Copenhagen to North Cape Tours

[torst]

We will be doing the Whisper trip in June. Any recommendations for tours ship organized or private? Any things to avoid?

[TLCOhio]

We will be doing the Whisper trip in June. Any recommendations for tours ship organized or private? Any things to avoid?

 

Are you doing the June 17, 2016, Whisper cruise that departs from and returns to Copenhagen? In July 2010, as detailed below in my live/blog with lots of pictures, we super enjoyed being on the Silver Cloud to go up to the North Cape and back. Just like on this June 17 Whisper cruise, our cruise stops included Flåm, Gudvangen, Ålesund, Svolvaer, Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Trondheim and super charming Bergen. We also really enjoyed Trollfjorden as noted in one of my visuals below. Sailing up there is spectacular and very thrilling with its narrowness of size. The mouth of the Trollfjord is only about 300 feet wide.

 

We did not have stops at Molde, Olden or Skagen.

 

Lots of varied options and potentials to consider!! What are your personal interests, travels, loves, etc.?? How much for nature, culture, music, wildlife, architecture, shopping, etc.??

 

Tell us more!! The ship will have a number of excursion options. We did some of those tours and they worked OK. BUT, we also did some activities that we set-up, including three three different times with a rental car for DIY "adventures" that worked so wonderfully well. In some ports in Norway, the towns/village are very small and the local "infrastructure" is very limited. That means your "private" options might not be as wide as you seek and desire. If, you can find them. In Bergen and a couple of other locations, you can lots on your own, depending on your exact priorities/interest. It all gets back to your desires, budget flexibility, travel style, etc.

 

Below are a few of my pictures to illustrate a few ideas and options to consider. Tell us more!! Happy to answer any and all questions, etc.

 

Also, have you been to Copenhagen previously? We super enjoyed the Denmark capital!!! Hopefully you will have some added time there either prior to and/or after your cruise.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 195,494 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

As we departed Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands of Norway on a perfect, sunny day, these are two of the green, tree-covered mountains rising up from the sea that we saw with the small out-islands in the foreground.:

 

 

 

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, etc. Super loved the charm, character, history and beauty in Bergen.:

 

 

 

Right near the Hanseatic merchant warehouse area is the Bergen Fish Market with lots of options to buy food to eat on site or just watch, enjoying the “show” as people ask questions and buy the various fresh fish items.:

 

 

 

This is the dramatic overview of Alesund from the Aksla vantage point along the western coast of Norway. This spot allows a nearly 360-degree view of this setting for this island city and the surrounding mountains and islands. It is at a 597’ height overlooking the five islands making up the scenic town. The canal or waterway in the middle of the town is called "Brosundet" (or the Bridge sound). That means Ale sund (sloping sound). Or, reflecting that the sound slopes through town. This is how Alesund got its name.:

 

 

 

We went to the end of the road as our “adventure” in the dramatic Lofoten Islands with our rental car. We stopped in a village called “A”. In their alphabet, this “A” has a small “o” above the letter. This is a simple name for a charming fishing town with spectacular scenery. We brought along box lunches from the ship and dined on a picnic table on the wooden dock with water and sights all around us. This was our dining view with the busy and noisy birds providing entertainment!!:

 

 

 

From the portside control area, here is the view as our ship sailed up this narrow 300’ wide passage in the Trollfjord as a part of the Lofoten Islands along the scenic Norway coast. No tour needed as it is a ship into and then back from this dramatic setting!!:

 

[torst]

Many thanks for your link, great information and fabulous photos. We are doing the June Whisper trip and looking forward to it.

[TLCOhio]

Thank you TLCOHIO Many thanks for your link, great information and fabulous photos. We are doing the June Whisper trip and looking forward to it.

 

Appreciate your nice follow-up and good luck with your June 2016 Silver Whisper "adventure". Let us know any added questions. Don't be shy! The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask. Lots of great options and potentials to consider!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 138,040 views for this posting.

[mw8811]

Torst are you on the 17th June cruise? We are on that one.

 

Mary

[torst]

Yes we are.

[Emtbsam]

We did not take the ship's tour to the North Cape since I had been there before (1963). Instead, we went on the 4 wheel ATV tour and had a blast. I had never exceeded a 60 mph speed limit on a 4 wheeler before in my life! Great tour - very scenic.

 

We loved the market tour with Chef Bilisand in Bergen.

[josephone]

Hello

 

We did the tour to the Cape. We had lucky weather and did see the Cape, but staff told us that it is covered in fog most of the time.

 

But, the gift shop is incredible and I am not a shopper! I bought a Cape that I wear in Montana all winter! It is wool and amazing.

 

You will love the trip and as someone earlier said, many of the towns are very small.

 

We did hire a taxi for a day, but it was very, very expensive!

 

Happy travels

[torst]

This is all very helpful and I very much look forward to the trip. Has any of you rented a car and played golf in Tromso?

[TLCOhio]

You will love the trip and as someone earlier said, many of the towns are very small. We did hire a taxi for a day, but it was very, very expensive! Happy travels

 

torst: This is all very helpful and I very much look forward to the trip. Has any of you rented a car and played golf in Tromso?

 

Here are a couple of other quick thoughts/reactions to the above two postings. First' date=' most [b']everything is fairly expensive in Norway[/b]. With the high wages there, heavy taxes, added import duties, etc., don't expect to find things to be that "cheap" there. The quality is high and good in Norway, but you will pay for it. Most parts of the world are much cheaper than in Norway.

 

In Tromso, we did not do any golf there or at any location Norway. BUT, for renting a car, we did that in three different locations during our 15-day trip up and down the scenic Norway cruise. Not Tromso, but in other towns. Things worked well. Prices and logistics would vary. BUT, driving there in Norway works well. Road conditions seemed very good in Norway. Roads fairly well marked, etc.

 

For golf in or around Tromso, the biggest question might be on weather. Much of that will depend on your time for when you would there.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 210,142 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474