We woke at 3.30am which is crazy early but we'd gone to bed a lot earlier than usual and our body clocks are really confused right now. Instead of doing the normal thing and going back to sleep we decided to make the most of the sun rise and head to deck to soak it up.

As Ed was still sound asleep we took turns to go with Kayla and had managed 3 seperate trips before sleepyhead began to stir. Once we were all awake and Ed had come round slowly we got ready and headed round the ship again.

By now it was approaching 7am and the restaurant was opening so we grabbed some breakfast with the most amazing table view ever. Once breakfast was over we headed back to deck to watch the Swedish coast getting closer.

The deck started filling up with curious people around 8am and the shipping lanes were filling up too with boats of all sizes. We passed small islands, lighthouses, coastal villages and ended with the built up Goteborg port (we missed a 4 lane road bridge by inches which brought a chorus of 'wow' from the gathered crowd).

We didnt stop in Goteborg and instead began our journey North. Knowing we only had a couple of hours drive enabled us to stop more frequently so we played football in a car park, took a stroll round a lake and searched for cave paintings on the way through Sweden. We bought a sandwich each for lunch by one stunning lake and aside from a small traffic related detour we did pretty well on the journey.

At the border we went through customs without stopping and were charmed by Norway instantly. The temperature was 28 degrees and the kids began to feel the heat each time they played out. Armed with cooling wipes, drinks and fans we made the last 30minutes or so to the hotel.

We are so in love with the place! It looks lovely and the attention to detail is amazing. After checking in we went for a beer and burger in the basement American style dinner then headed to the private beach for a play on the sand. The kids paddled in the water and we all walked along the jetty looking at the boats. The room is large with a great seating area to chill in so we spent the later evening watching films and lounging around the room until sleep came.