ItalianGuest

Appreciate your great follow-up!! Glad that things worked well. What did you like most that you did and/or saw in Oslo? What else were your personal favorites, biggest surprises? Tell us more!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 180,847 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Good morning!

What I have appreciated most about Oslo is not something in particular but the city in general.

If I compare Milan or Rome to Oslo, I think that they have everithink like in these cities but at the same time, they live like in a small and green town.

Of course, the royal palace and the museum of Viking's Ships were great!

Ciao

IG

Hi!

Back from my cruise: great experience!

HAL met all my expectations (but didn't exceed!:() and we had a wonderful time!

The stewardess at the pier was ITALIAN (I could not believe!)... when my friend showed her the identity card,after a moment of hesitation, she told us: "ok, no problem, you're right! I'll find the way to fill in the documents useing the ID instead of the passport"

After 10 mins we were aboard!

She was a representative of the company, not of the customs, so I wonder: was it so difficult for HAL to confirm me this possibility in advance? :confused:

Anyhow, the itinerary was awesome, the ship nice and the food really good... only the cruise director (Dave) was not so amazing in my opinion.

Thanks again for your precious help.

Kind regards,:)

ItalianGuest

Hi!

Back from my cruise... what a wonderful experience!

Great ports, unspoilt nature, excellent weather!!!

Oslo is really a wonderful city and Lerwick in the Shetlands amazing!

I would like to thank you: dressing with layers was the best solution!

Kind regards,:):):)

ItalianGuest

Hi

Again I'd like to thanks you all for your precious help.

I've packed warm clothes and done my homeworks (selected the tours and printed some guides).

I'll let you know when back at home!

Ciao:)

ItalianGuest

YES!! You should take sun protection. We got lots of sunshine while there in the Baltics. For your consideration on Oslo, below are a few added pictures for that charming town

Thanks a lot.

Your pics are so wonderful and the information so interesting that now I don't need to visit the cities!;)

We just got back from Northern Europe 10 days ago. I'm from Texas, so not used to cold. I had a light weight down jacket, a waterproof windbreaker, a light scarf, a zip up light weight sweater. Long pants. I would have liked more long sleeve shirts, but got by with short sleeved tee shirts.

 

It was everything from cold, rainy, REALLY windy to nice and sunny. Light weight layering is key. While I had lots of layers, none of it was really bulky and my suitcase was not that big.

 

If you bring a hat, make it a low profile one that will not blow off. Stocking caps or ear warmers seemed to work best.

Many thanks!

PS

Should I bring a sun protection cream?

(For when it's not raining)

Again thank you very much to you all!

I've decided to pack like for early spring here in Italy!

Best regards,

IG

The tricky thing is You will probably need all of them 😉

It may be sunny and warm but it can be really cold. So layering is a good thing and a large suitcase. You may very well need a woolen pullover and a raincoat but then again you may well need clothes for warm weather.

 

Some kinf of softshell jacket which can be used also in rain and colder weather. And a warm pullover and a warm scarf. Then some kind of thinner wool-mix cardigan, some long sleeve shirts and some t shirts and such. Outdoor trousers and cool trousers or bermudas. And if you plan to be outside in the night you will need a hat too. It may very well be really cold on the sea.

 

But then again it may be very well be really warm. Northern weather is a question mark always.

Thanks!

Unfortunately I can bring just a 20 kg suitcase! :(

But fortunately there is the laundry service!!! :)

Regards,

IG

You might see some locals in shorts and t shirts in Newcastle but that's because we're mad and anything over 14 degrees centigrade out comes our summer wardrobe!

coming from a warmer climate you might want to layer up as suggested but cotton rather than wool sweaters and a lightweight jacket with a waterproof over it would be more useful than a quilted jacket

Thank you for the useful information!

I'm used to wear shorts only when the temperature is over 28 degrees:D

Go for jeans!

Ciao

IG

I was on a cruise June 1 to June 13 visiting some of the places you are going. I wore jeans, tops with medium length sleeves and in some places had a light jacket. Check your temperatures right before you leave as it may have warmed up by then. Some people were wearing shorts here and there, but most wore long pants or jeans. And of course, comfortable shoes!

Thanks! So no wool needed!

Be prepared to do some layering. It can be cooler in certain of these locations in the morning and/or evening.

 

You can go to

http://www.wunderground.com

and check for the very specific weather history on many of the key towns in the world for their past temperatures in that specific area for a date in the past. Just look lower left in the page for weather history area, put in your exact dates and the year prior. You will then see what last year was like, along with recent highs and lows for that date there.

 

Here are a few weather averages/details for these one key cities in the Baltics by looking at the 7th, 15th, 23rd days of each month from http://www.wunderground.com:

 

Copenhagen: High/low averages,

June, early: 67/53 °F

June, mid: 68/54 °F

June, late: 69/54 °F

July, early: 69/55 °F

July, mid: 69/54 °F

 

Have you decided what you want to do and explore for Oslo and Copenhagen? Can offer more detailed ideas and suggestions, if needed

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 179,025 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Thanks! Wonderful post and wonderful pics!

Thank you very much for your precipua help!

Hi

I'm going to sail for my next cruise in about a week.

What should I pack?

I'll visit Copenaghen, Kristiansand, Oslo, Glasgow, Portree, Edinburgh and New Castle.

Should I bring also bermudas and t-shirts or only jeans and shirts?

Woolen or cotton sweaters?

Jackets or quilts?

Any opinioni is well accepted! Thanks in advance,:)

ItalianGuest

[quote name=Danish viking;467859' date=' its the biggest taxi company here in Copenhagen.

The others are 3 Dantaxi, Taxi Nord and Amager-Øbro taxa.[/quote]

Thank you very much Danish viking!

Ciao

ItalianGuest

Yes, HAL has self-disembarkation. Plan for that to be about 7:30 (+/- a few minutes), assuming the ship arrives and is cleared in a timely fashion.

 

You MUST be able to handle all your own luggage without assistance while disembarking. Also, you won't be the only ones doing self-disembark, so there will be more than a few others aiming for the same taxi line that you are.

 

Good luck with that timing.

Thank you very much RuthC!

Ciao

IG

Thank you very much!

Have you ever tried this company?

Thanks again

IG

Thank you all for your precious help!

So go for a TAXI!

I've already booked the flight.:(

Fortunately the airport is not so far away.

I cross my fingers!

I assume,so, that it would be possibile to have a self-debarkation with HAL...am I right?

Once again thank you very much!

ItalianGuest

Hi!

My next cruise is scheduled to arrive in Copenaghen at 7.00am and I have booked a flight from CPH terminal 2 at 11.05am.

Which is according to your previous experience the safer method in order to arrive at the airport on time?

HAL transfer or a taxi?

Are taxis usually available immediately or it could take a long time?

Thanks!

ItalianGuest

Hi!

My next cruise is scheduled to arrive in Copenaghen at 7.00am and I have booked a flight from CPH terminal 2 at 11.05am.

Which is according to your previous experience the safer method in order to arrive at the airport on time?

HAL transfer or a taxi?

Are taxis usually available immediately or it could take a long time?

Thanks!

ItalianGuest

It is not that long ago that there were constant questions on CC about passport vs birth certificate vs drivers license, etc. It was, "We've always been able to do it"... "Well, now it is yes or no depending"....and then "Get over it! Get a passport!"

 

In the Eurozone, it is the opposite. Where everyone had to have passports to cross borders, now there are different rules for different jurisdictions. What a headache for our European friends!

 

Hopefully we have at least helped Italian Guest to work through the available options and the pertinent questions.

 

By the way, Italian Guest, I think you made yourself quite clear with your efforts to communicate in English. Many of us who have attempted to learn other languages would not have done as well. My 2 years of la lingua Italiana would not have gotten me very far at all with a question such as yours. Ti saluto! and Ciao!

Grazie! :)

Sorry disagree! HAL Counter & Reservation Agents should know all these rules!

 

 

 

It has nothing to do with being "special" 26 Countries approve the use of ID cards only for travel.. All agents checking in Psgrs should be required to know ALL the rules of travel for the countries their Carrier is cruising to! This was a requirement for every International Airline when I started in the business over 40 years ago.. Every Reservation & Counter Agt. had this info at their fingertips in large books.. Now it's even easier because all that info is in their computers..

 

There are too many American's who think that things should be done as they are in the U.S.. Why is it important for him to have a passport when it's not needed? It reminds me of the Psgrs who used to ask "What is this in real money, when they were holding foreign currency":rolleyes:

 

Sorry for preaching, but this is one area which annoyed so many of us in the business.. The world is a big place & not everything will be the same as it is in your own country..

I completely agree!:) thanks

We have found that the challenge with HAL, and with other US based cruise lines, is that they are completely US centric. It is almost as if they see their job to require the same documentation, have the same cruise amenities that they would if cruising from a US port.

 

Bottom line is the European countries, especially those in the EU or those part of the Schengen Treaty, sometimes have different requirements and different customs. Some cruise lines, and some people not familiar with the EU, have trouble either grasping this or accepting it. Required documentation comes down to what country you are a citizen of/what documents you are travelling under.

:):):)

I feel sorry for the poor person at the counter who believes all passengers need a passport

( as I did ) only to be confronted with the "Schengen treaty " .

If you can afford to cruise you can afford a passport . Why does everyone have to be "special".

1) I don't know in the US but nere in Italy those that haven't been outside Europe before or aren't planning to, usually don't have a passport simply because the ID is more than enought... the most part of my friends, for example, doesn't have the passport

2) Till the last year (as learned here) It was required us to pay a fee every year... so why pay if with your ID you can travel in Europe without a Passport?

3) Haveing booked a " last minute" this is a matter of time and not money!

4) The problem is just with HAL or in generl with the Cruise Companies and not with the Countries... As written by the previous poster.

The EU is something real not a fantasy!

I have asked and lot of people here have traveled to UK, Denmark and Norway just with their ID without any problem!

PS

Sorry for my English!

They did away with this tax in 2014. :) I found the idea so absurd that I googled.

Wow...I don't have to pay! An American more informed than me!!!

Thank you.

I'm going to check!

Regards,

IG