Norse Legends vs Viking Sagas

[BrianC-80]

Well, the subject kinda says it all - we're looking at a Scandinavian cruise for next year which departs from the UK (so we don't have to pay for airfair or hotel stays).

 

HAL offers two cruises that fit the bill, but I can't pin down which one would be better.

 

Norse Legends: Bergen (Norway), Flam (Norway), Alesund (Norway), Eidfjord (Norway), Scenic cruising in Hardangerfjord.

 

Viking Sagas: Scenic cruising in Oslo Fjord, Oslo (Norway), Kristiansand (Norway), Stavanger (Norway), Scenic cruising in Lysefjord, Ulvik (Norway), Scenic cruising in Hardangerfjord.

 

Both are on the Ryndam, and both are the same price right now (and both have free upgrades to Ocean View cabins - which is the same class of cabin we had when we cruised before so we'll probably aim for that again, especially if its the same price as an inside cabin).

 

We've been on a cold weather cruise before in Alaska earlier in the year, and really enjoyed the scenic cruising in Glacier Bay, so I'm naturally inclined to think the Viking Saga is the better cruise for us, but do the different stops in the Norse Legends beat the additional scenic cruising in the Viking Sagas?

[RuthC]

I did similar cruises on the Ryndam this last May, with Geiranger instead of Flam. I've been to most of the ports many times, with Eidfjord and Ulvik new ports for HAL this year. I preferred Ulvik, but that could have been influenced by the weather.

Really, you can't go wrong with either cruise. Are you sure you can't do both?

I will say that May was a little too early, even for me. I like it cool/cold, but this was cooler with a lot more rain than I am used to in Norway. I still had a great time, though. Norway is always a treat, and the Ryndam was a lovely home to return to.

[Mairnealach]

We've been on a cold weather cruise before in Alaska earlier in the year, and really enjoyed the scenic cruising in Glacier Bay, so I'm naturally inclined to think the Viking Saga is the better cruise for us, but do the different stops in the Norse Legends beat the additional scenic cruising in the Viking Sagas?

 

Hi Brian,

 

To make your decision even more difficult, in my opinion the Oslo fjord is not particularly scenic. Whereas the approach to Flam in the early morning is, weather permitting, spectacularly scenic. Decisions, decisions...:)

 

Dermot

[RuthC]

Oslo fjord isn't truly a fjord; it's a bay. Now, Sognefjord to Flam---that's a fjord!

But Olso has a lot of things to keep you busy while in port.

Hardangerfjord appears on both itineraries, but Ulvik is further up from the sea, and the ride down to Hardangerfjord, followed by the fjord itself, is better than the ride from Eidfjord, imo.

But Bergen also has a lot to offer.

What to do? What to do? Truly, if you've never been here, flip a coin. Just reading about it makes me want to go back.

[triplets+1]

Brain-C-80, wondering if you did the cruise and which one you chose? Having the same itinerary dilemma for 2014!