Flyinby

It's nice that's what you chose Princess for, but what does that have to do with anything? I'm wondering where you saw the fantasy you cite (?) It's a shame that you don't like what others wear when they're perhaps just trying to look nice the best they can, and go along with the rules of the cruise line they chose. I've never seen anyone turned away either, but then I don't sit and watch at the entrance to see. So what does that prove? Most people act maturely and try to respect the rules and norms of the ship they chose to travel on. Some think they make their own rules, like a spoiled kid. Yep, to some it's all about "me".

I assume you can read, so why go on Princess if you find it important to wear shorts in the dining room? Why not stick with the "40+ cruises other cruise lines" instead? Seems simple enough. I don't care much for dressy environments or having to change from shorts at dinnertime, but it's no big deal, and if I wasn't willing to do what they require in plain English, I'd go elsewhere. Or, you can listen to the ones that say to ignore the requirements and wear what you want, because it "doesn't bother "me", and those who don't like it can find another way to travel." Because, after all, it's all about "me".

Yes, but then you have a built-in excuse for the next trip. Now that we have all these nice cold-weather clothes, no sense letting them go to waste! So besides returning to Norway in winter to re-enjoy the voyage and "fill in" the things we didn't have enough time for, we might have to look into winter trips in Canada, Arctic, Antarctic, Greenland, Iceland and more. Lots of choices to avoid wasting these nice clothes...8^)

I think it's exactly what you said. There's a lot of brand loyalty among many who cruise, as you can find out on most any of the other lines' forums here. Hurtigruten is well-liked (even the former Hurtigruten employees on our Havila trip thought well of it), and people often feel more secure with an "old standby" than a newcomer. Then there was the fiasco after the Ukraine invasion, with the Capella being out of commission and the Castor still in limbo. Though it was due to some ties their finance companies had and the sanctions, I remember a post on one of these forums (or possibly at Tripadvisor) saying that maybe the oligarchs were getting a cut on their fare if they sailed on Havila. With all that, people were reluctant to book, and understandably so. I had already made a booking last February, and decided I was sticking with it, and am thrilled I did. And Hurtigruten has branched out in many other areas, and may not be that concerned about the basic coastal route (?). Their prices probably will go up when they are able to overcome the above...but in the meantime, I'll be happy to "help them out" 8^) At their prices and given the quality of the trip and the ships, I'll hope to be back a few times before the prices equalize.

Next question though, is "what happens then"? If the price is for Norwegians only, when address for the credit card and passport information is entered, it will become obvious. Would they cancel it when they found out? Or require the proper US price? Would you be worried about your planned trip maybe getting cancelled later? If so, would it be worth it? I think I remember from our shipboard "history" lessons, the Norwegian government having a lot to do with the establishment of this route, so perhaps there were subsidies etc., which might make it seem more logical to offer better prices to Norwegians, since their taxes would have helped with the subsidies, and to encourage them to use the service. Just some guesses, I don't know. But it's not that unusual to offer different prices for residents of certain areas...I know we get offers from Princess for discounted fares for Californians (for the local coast area cruises), Disneyland has lower entry offers for SoCal residents, etc.

I missed this before writing my earlier post. Just my opinion, but if you can possibly get a cabin with a window, do it! I looked at the cabins on the Vesteralen, and have to say I wouldn't be spending much time in the cabin either. But we left the curtains open in our cabin purposely so the lights from ports would maybe awaken us, and the late-night stops were interesting and fun to watch the ship come in, or the dock activity if you're on that side. With an inside cabin or blocked window view, you might feel like you're missing something every time you go in for a rest or a break, and you may have no clue even when you've entered, docked, and left a port. Certainly the lounges are great, but it's nice sometimes having a choice, and if one choice is just a box to sleep in, give it some thought. On an ocean cruise ship, maybe no big deal to not be able to see the empty ocean outside, but these trips are chock full of beautiful and interesting scenery and activity at all times of day or night.

I'd suggest going to both Hurtigruten and Havila websites and clicking through the booking process on a date you think would be likely for you. Take a look at the cabins they offer for the prices they give. I say this because I chose a random date (May 15, or near to it) with both and there was a big difference in price...to get even close to the price match, I had to choose an inside cabin on one, versus a balcony deluxe on the other. Or I could get a suite on one for the price of a window cabin with tiny window. Remember to check if the price is per person, or per cabin. The single supplement choices seemed limited, and prices didn't seem any better on the dates I checked. I'm checking from the US, I don't know if that matters or would be a different result. I'm with the round-trip-if-you-can group. I recently completed a round trip, and would have hated to been getting off in Kirkenes and leaving. The trip back was just as interesting to me, we saw places we didn't see because of night-day stop differences, and were able to get off the ship or do tours we couldn't on the other way. I don't know about the culture talks etc. on Hurtigruten, but on the Havila ship there was a briefing every day around 5:15, depending on stops etc., and it covered the upcoming day, tours, northern lights and upcoming stops, then on to local culture information, with an art info session to wind it up before dinner. The suggestions about the Bergensban and Flam railway are also good, certainly do that if you can...not sure what I'd choose if I could only do one or the other (Round Trip or Railway) but both are good choices. Best of luck with your choices, it's a wonderful trip and was a welcome change from a traditional cruise.

The first thing I learned in Oslo was that a scarf was a necessity. I never used or even owned a scarf, but fortunately we brought them and they were indispensable when the wind came up. While we got my wife a nice wool one, I took a fairly thick fleece one, inexpensive and it did the job fine. Makes a world of difference and it's easy to modify to suit the situation. Seems like everyone in Norway had a scarf. Another essential was a thick merino wool sweater. The one I got was called a 'waterfowl sweater' at LLBean and it was very warm yet wearable over a flannel shirt on the ship without getting too warm. Warm enough to step outside in the wind for a bit, for a photo etc., and a great layer. My wife thought she might have preferred a zip front version...these were pullover with a short zipper, but I was OK with the pullover. I brought several pairs of gloves...some very nice down-filled ski gloves which were great except not if you had to operate a camera or phone. I also brought some wool gloves from Amazon that were supposed to be liners for under mittens etc., but they were pretty warm, compact to put in a jacket pocket, and I used them more than any of the others just because I could slip them in a jacket pocket and still use the pocket. I also brought some thick wool mittens and some thicker wool-mix gloves that worked with phone screens, but really didn't use either. The down gloves worked well for serious cold or wet situations, the thinner wool ones for general use and convenience. A nice thick wool knit ski/watchcap was also essential because I could slip it in the other jacket pocket ready as needed. We found some on Amazon that were thick and warm, and they got a lot of use, and could be used under a hood. Also, an "Expedition hat", with ear flaps, faux-fur lined and with a buckle got a lot of use when it got colder. The knit cap would fit under it for a great combination when it got really cold. I brought a medium-weight merino wool base layer, pants and shirt, and used them when we knew we'd be outside a lot. Also one pair of lined pants...most of the time I'm fine with normal cargo or similar pants so one pair was enough, but these were nice...warm, and had zipper back and side pockets. Wife brought more than one pair. A small backpack was also an essential, for shore excursions or just walking around in port and carrying any 'layers' you might need. A couple of good umbrellas...(Repel wind resistant)..were handy now and then. The rain or sleet is cold and the wind didn't help, so getting wet is not the best idea. Coats/jackets...I brought 2 "heavy duty" jackets...an expensive hooded down jacket, which was very nice, warm, and did the job well. But also a pretty inexpensive ski jacket that turned out to be my favorite. It was also warm, but had a good assortment of pockets, a belt that would draw in in to keep wind out, sleeves would tighten up, and it could zip clear up my neck...in fact, I could draw it up to cover my nose, which I did a few times. The removeable hood was quick to put up and stayed in place, with velcro...much quicker to fasten than the down jacket's hood. While I started out using the down jacket, once I unpacked the ski jacket and tried it, it was all I used. I was surprised due to the low price, but it worked great. It was from Amazon, listed as "Wantdo Men's Mountain Waterproof Ski Jacket". Both jackets did the job fine, but I didn't need both. For boots, I brought my hiking boots I used in Yosemite...waterproof, and very comfortable along with tested for fit and broken in. They weren't particularly expensive, I think from Big5, but I was trying on boots to bring and when I slipped them on I knew they had to be the ones. I had travel shoes that slip on and off easily, so the boots traveled in the suitcase, which took up a lot of room, but they earned their space (and you can always pack stuff inside 8^). I also used merino wool socks at times, both thick and thin, both seemed fine to me, but one pair would have been OK. Other things: Bring stretch-over-shoe crampons (like YakTrax etc.), or they sell them on the ship, but streets get slippery. Take them with you when going ashore, and even the boat decks can get snowy/icy. Not knowing the snow/ice conditions or if we'd be doing much hiking, I also brought trekking poles for both of us. While I have tons of them, I wanted aluminum ones that came apart, and I prefer shorter ones. After looking at everything from hundreds of dollars to 20, I settled on some inexpensive Foxelli poles at Amazon that came in two sizes, came apart for travel, and hardly took any space. While it turned out we didn't need to use them, I would bring them again, because they can save slips and falls, knees and more, and it was nice having them along if needed. I also brought a balaklava, that I used a lot in Yosemite, which I didn't need but would bring again, as they replace scarves, neck gaiters, hoods etc. and really work well, besides not taking much room. Didn't mean to make this so long, but hope this helps; everyone's different, but this is just what we found useful and some of what we didn't use.

I'll post a bit more about the trip and the excursions, but in the meantime here are some photos from the trip...probably about 1% of what I took 8^). Most of the photos I've seen of the journey show summer or spring or fall, so I thought I'd put up some from winter. The scenery in winter was beyond belief. In many ways, it beats Alaska's coastal scenery, though the Alaskan fjords such as the College fjord, Glacier Bay, and Tracy Arm are really amazing but in a different way, and I'm not sure about winter. I knew we'd return to Norway in spring/summer/fall, but after this trip I know we're going back in winter too. These aren't really a tour of the ship, more of the voyage and before and after, but it gives a general idea of the voyage in winter. https://pbase.com/roberthouse/norway23 Arrow keys on a keyboard will page through the pics, if interested. Hitting F11 in a web browser will give a fuller screen area to view.

I don't know the exact times the lounge bar was open, the latest we were up there was probably about 10:30 on northern lights nights, and I was too busy with the lights to do much but go in and warm up. They were open though, and I think I remember seeing the hours until about midnight, but I'm not positive. However, for midnight sun times, it would be really odd for them to close early. The lounge is a great place to relax, night or day, and we never had any trouble finding seats. The central area seats are up a bit higher than the ones by the window, so the view is good anywhere. There was some talk at the evening info sessions about the Polaris and Pollux, I think they're just dealing with technicalities like they had to do with the Capella after the Russian fiasco. As far as after dinner activities, there's no entertainment or such things; quite a few go up to the lounge, others may go forward on deck 6 where there are fireplaces, some did puzzles there, or read, or chatted. When the sun goes down at 5 or 6 and having got up early, by 10 or so I wasn't looking for anything to do. You can choose late mealtimes also, which will free up day hours and take up a good part of the evening. There are also ports stopped at in evenings, which I thought were interesting even if just to watch and get a few photos. I've seen the midnight sun (almost) in Alaska, which I first didn't think I'd like, but it was great on our land portion of the tour to go out at 11 at night and have it still light. Then you wake up at 2 and it's light again. And the sunsets lasted a long time, which is odd to me because the sunsets when we were in Norway in February lasted a very long time, no doubt because of the low sun angles in winter. But we were around Fairbanks and a couple of weeks before solstice, so we didn't "quite" get the full midnight sun.

What's the reason for that?

My wife and I returned from the round trip on the Capella at the end of February. It was a wonderful trip, and any apprehensions I may have had about Havila (from the few passenger experiences available) completely disappeared. I'd have gladly stayed on the ship for another round trip. The winter scenery all up the coast and into the arctic was amazing, and weather was kind to us, though we went prepared for colder weather than we experienced most of the trip.. First, the ship is absolutely beautiful. The Capella looked and smelled like it was brand-new when we boarded. Even when busy, it wasn't crowded as they've allowed a lot more space than ANY cruise ship I've been on. We were always able to find good seats in the top deck observation lounge, which was always warm and comfortable, with easy access to outside for photos or just getting out in the winter air or watching northern lights. The lower decks also, had great seating along large windows where you could always find a nice spot, and the atmosphere everywhere was quiet and relaxing. The crew members were friendly, helpful, and pretty much always willing to do whatever was needed to keep passengers happy. Many of them are from Hurtigruten, so well-experienced, and all seemed very positive about both Havila and Hurtigruten. The PA would announce whenever we were passing either a Havila or Hurtigruten ship. While passing the Castor, it was almost a contest for the most enthusiastic cheers and waves (usually the Castor won). The Hurtigruten passing was quieter, but there were ships horns and some friendly waves. It was nice to see. We booked a year ahead of time, and had a junior suite forward on deck 7. I was unsure if the balcony was going to be much of a benefit, but we really enjoyed it, using it constantly even though it was mid-winter. I loved going out to watch the activity at stops, or the beautiful scenery along the whole route. It was nice to be able to be outside at any time, but still be able to head inside to a warm and comfortable cabin. Of course upstairs in the forward lounge is great, but it was handy having the balcony also. I did see, in older reviews, some reports of shower temperature variation problems, but we had absolutely no problem with that, nor did we hear any other passengers complaining of it. Lighting in the suite could use a little work...it can be very bright if you hit the wrong button, but it was only a minor annoyance, and probably only in the suites (you turn on the bright lights in the sitting area, but the sleeping area lights go on also, but there are other lighting options). Temperature control in the cabin covered more of a range than we needed, unlike a lot of ships where full warm is barely warm enough at times. Rather than posting a long message, I'll add more in smaller bits, as I know there are a lot of people interested in the Havila trips but not a lot of feedback.

Kinda makes me homesick...we just returned a few weeks ago, and I'd have gladly just stayed on board for another round. Will definitely do it again. Yes, it is a beautiful ship.

If some people have a problem dealing with a straightforward requirement like "Passports must be valid for at least six months...", think how difficult it would be for everyone if they had something like: "Passports must be valid for however long the longest-requirement country on the itinerary requires, if they check passports, which in some cases they may or may not, but just call us and we will check for you to see just how long it needs to be valid and whether or not they plan to check your passport when you arrive. Of course they could change their mind and decide to check passports, but we'll gladly refund your money if you don't feel like renewing your passport at this time." Some people insist on pushing the limit. I remember that six-month requirement as being required on other cruise lines too, and it seems like good policy in general to avoid problems. Simple, straightforward, good insurance against problems, and not difficult to comply with.

If they're that casual about whether or not they get on the cruise, it's not worth worrying about. Just go ahead and check in, and if they get hung up at check-in, no need for you to wait around for them. Princess will probably go out of its way to try to help them, but If they don't make it, I'm sure you'll hear them complaining about Princess, or we'll hear about it here, about how they've been "wronged".

In addition to what Hallasm said, in winter (and I presume whenever they don't go into Geirangerfjord), an excursion is offered to take a smaller ferry through Geirangerfjord. It's a long journey (about 9 hours), but the ship is in Alesund for about 10 hours during those seasons. The ferry is comfortable, warm, windows all around and an open top deck. A couple of rangers from the Norwegian Fjord Center give information along the way, and snacks, a meal, and coffee are provided (you can purchase other things). There's also a short bus ride to Flydalsjuvet, with a photo stop, a visit to the Fjord Center, and you can hike down the waterfall trail if you like, before the return trip. Before going on this trip, I never realized how complex the Norway coast is. There are so many islands and scenic passages that I never had a thought about wishing we'd go through another fjord. Also, some of the other excursions give you great views of fjords...for example, a tour called 'taste of Vesteralen' had us crossing on a ferry...they drove the bus right on, and we went up to enjoy it with snacks and refreshments. I saw a photo from a relative who took the Hurtigruten trip in summer 2002, and cruising around the end of the fjord (not sure which one) were several very large cruise ships...I just couldn't help thinking it wasn't such a good thing, but I don't know if it's still that way in summer. At any rate, the Geirangerfjord trip was great and a highlight of the trip.

I really liked that forward area on deck 6, with the fireplaces, very relaxing, people reading, doing puzzles etc. with lots of windows. All along deck 6, back to the dining rooms, was nice, plus snacks and coffee were right there. I thought the bow of the ship would be a good place to visit often, but it was not...at least not in February, with the ship in motion. That cold wind, added to by the ship's speed, felt like it would freeze any exposed bare skin (or eyeball) within a minute, if you could stand there that long. I did go out to the front a lot up on deck 9, but had the sides or afterdeck to retreat to if the wind came up, and of course the great lounge up there that is always warm and always has a place to sit and watch the scenery with the all-around windows. I missed the first northern lights display because I didn't know about enabling the announcements on the cabin phone, and it was late at night. However, we did then have one that was as you describe, with a camera being needed to really "see" the display, and the following night the sky was "dancing for all to see". I had brought a tripod, but it seemed somewhat pointless being on a moving ship, and besides, as you mentioned, that cold wind had no mercy. Not to mention the snow/ice on the deck and I hadn't brought the YakTrax up with me. Fortunately they were bright enough that a fast lens and a second or so of exposure was enough, but I think you need to be on land to get those amazing photos we've seen. Cold and miserable as it may have been, I had to stay out there until the lights subsided.

Hi Nancy, the entire trip lasted through most of February, but now it seems short. It was a great trip, and other than missing the dog, I easily could have stayed for another round trip and extra time in Norway. I've been meaning to write a short "quick takes from" post about it, but am catching up on tasks, slowed down some by the 11-hour flight with a 9-hour time change... You can make changes in the orders as far as leaving something off or getting a roll instead of toast; I didn't try changing the scrambled eggs though...all 3 of the hotels we used before the ship had the same scrambled eggs, so I just figured that's how they do it and never tried asking them to cook them longer. They might be happy to do it though, I just didn't try it and they really weren't bad, just a bit softer than we're used to. Mayonnaise or dressing though, no problem, just ask for it to be left off...I don't eat mayonnaise so can report that most of the time you won't even have to ask, as they don't seem to use mayo on everything like in the US. I remember a food preferences/allergies form on the website, you could probably declare an allergy to something...in fact, I think I did put mayonnaise in that list 8^). I enjoyed having the Gold package for the various coffees, drinks, and sparkling water, as well as the snack bar when we didn't want to go to the dining room, or missed the time. But I really didn't use it much in the dining room, except for the sparkling water with dinner. Though, as I mentioned, I'm a somewhat picky eater, I always found something that sounded OK, and often when I picked a starter or main course I was suspicious of, it was good. One of the talks given in the conference room each day mentioned about the food process on board and how/why, and the speaker (a former Hurtigruten employee) said they were able to cut food waste (either 80 or 90) percent by the dining room procedure and also not having a buffett. Each day there was a talk, 45 minutes to an hour, by Harold (he and Marie, former Hurtigruteners, handled such things and the excursions) covering upcoming destinations, northern lights info, local culture, information about the ship and Havila, and interesting stories. Usually about 5:15 PM, very entertaining, informative and a daily highlight. They have 22 days on. 22 off, so I don't know who handles it when they're off, but Harold was fun to listen to and nobody left in the middle. Don't want to make this too long or I won't get to the "quick takes from" post, but I abandoned the idea of getting off at every port on the first day. The ship is uncrowded and relaxing to be on, and I decided I'd get off when I felt like it 8^). Did get pictures of most or all of the port stops though. Gary

We sat on the left side both directions, and regardless of which side you're on, there will be things you'll want to see on the other side. When we left Oslo, there were empty seats on the other side and I went back and forth a few times, until someone moved in, but I think the general consensus is the left from Oslo. When we re-boarded from Flamsbana at Myrdal, someone with seats on the right was using our reserved seats on the left...no big deal but I guess they saw better photos on our side, and it looked like they'd been there a while.

I found enough variety in the menus, despite being a somewhat picky eater, to keep me well-fed, in fact more so than I wanted at times. I like some fish, such as halibut and sole, but not interested in salmon or trout. Tried the skrei, and found it "OK", but didn't go back for more later, it was rather tough. The menu is certainly nothing like you'd get on a large cruise ship...Princess etc., even not considering the buffet, but I thought it was comparable to our recent Viking river trip...perhaps a bit more limited and "fishy". But there are a couple of everyday choices, one being a "sailor's steak" which is good, I think the other is vegetarian. There was pasta on some nights. You choose a starter, a main dish, and a dessert at the start of the meal. Starters and some main dishes (usually 4 daily choices in 3-day increments) had mysterious names to me, but I tried several starters (reluctantly) and they were either good or pretty good. Desserts were good...good cheesecake and other items, but not a lot of different choices. And then of course there was the cafe... The Cafe is not just waffles. Very good hamburgers with fries, hotdogs, toasties, a special of the day, along with pastries and various snacks, desserts and drinks. The Gold package came with our junior suite, so I didn't worry about just wanting a hamburger for late lunch and spoiling my dinner 8^). So, if the dining room doesn't have what you want, the cafe has some basics that may please you. Coffee is good with different choices. Breakfast was a a bit repetitive, despite the 3-day rotation, but always had oatmeal or porridge, scrambled eggs (semi-runny though), hard or soft boiled eggs, yogurt with granola, toast and breads, meats, cheeses, salmon, and probably other stuff I'm forgetting, but it was adequate. No out of season fruits such as melon, which was disappointing considering all our hotels had plentiful and tasty fruit at breakfast. They did have berries. And limited whole grain breads, despite again, the hotels in Norway having great homemade whole grain breads ready for slicing. The Gold breakfast menu added eggs benedict, range fed eggs cooked to order, and more, but I didn't use that much. I think the menus could use some work, but I didn't go on the trip for the food, but I did find some new things that were good, and never went hungry, and there was always the cafe...8^)

We did this tour on our recently-completed trip, and really enjoyed it. I hesitated to book it after seeing pictures of some of the fjords in fall, rather drab and brown, at least in the photos. But with the snow, frozen waterfalls, etc. the scenery was really great. The ferry boat is warm and comfortable, with padded seats, not crowded together, windows all around, and a snack bar with free coffee and food/drinks to buy. The top deck is open for those ready for it in winter (mostly photographers, and good clothing with face covering is absolutely necessary when the winds come up). 2 rangers led the tour, very nice folks and did a good job of explaining things and keeping us fed. After getting to Geiranger, there's a bus ride to Flydalsjuvet (with photo stop) and a video and tour of the Norwegian Fjord Center. You can then (optional, but worth it) walk down the waterfall path to meet the bus below. Ferry trip back with snacks. It's a long tour, you won't have a lot of time to do much else in Alesund, despite the 10-hour winter stop. It's about 8 1/2 hours, so the price is understandable, and I thought reasonable. It was a great first-day tour to get the voyage started, very memorable. Price listed was NOK 3229. Pics were late in the day on the return trip.

Yes, we went Oslo-Myrdal-Flam, then the next day Flam-Myrdal-Bergen. After the coastal voyage, we went the full Bergen-Oslo trip. Very scenic and comfortable ride. The standard section looked to be a bit busy and noisier at times (our trips were on weekends), but the plus section was quiet and had less traffic, if that matters to you. We didn't take the Atlantic road excursion. On the way up we had other plans, and on the way back it was late in the day, the last night, and didn't sound appealing. Two friends who took it said it was scenic, and the marble mines were interesting, though the food included (soup) wasn't all that wonderful. The exciting breaking waves over the highway only happen at certain times, and this wasn't one of them, but the scenery was nice during the daylight part of the trip.

It sounds like you've already gotten some good advice on this. We just returned from the Havila round trip (with a few days before and after in Oslo and Bergen) and did seven of the Havila-sponsored excursions. All were good to excellent considering the time limitations, and the peace of mind in knowing that you won't miss the ship or your times not matching up due to delays is well worth any extra cost. Plus, the ship announces the upcoming tour in time for you to prepare, handles the refund it it's cancelled, and will not leave you behind if the tour is late. We had only one of the tours cancelled, and Havila immediately offered us an alternative, which turned out to be really excellent, so we didn't have to stress out looking for a replacement or figure out our walking alternatives. Another example is, on the 'Best of Vesteralen' tour, the ship coordinates with the buses to be returning on the bridge as the ship goes under, with the passengers etc. out on deck cheering and waving...not a huge deal but everyone liked it, and it wouldn't happen on a private tour. Yet another is that they arrange languages in the way that works out best...some tours with multiple buses will have one bus German, one English, instead of having to use both translations on the tour. These are not usually big crowds on the tours, so don't picture it as were a tour later in the year with many tours and crowds everywhere. Another thing to consider is the feasibility of walking yourself depends a lot on the stop and the time, so do your homework carefully if you plan that. It's fun to get off and walk to look around, even in the snow and for a shorter stop, but many of the ports are too far away from anything but industrial buildings and offices...so get maps and know where and at which ports you want to walk rather than take the tour, at least if you want to see more than random things you run across. If walks are a good idea, the tours director will often give advice on which ways to walk and what you can see, so be sure to go to the daily briefings. I think you get a lot for the little you'd save booking private tours, especially if you're not already familiar with the ports.

Glad you got in to the English version, I remember the cabin choice situation from before, but I think it had already picked the one I wanted. They were quicker with emails back then, I hope they get that remedied since calling is kind of inconvenient. I think a majority of their passengers are European, so it's not so much of an issue with time differences. June 2024 does seem like a long time, but so did booking this current one back in Feb. 2022, and being early has its advantages. In fact, I have a May 2024 Viking river cruise scheduled from several months ago...that way I can get a cabin I want, instead of what's left over, or an inside bottom-deck cabin next to the anchor chain 8^). Off to Oslo in the AM...

That's odd, I tried https://www.havilavoyages.com/ (make sure 'EN' is selected up at the top, with the British flag symbol) and if you click on the 'detail' of the voyage you want (make sure the 'EN' is still there), and then 'book' it should stay in English. You can use the login link at top to create an account if you want, maybe that will make a difference, but at that point it stays in English for me, through choosing the voyage and the cabin etc. Maybe try using a different web browser than you tried...sometimes they remember what once was chosen, and just keep going back to that. Or try using your phone, if you haven't, or a different computer if you don't have a second browser. I haven't had that happen so I'm just guessing at what I'd try.