hallasm

Welcome to Iceland - and it will be ISK 145,000 in 'Islandsk króna'

Good point. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is currently not in operation. ETIAS is expected to be operational in November 2023.

1 hour 40 min is sufficient time for transfer in AMS. You’ll pass immigration in AMS and customs will be BCN. Just make sure your luggage is checked thought to BCN. No need for panic. Enjoy your flight and cruise.

Planning depends on what and how. How many days? A few days based in Reykjavik, a little longer with a few more nights in the north of Iceland or a week-long tour with overnight stays in cities along the route. It is possible with organized excursions from Reykjavik, but the best is to rent a car. Book hotels and plan your days - lots of information on the internet. Navigating Iceland is easy. However, there are roads where not all rental cars are allowed to drive (Due to the accessibility of the road). When planning, it is also important to check accessibility of the roads. Most roads are very fine, but on smaller roads you can only drive very slowly (or need a 4x4 wheel drive) It is also quite expensive to rent cars in Iceland. I have visited Iceland several times and have mostly only stayed at hotels in Reykjavik - a few times combined with a few days overnight stays in the north of Iceland. As Norway in general Iceland is very expensive.

You’re right - A new initiative- Hurtigruten ‘The North Cape Express’ 15 days from Oslo to North Caoe and back to Bergen With stops 17 ports,.

Yes, if Hurtigruten you’ll navigate Geiranger Fjord (no excursions) as well as Trollfjord - longer stops where you can explore cities like Trondheim, Bodø, and Tromsø on your own. Then the two suggested excursions at Lofoten Islands and North Cape in Honningsvåg. And then the pre/post cruise options suggested (Oslo, Train/Flåm, and Bergen). I’ll suggest July (midnight Sun when inside Polar Circle).

If you consider Hurtigruten my proposal is to fly into Oslo - take the train from Oslo to Bergen with a detour to Flåm - stay one or two nights in the Flåm area with boat tours at the fjords. Then few nights before Hurtigruten from Bergen to Kirkenes. FROM Kirkenes flight back to Oslo. I would only arrange for two excursions - one at Lofoten Islands and one to North Cape - in June July you’ll have midnight sun from Lofoten Islands to Kirkenes. And also the option to explore Oslo. Another thought. If flying Iceland Air to Oslo you might also stay few days in Reykjavik.

Yes. Excursion are expensive. In general Norway is expensive. You might find same prices if you look at cruise line excursions. Also note that all Hurtigruten prices are inclusive tax and fees. No additional tipping. Try to compare prices in NOK at the Hurtigruten Norwegian site. Tend to be lower priced.

Port stops are full day stops - in the itinerary you’ll have arrival in the morning and departure in the evening. In some ports a lot of possibilities for excursions (train rides, view points, glaciers). Other ports tiny towns with limited activities. Check the ports. Some ports are coastal cities - others located in the deep fjords where you have scenic cruising in the morning when entering and in the evening when leaving.. Times are for stops where you can leave the ship and explore the area for the day. Yes. In general the weather is fine in June, July and August. But there might be rain. For the full view at the top of the ship. I prefer the view from the top deck when entering the fjords in the morning. Cruising is a good way to see the fjords, but you can arrange train rides and boat trips and see the fjords. An option is “Norway in a Nutshell” Very good questions - preparation is key. Norway fjords itineraries are very different. Examples of ports in the deep fjords are Flåm, Geiranger and Olden. Nice coastal cities are Bergen, Ålesund and Stavanger. An alternative to the ‘mainstream cruise lines’ is Hurtigruten - this is a coastal ferry service from Bergen to Kirkenes - 34 port stops in six days. One longer stop each day - and back to Bergen. The deep fjords are in southern Norway - north of the Polar circle is the main attraction midnight sun in June and July.

I don't think the Carnival representative you spoke to knows what he was talking about when he refers to the Jones Act - If the ship has only been in Schengen ports since Barcelona, immigration should not be a problem since you have entered Schengen and remain in Schengen. However, I can immediately imagine that it could cause problems upon ship arrival in the UK if you are still on the ship's list as a passenger - therefore it is important that your disembarkation is coordinated with the ship.

I have few time left the cruise the night before final destination. Not possible when the cruise is started in a US port but possible if ‘outside’ the US. Barcelona is in Schengen and I do not see any problems in leaving the ship in another Schengen port. When I did leave the cruise before final destination I did get the ‘Yes’ in writing. However not a problem from an Schengen immigration point of view.

While Bergen and Ålesund are coastal cities Flåm and Olden are located in the deep scenic fjords.

Might be a reason for the cruise being cheap. Neither the itinerary or the cruise line is appealing to me - I’ll suggest a Mediterranean cruise and probably a different cruise line.

Thanks for update. Always nice when posts with questions follow up with their experiences from the visit - just like @Turtles06Tivoli is not one of my favorites at day time either - but much better to visit in the evening

Hurtigruten is an option - just note that it’s not a ‘regular cruise line’ - it’s a ferry service along the Norwegian coast with 34 port stops from Bergen to Kirkenes in 6 nights and back to Bergen in 5 nights. It’s a fantastic voyage - one longer stop each day. My recommendation is the train from Oslo to Bergen - few days in Bergen and then Hurtigruten to Kirkenes. You can do the Bergen to Kirkenes part in 6 days and then flight from Kirkenes back to Oslo. you can get some inspiration in this video

Yes, but you booked with Delta and they rescheduled you IAD-JFK-MAN. Did you pay any additional costs for rescheduled flight and were you arriving into MAN later than originally scheduled. You might not get compensation for a cancelled flight if you are scheduled at no costs and arrive on time. You try to file a claim but the you should do it on two separate claims - one for cancelled flight and one for the paid seat upgrade.

Always a problem when it comes to Code Share. You can only raise compensation claims against KLM. For cases of official codeshare agreements, claims for 261 compensation can only be made against the company responsible for operations. Compensation only depends on how much later you arrived at MAN than originally scheduled. If re-routing did not cause a delay, you are not necessarily entitled to 261 compensation for delay. You are of course entitled to a refund from KLM regarding the seat upgrade.

Olden and Flåm are both located in a deep fjord with very nice scenic cruising in and out of the fjord. Haugesund and Kristiansand are both coastal cities. In my opinion not much to see and do in those cities. If possible you should plan the train ride in Flåm - if the ship is docked it’s a very short walk from the pier to the train. If you book a late morning train riptide should not be too stressful- I did bring my 95 year old mother in law on the train. You can book the train here

You can definitely see the northern lights from the ship - but be prepared for it to be very cold staying outdoors at night on the open sea. More difficult to photograph the northern lights from a ship. I myself have seen most of the northern lights from a ship. Examples in my video

It may be possible in August, albeit a little early. Next year solar activity will peak (11 year cycle) so there will be greater intensity and therefore possible to see the northern lights despite it not being dark. There are northern lights all year round, but it requires a dark and clear sky - therefore the best opportunities from September to March. There have been visible northern lights this year in August.

Look for a hotel at the Bryggen Wharf. Thon Hotel Orion, Clarion Hotel, or Radisson Blu. My favorite is The Hanseatic Hotel. More information here:

You're right, scenic cruising doesn't really make sense when it's dark - sunrise 8am and sunset 6pm, however there is twilight from 6am in the morning and to 9 pm in the evening. I would suggest you go for a walk on the upper deck early in the morning to enjoy the views if the weather is decent. When entering Geiranger, you pass the Seven Sisters waterfall on the left. Normally, there are only Northern Lights inside the Arctic Circle, but this year there have been nights where the Northern Lights have been visible far south. Northern lights are usually between 9pm and 2am. Ålesund is the most northerly on your cruise. Check the Aurora forecast.

No need for book tickets in advance. Most local people will visit Tivoli in the evening. Normally no queues during day time - in general not long queues at the ticket booths. Enjoy your day in Copenhagen.

Impossible - in July you’ll have midnight sun in Honningsvåg. - not possible to see the Aurora before end August at the earliest.

Sorry, meant at the end of the tourist season.