Amanda Holidays

Travel around Europe often means capital cities, history and culture. But venture to the northern extremities of this extraordinary continent and a very different world awaits. I joined the Ocean Explorer, operated by Quark Expeditions, for an eight-day expedition cruise around Svalbard - departing and returning to Longyearbyen - with a remarkable route taking in some of the most remote and dramatic landscapes on earth. The ship itself looked nothing like the river cruisers o

As this was my first ever cruise, I wanted to tick something off my bucket list - and the Norwegian fjords delivered. At the time, nowhere else really appealed to me, but now I’ve experienced my first solo cruise... who knows where I’ll go next? I arrived at Southampton docks (Berth 46) around 2pm and, by 3pm, I was in my cabin and unpacked. The check-in and security process were an absolute breeze compared to Manchester Airport, where I usually travel from - simple, efficien