Sunrise 00:00 - Sunset 00:00 — Sailing to the land of constant daylight

It was to the north of Norway that my daughter, Alana, and I sailed to on Cunard's classic Caronia. Our northernmost port on 22 June was Magdalena Bay in Spitzbergen, an island that is part of the Norwegian territory of Svalbard, 400 miles north of Norway and 585 nautical miles south of the North Pole. Much to the amazement of Captain Bates our day was totally clear with blue skies and temperatures in the high '50s. We went ashore by tender to a spit of land in the bay.

The Most Northern BAr in the World The crew planted flags and the band started playing "Bring Back my Bonnie." Some crew members set up the "northernmost bar in the world" and served hot wine, split pea soup and hot dogs on the sandy shores. We trekked from the brownish springy sand through softening snow to see burial places of early explorers and to enjoy the view of the mountains towering over us. We could go only so far because of a fear of polar bears. Two officers stood with guns to ward them off. None appeared but trying to spot the bears added to the fun of the day.

Later we sailed even further north to the ice edge. We navigated through small ice chunks (not bergs) in the open seas getting to 675 miles (597 nautical miles) from the North Pole at 82 degrees. At this point, the captain announced that in 37 years of sailing, he had never ventured this far north.

Another port we visited in Spitzbergen was Longyearbyen, a coal mining town. We experienced weather more like what we expected-temperatures in the low '40s and a sharp piercing wind. The predominant form of transportation in this small community is snowmobile. They were all lined up tidily awaiting the winter months. The homes are rows of home painted in bright colors, important for the many months when there is no sunlight.

Alana and Martha Nell at Nord Kapp We sailed south to the North Cape, where “civilization ends” at the northernmost point on the European continent. This famous spot, the reason many venture to the north of Norway, was an anticlimax for us after our rare experience in the real north. Looking at the steep cliffs of the Cape as we sailed by reminded me of those of the Normandy coast-not what I expected of this area.

Our evening visit, about 3-1/2 hours round-trip from the ship, was not long enough. We watched a very good 20-minute movie on five screens in the four-story Cape Hall that descends down the cliff. The tiny chapel just beyond the theatre was lovely. There was also a Thai exhibit (why?), a café and a restaurant. However, we spent another 20 minutes standing in line to mail our handful of postcards so that they would appear at home with “Nordkapp” on them. We barely had time to walk out to the edge of the cliff to see the Globe and the "Children of the Earth" sculpture.

Sailing into Magdalena Bay we experienced a fjord, but passengers were clamoring for more of an in-depth look at a fjord. So the captain arranged to turn one of our days at sea into a trip up the Storefjord and also the smaller Hjorund Fjord. The day was nice enough to sit on deck. Jacket (baked) potatoes with all kinds of fillings were served on deck along with hot mulled wine later followed by an ice cream bar. During part of the afternoon the enchanting classic trio from the Ukraine played in the Piccadilly Bar so that their gentle sounds served as backdrop to the rural and natural settings we were seeing.

Now it's back to our USUAL LIFE, as one of our enchanting Ukrainian trio expressed.

The Caronia

After 9/11 when the American market dipped dramatically, Cunard repositioned the Caronia for the '02 season (and now the '03 season) to sail in and out of Southampton on most of her trips. This has worked for Cunard and now the clientele is about 80% British, 10% American and the rest a mix. Although a passenger list is no longer given out, a breakdown of home countries was posted for our cruises. The results: 442 British, 72 American, 11 Australian, 10 German and 9 Taiwanese. The rest were very small numbers.

Food, service and entertainment are even better than when I was on in '00. The well-managed ship is traditional, refined and looks like a ship should look.

The Caronia

Taha'a Pearl Beach Resort

“It's a very special place. The Taha'a Pearl Beach Resort is a real gem. It's the closest to a five-star facility we visited and head and shoulders above the other Pearl Beach resorts we visited and heard about. It's very secluded, so there's not a lot to do outside of the resort, but Bora Bora is only 20 miles away. Taha'a would be a great first stop for honeymooners before moving on to Bora Bora, which was my favorite island.”

M.W., Jacksonville, FL