Flyinby

Our trip was in February, so excursions may be a bit different for you. A majority of the excursions coincide with the longer stops the ship makes each day. The Geirangerfjord tour (when the ship doesn't go into the fjord) is long but the ship stays in Alesund for about 8 hours so it's no problem. Of the seven excursions we did, only one was a meet-the-ship-later, which was interesting. The tour was called "A taste of Vesteralen", and they coincided our bus crossing the bridge with the ship coming into Sortland. As they neared the bridge, many from the crew and a bunch of passengers were outside on front decks as they passed under the bridge, shouting and waving Norwegian flags as a "welcome". https://pbase.com/roberthouse/image/173488292 But any of the excursions they offer will either fit in with the stop, or meet up in another port, so it's all figured out. Also, even with the shorter stops of an hour, it's OK to get off the ship and look around or shop for whatever. The nightly talks will familiarize you with what's nearby on those stops, just keep an eye on the time if you do that. The excursion description will tell you if it's a meet up later tour.

I think you got exactly right...I've seen those posts, and have wondered why some folks book "no refunds" hotels and fares, and flights that arrive on the day of departure and then expect to get it all refunded when something goes wrong with the trip. Even with insurance, it can be iffy as to just how much gets covered.

@oakridgerI usually wouldn't go back to the same place so soon, but we had some unfinished things we hadn't had time for on the last visit, and I saw the six-month gap between a December river trip and a May large-family trip, and it just seemed to fit in nicely. Spur of the moment, but looking forward to (hopefully) another really enjoyable experience. After that and the family trip, new destinations await... A month in Norway sounds great, and I imagine the midnight sun was a great experience also.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip! The breakfast change sounds like a good idea, guess I'll see what other things they've changed in about six months on the next trip.

Probably not, usually I glance over those overly-long forms and read what concerns me...say the cancellation windows and such, but life is too short to waste reading the multitude of forms that barrage us each day. It also says "You agree and are responsible for ensuring that the insurance covers all your needs, including your existing medical conditions and expenses, cancellation fees and repatriation in the event of an accident or illness. // In the event that it is later discovered that you or anyone in your travel group has chosen to travel without adequate insurance or other equivalent cover, Havila Kystruten is not liable for any expenses and losses that may arise and that would otherwise have been covered by such insurance, including consequential loss associated with this. Contact any insurance company to find an insurance policy that suits you and your needs." Obviously, "you must have this to travel" and "In the event that you chose to travel without a policy that (in your own opinion) suits you and your needs, we're not responsible" etc. are somewhat contradictory. Since I know from experience they don't check or ask for any proof of insurance, I'll leave it as-is, since I never expected them to be responsible anyway, and can cover my own needs. We do have good medical insurance, but even if we didn't, I wouldn't have expected Havila to cover that. If the whole trip gets cancelled and they go out of business, I'm still eons ahead of what I'd have lost by paying all these years for travel insurance. Quite often, folks that never travel without travel insurance think it's a must-do for everyone, but it's not necessarily so. If my luggage is lost I'll buy the stuff I need, and probably the airline will cover it, but if not that's OK. If I get sick and need to cancel the rest of the trip, stay in a hotel, then pay for changing flights etc., I'll take care of it and not expect a refund from the cruise line. No criticism for those who always choose travel insurance, it's a good and wise option in many situations...but it's also basically a betting game between you and the insurance company. Anyway, they don't check, so use your own judgment.

Who is "they"? I never heard of such a thing. Whether to insure or not is your choice. Whether it's a good idea depends on your financial situation, your health and age, and the likelihood of something coming up that causes you to cancel beyond refund times. We did the round trip in 2023 and will be going again in February 2025...never had insurance other than our existing medical, and was never asked or inquired about. Perhaps you misunderstood...maybe whoever told you that meant that if you want trip insurance you have to buy it independently. Have fun on your trip, it's a great voyage!

The only one offered when we went was a bus tour with dinner (however we didn't go, it was a couple of friends who took that tour and reported it as nothing great, though they didn't say it was awful or any such thing.

If your schedule allows it, and you aren't thrilled with worrying about any delay causing you to miss your ship, why not fly in a day early to Kirkenes? I know that at least Thon and Scandic have hotels there, along with the ice hotel. You could easily use up an afternoon, there's the ice hotel to visit, a museum, plus exploring around the town. The ship gets in around 9 or 9:30 AM if I remember right, so a good night's sleep and breakfast would probably put it at about the time you could board the ship. I think you could probably make it with your current schedule, but it would be close at best, especially if you have luggage to pick up, and I've always thought it more enjoyable to board relaxed and rested rather than rushed and 'hope-we-make-it' tired.

...or fly to Tromso, then just book the round trip boarding in Tromso, returning to Bergen. We had a couple on our trip last year that boarded the full RT in Tromso (though I think they got off in Tromso also). Plenty of options, depending on where you want to stay and how long. As @hallasm mentioned, there are some nice conventional cruise lines like Viking that offer northern lights trips, but I think the glitch may be if you wanted to stay at the Tromso ice hotel. As to Hurtigruten or Havila, look at the cabins they offer, and compare prices also. There's a significant difference for both of those factors between the two lines.

Have a look at the cabins...see if size, layout, window/balcony/etc. suits you. YouTube also will usually have some sort of cabin tour, though keep in mind that if they are old videos, it may have been pre-refurbishment. As Hallasm said, the Havila ships are all new, the Hurtigruten ships are older...in fact, my in-laws took one of the current coastal route vessels, the Nordkapp, in 2003. Here's a link to a walkthrough of the Havila Capella I don't have a similar link to the Nordkapp or other ship Hurtigruten uses for the coastal route, but perhaps again, a YouTube search might produce some. If you like a balcony or larger window, the Havila ships may be more to your liking, as they have more cabins with them. If your departure date is critical, check to see what dates are available. Since they share the coastal route on different days, that alone may determine your choice. I can't fairly compare the two, since I haven't done the route on Hurtigruten; I did the full round trip on the Havila Capella in February 2023, and we're going back on Havila in February 2025. The experience, ship, crew, and voyage were absolutely great, so I had no reason to switch. Good luck, whichever you choose...the coastal route is absolutely amazing and interesting!

We did 3 of your 4 excursions in February 2023...in Tromso we did the dogsled ride instead of the gondola. I wouldn't have cancelled any of them due to weather. The Geirangerfjord trip is on a ferryboat that's warm inside, and protected from rain, with plenty of seating, guided by some knowledgeable park rangers. It can be cold and exposed on the top deck but I spent a lot of time up there enjoying the great views. Great tour, I wouldn't miss it. North Cape...I wouldn't want to miss regardless of weather. The ride is on a comfortable bus through scenic and interesting territory, and at the cape the center is warm and comfortable, with food, drinks, souvenirs, and a short walk out to the cape itself. Easy to walk back if you get cold or the rain or snow starts. The Russian border was also one I wouldn't miss. It's a comfortable bus ride to the caves where you enter and residents hid during the war, and ours was guided by Ernst Sneve, who experienced it as a child. Then a ride through scenic country to the border, and a brief stop at a small shop right there at the border, and a return to the ship. I can't imagine the Tromso gondola being that much of a problem if weather isn't good. I tend to like to book in advance, and when we went in February some were full, some had space available, and at least one was cancelled due to not enough bookings. So that's another risk of waiting until the last minute...the tours are run by third parties and if there aren't enough bookings, they may cancel. If the weather is REALLY Miserable, they may get cancelled anyway, but Norwegians mostly just flow with the weather. I noticed when we walked around Oslo that when the icy winds, rain, snow, or whatever come up they don't miss a step. Also, be aware that the coastal journey is near the gulf stream, so even in February, temps ranged from -10 to +10C, with the -10 only once that I remember. Perhaps in April you'll get more rain than snow, but I don't think on the excursions you'll be exposed to it for long enough to ruin it. We have T-Mobile, and had no problems with cell or data...maps were always working, and I know voice worked in Oslo and Bergen, but didn't really have any use for it when were were at sea.

Thanks Nancy, no doubt you're getting pretty excited by now. Not only the midnight sun, but Norway should be really nice that time of year. Up by the North Cape or Kirkenes, or I imagine anywhere in the Arctic circle the midnight sun should be amazing. I'll watch for the pictures...we already have intentions to return there in late spring or early summer for the midnight sun and Norway at its spring best, but no definite time yet. You'll have a great time. Norway's an amazing place, the people are great, the coast route is beautiful and Havila's ships and crew are so nice that it's hard to imagine anything but a great time. Even in February, getting off at the end of the voyage, I'd have gladly hopped back on for another round trip.

ABM Parking Services 80 Francisco Street, San Francisco, CA 94133 Office: (415) 398-4162 | Cell: (415) 417-9412 Call them ahead of time and tell them you're cruising out on Princess and give them the info. You can prepay and print out your authorization, which will save you a lot over the price if you just drive in. An easy walk to the pier, especially if you drop off your luggage with passenger at the pier, then park and walk the short distance back.

We booked 2 nights in Oslo, but really only had one full day (midday arrival and the train to Bergen departs early, about 8:20). I wished we'd had at least another day there. If you stay in the central area, there's plenty to fill up a couple of full days at least. We did book a 2-hour bus/walking tour in advance, and it was well worth it since it took us to areas we'd have a hard time getting to on our own with limited time. So you might want to consider more than two nights unless you really don't see much in Oslo that interests you. We're going back Next February and I'm booking 3 nights to make up for the places we didn't have time for. Art galleries, museums, the opera house, library, besides life and the general aura around central Oslo make it really worthwhile if those things are interesting to you. There's a porter service (porterservice.no) that will take your bag(s) from Oslo to Bergen (or back) for a reasonable fee, in case you don't want to deal with your larger luggage for the train or ferry. Excellent service, they were reliable and reasonable. The train ride is exceptional... you can get your tickets in advance at vy.no if you know your dates and times. We did the Oslo-Myrdal-Flam-Myrdal-Bergen route on the train with a night in Flam, rather than the legit "nutshell" tour; it was mid-winter and Flam was pretty quiet. Very much worthwhile visiting but one night was adequate. We also booked 2 prior nights in Bergen (in Bryggen) and it was a bit better timewise, as the Havila ship doesn't board until late afternoon, so we basically had 2 full days in Bergen. Again, the central area is best, and there are some 1-2 hour guided walking tours that are really worthwhile and not expensive. You learn your way around, and some interesting history etc. There's a funicular railway from the central area, and it's very interesting to walk around on your own and enjoy. More days would have been OK, but having nearly 2 full days made it not seem so short as Oslo, with its early train departure. You might be able to see some fall color in the fjords...I asked the ranger in geirangerfjord about when that would be, but he wasn't very specific...I suppose it varies like everywhere, but he did suggest maybe October. Have fun on your trip! I did have some pics from our Feb. 2023 trip at https://pbase.com/roberthouse/norway23, if you want an idea of the scenery you're in for.

I've had the same experience, either side was used for docking. With my first Havila trip, I contacted them before booking to see if there was a specific side they docked on, and it is the port side. The cargo door is aft on the port side, the passenger gangway is midship on the port side, and I don't think there are either on the starboard side so there may not be much choice. I was glad I checked, as I really enjoyed seeing the port activity, passengers boarding, etc., very different than normal cruise ships.