Welcome aboard the Vasco da Gama

At the beginning of July, we will board the Vasco da Gama from nicko cruises in Kiel to discover some of the highlights along Norway’s coast in 8 days. From Kiel we travel via Copenhagen to Kristiansand, Stavanger, Eidfjord, up to Bergen and then back again with a stop in Mandal. We can also enjoy a day at sea on board before arriving back in Kiel.

The ocean-going ship Vasco da Gama from nicko cruises was actually built in 1993 and sailed as MS Statendam for Holland America Line. We were already on board in 2019, when the ship was sailing for TransOcean as Vasco da Gama. Following the insolvency of TransOcean, the Portuguese shipping company Mystic Cruises bought the ship at auction and extensively renovated it.

In 2021, the Vasco da Gama set sail for the first time for the German brand nicko cruises. The maiden voyage was also to Norway from Kiel two years ago, so we are all the more delighted to be able to experience a trip to Norway for the first time on board the renovated Vasco da Gama to mark its second anniversary.

The Vasco da Gama is the only ocean-going ship in addition to 22 river ships operated by nicko cruises. In 2021, we were on board the riverboat nickoSPIRIT on a cruise along the Main, Rhine and Moselle rivers. You can read more about it here.

Our balcony cabin on board the Vasco da Gama

Balcony cabin 10070 is located on deck 10 at the stern of the ship. The ship has 12 decks, 9 of which are passenger decks with a maximum capacity of 1,000 passengers. The cabin sizes vary between 16 square meters in the inside cabin and 102 square meters in the Penthouse Suite. In addition to 20 balcony cabins, there are also 28 suites and the Penthouse Suite on deck 10. There is also the new Neptune’s Lounge for suite guests only.

The location of our cabin is very practical because it is close to the aft elevators and you can quickly reach the outdoor and pool area at the stern on deck 10. Just one flight of stairs leads directly up to the Club Bistro with terrace on deck 11 and in a few minutes you can reach the three main restaurants on decks 7 and 8. The Kinderland is also located at the stern on deck 12.

Our cabin is located directly below the Club Bistro buffet restaurant. The Club Bistro is open from 7 a.m. in the morning and until 9 p.m. in the evening. We didn’t feel disturbed at any time as you can’t hear anything. You can only hear a slight background noise when cleaning up around 10 pm.

Our balcony cabin on deck 10

The cabin interior

The cabin design is very classic. Cognac-colored browns and dark blues as well as golden accents look harmonious and elegant. Large mirrors on the back wall of the bed and above the desk make the room appear even larger.

Our balcony cabin has about 20 square meters. There is a bathroom with bathtub and toilet, a hallway with large cupboard space, a double bed with two bedside tables and a work area with desk, storage space and sofa.

The entrance area offers plenty of storage space. There is plenty of storage space behind the four wardrobe doors with numerous hangers for hanging clothes and several shelves. There are also two bathrobes, two pairs of slippers, a safe, an umbrella and life jackets in the cupboard. The temperature in the cabin can be controlled via a thermostat-controlled air conditioning system on the wall at the entrance. Electricity in the cabin is permanently switched on, so you don’t need a cabin card to turn on the lights.

It should be particularly emphasized that the balcony cabins on board the Vasco da Gama include a number of amenities. These include bathrobes, slippers, an umbrella, binoculars, an atlas and a bottle of wine and water as a welcome gift. This is extraordinary and surprised us in a positive way.

Next to the bed are two bedside tables with drawers and flexible reading lamps above them. A real disadvantage for us is that there are no sockets by the bed. The only power sockets in the cabin are located above the desk. A highlight is the large, new Samsung flatscreen TV opposite the bed. You can even stream movies and series from your cell phone. In the evening, the printed daily program is placed on the bed. Unfortunately, there is not yet an app for on board.

Otherwise, there are plenty of storage areas in the cabin, and for the first time we didn’t use all of them. There are many more shelves and drawers at the long desk. One of them also contains the hairdryer. Opposite is a comfortable sofa and a small cupboard containing a minibar. But the absolute highlight of the cabin is yet to come, because for us it’s the balcony.

The balcony

The balcony is covered, as deck 11 is wider than deck 10, which we find particularly practical on a trip to Norway, as it often rains and you can sit and lie on the balcony in all weathers.

In contrast to the elegant, somewhat old-fashioned design of the cabin, the balcony looks very modern. The cabin already offers plenty of space and there is also plenty of room to sit, lie down and relax on the balcony. The two black and blue, thickly upholstered lounge chairs offer a great deal of comfort and, thanks to the depth of the balcony, you can even lie on them and have a nap.

There is also a table where you can put down drinks and a book, for example. The only drawback is the heavy door, which offers no opportunity to stand open unless you put the small table in front of it.

The balcony with lounge furniture

The bathroom

You can still see the age of the ship in the bathroom. Instead of a shower, there is only a bathtub, albeit with a whirlpool function, but with a very high entrance. The toilet lid is made of simple plastic and here, too, you can tell that it is older. The bathroom also has plenty of storage space around the washbasin with a large mirror. A socket is only hidden above the mirror and a little too high for most people. It should be noted that the bathtubs are to be replaced with showers during the next shipyard visit.

The bathroom with bathtub

Our 3 highlights of the cabin are:

• The large balcony with two comfortable lounge chairs
• The included amenities such as binoculars, umbrella and atlas
• The spacious and elegant design of the cabin with plenty of storage space

Many thanks to nicko cruises for the trip on the Vasco da Gama. This article is not sponsored, we are only reporting on our own impressions.