hallasm

The Schengen passport control is when you enter the Schengen area (airport in Spain) and when you again leave the Schengen area (probably again by air) - cruise ship might check your passport but for other reasons Schengen as long as all ports of call is within Schengen. Also note that if your entry into Spain is next year you might need an ETIAS (check when it is enforced).

Thanks for the update regarding canceled ports. I can easily imagine that coastal cities along the coast of Norway as well as the sea out to the south of Norway can be hit by even very bad weather - especially autumn and winter - my answer was not detailed enough as the answer concerns the itinerary with ports of call in the deep fjords in July.

I know of Norwegian fjord cruises where ports of call have been canceled for reasons I am not immediately aware of. In contrast to Iceland and the Faroe Islands, it is extremely rare for port calls to be canceled due to bad weather. Most cancellations are often due to reasons over which the cruise line has control. You’ll probably see replies from people who have done the Railway from Oslo til Bergen with overnight and fjord cruise in Flåm when starting (or ending) a cruise in Bergen but probably none for the tour you have linked to - you might want to create a separate topic with you land tour question.

You cannot spend more than a total of 90 days within a total period of 180 days without a visa. Not a problem at all with a total of 42 days in Spain and Portugal.

Originally Hurtigruten was the name for the route itself and it was operated by different shipping companies. in 2006, the shipping companies that sailed Hurtigruten were merged in one company under the name Hurtigruten Group. Thus, they were the only shipping company that sailed the route until 2021, when Havila won 4 out of 11 departures in a public tender. Havila took over the crews from the four Hurtigruten ships. The change in 2021 was the starting point for HX as surplus Hurtigruten ships were transferred to expedition cruises. Hurtigruten and Havila have a lot in common. Same ports, same excursions, same schedule. The restaurant concept for the two shipping companies is also the same. While Havila operates the route with 4 brand new ships, Hurtigruten has 7 older and very different ships - there is as much difference between the individual Hurtigruten ships as there is between Hurtigruten and Havila ships. Both shipping companies must comply with the same contracts regarding transport from Bergen to Kirkenes.

Denmark is a country with many cyclists. In Skagen, it will be obvious to rent bicycles. On all major roads there are separate cycle paths - the narrow road next to the main road in the picture. In most places there is a separate parking area for the bicycle and yes, you simply lock the bicycle when you park. Cycling is covered by the Road Traffic Act and there are large fines for, for example, driving over/right turning at a red light or using/talking on a hand-held mobile phone while cycling.

The two options for direct booking is either the tour operator Norways Best or Vy - Norway Best has the best prices.Tickets can be booked 3 to 6 months in advance.

Hurtigruten Expeditions will change the name continue under a new name and brand identity, HX while Hurtigruten Norway’s Coastal Express returns simply to the original name Hurtigruten. The strategic separation of the two brands was announced in 2020 allowing for the delivery of different guest experiences. Implementation of this separation began in 2021, and Hurtigruten Group has just completed its internal restructuring to align commercial and support functions with the dedicated ship operations. Link to press release

Off topic, but anyway some facts about Skagen Skagen is very popular during summer - good fish restaurants and beaches. Many Danes and Germans are having their summer holiday at Skagen. The town of Skagen has a history spanning at least 600 years. Fishing has always been an important industry, and the town continues to be Denmark’s largest fishing port. Skagen has 9,000 inhabitants. Skagen is quite small however the must see locations are 4 to 13 km from the centre - renting a bike will be a nice experience, but you can also possible take city bus or rent a car. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Skagen was home to a group of artists known as the Skagen Painters. At Skagen the light is very special. In the Center you will find Skagens Art Museum, with 1,800 paintings, drawings, sculptures and handicrafts by the artists active in Skagen. The museum is located in the former home of P.S. Krøyer, who was one of the most prominent members of the Skagen Painters. You can also visit painters Anna & Michael Anchers' charming house and Holger Drachmanns Home (author & painter). Skagen is locatied on the peninsula only few kilometres wide where the two seas Kattegat and the Skagerrak meet at Grenen (the branch / the Tip). The tip of Grenen grows by approximately 8 meters each year. A visit to Grenen is a must. It is possible to walk or bike the 4 km from Skagen to Grenen. There is also a 'Grenen bus' only operated during "cruise ship calls - the cost of the Grenen bus is 5 US or Euro, in cash or credit card at the drop off point. And that the Grenen bus runs approximately every 40 minutes (2023) - schedule is not yet available. The Sanded Church 5km south of Skagen was once the largest church in the region. Only the tower now remains, after the sand drift that started in the 16th century literally covered the rest of the church. The church has not been in use since 1795. 13 km south of Skagen is Råbjerg Mile(Dune), the largest migrating sand dune in Northern Europe. It’s easy to imagine being in the middle of a desert.with a unique flora and fauna. Link to more information

Best provider in post #5

@frogfish12 A somewhat different trip - an individual train and bus trip combined with a short 1 night voyage with Hurtigruten coastal ship. New hotel every night. There are no more fjords included in this tour and I doubt there will be time to visit the viewpoints in Geiranger. I am not aware that ports are often canceled or missed in the Norwegian fjords - it happens in Iceland, but the Norwegian fjords are very calm waters and I have not yet heard of ports such as Olden, Flåm or Geiranger being canceled or ships being significantly delayed due to weather.

Many options in Ålesund for a day - topic has been discussed many times - search the forum - here is an example - much more available.

Interesting Itinerary. Overnight in Bergen sounds great. The Stavanger stop, like several of the other stops, is quite short. Kristiansand is the least interesting port. There should be enough time to reach viewpoints in Olden and Geiranger and a trip with the railway in Flåm. A good itinerary with as many as three deep fjords. sailing through each of the fjords will take 5 hours - same route in and out - be early on the deck.

Booking on their website works fine - I would just recommend reading the terms and conditions - especially with a view to deposit of 20% or 100% and the balance due 42 days before the departure date. The deposit is not refunded due to cancellation.

Thanks for your very nice story - here is the story in pictures - albeit in nice weather in June.

Link to bus operator - route 400 - it’s 90 minutes each way.

You can find details here - best option for tickets is the App https://fylkestrafikk.no Travel like the locals on public transport in Troms

There is Copenhagen Hotel discussion in this topic.

There is some interesting information about Havila in this topic:

So do I. With the increasing number of cruise ships, greater demands should be placed on the shipping companies and they should perhaps pay a fee to sail in Greenlandic waters. As a minimum, the shipping companies should have insurance that both pays for being towed free and for bringing sick passengers ashore. Today, it is Denmark that pays when, for example, a tourist on a cruise ship in Greenlandic waters becomes so ill that they have to be evacuated to a hospital in Greenland or when a ship runs aground. But even if the Danish Arctic Command had twice as many units as today, the distances would still be great, and there would still be a response time of several days for assistance from the sea side. Evacuating a single patient by helicopter or boat is a much simpler and faster operation.

Lots of information in this topic and Forum. Search for the different ports - there is plenty of information about the places you visit - specific questions are welcome. The itinerary on the web makes the cruise look significantly better than it actually is. There is one deep fjord stop: Olden. Innvikfjorden and Nordfjord are the Long fjords you sail through in the morning and evening to get to Olden. Kristiansand, Ålesund and Stavanger are coastal cities. in Ålesund and Stavanger Some good opportunities. A bit strange sailing from Stavanger and past the Oslofjord - not the most interesting fjord in Norway. I am sorry for the not too positive assessment.

The weather on the day determines which time is best - since you have to book tickets in advance you have to make a choice - morning can be just as good as afternoon. Apart from the fact that most ship trips include 'waffles' at Vatnahalsen Høyfjellshotell, it is the same trip with trains when you book tickets yourself. Must be booked in advance as trains are sold out.

Thank you for providing the correct link. now it’s fine.

It is a serious problem with the many cruise ships at Greenland with long distances and limited resources. There are 600 reported cruise visits to Greenland this year, compared to 400 last year. Each ship with more passengers than most cities in Greenland. Denmark's Arctic Command does not have the necessary resources to move out quickly. There are long distances. It can take days to reach distressed ships from the sea side. Faster with helicopter, but very small capacity. It is Arctic Command's task to assist if a passenger becomes so ill that he or she must be transported to a hospital ashore. So far this year, there have been five cases of evacuation by helicopter or boat. And the capacity for a rescue operation of a cruise ship with 4-6,000 passengers is not present if a major accident occurred.

It is reported that Ocean Explorer pulled free early this morning in Alpefjord in East Greenland. It was done on a pull from the vessel TARAJOQ (Greenland research vessel) and Ocean Explorer's own power. The ship will now sail to a port where the damage to the bottom of the ship can be assessed and the passengers will be taken to a port from where they can be flown home.