hallasm

I was on MSC cruise's Danish website where the price is as you write without service charges - however it says "+ Mandatory service charges (Kr xxxx pp)” - immediately I would assess that this advertisement is not legal according to EU legislation.

I would think it is three different 8 day cruises. Alternative is a 14 day cruise to two of the destinations but when I look at itineraries for 14 day trips the deep fjords are often not included. Furthermore, I can't quite see that a cruise to Iceland is a good idea - you will get much more out of a land trip. Personally, I want to combine a Norway Fjord cruise with a few days in Iceland. Svalbard and Longyearbyen is more of an expedition cruise - an alternative is to fly to Svalbard and take a circumnavigation of the Svalbard islands with, for example, Hurtigruten expedition. Make sure to research Norway ports of call - some Norwegian ports offered are very tiny towns with few excursion options. Deep fjord ports are Geiranger, Flåm, Olden or Eidfjord. Nice coastal cities are Bergen, Ålesund. Stavanger or Trondheim.

Not correct when you book a Cruise at an European web site the price does include all charges. An example - go to royalcarribean.com and select Sweden - then SEK prices does include gratitude and all service charges. You can compare with USD prices by choosing the US web. You can off course book cruises in USD at an US web and the service charge will not be included in your price.

The big advantage of paying for cruises in Europe - prices are inclusive of all taxes, fees and gratuities (even if the cruise is in the US). No surprises. I absolutely prefer in total price - this also applies to restaurants and excursions in Europe. I then tip a small amount if the service is beyond what was expected.

You are right - not that much deep Norwegian fjords cruising in the three options Option 2 is, in my opinion, the best - the only option with a deep fjord sailing (albeit not the deepest fjord) to Olden. It looks like two days in Ålesund - that should allow for an excursion/cruse to Geiranger. In Stavanger, an excursion and cruising to the Lysefjorden and the 'pulpit' is possible. The highlight is for sure Longyearbyen and Svalbard. My recommendation is either a deep fjord cruise to at least two of the following ports: Geiranger, Flåm, Older or Eidfjord (prioritized) including coastal cities Bergen, and Ålesund - or a separate Svalbard cruise with more time in Svalbard. For Svalbard you might want to check Hurtigruten expedition cruises.

I understand your frustration but you must ask your friend to check with relevant consulates/embassies in Turkey which visas are required for Greece, Cyprus and Israel. The MSC port agent in Kusadasi knows the requirements when the ship is due to set sail in June, but it is not the same as the MSC sales office having this information today.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Visa rules are individual for the different nationalities and can often be changed. You cannot expect cruise lines to know all current visa regulations. Your friend must contact the embassies or consulates in Turkey for the countries to be visited (Cyprus and Israel). Check also for other ports of call in order to ensure that he gets the right visas. Something many often misses is that in certain cases a multi-entry visa may be necessary. It is the responsibility of the passenger to arrange for the correct visas. If not the person in question will be denied boarding.

Temperaturen down to -30˚C (-20˚F) - windy on open deck at night. Assuming you want to see the Northern Lights - then you’ll spend long time at the upper deck of the ship. Best way to dress for the cold is dress in layers. Use many thin, warm layers rather than a few thick layers. It will insulate better and allow you to strip off layers if the temperature rise. Also remember to wear more than one layer on your legs. Use water proof and insulated boots and wear warm socks. Wool is best, alternatively good synthetic fleece socks. You can also layer socks. Use a good quality coat, parka, or jacket. For the coat, the thicker the better,. Can either be synthetic jacket, a wool pea coat, or a down jacket. A warm hat is a must as well as comfortable, warm gloves or mittens. Fingers and hands are very vulnerable to the cold, so keep them covered.

Important information - sailing the Stockholm Archipelago was one of the highlights- in addition to the distance into Stockholm it’s another reason to keep the Island Princess cruise.

Personally, I would keep the Island Princess cruise. There is plenty to see in Stockholm for two days. Both Bornholm and Visby are new destinations that will be developed further. They are two small destinations, but with a little planning, both Bornholm and Visby are interesting destinations. Personally, I am not enthusiastic about Helsinki.

Correct - if you want to travel longer than 90 days, you must apply for a visa (residency permit) at the embassy or consulate in the US for the main country you want to visit. Once you have a visa, you can travel freely within the Schengen area. Citizens of the United States with a valid US passport can travel to 26 European member countries of the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days without having to apply or obtain a Schengen visa for short-term tourism or a business trip. You can stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. If you need to remain longer than 90 days in Europe, then you must apply for a residency permit as described above.

welcome to Cruise Critic - the right Forum for qualified answers to your questions. Interesting cruise with many interesting ports of call. There is also a good forum with answers to questions about Copenhagen - fly to Copenhagen a few days before your cruise. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

Yes, you are leaving the United States and entering the Kingdom of Denmark. In addition, if you are a citizen of a country (but not USA) from which a visa to Denmark is required, a visa is also required to travel to Greenland.

Thanks for sharing your interesting story. I don't think that the problem is only that 26 Schengen countries have different implementations - rather an “unintentional error” in the system when it comes to cruise ships. As a starting point, all passports are stamped upon entry/exit in a Schengen country, but not on cruise ships. At present, there is also no full control over the 90-day rule. ETIAS, which is expected to be operational in November 2023, should solve the problem, but I am curious to see how the system is initially handled when traveling in/out og Schengen by cruise ship.

Which waters you pass through is secondary - you only need visas for the ports you actually call at. In your case Tenerife and therefore you must apply at the Spanish consulate.

The color intensity of the northern lights depends on the intensity of the solar storm. The intensity of solar storms changes on an 11 year cycle and is expected to peak in 2023/24 - so it will be a good time this winter or next. Also, the period around the equinox in September and March should give higher intensity due to the angle of the earth in relation to the sun. I'm planning a Northern Lights trip myself. Since I don't have that far to travel, I will only do the voyage from Bodø to Kirkenes. A camera lens is better at capturing colors than the human eye. However, I saw more green than gray colors, but there was also good intensity on the days we saw the northern lights. As I said, better conditions next year, so it's the right time to travel.

Yes, very memorable voyage - snowmobile King Crab safari, dogsledding and North Cape. This year there has generally been a high level of activity. The activity in the solar storms fluctuates over an 11-year cycle that peaks in 2023, so there should be good opportunities by February - of course this requires that the sky is clear. We sailed the voyage in January and saw the northern lights every night from Svolvær - each evening 45 to 60 minutes long. Also several times in one evening. Be prepared for it to be very, very cold on the open deck. At the Lofoten Islands, the light is on the horizon, but later in the trip it is high in the sky, so it will only be visible on the upper decks. Difficult to see from inside the ship.

Just make sure to read the Terms and conditions before you get too excited. The promise is only valid for 11 days Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen voyage - you’ll get a new 6 or 7-day voyage in an inside cabin (includes all meals) but no additional travel (flights). A new trip must be ordered within one month of returning from your original trip. Also it’s very unlikely at a 11 days voyage not to see the lights at all. “The ship determines whether a Northern Lights event has occurred, regardless of weather conditions and actual visibility” - and time of the night. The Havila and Hurtigruten ‘promises’ are very similar.

I have seen Northernn Lights at land tours in Iceland and Norway - but still most northern lights when sailing - if a cruise is 5 to 6 days north of Lofoten Islands/ Bodø. Many Cruise Lines has overnight stops in Alta - possible land excursions. I think a cruise is a good way to see Northern Lights - I’m planning a Hurtigruten voyage from Bodø to Kirkenes with some days pre/post cruise in Bodø and Kirkenes - have done this before - did still have the best sights when sailing.

Unfortunately not - very interesting concept - personally I find USD 600 pp for a meal excluding drinks a bit expensive - make sure to check Terms for reservation.

Really interesting itinerary but no deep Norwegian fjords included. Ålesund and Haugesund in Norway are both Coastal cities.

Just note that none of your listed cruises include the deep fjords - not much to see from a balcony. Even in June you might find it very cold - realize that you’re traveling quite far north - both cruises are Arctic cruises - northern lights in October and midnight sun in June/July. In Honningsvåg you might expect 50˚F in July and 30 ˚F in October.

Cruising Norway during winter you’ll not use a balcony - and you’ll probably not be able to see the lights from a balcony - to really answer your questions you need to post the itinerary and date . Might depend on cruising the deep fjords but not common on northern lights cruises - and it will likely also be dark- depending on time you might have polar winter and no sun over the horizon at all. Personally I would not use the balcony during winter and dark.

Most tender ports in Norway ate in sheltered fjords - not so prone to bad weather.

The scenic viewings from a cruise ship compared to a smaller boat navigating the same fjords a very similar. In general all the deep Norwegian fjords can be navigated by big bruise ships. in the ports you can visit the viewpoints, train rides, hiking or visit glaciers - depending on ports of call. I have no experience with kayaking in Norway but I will assume that kayaking will be an experience in itself.