Bergen, Norway - We Meet Our Ship

Bergen, Norway receives twice the rain of Seattle, Washington. If it weren't so far north it might be a rain forest. So we were not surprised to meet our ship the Viking Sun in a down pour.

Before booking a tour, I check the average weather of each port during a particular voyage's time of the year.  In every port on this cruise it was 70% chance of rain and average high of 50 degrees Fahrenheit . So we knew exactly what to expect and prepared for it.

All the passengers on the ship were in high spirits throughout the entire trip. Braving Noah's deluge was part of the adventure. There is a saying in the North, "There is no such thing as bad weather; only bad clothing."

Every time the bus stopped on our tour of the city to take in a vista or a historic district, everyone got eagerly off the bus. I loved their cheerful attitudes and 'let's go for it' actions.

We were suppose to set sail Sunday evening for the Shetland Islands. After our tour of Bergen, we returned to our ship cabin to find a notice from the Captain that we would be delaying our departure and sailing directly to the Faeroe Islands.  Sadly there was a storm in the North Sea which he was going to let pass by. Since the seas after the storm would still be 12 feet, he was going to travel at a slower speed for our comfort. Bummer! I was looking forward to seeing those cute little Shetland ponies.

I opened and closed our cabin drawers. Where had I put it?

"What are you looking for?" Denny asked.

Continuing my search I said,"my seasickness bag of stuff. I'm going to need it." After two more drawers, I called out, "Found it!"

Pulling out the Dramamine, I clutched the bottle to my chest like a toddler's security blanket.  Dread filled my heart. It was similar to my second pregnancy in a way. After the labor started in earnest, I really, really didn't want to go through it again. No backing out now. These seasick pills better work.

For the next two days we would be on rough seas in the open North Atlantic. Did I mention this ship the Viking Sun is the smallest cruise ship we have ever sailed on?  Oh, boy.