Kochi, India. This is what happens when the cruise ship charges $59.99 for a load of wash and fold laundry. You can probably buy a washing machine for that in India. Fun fact: the clothing line is actually the free headphones... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 16, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
My first time in India and we start with Mumbai! Summarized in one word: chaos. But so much fun. People everywhere. And all of them friendly. and half of them asking to take selfies with us. We felt like celebrities for a day. We visited the Gateway of India, a large... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 15, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Another sea day before arriving in India. We were lucky to experience Stephen Barry (@stephensings1) from Ireland’s got talent. And boy does he have talent. And not just can he sing, he entertains with an unparalleled charisma and humor from beginning to end. Far... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 14, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Leaving Dubai behind, we had two sea days before reaching Mumbai. Because Dubai to Singapore is a new cruise (people disembarking and embarking in Dubai), we had to change cabins. So now we’re on the 9th floor in an identical but mirrored cabin. The day was spent by... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 13, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Today I got to show Terry my Dubai! It’s like a kaleidoscope, you can tell something is the same as before but it keeps changing all the time. It’s been 30 years since I lived here and it is unrecognizable but I still love it. (In fact the Harvard implicit association... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 12, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We made it to UAE and its capital, Abu Dhabi. Everything was spotless and shiny and glittered in gold and crystals. I was transported back to my childhood in the UAE seeing all the Arabs in their attire. With limited time in each port, we have to decide on one main... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 11, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Another day at sea and we had a spectacular show at the theater and a fab dinner. The show was a “hot” summer night’s dream, based on Shakespeare’s play with a similar name. Backbreaking acrobatics and aerialists showed off their skills along with singers and dancers... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 10, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Oh, man, destination of the day is Muscat, Oman! The Muttrah souq was filled with the smell of frankincense and oud, and there were sellers every meter selling “cashmere” and “brand” merchandise. But what caught my attention more than anything else were the myriad of... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 9, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Our hotel at sea continues on. We are getting closer to our next destination and this is our last day of the longest sea stretch. It was almost like I’d forgotten that this ship was actually going somewhere. I was getting quite used to lounging by the pool, having... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 8, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The cruise ship normally has one or more days where the dress code is “evening chic”. On this cruise they’ve managed to shove in four of these. Some people don’t do much while others pull out all the stops with tuxedos and ball gowns. We opted for something in the... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 7, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Since we haven’t been very good at getting up early, we normally arrive too late for breakfast and wait for the lunch to start, which means breakfast has normally comprised cake and coffee/tea. But today we ordered room service which we enjoyed on our veranda in our... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 6, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
From time to time the cruise ship gives everyone $5 to play on the slot machines. And we are suckers for free stuff. Last time we won nix and nada, but today?! I went for the minimum bid machines so I could play for longer and hit the big win button and took home $20!... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 5, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We made it through the Suez Canal without problems. The highlight today was the late night speakeasy show with dancers and acrobats. You had to be there. I’m not sure all the limbs snapped back in the right place for some of the contortionists. The Celebrity Edge... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 4, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Today and tomorrow we are passing through the Suez Canal. Much narrower than I imagined but so far we are doing better than the Evergreen. All desert on one side and lush, green, inhabited towns on the other side. We pass through in a convoy with a hundred or so other... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 3, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Most people don’t like sea days. I love sea days. Why? No planning needed, or getting up early to explore the port and city. The day is open to do whatever you like onboard and there’s no chance of getting bored. There are activities from morning to long past sundown:... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 2, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Visiting Athens has been a dream of mine since I was a teenager and read Sofie’s world by Jostein Gaarder and becoming more interested in the Ancient Greek philosophers. It was odd to walk around the Acropolis with the Parthenon today knowing that Socrates, Plato and... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Nov 1, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
One of the reasons I wanted to go on this cruise was that there are as many sea days as port days. I used to think sea days would be boring but I’ve realized they’re the chance you get to relax and go to the gym or chill by the pool. I love sea days. We got to know... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 31, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Our first stop on the cruise was Sicily, Italy. We wandered the streets and checked out the old ornate churches and squares, and made a trek to eat arroncini and an enormous and tasty cannolo (we’ve learned from our Italian cruise director that cannoli is plural).... 