Into the Midnight Sun itinerary

[perlgirlnj]

Hi there--

I noticed a paper catalogue recently that showed Molde instead of Kristiansund for 2017 and 2018. I've been watching it on the website. First the map showed Molde while the listing on the left side showed Kristiansund. Now they both say Molde but there are no excursions or details there yet. Just an FYI that this has changed. (My TA confirmed it as well.)

[cruisegal#116]

I am booked on the June 17, 2017 London to Bergen sailing on the Viking Star and as recently as last night when I had Viking send me a confirmation of my reservation it was still showing Kristiansund.

 

After reading your post I just checked the itinerary online and sure enough it is now showing Molde. Thanks for the heads up. This is the second catch you made. I read in another of your posts that the port for Edinburgh had been changed to Rosyth.

 

I have also been following your thread on the Ports of Call Board and have found your research and the responding input from others to be very helpful.

[Peregrina651]

I am booked on the June 17, 2017 London to Bergen sailing on the Viking Star and as recently as last night when I had Viking send me a confirmation of my reservation it was still showing Kristiansund.

 

After reading your post I just checked the itinerary online and sure enough it is now showing Molde. Thanks for the heads up. This is the second catch you made. I read in another of your posts that the port for Edinburgh had been changed to Rosyth.

 

I have also been following your thread on the Ports of Call Board and have found your research and the responding input from others to be very helpful.

 

 

I was on the 2016 Midnight Sun cruise. Viking operations department was on board and talking with passengers about the itinerary. People were not happy with the tendering into Newhaven. It wasn't so bad in the morning but the return trip and re-boarding the ship was not good. I'm sure that it got a lot of negative reviews such that Viking decided that even though the ride into Edinburgh is much longer that it still would be much easier/safer for pax if the ship were docked. (Leith was not a possibility because access to the docks depends on the the tides.)

 

Kristiansund was probably my least favorite of the ports we visited and I don't think it bothers me that they are taking it off the itinerary for 2017. (Whereas I loved Alesund, Bronnoysund and Bodo and I'm really sorry that they have been taken off the itinerary because of the added overnight in London).

[cruisegal#116]

Thank you for you input Peregrina. On the confirmation I received yesterday now showing Rosyth as the port city for Edinburgh they still have a little anchor showing indicating that this is a tender port. Perhaps that was an oversight on their part and we will actually dock there.

 

I value your opinion and have found your blog very helpful to us. Thank you for taking the time to respond here as well.

 

Hopefully Viking will put some excursion information in for Molde soon so we can see what they have in mind for this port.

[roothy123]

Hhm..my timing is so bad. Last night I read a very new Tom's Port Guide for Kristiansund.. But I know that ports and itineraries sometimes change, and that Viking is one of those cruise lines that doesn't just crank out the same itineraries year after year (month after month?) so I'm not completely surprised. Viking cruisers seem to hate tendering, so I guess if I want to cruise Viking, I need to get used to having tender ports changed to docking ports. That's a shame, as I like the smaller, lesser-known ports, but of course, those are often the ones that require tendering - for everyone.

 

Anyway, thanks for posting a heads up.

 

As for Edinburgh, on another cruise line we tendered from South Queensferry when we were there. It's a lovely town but far from Edinburgh, so I can't imagine Rosyth is any worse. Decisions on where a cruise ship docks or tenders are often up to the port, so changes to port locations never surprise me. I looked at the Cruiseforth website site last night and it didn't show ANY Viking ship on the day we're there, so I wasn't quite sure exactly where we would dock or tender! But that port site was lame 2-3 years ago when I used it, and perhaps it's still lame. Maybe there will be more info on the site a month or two before cruise date. I like to know what other ships are in when we're there. I think Rosyth is where the big ships generally go. Maybe a shuttle will be offered.

 

cruisegal, I'm on your cruise. You sound like an even more thorough researcher than me. If you get any great info, I'd love to do an info exchange, either via the Roll Call or email (howardruthalliejoey using gmail).

[Peregrina651]

Hhm..my timing is so bad. Last night I read a very new Tom's Port Guide for Kristiansund.. But I know that ports and itineraries sometimes change, and that Viking is one of those cruise lines that doesn't just crank out the same itineraries year after year (month after month?) so I'm not completely surprised. Viking cruisers seem to hate tendering, so I guess if I want to cruise Viking, I need to get used to having tender ports changed to docking ports. That's a shame, as I like the smaller, lesser-known ports, but of course, those are often the ones that require tendering - for everyone.

 

On our 2016 run, our only tendering was in Edinburgh. Even in Geiranger, we were the lucky ship that was given the sea-bridge (but I think that the first sailing tendered there).

[cruisegal#116]

According to the Viking confirmation I requested and received this morning it indicates that on the June 17, 2017 London to Bergen cruise we will anchor in the following ports -- Greenwich; Rosyth; Svolvaer (Lofoten) and Geiranger. It is my understanding when it shows and anchor sign by the port it means tendering and all of the mentioned ports show an anchor beside them. Hopefully, as Roothy123 mentioned this could change either beforehand or at the last moment when Viking receives specific docking and/or tendering information from each port.

 

Peregrina651 also mentioned that on her cruise they were lucky enough to get the sea-bridge when they were there. Maybe we will be lucky too.

[Dauntless]

Things do change. On our Viking Homelands cruise in Sept. all information had the anchor for Flam. When we arrived, we were the only ship in port that day so no tendering. That may have been the only time that happened(I also want to mention we had perfect weather as well so the "Star" may be on our side) but if it more often requires you to tender they probably post the info.

[Fpacifico]

Molded is not showing possible tours for this city either. They just mention about seeing gardens and house structure. Right now, doesn't sound so interesting

[Missus Makkem]

Molded is not showing possible tours for this city either. They just mention about seeing gardens and house structure. Right now, doesn't sound so interesting

 

Molde is known as the City of Roses and as such it is very beautiful, have stopped there only once and loved walking the town, nor many cruise ships have it on their itinerary.

[Fpacifico]

Molde is known as the City of Roses and as such it is very beautiful, have stopped there only once and loved walking the town, nor many cruise ships have it on their itinerary.

 

Thanks, that makes me feel better about the change

[SedonaJoel]

Has anyone planned any private excursions for the June 17 London to Bergen cruise? Does anyone have an excursion list from a past Viking cruise with a similar itinerary?

 

Joel

[perlgirlnj]

Has anyone planned any private excursions for the June 17 London to Bergen cruise? Does anyone have an excursion list from a past Viking cruise with a similar itinerary?

 

Joel

 

I have compiled a list of excursions from the website and I am happy to share it. It's in the opposite order with dates that correspond to my sailing which is June 25, Bergen to London. But the excursions are going to be the same since I got it from the general itinerary page. Nothing there for Molde yet.

 

Anyway, I hope this link works and you're welcome to share it on any thread that has interested readers. I put it as a "read only" version; if I need to change it to an edit-able version, let me know and I'll make a copy of it.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11BY_vMnUk1FHkNK3Njn-fUxtBMaYC0SHmDYTrF_DLNE/edit?usp=sharing

 

Please let me know how or if this works for you; I've never done this before!

[Fpacifico]

I have compiled a list of excursions from the website and I am happy to share it. It's in the opposite order with dates that correspond to my sailing which is June 25, Bergen to London. But the excursions are going to be the same since I got it from the general itinerary page. Nothing there for Molde yet.

 

Anyway, I hope this link works and you're welcome to share it on any thread that has interested readers. I put it as a "read only" version; if I need to change it to an edit-able version, let me know and I'll make a copy of

 

We're on the same itinerary except we are leaving June 3. You're right that there is nothing for Molde.

[SedonaJoel]

I have compiled a list of excursions from the website and I am happy to share it. It's in the opposite order with dates that correspond to my sailing which is June 25, Bergen to London. But the excursions are going to be the same since I got it from the general itinerary page. Nothing there for Molde yet.

 

Anyway, I hope this link works and you're welcome to share it on any thread that has interested readers. I put it as a "read only" version; if I need to change it to an edit-able version, let me know and I'll make a copy of it.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11BY_vMnUk1FHkNK3Njn-fUxtBMaYC0SHmDYTrF_DLNE/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

 

Please let me know how or if this works for you; I've never done this before!

 

Thank you for sharing the list. It printed perfectly! We've been to most of the ports on previous Oceania cruises so I probably will plan some private excursions. Did you do this itinerary last year?

 

Joel

[Xerxes10]

Molde and Kristainsund are only about 70 kilometers apart, so if you had your heart set on visiting Kristainsund it should be hard to get there.

[Xerxes10]

Molde and Kristainsund are only about 70 kilometers apart. If you have your heart set on visiting Kristainsund, it's a little more than an hour away from Molde by car.

[Peregrina651]

I have compiled a list of excursions from the website and I am happy to share it. It's in the opposite order with dates that correspond to my sailing which is June 25, Bergen to London. But the excursions are going to be the same since I got it from the general itinerary page. Nothing there for Molde yet.

 

Anyway, I hope this link works and you're welcome to share it on any thread that has interested readers. I put it as a "read only" version; if I need to change it to an edit-able version, let me know and I'll make a copy of

 

We're on the same itinerary except we are leaving June 3. You're right that there is nothing for Molde.

 

Keep in mind that what Viking shows for shorex on the itinerary page is a generic list of possible offerings and not necessarily the final choice of offerings for your sailing. For example, when Holyroodhouse is closed, the "Royal Mile and Holyroodhouse" tour will not be offered. The final list of offerings is usually posted to MyVikingJourney a couple of weeks before booking opens for the Explorer Suites.

Edited November 27, 2016 by Peregrina651

[mhb1757]

Thanks for the list of excursions. I am a tad concerned that 2 tour books I have looked at describe Molde as "a sprawling industrial town" and neither had anything mentioned there to do. Pretty much the same on trip advisor. I am hoping this is just a place to dock the ship and Viking will offer excursions to more interesting places. Missus Makkem's comment made me feel a little better. It will be interesting to see what they come up with for this stop!

[Peregrina651]

Thanks for the list of excursions. I am a tad concerned that 2 tour books I have looked at describe Molde as "a sprawling industrial town" and neither had anything mentioned there to do. Pretty much the same on trip advisor. I am hoping this is just a place to dock the ship and Viking will offer excursions to more interesting places. Missus Makkem's comment made me feel a little better. It will be interesting to see what they come up with for this stop!

 

It can't have worse offerings than Kristiansund--and while the town was a dud, the choice of tours was not. Here's what I wrote in my review of the tours I took on the 2016 roll call about the included tour there:

Kristiansund -- We did the included tour to Averoya Island and the Kvernes Stave Church. We thought that the church itself was one of the highlights of the trip. The rest of the tour was basically a drive around with one stop at a very scenic overlook where we were told that we had 10 minutes. This stop should have been longer so that we had time to take pictures, enjoy the view and use the toilets. This was the only time on any of the tours that I felt that we weren't given enough time for an activity. We should have had more time time at the overlook (just the loop around on the seawalk took 10 ten minutes if you wanted to do more than watch where you were going) and we should have had more time at the church. Also, they should have used Quietvoxes in the church. If there were multiple bus loads in the church, the guides easily could have spoken into multiple microphones. So, a good choice of activities but not well timed or guided.

 

Kristiansund also included, as optionals, a tour to marble caves, a drive along the Atlantic Ocean Road to Haholmen Island, a home visit and a hike along the Coastal Path. So, I would say that they will try for a similar selection of rides and walks in Molde. I would check out on Trip Advisor what the various tour operators in the town are offering because Viking will be depending on these same operators for their tours.

 

IMHO, choose the tours that get you out into the countryside one way or another -- birding, hiking or a ride to a nearby town or open-air museum.

[roothy123]

I know that Viking doesn't attract the most adventuresome crowd, but if you're the least bit adventuresome, you might want to rent a car in a couple places and plan your own fun. We have done this in many, many places in Europe and never had any problems. What we have had is a lot of fun. Ocean cruises don't always dock in the most attractive locations or even the most attractive cities, but we've always found plenty of interesting things to see in even the least well-known places we've been to. Actually, it's often the smaller, lesser-known places that I've loved the best - Ronne, Denmark, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Riga, Latvia, and Lanzarote, Canary Islands come to mind....

 

I agree with Peregrina that getting out into the country is a great thing to do.

 

Don't be afraid to rent a car!

[Gigiandbaba]

A description of Molde from a Norway travel book:

Molde is part of a archipelago sheltered from the Norwegian Sea; its mild climate, green vegetation and rose gardens earn it the title "Town of Roses". A statue of the Little Rose Seller stands in the marketplace, where stalls sell everything from fruit and vegetables to clothes and, of course, roses.

A one-hour signed trail leads from town to Varden, Molde's best vantage point, overlooking fjord and island to the snowcaps of the Sunnmore Mountains. The view from here is known as the Molde Panorama-townspeople claim you can see 222 peaks!!!!

We are on this cruise June 25th from Bergen so that sounds like a great hike.

[Fpacifico]

A description of Molde from a Norway travel book:

Molde is part of a archipelago sheltered from the Norwegian Sea; its mild climate, green vegetation and rose gardens earn it the title "Town of Roses". A statue of the Little Rose Seller stands in the marketplace, where stalls sell everything from fruit and vegetables to clothes and, of course, roses.

A one-hour signed trail leads from town to Varden, Molde's best vantage point, overlooking fjord and island to the snowcaps of the Sunnmore Mountains. The view from here is known as the Molde Panorama-townspeople claim you can see 222 peaks!!!!

We are on this cruise June 25th from Bergen so that sounds like a great hike.

Thanks, I'll let you know if there is anything special there.

[roothy123]

Haven't looked much, but here are notes I've made on Molde so far:

 

From Varden viewpoint (407 metres above sea level) there is good view of Molde, fjord & islands & famous Molde panorama with 222 partially snow-clad peaks. On clear days can see as far as fishing village of Ona & dreaded waters of Hustadvika. It's ten minutes by car or hour's walk along nature trail from centre of Molde. Vardestua restaurant is at top & marked trails take in Moldemarka countryside. (Someone says only go if clear day.)

 

One tour company offers 3 hour tour as follows: Romsdal Museum is one of largest provincial museums in Norway & comprises over 40 buildings (barns, farm houses, stables, workshops, etc.) dating from 16th - 20th centuries sourced from Romsdal region & illustrating developments from Viking era right up to end of 19th century. You'll be given a short introduction & opportunity to visit 2 of old, typical farmhouses. A group of young people will perform a local folkdance in colorful national costume during visit - on request. The white Molde Church with its 164-foot-high bell tower is surrounded by garden of roses. The simple, white interior of church is decorated by some of Norway's leading artists. (Church looks unique.) Situated 1,200 feet above town is Varden, with panoramic views of fjord & Romsdal Mountains. Nestling at foot of mountain is Molde with white painted wooden houses & tended gardens. http://moereguide.com/index.php/en/towns/molde/highlights-of-molde = tours & info

 

In city centre, within 5m walk from cruise ship dock is Møre & Romsdal Art Centre which shows modern art & handicrafts. Just across street from Hotel Alexandra find Coastal Express arriving every evening & this is also where cruise ships dock. In summer both south-going & north-going Hurtigruten ships visit here at same time between 9 & 10 at night.

http://www.webcams.travel/webcam/1447337263-molde-east is webcam

 

(Driving part of Atlantic Highway, going over interesting bridges and seeing tiny offshore islands, looks worthwhile.) More info on highway plus Molde is here: http://www.bestnorwegian.com/molde.html

Molde to Kristiansund is 1h10m drive per google, but check Michelin. To Alesund 1.5h bus ride, runs hourly.

 

I'm sure Viking will offer excursions. On an Oceania cruise in the far reaches of Quebec province in Canada, no ship excursions were offered early on, and I couldn't find a single private/shared one for the time we were going (or car rental or anything much in town) for Havre St. Pierre. The ship excursions appeared maybe 2 months pre-cruise. I think it was a new port for Oceania so it took them a while to arrange things.

 

perlgirl, thanks very much for the excursion information!

[perlgirlnj]

To add to what roothy has posted, here are a few other Molde options for those comfortable on public transportation.

 

There is a scenic bus that drives the Atlantic Ocean Road. Info at:

http://www.eideauto.no/ViewFile.aspx?ItemID=202 AND

http://www.eideauto.no/?pageID=175&itemID=172

 

NORLED (which runs the express boat from Flam to Bergen which is utilized as part of the Sognefjord in a Nutshell trip) also runs a 1 hour boat ride between Molde and a few other stops. I have no idea whether this is actually scenic or not, but it's only an hour!

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1xeWfVPnUoxv0IEPBMs-92dJjugo&ll=62.688041124932354%2C7.385022601171954&z=10

Timetable:

https://www.norled.no/contentassets/ec1c9883b52d4e479f2f6116d904efe4/romsdalsruten.pdf

I have the glossy brochure from NORLED which definitely helps make this look more appealing. Let's see if I can scan in the relevant page.

 

I'm thinking that I'll wait to make a decision until the Viking excursions are posted and then combine either the included excursion with one of these options or just do one of these.

 

I'm also wondering if we could take a taxi to the Varden Panorama and then walk back down. Any ideas if there are taxi's at the port? (The hour-long uphill walk is from the center of town--still have to get from the port to the town-center. If google maps is to be trusted, it's more like 1 hr 25 minutes--uphill.)

Norled Molde.pdf