P&O Cruise to Norway

[mandylennon]

Thank you for your help - no, not going to Spain - perhaps that's what confused my friends who have been on other cruise lines too...

Don't think we'll be buying much in Norway as so expensive - but will be taking some Norwegian currency in case!

Two of the excursions we did with P&O included coffee and cake and coffee and biscuits, although we did have to try the waffles, but they were big so you could share. I

[brillo]

No one gets to share my waffle !

[LondonTowner]

We went to Norway on Britannia in mid June. No need to book expensive P and O excursions as very easy to arrange everything with local operators online or take HOHO.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Teddy123]

We went to Norway on Britannia in mid June. No need to book expensive P and O excursions as very easy to arrange everything with local operators online or take HOHO.

Depends what you want to do and where you are - some things can be arranged locally, but some great excursion would be IMPOSSIBLE to do other than through P&O.

[LondonTowner]

Like which excursions?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[kruzseeka]

We went to Norway on Britannia in mid June. No need to book expensive P and O excursions as very easy to arrange everything with local operators online or take HOHO.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

P&O sell the Hoho tickets on board for Geiranger - I didn't quite understand the wording in the Horizon paper regarding this - something about being 'agents' I think. I went to ask if we could buy the tickets on land as we weren't sure whether that's what we wanted to do and didn't want to commit at that stage.

 

The answer was 'yes'. The price on ship was £31 something. We bought them ashore and I believe it was 25 NOK which from my Halifax CC statement was £24.44 So moral of that tale is don't buy the tickets on board or you'll be paying well over the odds.

[LondonTowner]

kruzeeka

 

When we went to Norway this year we had already been before and knew that the weather is even more unpredictable than in the U.K. So didn't want to commit too much before we got there.

 

In Olden we booked the bus to Briksdal Glacier including Troll Car at half the price of the identical P and O trip. In Stavanger we did the boat trip to Pulpit Rock with Rodne Cruises who P and O use for their trip. P and O were charging over £70. We paid £24 each as they gave my carer a free place as I have limited mobility.

 

In the other ports we also used the HOHO buses as we were uncertain as to what we wanted to do, but just bought the tickets at the port.

 

The official website of VisitNorway is a good starting point. Cruising has become so popular in the past few years that it is much easier to find local operators in almost every port of call these days.

 

In fact, I enjoy the planning and research, all part of the fun.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[pete14]

Instead, only 10% added and then only when in port (or just out of).

 

The extra 10% only applies within Spanish waters and you don't have to be far from shore for it not to apply. It only applies to food and drink because when in port, the onboard shops are closed. It does not apply when sailing around Spain in open sea so even though it is irritating, it is unlikely to increase your spend by much because it is likely you will not be on the ship for much of the time it is in port. Apart from this, onboard, the price you see is the price you pay.

[Eglesbrech]

The extra 10% only applies within Spanish waters and you don't have to be far from shore for it not to apply. It only applies to food and drink because when in port, the onboard shops are closed. It does not apply when sailing around Spain in open sea so even though it is irritating, it is unlikely to increase your spend by much because it is likely you will not be on the ship for much of the time it is in port. Apart from this, onboard, the price you see is the price you pay.

 

Two weeks ago the ship was in port until 10pm, consequently everyone eating in any of the speciality restaurants, buying bottles of wine, drinks etc right through the dinner service was charged 10% extra.

 

While you are right on most cruises the ship leaves port before dinner I just thought people should be aware as a lot of people were not.

[mandylennon]

P&O sell the Hoho tickets on board for Geiranger - I didn't quite understand the wording in the Horizon paper regarding this - something about being 'agents' I think. I went to ask if we could buy the tickets on land as we weren't sure whether that's what we wanted to do and didn't want to commit at that stage.

 

The answer was 'yes'. The price on ship was £31 something. We bought them ashore and I believe it was 25 NOK which from my Halifax CC statement was £24.44 So moral of that tale is don't buy the tickets on board or you'll be paying well over the odds.

On Aurora in June they did not sell tickets for Hoho bus in Geiranger, must depend on size of ship. We did the scenic tour and museum tour to use up some OBC, which was quite good.

[kruzseeka]

On Aurora in June they did not sell tickets for Hoho bus in Geiranger, must depend on size of ship. We did the scenic tour and museum tour to use up some OBC, which was quite good.

 

Do you mean they weren't selling HoHo tickets on the ship or at the ticket booth dockside? There were two ships in when we were there but perhaps if there is more demand then perhaps they sell out. Seemed very popular and there were two buses per hour. We didn't have to queue and got on about 10.00.

[pete14]

Two weeks ago the ship was in port until 10pm, consequently everyone eating in any of the speciality restaurants, buying bottles of wine, drinks etc right through the dinner service was charged 10% extra.

 

While you are right on most cruises the ship leaves port before dinner I just thought people should be aware as a lot of people were not.

 

Good point Eglesbrech. I am on Adonia from Friday with an overnight in Seville so presumably it will apply then.

[mandylennon]

Do you mean they weren't selling HoHo tickets on the ship or at the ticket booth dockside? There were two ships in when we were there but perhaps if there is more demand then perhaps they sell out. Seemed very popular and there were two buses per hour. We didn't have to queue and got on about 10.00.

Did not sell them onboard the ship.

[kruzseeka]

Did not sell them onboard the ship.

 

I see - I was quite surprised that they did on our sailing - that was on Arcadia though. It was just a small reference in the Horizon that they were selling them at Destination Services. When I made enquiries she did say people were saying they were expensive and generally passing up the chance to buy. I'm glad we did too when we saved about £14 by purchasing on land!

[Teddy123]

Like which excursions?

Flor & Fjaere tropical gardens in Stavanger are only available as a visit in the morning via a cruise ship tour OR in the afternoon/evening with a meal. You cannot have a visit without a meal, or a visit that ends before 16.30, except through the ship.

 

A tour that goes from Flam to Gudvangen by boat then by coach back to Flam and up to the Stegastein lookout also seems impossible to arrange other than through the ship (other available tours don't include the lookout).

[LondonTowner]

Teddy123

 

Have no idea as not what we wanted to do, but the trips we did want to do we're much cheaper by arranging ourselves.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[P&O SUE]

kruzeeka

 

When we went to Norway this year we had already been before and knew that the weather is even more unpredictable than in the U.K. So didn't want to commit too much before we got there.

 

In Olden we booked the bus to Briksdal Glacier including Troll Car at half the price of the identical P and O trip. In Stavanger we did the boat trip to Pulpit Rock with Rodne Cruises who P and O use for their trip. P and O were charging over £70. We paid £24 each as they gave my carer a free place as I have limited mobility.

 

In the other ports we also used the HOHO buses as we were uncertain as to what we wanted to do, but just bought the tickets at the port.

 

The official website of VisitNorway is a good starting point. Cruising has become so popular in the past few years that it is much easier to find local operators in almost every port of call these days.

 

In fact, I enjoy the planning and research, all part of the fun.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Did you arrange the Glacier bus before you went or just booked it when you got there?

[LondonTowner]

P&O Sue

 

I booked the bus before we went and paid online. It picked up just across the road from where the ship docks. I also booked the Troll Car, but didn't have to pay for it until we got there. It's a long walk from where the bus stops up to the glacier. It worked out about half of what ship was charging.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Teddy123]

Teddy123

Have no idea as not what we wanted to do, but the trips we did want to do we're much cheaper by arranging ourselves.

Fine, but a post that says "No need to book expensive P and O excursions as very easy to arrange everything with local operators" can easily be read as saying ALL trips offered by P&O can be arranged locally, which as I pointed out, is not the case.

[LondonTowner]

But everything we wanted to do was very easy as has been on all the other cruises we have done throughout the world. Just needs a bit of research. If you enjoy being herded around in a bus with 50 other people and want to pay over the odds for the privilege, that's your prerogative. Enjoy.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[P&O SUE]

P&O Sue

 

I booked the bus before we went and paid online. It picked up just across the road from where the ship docks. I also booked the Troll Car, but didn't have to pay for it until we got there. It's a long walk from where the bus stops up to the glacier. It worked out about half of what ship was charging.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Thank you London Towner, very useful information

[Teddy123]

But everything we wanted to do was very easy as has been on all the other cruises we have done throughout the world. Just needs a bit of research. If you enjoy being herded around in a bus with 50 other people and want to pay over the odds for the privilege, that's your prerogative. Enjoy.

In small places like Olden, Flam, Geiranger and Andalsnes the DIY options are very limited - and as I've pointed out, even in places like Stavanger some trips are only possible via the ship. As another example, since I went to Brinksdal 30 years ago (when the glacier was more spectacular than now), this time I chose to do the Oldevatnet lake cruise which I couldn't have booked locally. So most of the time it's not a question of "shall I go on the ship's tour or do the same thing myself?". If one wants to leave one's options open to see as much as possible, one sometimes has to take the ship's tour, especially in Norway.

[LondonTowner]

On our last cruise we booked Brisksdal Glacier independently with the Troll Car. In Flam we booked the train independently when we went previously. In Geiranger there are quite a few independent excursions that are available to book, but haven't been there. Never been to Andalsnes either. So, there really are hardly any trips we need to book through the ship.

 

The only ones we have ver done via the ship and we've been to quite a lot of destinations have been to the Panama Canal and Gdansk due to time constraints.

 

Never felt the need as we can almost always find a better deal.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums