Scandinavian Summer Day 2 & 3: Sailing the North Sea

This Scandinavian Summer is off to a flying, or should I say sailing, start! Read about my experience sailing the North Sea on the Oceania Marina ship and learn all that it has to offer!

After a quick in-room breakfast, my short stay at the Shangri-La London is sadly over. The 2.5 hr journey to Southampton was made even longer because of London traffic but I ultimately made it and had a speedy check-in

When boarding the Oceania Marina, expect to first stop and check-in at your assigned muster station when aboard. The muster station is where you will meet if there is any emergency on-board and the check-in takes only a few seconds.

There are 4 specialty restaurants on-board and I chose to eat at Toscana, the Italian restaurant for my first night. After that it was early to bed!

Check-in Day Tips:

• If you are driving to the port city from a big city like London, leave early to account for possible traffic.

• Print out your cruise boarding pass and have it and your passport accessible at check-in. It is possible to look up your reservation with your passport only but it makes check-in take longer.

• The spa and specialty restaurants on-board require reservations in advance so book those before your trip or on the first day.

Day 3 of this trip was a day at sea! Although the North Sea may look small on a map, it is huge and takes about a day and a half to sail from Southampton, England to Skagen, Denmark. Since I was stuck on-board, it was the perfect day to explore all that Oceania has to offer!

On the Marina there is a pool, 2 hot tubs, a mini tennis court, ping-pong, mini golf, a library, game room, coffee bar, casino, spa, and full service salon among other things. I started my day with a cappuccino at the coffee bar and the buffet lunch. Then it was off to mini golf and the game room to build a puzzle before my spa appointment.

At the spa, I got a much needed massage and then laid out by the pool until my reservation at the French specialty restaurant, Jacques, for dinner. During my last trip on the Oceania Riviera, the Marina's sister ship, I disliked my meal at Jacques, but I'm glad I gave it a second try because dinner was great this time.

The wi-fi during the day at sea was spotty so I just relaxed with a book until bed.

Day at Sea Tips:

• Oceania cruises are not catered for kids, so if you are traveling with young ones, bring some activities along or check out the game room, mini-golf, pool, or ping pong. It's also a great day to make friends with any of the other young ones on board.

• There is plenty of programming for at-sea days, so check out the daily news letter so you don't miss any of the trivia, games, or shows.

• The spa is generally booked-out for at-sea days so if you want to fill your time relaxing, book your appointment before your vacation begins.

So ready for a full day of exploration in Skagen, Denmark tomorrow! Check back here for a run-down of what I did and my best tips to make the most out of your Skagen trip!

Always,

Paris