On Saturday we were up early and on deck to watch the ship cross the Arctic Circle at about 07.50. There is a sculpture marking the point and everyone was jostling for position to capture the moment.

Later that morning the captain hosted a ‘crossing the circle’ ceremony on deck for all first time visitors. The ceremony involved a ladle of ice cubes town the back of your neck and a shot of schnapps to aide recovery. Memorable!

That evening the Captain decided to make a brief late detour into Trollfjord a very narrow fjord that can only be accessed when the wind and tide conditions allow, the entrance to the fjord is just 20m wider than the ship. As we sailed towards the fjord the crew served hot mulled rum on deck, as we approached the entrance at about 23.30 in pitch darkness the captain turned on spotlights on the bridge to illuminate the towering rock walls just 10m from either side of the ship. We edged into the fjord very slowly, inside it opened up to form a bowl, the ship pivoted 180° on the spot and we sailed back to open water. Those passengers who stayed on deck for the adventure were rewarded with a cup of traditional Trollfjord fish soup. It had been quite a day, time for bed.

From there on the days followed the familiar routine, breakfast followed by sightseeing from on board and occasionally trips a shore as and when opportunities presented themselves.

A lavish lunch buffet and three course waiter service evening meal complete the routine. Did I mention before that the food onboard is excellent? There is lots of very fresh fish and seafood, hot and cold meat options at all meals and a range of vegetarian and vegan options. The range of salads available is really impressive.

After Trondheim (lovely) and Bodo (underwhelming) the next shore visit was Tromso which was much like Bodo but with extensive sewer replacement works through the centre of town!

On Monday we landed in Honningsvag where we were booked on a bus trip to the North Cape, a visitor centre marking the most northerly point in Europe. We awoke to snow that morning, the first snow of the season. As our coach crossed the high moor to North Cape the land was well dusted with snow creating the perfect back drop to groups of grazing reindeer.

The North Cape centre was excellent and we were glad we booked the visit. There was a panoramic film presentation tracing the changing landscape through the seasons, an view point with a marker point indicating the most northerly point and a tunnel through the rock to a viewing platform half way down the cliff. Needless to say there was also a gift shop and cafe.

Honningsvag was also the point where we emerged from the sheltering islands that line the west coast and turned east towards Kirkenes. At that point there was no shelter from the elements and no land between us and the North Pole.

We experienced some pretty rough (to us) weather that night and, discretion being the better part of valour, we skipped dinner (shame) took to our cabin and did our best to sleep through the turbulence. Neither of us have strong sea legs and even wearing our trusted anti-nausea wrist bands we felt pretty grim.

We surfaced the next morning as the ship moored in Kirkenes, we were so close to the border that our phones pinged with text messages saying “Welcome to Russia, calls on this network cost £1.75 per minute.” The harbour was sheltered so we had breakfast and went ashore for a walk and dome fresh air. The temperature in Kirkenes was 2°C with a wind chill making it feel like -2°C, we didn’t walk too far, there was nowhere to go anyway.

The weather pattern repeated itself for the next two days, calm in the morning allowing us to have breakfast, go ashore in Hammerfest (much like Tromso but without the sewer repairs), return for lunch, and then rocky from late afternoon. We have learned how to cope with it as best we can and carry on undaunted.

Today is Thursday, we are heading south again down the west coast benefitting from the shelter of the Lofoten Archipelago. The islands here are gentler and more rounded than the massive rock cliffs we have been seeing. They are scattered with small farming communities and look lovely, especially when the sun catches them. Unlike our trip north a few days ago all the islands are now dusted with snow and we occasionally see snow squalls blowing towards the ship and briefly engulfing it. It is very dramatic.

We’ve still got three days onboard, let’s hope the calm weather persists. We will let you know.