Norwegian Fjords

[hallasm]

7 hours ago, skopgat said:

Does anyone know whether cruises are "grandfathered" in, meaning because it's scheduled, they'll get to cruise through? Or am I looking at a giant risk of having the entire itinerary altered? (Or something in between . . .)

Now you don't write which fjords. The restrictions on emissions do not apply to all the Norwegian fjords - it only concerns the fjords to Flåm and Geiranger. It will still be possible to sail to Olden. In addition, there are a number of smaller fjords that can also be sailed. There is no grandfathering and Queen Mary 2 will not be able to visit Flåm or Geiranger from 2026, but as written the deep fjord into Olden and likely Hellesylt as well as other smaller fjords will be available so probably no risk of itinerary to be altered.

[skopgat]

6 hours ago, hallasm said:

Now you don't write which fjords. The restrictions on emissions do not apply to all the Norwegian fjords - it only concerns the fjords to Flåm and Geiranger. It will still be possible to sail to Olden. In addition, there are a number of smaller fjords that can also be sailed. There is no grandfathering and Queen Mary 2 will not be able to visit Flåm or Geiranger from 2026, but as written the deep fjord into Olden and likely Hellesylt as well as other smaller fjords will be available so probably no risk of itinerary to be altered.

Thank you! We aren't scheduled to go to either Flaam or Geiranger. We sail by Nordfjord and Sognejford. Fingers crossed!

 

Tusind tak!

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, skopgat said:

We sail by Nordfjord and Sognejford.

none of these fjords will be affected by the coming restrictions.

[NightOne]

9 hours ago, hallasm said:

Now you don't write which fjords. The restrictions on emissions do not apply to all the Norwegian fjords - it only concerns the fjords to Flåm and Geiranger. It will still be possible to sail to Olden. In addition, there are a number of smaller fjords that can also be sailed. There is no grandfathering and Queen Mary 2 will not be able to visit Flåm or Geiranger from 2026, but as written the deep fjord into Olden and likely Hellesylt as well as other smaller fjords will be available so probably no risk of itinerary to be altered.

 

All the documentation I am seeing refers to the UNESCO world heritage fjords which are only Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord.

 

This does not appear to be applicable to Aurlandsfjord, Sognefjord, Sunnylvsfjord, Storfjord, Innvikfjord,  Njordfjord, or others. (or does it?)

 

In that case sailings to Flam can continue as well as those to Olden. Also, as long as ships make stops at Hellesylt and let regulation complying small excursion boats do Geirangerfjord for cruise passengers then it seems like business as usual except no direct visits to Geiranger dock and tender spots.

 

What am I missing?

[kaisatsu]

2 hours ago, NightOne said:

 

All the documentation I am seeing refers to the UNESCO world heritage fjords which are only Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord.

 

This does not appear to be applicable to Aurlandsfjord, Sognefjord, Sunnylvsfjord, Storfjord, Innvikfjord,  Njordfjord, or others. (or does it?)

 

In that case sailings to Flam can continue as well as those to Olden. Also, as long as ships make stops at Hellesylt and let regulation complying small excursion boats do Geirangerfjord for cruise passengers then it seems like business as usual except no direct visits to Geiranger dock and tender spots.

 

What am I missing?

The UNESCO-listed western fjords refers to the Nærøyfjord and Geirangerfjord areas, not just those fjords themselves. The listed area refers to five fjords: Nærøyfjord, Aurlandsfjord, Geirangerfjord, Sunnylvsfjord and Tafjord. Flåm is within the area typically defined as the Aurlandsfjord, so it is likely that it will also be affected. Similarly, Sunnylvsfjord is the stretch of fjord that leads to Hellesylt and that the actual Geirangerfjord branches off of, so it is quite likely that Hellesylt will also be off limits. Tafjord has less impact on cruise traffic, since there are no common cruise ports on that arm of the fjord.

 

Although Storting approved the resolution, the details of its implementation are still being hammered out, and several organizations have submitted proposals. If you want a deep dive, you can read the amendments proposed by the Norwegian Maritime Authority, which is available in an English translation.

[NightOne]

56 minutes ago, kaisatsu said:

The UNESCO-listed western fjords refers to the Nærøyfjord and Geirangerfjord areas, not just those fjords themselves. The listed area refers to five fjords: Nærøyfjord, Aurlandsfjord, Geirangerfjord, Sunnylvsfjord and Tafjord. Flåm is within the area typically defined as the Aurlandsfjord, so it is likely that it will also be affected. Similarly, Sunnylvsfjord is the stretch of fjord that leads to Hellesylt and that the actual Geirangerfjord branches off of, so it is quite likely that Hellesylt will also be off limits. Tafjord has less impact on cruise traffic, since there are no common cruise ports on that arm of the fjord.

 

Although Storting approved the resolution, the details of its implementation are still being hammered out, and several organizations have submitted proposals. If you want a deep dive, you can read the amendments proposed by the Norwegian Maritime Authority, which is available in an English translation.

 

Thanks for the information. I found the maps designating the areas and it definitely looks like a death blow with that scope.

 

[hallasm]

14 hours ago, NightOne said:

What am I missing?

These are UNESCO World Heritage sites and their surrounding fjords, including Aurlandsfjord.
It is still unknown what exactly will happen from January 1, 2026.
The technical prerequisites will not be in place by 2026, and it will take time to develop them. For the affected ports, it would also mean a noticeable decrease in their tourism income.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) is currently drafting a revised proposal for the zero-emission regulation, which will allow for some use of biofuels during a transition period and be more flexible in line with the cruise industry's wishes. Several cruise lines today have new ships running on bio LNG. However, the transition takes time.
The proposal is not yet final and still awaits government approval.

[TMLAalum]

Our cruise only visits one fjord- Flam. But out of Alesund there is a r/t cruise on the Hjorundfjord that goes as far as Oye and back and would work with our time in that port. Other stops are Trandal, Saebo and Urke. Would this cruise be worth taking for scenery?

Thanks!

[waiting2retire]

7 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Our cruise only visits one fjord- Flam. But out of Alesund there is a r/t cruise on the Hjorundfjord that goes as far as Oye and back and would work with our time in that port. Other stops are Trandal, Saebo and Urke. Would this cruise be worth taking for scenery?

Thanks!

We did the cruise out of Alesund to Oye with Cruise Service in May of this year and loved it!!  Very comfortable seating, fabulous scenery, and nice stop in Oye to stretch our legs. Not as spectacular as Geiranger and the Seven Sisters, but there were some lovely waterfalls and quaint small towns. We fell in love with the fjords on our first Norway cruise 2 years ago, and take every opportunity we can to see them, no matter how small. Enjoy!

 

 

[TMLAalum]

@waiting2retire

Thanks. I posted on the RS Norway forum and the answer there was as positive as yours. A few more questions:

Did you find a place for a quick lunch in Oye?

What else can one do for the 30-minute stop there?

What would we miss if we disembarked in Urke?

Did you buy tickets that day? (Advance purchase is risky if weather is rainy)

Thanks!

 

[waiting2retire]

36 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

@waiting2retire

Thanks. I posted on the RS Norway forum and the answer there was as positive as yours. A few more questions:

Did you find a place for a quick lunch in Oye?

What else can one do for the 30-minute stop there?

What would we miss if we disembarked in Urke?

Did you buy tickets that day? (Advance purchase is risky if weather is rainy)

Thanks!

 

We took a few snacks with us since it was only a 30 minute stop. Glad we did as the only place we saw for food (The hotel) was very busy.
 

I have mobility issues and walk fairly slowly, so I didn’t want to go too far and it was a bit of a walk from the dock to the little town. The one shop we saw on our walk (wool/yarn maybe) was closed, maybe too early in the season at mid-May?
 

Honestly don’t think you would miss much by not going to Oye, depending on when you will be there. There was a very pretty waterfall shown in the second photo I posted. I believe the first photo I posted was Urke.
 

We pre-purchased our tickets as we had been to Alesund before and really wanted to do this cruise. Tickets can be cancelled up to 48 hours prior, which we would have done if the forecast had been miserable. The boat was not full, so I expect tickets could be purchased last minute. 
 

 

[tc-cruise]

Comparing two itineraries

Haugesund

Nordfjordeid

Flam

Stavanger

 

And

Hellesylt

Geiranger

Alesund (Molde)

Flam

 

We really want to see the pulpit rock but the first itinerary only available in mid May. Is that too early? And how far is the Loen lift from Nordfjordeid? Is DIY option available?

 

The reason I don't like the second itinerary is Helleslt is too close to Geiranger. However this itinerary has a lot more available dates. 

 

Seems like a trade of between Pulpit rock/sky lift (if doable from Nordfjordeid) and Geiranger. 

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, tc-cruise said:

Comparing two itineraries

Haugesund

Nordfjordeid

Flam

Stavanger

 

And

Hellesylt

Geiranger

Alesund (Molde)

Flam

 

We really want to see the pulpit rock but the first itinerary only available in mid May. Is that too early? And how far is the Loen lift from Nordfjordeid? Is DIY option available?

 

The reason I don't like the second itinerary is Helleslt is too close to Geiranger. However this itinerary has a lot more available dates. 

 

Seems like a trade of between Pulpit rock/sky lift (if doable from Nordfjordeid) and Geiranger. 

If both Hellesylt and Geiranger are on the itinerary, then Hellesylt is usually just a technical stop for people doing an overland tour to Geiranger and the ship only stops to let those passengers off and continues on to Geiranger. Check your scheduled times. 
 

Personally I would recommend the second option which goes to both Flåm and Geiranger. 

Edited August 18 by gnome12

[tc-cruise]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

If both Hellesylt and Geiranger are on the itinerary, then Hellesylt is usually just a technical stop for people doing an overland tour to Geiranger and the ship only stops to let those passengers off and continues on to Geiranger. Check your scheduled times. 
 

Personally I would recommend the second option which goes to both Flåm and Geiranger. 

So essentially this itinerary only has Geiranger (with a technical stop at Hellesylt) and Flam plus another less interesting stop at Alesund or Molde. It brings another question, are Geiranger and Flam similar? 

[hallasm]

7 hours ago, tc-cruise said:

We really want to see the pulpit rock but the first itinerary only available in mid May. Is that too early?

May is fine for a Norwegian fjord Cruise
 

7 hours ago, tc-cruise said:

And how far is the Loen lift from Nordfjordeid? Is DIY option available?

Loen is one hour drive from Nordfjordeid -  The problem is that there are not many rental cars available in Nordfjordeid. There are probably excursions to the Loen Skylift

7 hours ago, tc-cruise said:

The reason I don't like the second itinerary is Helleslt is too close to Geiranger

Hellesylt is a short technical stop for excursions. Sailing through Geiranger fjord is the highlight 

7 hours ago, tc-cruise said:

Alesund (Molde)

Do not understand Molde in brackets - Ålesund and Molde are two different ports - but might be stop in Molde and not Ålesund. Ålesund is a picturesque city - Molde less interesting 

4 hours ago, tc-cruise said:

It brings another question, are Geiranger and Flam similar? 

Two very iconic fjords - Geiranger is UNESCO heritage fjords - cruise in both fjords will be very limited from 2026 due to zero emission zones. Besides the scenic fjords Flåm is known for the railway - Geiranger for the view points - very different experiences. 

[bebe08]

We have never been to Norway before. Comparing 2 itineraries on Celebrity Apex in 2026:
7 day 

 

12 day

 

 

While I like the idea of a longer itinerary and going to the Arctic Circle, it means giving up Geiranger which I've always thought was a "don't miss".  This will likely be our only cruise to Norway given the new restrictions coming in so want to make sure we do it right.

Thoughts?

 

TIA 🙂

 

Edited August 18 by bebe08
update

[hallasm]

13 minutes ago, bebe08 said:

While I like the idea of a longer itinerary and going to the Arctic Circle, it means giving up Geiranger which I've always thought was a "don't miss".  This will likely be our only cruise to Norway given the new restrictions coming in so want to make sure we do it right.

Yes, by now it will be a choice between North Cape or Geiranger. Suppose the Arctic Circle cruise is in June or July when there is midnight sun.

 

There will still be cruises to Norway after 1 January 2026. Still possible to sail to Olden with conventional cruise ships - a bit unclear if it will also be possible to sail to Hellesylt and from there an excursion to Geiranger through the fjord.
In general, the expectation is that during a transition period, ships powered by bio-fuel/LNG may be allowed in the heritage fjords. Some cruise line will have the opportunity to offer cruises to Flåm and Geiranger for a period of time.

[bebe08]

4 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Yes, by now it will be a choice between North Cape or Geiranger. Suppose the Arctic Circle cruise is in June or July when there is midnight sun.

 

There will still be cruises to Norway after 1 January 2026. Still possible to sail to Olden with conventional cruise ships - a bit unclear if it will also be possible to sail to Hellesylt and from there an excursion to Geiranger through the fjord.
In general, the expectation is that during a transition period, ships powered by bio-fuel/LNG may be allowed in the heritage fjords. Some cruise line will have the opportunity to offer cruises to Flåm and Geiranger for a period of time.

Thanks for the quick response.  The 12 night cruise starts Aug 25 and the 7 night Sep 6.  

[hallasm]

25 minutes ago, bebe08 said:

The 12 night cruise starts Aug 25 and the 7 night Sep 6.  

A bit late for Norway. I might consider the option including Geiranger, given that cruises to Geiranger will be limeted while Arctic Circle cruises will be still be available after January 2026.
For me midnight sun (or polar night) is an important part of an Arctic Circle cruise however you might be able to experience Northern Lights end of August/beginning of September.

[tc-cruise]

22 hours ago, gnome12 said:

If both Hellesylt and Geiranger are on the itinerary, then Hellesylt is usually just a technical stop for people doing an overland tour to Geiranger and the ship only stops to let those passengers off and continues on to Geiranger. Check your scheduled times. 
 

Personally I would recommend the second option which goes to both Flåm and Geiranger. 

 

I confirmed the ship stops at Hellesylt for 45 min and continues to Geiranger. So I have to make a tough choice between Geiranger and Pulpit rock + Loen skylift. 

 

In Flam, we will definitely do Stegastein view point. I think Geiranger fjord has the best sail-in experience but the Ornesvigen viewpoint might be similar to Stegastein or Loen skylift? And how about the 2 hour Naroyfjord cruise from Flam to Gudvagen compared to Geiranger sail in? Also does traveling in May or June make any difference in terms of foliage and blooms, etc?

[gnome12]

15 hours ago, tc-cruise said:

 

I confirmed the ship stops at Hellesylt for 45 min and continues to Geiranger. So I have to make a tough choice between Geiranger and Pulpit rock + Loen skylift. 

 

In Flam, we will definitely do Stegastein view point. I think Geiranger fjord has the best sail-in experience but the Ornesvigen viewpoint might be similar to Stegastein or Loen skylift? And how about the 2 hour Naroyfjord cruise from Flam to Gudvagen compared to Geiranger sail in? Also does traveling in May or June make any difference in terms of foliage and blooms, etc?

I can't answer most of it, but here are my comments.

 

I know you probably think that this will be your only trip to Norway. However, cruising to Flåm and Geiranger will be very limited after 2025. The same is not true for Olden and Loen. So that might influence your decision.

 

I went in June. The weather at Geiranger and the sail-in was lousy, foggy and damp or rainy. Despite that I enjoyed the sail-in from the ungodly hour of about 5 am. However, when we went to Flydalsjuvet there was very little visibility. At the top of Mount Dalsnibba there was absolutely none. Flåm, on the other hand, was a glorious day, and I very much enjoyed the Næroyfjord cruise in lovely sunshine. The 2 areas looked totally different because the skies were different.

 

I didn't go to Olden, so can't comment on that.

[Mikamarii]

Just wanted to do a quick follow up as we were in Olden today. Hopefully our experience can help others. The sail in was beautiful. We also did Flåm this cruise. We preferred the Flåm sail in but this was wonderful to see if you have a chance to experience it. We did the Flåmsbana and zipline tour in Flåm. It was the highlight of our trip and highly suggest if you are physically able and dock in Flåm. 

 

Thanks to some previous advice we held off on buying skylift tickets. I checked weather leading up to our port day and it forcasted cloudy skies and lots of rain for our day. Sailing in it looked the forcast would hold true but we ended up having beautiful weather. It was cloudy but little to no rain and the sun poked through from time to time. 

 

Our ship tendered in and we were brought to Olden. The tender actually brought us closer to Olden than if we docked. Its true there isnt much do in the town of Olden. A couple shops and grocery stores but incredible views every way you look. 

 

At our tender spot there was tents set up for the skylift and other sightseeing journeys. They were charging 900k per person for shuttle and skylift at the pier. We asked if we could just pay for a shuttle in to Loen. The staff said they could but the only thing to do in Loen is the skylift so it wasnt really worth it to pay for a bus in as Olden had more shops. 

 

We opted not to do it as it was alot of money for four people and was a bit cloudy so we werent sure what we would get at the top.  We walked around town and found a map for a hike to "Hauren" mountain. It is 4km each way and took us about 1h15min up and about 45ish min down. Its not a hard hike but is a bit of a steep uphill walk all the way up and decline down. The views at the top were breathtaking and well worth it. I cant compare to the skylift views but seeing how our view was free it was well worth it plus we love hiking. Added that there were only a few others doing the hike so we had the top all to ourselves and got some great family photos. Ive added a few photos for reference. The last picture is of the road which covers almost the whole 4km. The final 200m to the top was an off road trail and was a little muddy today. 

 

Hope this helps others. 

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, Mikamarii said:

Just wanted to do a quick follow up as we were in Olden today.

Thank you for your detailed review of your day in Olden.
No, there is no reason to go to Loen - there are several shops and a couple of fine churches in Olden. 
A hike to Mt. Huaren is a great idea - especially if you want to hike or have already been with Loen Skylift  to the Mt. Hoven.
For comparisons Mt. Huaren viewpoint is 385 m and Mt. Hoven 1011 m.

To compare the view, a picture of Olden from Mt. Hoven and Olden old church.

[tc-cruise]

3 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I can't answer most of it, but here are my comments.

 

I know you probably think that this will be your only trip to Norway. However, cruising to Flåm and Geiranger will be very limited after 2025. The same is not true for Olden and Loen. So that might influence your decision.

 

I went in June. The weather at Geiranger and the sail-in was lousy, foggy and damp or rainy. Despite that I enjoyed the sail-in from the ungodly hour of about 5 am. However, when we went to Flydalsjuvet there was very little visibility. At the top of Mount Dalsnibba there was absolutely none. Flåm, on the other hand, was a glorious day, and I very much enjoyed the Næroyfjord cruise in lovely sunshine. The 2 areas looked totally different because the skies were different.

 

I didn't go to Olden, so can't comment on that.

Thank you for your comments and I appreciate them.

 

I saw a lot of discussion regarding the upcoming sail lin limit. But I think smaller tour boats still can ferry passengers from Hellesylt? The same as Naroyfjord from Flam?

[hallasm]

21 minutes ago, tc-cruise said:

I saw a lot of discussion regarding the upcoming sail lin limit. But I think smaller tour boats still can ferry passengers from Hellesylt? The same as Naroyfjord from Flam?

It is not a question of size with only emissions from ship engines. Norway is in the process of establishing ferry routes with electrically powered ships. Many Norwegian tour boats and ships are already powered by electric power - sailing in Geirangerfjord, Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord will not be a problem.