This morning we arrived in the tiny town of Alta, less than 100 miles from the very top of the European mainland. The surrounding hills are dusted with snow and it is very chilly indeed.
After breakfast in our cabin we do the unthinkable – we decide not to go ashore. There are a few reasons for our decision:
First, it’s a tender port and we have not yet tried getting the mobility scooter on and off one of the small boats that will ferry us to shore.
Second, it’s another long walk into town (approximately 2.5 miles) over a rather steep hill.
Third, we can’t actually find anything listed in Atlas Obscura or Tripadvisor that we want to see.
Fourth, there isn’t anything worth seeing anywhere near the tender docking area either.
Again, the local town has laid on shuttle buses into the centre of Alta, but we can’t justify $40 USD to visit nothing. There aren’t even any tours being offered by Princess Cruises that are of interest.
Also of note – we are in Alta for two days, so we can always change our minds tomorrow. There are tenders running until 3am, just in case we decide we want to go and see nothing in the middle of the night!
So instead we decide to take it easy. I have a few copywriting tasks complete and we then spend the afternoon watching TV and relaxing. To be honest, my knee needs some rest after yesterday’s yomp into Tromsø.
Top tip: The power points under the beds on Island Princess are standard Euro-style plugs. If you have any devices that require 220V power, like Linda’s Dyson Airwrap, you will need to use these plugs. The 110V US sockets on the desk do not deliver enough power.
Learn more about sockets on cruise ships in our article, The Problem With Power.
The Island Princess is anchored between the local airport and the town which is quite interesting. watching 737-sized jets taking off and landing on the runway surrounded by snow is a little different.
Later we take part in – and win – the classic rock trivia quiz. Instead of a bottle of sparkling wine, this time the prize is two Princess-branded water bottles. Quite cool, but I have no idea how we will squeeze them into our suitcases.
It is cloudy and a little misty overnight – and there is no sign of the Aurora Borealis anywhere. I check from our balcony and the main deck, but there is nothing. Not even when I look again at 3am.
The town of Alta does look quite pretty after dark though.
It is supposed to snow tomorrow, so maybe we will go ashore at some point after all.
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