hallasm

39 minutes ago, jimsweetjim said:

Crown Princess on 7/25. 

Good choice - sailing from Hellesylt bound for Geiranger at 10:00 - two hours sailing through scenic fjords in the morning

But don't miss sailing Storfjorden either early morning or late night.

Sunrise for Geiranger sailing will be 04:50 am and sunset 10:20 pm.

Enjoy your cruise

The Norwegian ports does not include scenic fjord sailing - aft balcony will be fine.

Temperature in Southern Norway in July historically is 21°/8° C (70° / 45° F)- but it can range from 10° to 30° C ( 50° to 86° F) during day time - expect temperature to be lower in Iceland - also very likely some rain.

Layers and wind breaker is the answer.

22 minutes ago, Triptkr said:

 I want us to enjoy our cruise to the fullest and to be able to enjoy the scenery

An aft balcony will be fine and probably better than balcony at port/starboard side - but to answer your question we need to know which ports of call - some ports there will be a nice scenery where you'll get the best view from the upper deck - other where there will be very little scenery and others where the aft balcony will be fine.

In general for the scenic Norwegian fjord sailings I'll prefer an upper deck in front of the ship.

5 hours ago, jimsweetjim said:

I'm looking for a ship that spends the day cruising the fjord so I can see it when it's light and I'm awake.    Is there such a thing?

Sailing the longer fjords does take 4 to 5 hours - you are right - most cruises does sail the fjords early morning - however they do sail the same way out of the fjord - hence sailing through the same fjord during the evening.

Most cruises are in June to August - the he sunrise will be very early and sunset very late as said by capriccio.

If you want scenic sailing a possibility is Hurtigruten coastal voyage  - sailing Storefjord and Geiranger Fjord during the day - however the beautiful Trollfjord late evening - Hurtigruten is more a working ship than a cruise line - more info here:

3 hours ago, Wayfairers said:

 I suspected they could easily get cancelled, thanks for the confirmation

Yes, much more likely that Faroe Island or Iceland ports will be cancelled than Baltic ports.

5 hours ago, fluffybunny22 said:

Our main concern is meeting up with the in laws who get in a few hours before us and may be waiting at the airport for us to arrive.

Lufthansa and SAS does have 10 daily services between MUC and CPH (some with a stop over in FRA)  - if delayed into MUC there will be a later flight - Lufthansa does know when flights are delayed and you have already been rebooked when you arrive into MUC - your laws might however take the original flight and you'll meet in Copenhagen.

I have been delayed several time when arriving into an German airport with Lufthansa - always been booked at the next flight.

Enjoy your travel, Copenhagen and your cruise.

This topic is still alive and the reply is for Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage in Norway only.

You are right, no shows, limited TV channels (if TV in the cabin at all) and no entertainment during night.

But scenery and if sailing from beginning of June to mid July there might not be any nights at all - sun is shining all day!

Hurtigruten ships are working ships - they do have 34 stops during the 6 day voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes - many stops only 15 minutes and also during night  (might be entertaining as well)

According to Hurtigruten terms you are not allowed to bring wine, beer or alcohol on board. That said nobody will check you luggage.

Also note that wine only can be purchased in shops called 'Vinmonopolet' - supermarkets does not sell wine -  wine is also quite expensive. Might buy some duty free - but also customs regulation is very strict.

Please make some research if you consider Hurtigruten - not just an ordinary cruise line - also the ships are very different - and so are the cabins.

Lot of useful information in this topic:

6 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

I am not trying to be sarcastic but if your first flight is delayed than you may miss the connection

A 1h20 minutes layover is more than sufficient in MUC and more time will not necessarily make your ship - the flight from MUC to CPH could very well be delayed or cancelled.

For the same reason - do never fly the same day as your cruise departure. 

- in addition to delayed flights you might also miss your luggage! 

I have been flying for business and holiday overseas for 35 years - always tried to keep my layovers as short as possible - well, occasionally my flight has been late and I missed my original connection flight,  but the airline has alway got me to my final destination in time.

- however, I never fly the same day as my cruise.

You can find a lot of Norwegian Fjord ports and cruises in this topic

Not a problem at all. Your luggage will automatically be transferred to the CPH flight. Indeed an easy airport for transfer.

once in CPH you only need to pick up your luggage and use the green exit for customs.

7 hours ago, gullcruiser said:

I will be traveling to Iceland the end of April and could use suggestions on where to stay. 

For how many days?  Arrival into KEF? Anything else you want to see?

I'm just back from Iceland and do have some advise, my reply will depend on your answers.

1 hour ago, R & R Carroll said:

Hallasm, thank you for posting the above link for cruise ship arrivals. Can you please explain what the highlighted cruises that are "Fully booked in Geiranger" means as opposed to the cruises that are not highlighted? We are scheduled to be in Hellesylt and Geiranger on July 20, 2020 aboard Oceania's Marina. Our cruise is not highlighted. 

For July 20,  2020 only ship on Geiranger is Marina - space for more ships - for the dates marked 'Fully Booked- there are more ships and not room for more ships.

Also for Denmark, Finland and Sweden a Credit Card with chip and pin is highly recommended - primarily for smaller payments.

ApplePay is widely accepted in Denmark.

Euro can be used as tip (Finland also has Euro) - just note that tipping is not required in Northern Europe, (VAT and tips always included in prices)  - tips however appreciated - but normally only rounding up - at some restaurants you can add tip to your bill paid with Credit card.

30 minutes ago, clo said:

I had to chuckle over the long lines comments 🙂  We were on the Lofoten and it only carries about 100 pax.  No lines 🙂

Thank you - true - my comment regarding lines and first night dinner might apply to the  the bigger ships.

3 minutes ago, Wayfairers said:

 I appreciate hearing that it is a rare occurrence in the Baltic Sea.  

Enjoy your planning and your cruise - great itinerary- next is Norwegian Fjords

22 hours ago, NW Pacific said:

s there a currency exchange booth at the Copenhagen airport

Danske Bank might have the best rates. But do you have any need for Danish currency? Credit or debit cards are widely accepted- so is ApplePay.

For Credit Card a chip and pin card is highly recommended. 

If you are arriving in the morning, take the Alilaguna water bus - then you’ll experience a bit of Venice. Does take almost two hours from airport to cruise terminal.  Otherwise take a taxi. 

Ships are quite different and answers might also depend on cabin type

3 hours ago, franski said:

Am assuming that the bathrooms are fairly utilitarian.  Will I need to bring a hair dryer?  What about shampoo/conditioner/body wash?

Different for ship /cabin class - If hairdryer not in cabin it will be available in the reception/information desk - I'm not an shampoo/conditioner/body wash expert, but I found what was provided sufficient.

3 hours ago, franski said:

what plug configuration is used in Norway - and on the boats?

Plugs in Norway and on ships is European Plug Type C or F - The Europlug type C will fit all sockets in Norway an ships

5 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

We have, and will again next June, walk

Can be a very nice walk. Just want to say that not all areas in Venice are easy walkable - do not know if it is post cruise - but not that easy if you have luggage. 

I once missed the Water bus at St. Marks on my way to airport - possible to catch the boat the the Northern site of the city - but not that easy with luggage but possible.

You may find that all ports can be canceled due to bad weather everywhere - I've experienced cancellations or changes in itinerary in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords as well as in Hawaii due to bad weather, but that's the exception more than the rule.  

There have been some days of storms in the Baltic Sea this year but it is not often the case that ports in the Baltic Sea are canceled. Just go ahead with you planning. Do not know if any insurances will cover changed itineraries.

I did take the Alilaguna water bus - bus stop next to the cruise terminal.

23 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

although T Mobile says texting and data are free)

Check if SMS and Data roaming is free - not the same as feee SMS and data! - might make a huge difference.

As European I do not know USA phone plans - but you’ll need a special plan to cover call to US  from abroad but do not necessarily cover calls within Indonesia or to Indonesia - plans will vary.

Most if not all cell phones does have a SIM card - I normally buy a local SIM when traveling - much cheaper than the plans I can get in Europe.

WhatsApp is easy once installed - there is WiFi in Bali airport - just check with your Bali driver and communicate using WhatsApp 

Enjoy Bali, my favorite Island.

51 minutes ago, MAHA said:

I am looking for recommendations for hotels on Copenhagen

For Copenhagen I’ll suggest that you post your question in this topic - lots of information about Copenhagen hotels, transportation and more

4 hours ago, rocklinmom said:

Considering booking the Princess 14 day Arctic Circle cruise in summer 2021 so following along. 

Looks like a nice itinerary Including Skjolden and Olden with scenic Fjord sailing and the beautiful cities of Bergen and Ålesund and one of the most beautiful areas of Norway; Lofoten Islands - and of cause Nord Cape (Honningsvåg)

Dialing prefix like 00 or 011 Dies v sry for different countries while + is universal - always keep the + and country code - for Indonesia +62 in front of the number - then it will work from everywhere including Inside Indonesia.

But be aware of the cost of SMS and phone to Indonesia and more importantly the costs of roaming within Indonesia - check prices for your provider.

Many Indonesian drivers are using WhatsApp for communications- a messenger service using WiFi  - you can then use airport WiFi at arrival rather than SMS.

And just for SMS - don’t use emojis for international calls - each emoji does count for one SMS - so one SMS does soon become many SMS.