Donna S Maryland

Bookbabe The store is not far from the fish market area, on Standkaien street, called Outland Bergen. Legos, D&D, MTG, comic books, Pokémon, and others. My teenagers loved it. https://www.outland.no/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GMB

On our 14 day Norway cruise in July 2023, we were able to use credit cards at every store, restaurant, and activity we did at every port. Most places were tap and pay, though some required card to be inserted. We used Visa cards with no foreign transaction fees. We were never asked for a pin. We did, however, exchange for some NOK via our bank (Bank of America in US) prior to our trip so we could have some cash to tip tour guides. We did have a bit left over, and this we left for our cabin steward as extra tip.

We did a HAL cruise July 2023 and we went to Eidfjord and Bergen. Here are my write-ups if this helps. Eidfjord: In the am, we walked around town, going to the view point and walking to see the Viking burial mounds. You can also take the troll train to see these places, but we liked walking through the neighborhoods. The town is very small, very walkable. In the afternoon, we did the Go Fjords Voringfoss and Hardanger Nature Center Tour. Had booked this tour online about 6 weeks in advance as a port day excursion on our cruise. The bus came on time and was easy to find just beside the tourist information center by the Pier in Eidfjord. While this was supposed to be an electric bus, we were told that bus was having issues, so a gas bus was substituted. The bus was comfortable and clean. The driver was very nice. Note that there is not a typical tour guide on the bus, just the driver. He plays a pre-recorded audio tape during the drive which provides some general information about the town and surroundings that you pass through. The audio on our tour was only in English. The tour was exactly to the itinerary, with two stops. First stop was the Hardanger Nature Center. Entrance fee was included with the tour and we had 1.5 hours to browse the nice exhibits at our own pace and watch the film. There is a gift shop, bathrooms, and cafe...which has a grass roof complete with goats. The museum exhibits are nicely done displays in English and Norwegian, with some interactive displays. The museum is not large, we felt we had an appropriate amount of time there. The movie is very nice, so be sure to catch that. Second stop was the Fossli Hotel and Voringfoss waterfall, where we had 50 minutes. Unfortunately, there was lots of fog/clouds there so we could barely see the actual waterfall, but could hear it roaring. We had enough time to walk over the new steel bridge, but there are lots of steps which could be a bit challenging for some. There are also observation platforms closer to the hotel with fewer steps. We had just enough time for a quick visit to the separate gift shop, but did not go into the actual hotel. Scenery along the drive was nice. Overall, a good way to get out of Eidford for 3 hours to see these two places, and much cheaper than the same shore excursion through the ship. Bergen: We did not book any excursions for this port, electing instead to walk around the city ourselves. Lots of great stores – and not just the souvenir/tourist stores along the Bryggen waterfront, but a wide variety of department stores, high end brand stores, as well as wonderful bookstores and a great gaming store. This is a flourishing city, not just a tourist area. Walked through the fish market and along the waterfront. We arrived at the funicular station around 11:00 am and there was a very long line at the ticket window (there were two cruise ships in town that day). But, the line moved steadily and the funiculars were running constantly, so it took us about 30 minutes to get to the top. It was partly cloudy on the day we were there, with short periods of rain. We luckily were able to have some sun and clear views when we first arrived at the top, but then more rain settled in. We walked around the top, enjoyed the views while we had them, saw the goats, strolled through the troll garden and the teenagers enjoyed the adventure park. There is a gift store, restrooms, and refreshments at the top. We stayed about an hour, would have likely stayed longer without the rain. Lines were definitely much shorter when we returned in the early afternoon. We enjoyed a nice lunch by the fish market at the Harbour Cafe sitting outside and watching the crowd go by (burgers were good, as were the Ceasar salads, and the fried cheese and garlic shrimp tapas). We had some good soft serve ice cream at one of the food trucks by the fish market and then strolled over to the lovely lake, opera house, and art museum area. Took a train to the SK Brann football arena, but unfortunately, the team store was closed. We were able to fool around a bit on one of the outside practice fields with a beat up ball we found.

We did two of your ports, Bergen and Honnigsvag, on our HAL cruise in July 2023. Here are my write-ups, if they are helpful to you. Bergen: We did not book any excursions for this port, electing instead to walk around the city ourselves. Lots of great stores – and not just the souvenir/tourist stores along the Bryggen waterfront, but a wide variety of department stores, high end brand stores, as well as wonderful bookstores and a great gaming store. This is a flourishing city, not just a tourist area. Walked through the fish market and along the waterfront. We arrived at the funicular station around 11:00 am and there was a very long line at the ticket window (there were two cruise ships in town that day). But, the line moved steadily and the funiculars were running constantly, so it took us about 30 minutes to get to the top. It was partly cloudy on the day we were there, with short periods of rain. We luckily were able to have some sun and clear views when we first arrived at the top, but then more rain settled in. We walked around the top, enjoyed the views while we had them, saw the goats, strolled through the troll garden and the teenagers enjoyed the adventure park. There is a gift store, restrooms, and refreshments at the top. We stayed about an hour, would have likely stayed longer without the rain. Lines were definitely much shorter when we returned in the early afternoon. We enjoyed a nice lunch by the fish market at the Harbour Cafe sitting outside and watching the crowd go by (burgers were good, as were the Ceasar salads, and the fried cheese and garlic shrimp tapas). We had some good soft serve ice cream at one of the food trucks by the fish market and then strolled over to the lovely lake, opera house, and art museum area. Took a train to the SK Brann football arena, but unfortunately, the team store was closed. We were able to fool around a bit on one of the outside practice fields with a beat up ball we found. Honnigsvag: We booked the RIB King Crab Safari as a 3.5 hour shore excursion with our Holland America cruise ship well in advance of our sailing. Luckily, we had partly sunny weather for a smooth and beautiful excursion. We were met by two representatives from Destination 71 Degrees North at the pier, where we walked to their nearby office. At the office, we were given waterproof, thermal jumpsuits for the ride. Note that these can be very warm on a warm day, and you can leave layers at the office on a nice day. Also note that bags/purses are discouraged on the boats, but can also be left at the office. There are pockets in the jumpsuits to accommodate a few small items. We all wore shoes that could get wet, but on this calm day, there was no splashing. Once our suits were on, we had to walk to the center dock in town for the boats, which was a decent walk made a bit more complicated by the bulky suits. Once there, we boarded the RIB which requires stepping over the rubber sides and then mounting a seat which is a high saddle style seat that is a little awkward to sling your leg over, but once seated is really comfortable and sturdy. The day of our tour, one of their boats was out of commission, so our group was split up into two groups of 12 and taken around the bay separately. This added some waiting time to the tour, as the one boat was continually going back and forth. The ride itself was quite fun, but not too long. We reached a picturesque fishing village where there was a restaurant. Our guide took a king crab from a tank and let us each hold it for pictures, as desired. Then, she shared information about the crabs, the crabbing industry, the local community, and the Honningsvag area. She answered all our questions, then demonstrated how the crabs are killed and cut up. After this, we were escorted into the restaurant and provided a table with water, bread, and a huge delicious tray of King Crab (it is served cold with lemon wedges, as is the traditional Norwegian way). Our group of six were not quite able to finish, as the portion was very generous. There are restrooms at the restaurant and beautiful views. We did have to wait quite a while for the boat to return for us, but we enjoyed the beautiful day and our guide spoke to us about her family's history. On the way back to town, we stopped at a crab pot, which she pulled up to show us, but there were no crabs in it yet. Once back to the harbor, we repeated the walk back to the office to return our suits and gather our belongings. Overall, we enjoyed the fun of the RIB ride, the delicious lunch, and all of the interesting information on this tour.