Norway Fjord Cruise Q&A - Keys to Successful Planning

[roadmaster]

On 1/29/2019 at 9:19 AM, CanEcosse said:

Some comments to Roadmaster on the choice of a cruise for 2020. seems like you will have to set down your priorities from the top then find what works best. If, like me, you are partial to Oceania why not consider the July 6th Baltic cruise Stockholm to Oslo then stay on board for Fjords of Norway, ending up in London?

 

Thanks CanEcosse, looked at that cruise but there were was hardly a sea day and we are not regular cruisers and enjoy just enjoying the ship without ports everyday. Cheers

.

[naturelovergirl]

4 hours ago, ollienbertsmum said:

So my questions to those who know about the area is - 1.  Is there a difference between May and June when it comes to waterfalls?  

2.  Have a picked a good itinerary? 

 

I went to Norway in August and saw so so so many gorgeous waterfalls... so I’m sure June is just fine 😊

I think that the amount of water is what people talk about with the snow melting... 

But we were not disappointed in August... so if June works better for you, then I say, fine.

 

Yes- those stops great...

just make sure you budget for excursions too... 

So many incredible natural things to see!!!!!!

 

(Pic from Rødne tourist boat into the Lysefjord from Stavanger)

 

[AnnTique]

Thank you for this excellent topic.  I will be visiting the fjords for the first time this spring:

Stavanger 29th April, 09.00 - 17.00

Flam 30th April, 08.45 - 17.30

Olden 1st May, 09.00 - 18.00

Bergen 2nd May, 07.00 - 15.00

 

Not only do I like to try 'independent' excursions, but I have also read that pre-booking excursions for that time of year is not the best idea because if the weather is not too good then an excursion up a mountain, for example, would be a waste of time because you wouldn't be able to see anything!

 

How easy is it to find an excursion when you get there?  What would you recommend?  Are there any that you suggest would be better to book beforehand to avoid queues eg the Funicular in Bergen?

 

We are the only cruise ship in port in Flam, Olden and Bergen, but there is another one in port on the same day in Stavanger.  

 

Thank you for your help!  

 

[ollienbertsmum]

Thank you nature lover girl.  Yes I will be saving up for the excursions.  ...   lots of time before then.  

[naturelovergirl]

6 minutes ago, AnnTique said:

Are there any that you suggest would be better to book beforehand to avoid queues eg the Funicular in Bergen?

 

The good thing about buying the Funicular tickets is that there are two queue lines to deal with- One to buy the ticket and then another to get on the Funicular...

So if you have your tickets already, then you skip the first and go to the second line.

 

But you do take the risk of the weather being bad... you never know. 

We bought Funicular tickets beforehand and were happy we did because the day was lovely and lots of people wanted to ride it.

 

We were there on a land trip, and in Flåm (where we spent the night in a hotel) we had already booked (the Flåmsbana train to get there and also the Stegastein Viewpoint for the next day) ahead of time from the website of Visit Flåm... There was a cruise in port... and we saw some people from the cruise in the tourist office who were disappointed because so many excursions were sold out on the day of... so Flåm might be one you would want to look at booking ahead via Visit Flåm.

I know that next time we see Flåm we want to take a boat into the Næroyfjord... that was one thing we did not do... next time 😊

 

 

[hallasm]

29 minutes ago, AnnTique said:

How easy is it to find an excursion when you get there?  What would you recommend?  Are there any that you suggest would be better to book beforehand to avoid queues eg the Funicular in Bergen?

Unfortunately not that easy for most Norwegian ports- excursions are Not sold at the pier - for Flåm the train might be sold out.

Some ports does offer HoHo busses. Some tour boats available.

For Olden there are scheduled shuttle bus to Briksdal Glacier and Loen Skylift. Do not know if the Briksdal tours does sell out while the Loen Skylift does have high capacity and very close to the port.

Edited February 2, 2019 by hallasm

[kaisatsu]

On 2/2/2019 at 9:08 AM, ollienbertsmum said:

Now one thing I loved about Alaska when we went last June was the long days.   This will no doubt be the same in Norway.  

 

So my questions to those who know about the area is - 1.  Is there a difference between May and June when it comes to waterfalls?  

2.  Have a picked a good itinerary

May does tend to have more small seasonal waterfalls because of the snow melt, but there are usually still some in June. By late July and August, you will see mostly just the falls that are always around.

 

As for the daylight, in mid-May the sun will rise by 5:00 and set around 22:00, even as far south as Bergen. In mid-June (around the solstice) the sun is up from around 4:00 to 23:00. If you want longer than that, you’d need to get up around or above the Arctic Circle to have 24-hour daylight.

 

And the itinerary looks great for a fjord-focused cruise.

[ollienbertsmum]

20 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

May does tend to have more small seasonal waterfalls because of the snow melt, but there are usually still some in June. By late July and August, you will see mostly just the falls that are always around.

 

As for the daylight, in mid-May the sun will rise by 5:00 and set around 22:00, even as far south as Bergen. In mid-June (around the solstice) the sun is up from around 4:00 to 23:00. If you want longer than that, you’d need to get up around or above the Arctic Circle to have 24-hour daylight.

 

And the itinerary looks great for a fjord-focused cruise.

  

 

Thank you for the positive response.  I am booking the cruise for the 6th June 2020 (I was going to book for 13th and then noticed that the Euros would be on and after missing most of the World Cup last year in Alaska I don't think DH would have gone with me).  It seems to be a compromise between the waterfall and the long days.  I think I will be happy with both.  

 

I am so looking forward to the trip.  I knew that my one day in Oslo ten years ago was not my only Norwegian Experience.  

Edited February 4, 2019 by ollienbertsmum

[readingfast]

Hoping to do the Flam railway independently as I hear ship's tours are very expensive. My brother who has walking difficulties will be with me.

Can anyone tell me how to get from the dock after tendering, to the station where the railway departs from?

Also, is this very expensive?

Any information would be very welcome.

Thanks

[hallasm]

43 minutes ago, readingfast said:

Hoping to do the Flam railway independently as I hear ship's tours are very expensive. My brother who has walking difficulties will be with me.

Can anyone tell me how to get from the dock after tendering, to the station where the railway departs from?

Also, is this very expensive?

Any information would be very welcome.

Thanks

Price is NOK 590 per person for a return. Book return ticket online from Flåm to Myrdal - no need to spend time in Myrdal - trains are sold out if many ships in port. 

It is a 5 minutes easy walk from the pier to the train station. Station nemt to the pier

Time table and Booking.

- at 0:40 In the video you can see the Cruise ship just behind the train platforms. Enjoy you Cruise and Flåm Railway,

 

Edited February 6, 2019 by hallasm

[PhilbeachTraveller]

Just booked a short, 6 night cruise on Saga Sapphire, a smaller cruise ship. Itinerary is Bergen, Rosendal and Stavanger. Rosendal is in the Hardanger fjord. Anyone been there? 

[fabnfortysomething]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 9:34 AM, readingfast said:

Hoping to do the Flam railway independently as I hear ship's tours are very expensive. My brother who has walking difficulties will be with me.

Can anyone tell me how to get from the dock after tendering, to the station where the railway departs from?

Also, is this very expensive?

Any information would be very welcome.

Thanks

my husband has walking difficulties

he had absolutely no problem getting from dock to very close railway station

just be aware it is a high step up from platform to train carriage

try to sit on left hand side on way up and right for return for best views

also get on a mid carriage -the half way stop at waterfall where you can get off for photo[and spoiler alert performance by sexy female/troll]

book same train up and back with the 10 minute break at Myrdal station at top

believe me you don't need any longer there as no facilities!

 

the ships tours usually include a stop at penultimate station at a hotel for waffles

there were a lot of shivering passengers on the platform as we stopped there on ascent

they weren't allowed to get on the train as had to wait till we were on the descent

hope the waffles were worth it for the extra they paid on top of our independent tour

[2cruisecats]

Question for HALLSAM -- Hope I'm asking this in the right thread. We will be in Bergen on September 13th, pre-cruise.  Last year we did the Viking Homelands cruise and enjoyed a few days post cruise in Bergen (wonderful, esp May 17th celebrations) before travelling to Oslo.  This year, I'm wondering about a Norwegian coastal experience previous to our transAtlantic sailing. As flights are not yet booked, we have flexibility, probably 6 or 7 days.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!

[hallasm]

4 hours ago, 2cruisecats said:

Question for HALLSAM -- Hope I'm asking this in the right thread. We will be in Bergen on September 13th, pre-cruise.  Last year we did the Viking Homelands cruise and enjoyed a few days post cruise in Bergen (wonderful, esp May 17th celebrations) before travelling to Oslo.  This year, I'm wondering about a Norwegian coastal experience previous to our transAtlantic sailing. As flights are not yet booked, we have flexibility, probably 6 or 7 days.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!

Certainly the right place - hope that others also will add their thoughts and ideas.

One obvious possibility is a Hurtigruten 7 days northbound voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes - departure each day. You can also do the 6 days southbound from Kirkenes to Bergen - or part of the journe. More details in the CC Hurtigruten Board.

i have just done a northbound voyage in January -  My review.

September is still a quite nice month - not any snow but chance for Northern Lights.

- another option might be ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ from Bergen by boat, bus, train and overnight stay at hotel  - visits to Hardangerfjord, Eidfjord, Sognefjord,  Aurlandsfjord and the narrow Nærøyfjord -including Flåm and Bergen Railway.
- it will require however require a lot of preparation to organize hotels trains, boats and busses - check This site for inspiration.

[naturelovergirl]

15 hours ago, 2cruisecats said:

Question for HALLSAM -- Hope I'm asking this in the right thread. We will be in Bergen on September 13th, pre-cruise.  Last year we did the Viking Homelands cruise and enjoyed a few days post cruise in Bergen (wonderful, esp May 17th celebrations) before travelling to Oslo.  This year, I'm wondering about a Norwegian coastal experience previous to our transAtlantic sailing. As flights are not yet booked, we have flexibility, probably 6 or 7 days.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!

If you like train travel, you always take the train all over Norway. (I am attaching the NSB map for you)
You can certainly take the typical Norway in a Nutshell route by taking the NSB train from Bergen to Myrdal and then take the famous Flåmsbana train to Flåm. From there you can enjoy the Sognefjord, Nærøyfjord, Stegastein Viewpoint, and so forth. 
When we did this, we stayed in Flåm and in Balestrand for a bit (a ferry ride from Flåm on the other side of the Sognefjord)... then we took the the Norled express boat back to Bergen. We loved it.

[2cruisecats]

On 2/11/2019 at 4:22 AM, hallasm said:

Certainly the right place - hope that others also will add their thoughts and ideas.

One obvious possibility is a Hurtigruten 7 days northbound voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes - departure each day. You can also do the 6 days southbound from Kirkenes to Bergen - or part of the journe. More details in the CC Hurtigruten Board.

i have just done a northbound voyage in January -  My review.

September is still a quite nice month - not any snow but chance for Northern Lights.

- another option might be ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ from Bergen by boat, bus, train and overnight stay at hotel  - visits to Hardangerfjord, Eidfjord, Sognefjord,  Aurlandsfjord and the narrow Nærøyfjord -including Flåm and Bergen Railway.
- it will require however require a lot of preparation to organize hotels trains, boats and busses - check This site for inspiration.

HALLASAM, Thank you for the quick response.  We are quite interested in Hurtigruten and will investigate that option.  Our only limitation is time -- we have 6 days before joining the Viking Sun on Sept 14th.  Any additional info would be appreciated.

 

Last spring we did get to Flam and also travelled by bus (was suppose to be by train but even trains have technical difficulties!) over the mountains to Oslo.  Beautiful scenery. Our driver did lots of photo stops!

[2cruisecats]

19 hours ago, naturelovergirl said:

If you like train travel, you always take the train all over Norway. (I am attaching the NSB map for you)
You can certainly take the typical Norway in a Nutshell route by taking the NSB train from Bergen to Myrdal and then take the famous Flåmsbana train to Flåm. From there you can enjoy the Sognefjord, Nærøyfjord, Stegastein Viewpoint, and so forth. 
When we did this, we stayed in Flåm and in Balestrand for a bit (a ferry ride from Flåm on the other side of the Sognefjord)... then we took the the Norled express boat back to Bergen. We loved it.

 

 

Ah, the train!  Yes we will investigate further train travel in Norway.  We have done the trip to Flam and attempted to take the train from Bergen to Oslo but there was a problem on the tracks that morning.  They loaded us all on to buses and off we went, overland, to Oslo.  It was a beautiful, but long, day and the drivers stopped frequently. Amazing in late May to see people skiing on the mountains and, on the same day, sunbathing in Oslo.  Thanks for the train map -- opens up possibilities.

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, 2cruisecats said:

We are quite interested in Hurtigruten and will investigate that option.  Our only limitation is time -- we have 6 days before joining the Viking Sun on Sept 14th.  Any additional info would be appreciated.

Assuming 2019.  You might be able to take the 5 night Hurtigruten southbound from Kirkenes September 8 at 12:30 - arriving Bergen September 13th at 2:30 pm - then you'll have a day in Bergen before the Viking Sun Cruise.

it's a 2 hours flight from OSL to KKN - might need to go to KKN September 7 - first flight is in KKN at 11 am - doable the same day for a Hurtigruten 12:30 departure but tight.

 

[naturelovergirl]

1 hour ago, 2cruisecats said:

 

Ah, the train!  Yes we will investigate further train travel in Norway.  We have done the trip to Flam and attempted to take the train from Bergen to Oslo but there was a problem on the tracks that morning.  They loaded us all on to buses and off we went, overland, to Oslo.  It was a beautiful, but long, day and the drivers stopped frequently. Amazing in late May to see people skiing on the mountains and, on the same day, sunbathing in Oslo.  Thanks for the train map -- opens up possibilities.

Ah yes...

We also experienced some “Buss For Tog” in Norway too... and you are right, the bus travel was very pretty, but it was indeed long.

 

I am quite fond of the Rauma Line... it runs between Åndalsnes and Dombås. Very beautiful.

 

[dadroy]

Any recommendatios for a good lunch spot in flam?

[readingfast]

We are cruising in August. Can anyone suggest any excursions for the following places: Haugesund, Stavanger & Skjolden?

2 to 3 hours would be an ideal time.

One person has walking difficulties so, nothing too physical please.

Many thanks

[hallasm]

8 hours ago, dadroy said:

Any recommendatios for a good lunch spot in flam?

You might want to try 'Ægir microbrewery' - very close to the pier. A bit further away 'Bakkastova Cafe'

Enjoy Flåm

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, readingfast said:

We are cruising in August. Can anyone suggest any excursions for the following places: Haugesund, Stavanger & Skjolden? 

2 to 3 hours would be an ideal time.

One person has walking difficulties so, nothing too physical please.

Many tours in Norway might involve physically activities .

in Haugesund I'll suggest a Panorama tour, in Stavanger could be a Boat trip on Lysefjord  - the main attraction here is the Pulpit Rock but physically strenuous - a visit to the old Stavanger and the Cathedral might also be a possibility. Skjolden has the National Scenic Route and the UNESCO World Heritage, Urnes Stave Church -  the scenic Sognefjord sailing into Skjolden is nice - the longest fjord in Norway - you might want to be up early in the morning when the ship is entering the fjord.

Please note that you might not be able to purchase tours at the pier (maybe for Stavanger) - You should book your tours in advance.

 

[mtown27]

Hi -- wonderful thread!  I'm sailing on HAL Nieuw Statendam on Norse Legends cruise in late June, with stops in Eidfjord, Skjolden, Alesund and Bergen.  Thanks for the tips on all these ports!  Two questions:

1. In the fjord scenic sailing in and out of Eidfjord and Skjolden, what is the advantage of getting up early to see the fjord while sailing in vs. seeing the fjord while sailing out?
2. As a first time cruiser and with this being my first time in the region, my travel agent is suggesting using the HAL excursions, but I'm not seeing anything really exciting.  It looks from the previous posts like I may not have much luck trying to reserve a non-HAL excursion at the port in Eidfjord or Skjolden.  What are some good resources for finding reliable excursions for these towns that I could book in advance.  Or am I better off taking a taxi or renting a car?

Will probably have more questions, but this gets me started!

 

Stuart

[hallasm]

Both Eidfjord and Skjolden are located in unique natural environments and does provide scenic sailings - Hardangerfjord and Storfjorden.  Both Bergen and Ålesund is a very picturesque cities.

Renting car might be an option for Ålesund - not sure about that option for Eidfjord and Skjolden. Bergen city does offer enough for a day in the city. Taxi will be a very expensive option. You should book excursions in advance.

 

Here are some links for more research:

https://en.hardangerfjord.com/eidfjord/

https://www.visitalesund.com/

https://en.visitbergen.com/

https://www.norwayexcursions.com/en/destinations-in-norway/

https://www.cruise-norway.no/

https://www.visitnorway.com/