"I'm on a boat!"

Okay, well I WAS on a boat...that title line is taken from a T-Pain song that my students loved this summer working at Upward Bound. Anyways...

I went with the student group on the ferry (more like a cruise ship) from Kristiansand- Denmark and back again. The point of the ride, I think, was the get the buffet (250 NOK= $42!) on the way back, since we had no time in Denmark to explore.

Here is what happened.

We arrived at the ticket office around 3:30--because the boat left at 4:30. No one had a ticket for me, even though I had signed up for the trip! (surprising..I think not) The Norwegians in charge couldn't have been anymore unhelpful, I don't think. Anyways, we went to the ticket counter to get my ticket--and asked if I could pay for the buffet right there. The guy said "No, you have to pay for it on the boat." Little did I know, it was not going to be that easy.

We got on the boat--and I headed straight for the restaurant where the buffet is. Asked them if I could buy it there. "No, you have to call the booking office and reserve a place", and gave me the number.

I tried calling but every time I was put on hold, and that was costing me a lot of money, so I decided to head down to reception and see if they could help me.

At reception, I asked if I could buy the buffet for the way back, "No, you have to call the booking office", and she, too, gave me the number. After walking away, my friend and I thought, well maybe we can use THEIR phone since it's costing us a fortune.

Went back to reception, asked a different lady. She was more helpful, said she could message them and that we should come back in an hour to see what they had replied.

An hour later: No reply.

Two hours later: No reply.

So I tried the booking office again. Finally got through and asked if I could buy the buffet. At first she said "yes" but then she retracted that and said, "No, you have to buy it on the boat." At that point, we had realized I could not, in fact, buy it on the boat.

We got off the boat in Denmark, waited for our tickets back. The Norwegian guy gave me my itinerary and said, "If you want the buffet, you have to go down to check-in to buy it." Easy enough, right?

Check-in. "No, you can't buy it here, you have to buy it on the boat!"

Now, I brought a friend to stand with me in line so I could get on the boat first and buy the freaking buffet. It was then that I realized that the Norwegian hadn't actually given me my ticket, but my itinerary..and had not told me to get my ticket. So, back to Check-in.

Now, we were talking in Norwegian, the woman in Danish, so it was a little difficult. It was a different woman this time. I tried to explain to her that I did not have my ticket for the way back, but only the itinerary..and needed the ticket. She then took my friends ticket (for some unknown reason) and seemed very confused. This is where it's get a little wonky.

The woman working next to her (which happened to be the first check-in lady we had talked to), handed her my ticket (why she had it, no idea) and the woman abruptly asked me for 250 Norwegian Kroner. "For what?" I asked. "The buffet", she answered. "But I thought I couldn't buy the buffet here?" "You HAVE to buy the buffet NOW".

Finally got the buffet. Here is the picture, me being really excited to have my ticket.

The kicker, you ask. The people working at the buffet didn't even ask to look at any of the tickets of the 64 students in our group. UGH.

Good buffet, though. Lots of crab legs, and other types of sea food! Oh, and free wine and beer! (well free for 48 dollars!) Wouldn't do it again, but I love sea food, so it was worth the one time!

And if you're wondering, I planned in advance and bought some wrist bands to thwart sea sickness..and it worked! I didn't feel like I was going to throw up--even though the boat was shaking a lot. What an accomplishment! :)