North cape, Norway.

[nigkar]

We will be cruising the north cape of Norway this July.

calling at, Alesund, Thomson, Alta, Honningsvag, Narvik, and Haugesund.

we usually do our own thing when in port, and we are looking for recommendations of things to visit in the ports listed.

having never visited Norway before we would like to stay near to the port if possible.

of course being in Norway we would like to take in some of the beautiful scenery Norway has to offer.

we don’t mind a good walk or hike.

Alesund I believe has a 418 step walk to Fjeiiistua aksla, and another walk to Via Ferrata.

could both be done in the time we are in port. 08:00 - 17:00.

also, is the aquarium close by, could we fit that in also ?

one more thing, what sort of clothing should we bring for this cruise?

thanks in advance for any information.

[Celialeah98]

Hi,

 

We are also going to North Cape this July but on a different cruise line as the only port on your list that we are visiting is Honningsvag. We booked a tour to North cape and around with blue puffin. I read that some just hire a taxi from the port to get to North Cape. As for clothes I am packing layers: 1 or 2 dinner outfits, 1 or 2 city touring outfits, 1 or 2 hiking outfits. All that can be mixed and matched. Waterproof hiking shoes, waterproof raincoat with zip in warm liner, athletic sneakers and a pair of dress shoes for touring Amsterdam before our cruise and to wear to dinner on the ship. Plus 1 bathing suit and flip flops for the sauna, steam room, pool and maybe a dip in the ocean.

 

Happy Planning!

 

[edinburgher]

we usually do our own thing when in port, and we are looking for recommendations of things to visit in the ports listed.

 

Most of the info you will need to help you plan can be found by reading previous threads and posts by others.  If you do not know how to use the SEARCH TOOL, go to the general N. Europe and Baltic Sea Forum, but not to an individual thread. In turn, input the name of one of your ports into the empy search box under your username, then hit the litle spy glass.  All previous threads containing that word should appear ready for you to read.  Follow your first port name with the others one at a time.   You can then read what others have done.

 

This thread would be a good starting point for Alesund, a favourite with cruise pax as it is so easy to DIY and is a pleasant town to explore from a very central docking location.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2826391-alesund-norway/#comment-62526938

 

And do look at your shorex for each port, as  even if you don't book anything they will give you an idea of the possibilities.  Also local tourist information sites and others such as Tripadvisor.

 

Should you then have specific questions about a port, you could ask again.

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by edinburgher

[nigkar]

Thank you for the information.

[LondonTowner]

Look on VisitNorway tourist board website. It has some good information.

[kaisatsu]

Are those your only ports? If so, it’s worth being aware that you’re not visiting any of the iconic fjords and almost none of the highlight ports. Haugesund and Narvik especially are not among the more interesting or picturesque cities, and Alta is more known as a base for chasing the Northern Lights later in the year. If “Thomson” is meant to be “Tromsø” that will at least bring a bit of Norway’s dramatic coastal scenery, but I definitely wouldn’t judge the country by this particular port lineup!

[Meander Ingwa]

Alta has a very important UNISCO World Heritage site and its museum is built to feature ancient heritage along with more contemporary art and exhibits.  Rock art created by ancient peoples.

 

Narvik has an excellent rail journey you can take from the station inland to the Swedish border.  Considered one of the iconic and scenic journeys.  Google Ofotbanen, The Ofoten Railway.  I was planning on doing this by it looks like , at this time, we do not arrive in port until mid afternoon so there is not enough time for me.  If it is a pretty day I would take the train to Katarat and sit on the left side

[alexgtp]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:59 AM, nigkar said:

We will be cruising the north cape of Norway this July.

calling at, Alesund, Thomson, Alta, Honningsvag, Narvik, and Haugesund.

we usually do our own thing when in port, and we are looking for recommendations of things to visit in the ports listed.

having never visited Norway before we would like to stay near to the port if possible.

of course being in Norway we would like to take in some of the beautiful scenery Norway has to offer.

we don’t mind a good walk or hike.

Alesund I believe has a 418 step walk to Fjeiiistua aksla, and another walk to Via Ferrata.

could both be done in the time we are in port. 08:00 - 17:00.

also, is the aquarium close by, could we fit that in also ?

one more thing, what sort of clothing should we bring for this cruise?

thanks in advance for any information.

 

Just back from June Fjords trip.

Alesund the 418 step fjellstua is awesome highly recommend the hike! We are both in our late 40's and not in the best shape and we made it up in 20 min.

This is literally a 10 minute walk from port.

View from top:


Honnisvag - I recommend using blue puffin tours for their North Cape tour. Tour operator is a husband and wife team who live in Mageroya for "on" season. And in Tromso for off season!

North Cape is nice and you can walk around the entire area! Beautiful scenery!

Summer Solstice about 12:20 AM

 

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by alexgtp

[Meander Ingwa]

That solstice photo is the best kind of vacation memory .  Lovely capture and composition 

[edinburgher]

On 4/29/2023 at 2:59 PM, nigkar said:

Alesund, Thomson, Alta, Honningsvag, Narvik, and Haugesund.

We have visited Tromso? (difficult to be sure that is where you are going from your spelling) 3 times.  One time we were docked out of town close to the Botanical Garden and took a public bus from the main road outside the port to reach the centre and returned the same way.  The other twice we docked right in the centre.  Should this be you, step ashore and you will find yourself already there.

 

It is a pleasant enough town to visit with a number of interesting sights including a several  museums, some with a mostly polar exploration emphasis should that interest you, Polaris, the Arctic Cathedral and others.  It is also a pleasant town to stroll around and there is a historic area(only a few buildings) beside one of the museums.  I cannot remember exactly which museum nor which historic buildings. which isn't very helpful I know., but DH thinks it was by the Polar Musum.

 

Have a look at the Tromso Tourist Info website for suggestions and any others such as Tripadvisor.

 

There should also be some self guided walks to be found if you google.

 

And if you dock outside of town, you might want to cross over to the Botanical Garden, the most northern in the world which is open 7/7 and entry is free.

 

There is certainly more than enough in Tromso to keep you busy for a day.

Edited July 7, 2023 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

30 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

Narvik,

We only visited one time and the weather was absolutely miserable with heavy rain throughout the day.

 

Only went walkabout (actually sloshed about!) due to the weather. The town is famous for iron ore, but mostly famous  for its naval connections, especially during WW11 when the Arctic Convoys sailed from there to Russia. With an ice free port it was an important strategic port and should you have an interest,  much of the naval history of Narvik and the Arctic Convoys can be found online  There are memorials to sailors all around the town, and before we set sail from Narvik, our Captain said a few words in memorium of all the sailors who lost their lives before dropping a wreath into the sea..

 

There is a quite famous scenic railway journey from Narvik to a town across the Swedish border which in the past was used to transfer iron ore. it is apparently a favourite with visitors although our own abiding memory of Narvik is of rain.  Hope you have better luck than we did.

Edited July 7, 2023 by edinburgher

[harg56]

I also recommend Blue Puffin Tours for your North Cape tour. We went with them last month and had fantastic weather too. 

[edinburgher]

Honningsvag first time we took a shorex to the North Cape and it was a clear day.  When we did a sail by later in the evening it was cloudy and there wasn't much to be seen.  Tour bus also stopped for a short time at a "traditional" Sami camp.Our second visit we only enjoyed the "sail by"  which was clear that time and didn't revisit the North Cape, instead explored the town which has little to offer, although we did see a small number of wild reindeer running along one of the streets.

Edited July 7, 2023 by edinburgher

[janetcbl]

3 hours ago, edinburgher said:

We have visited Tromso? (difficult to be sure that is where you are going from your spelling) 3 times.  One time we were docked out of town close to the Botanical Garden and took a public bus from the main road outside the port to reach the centre and returned the same way.  The other twice we docked right in the centre.  Should this be you, step ashore and you will find yourself already there.

 

It is a pleasant enough town to visit with a number of interesting sights including a several  museums, some with a mostly polar exploration emphasis should that interest you, Polaris, the Arctic Cathedral and others.  It is also a pleasant town to stroll around and there is a historic area(only a few buildings) beside one of the museums.  I cannot remember exactly which museum nor which historic buildings. which isn't very helpful I know., but DH thinks it was by the Polar Musum.

 

Have a look at the Tromso Tourist Info website for suggestions and any others such as Tripadvisor.

 

There should also be some self guided walks to be found if you google.

 

And if you dock outside of town, you might want to cross over to the Botanical Garden, the most northern in the world which is open 7/7 and entry is free.

 

There is certainly more than enough in Tromso to keep you busy for a day.

For an incredible view take the cable car up the mountain.   It requires a taxi or bus to reach it. but is worth the time if the weather is nice. I believe there is a shuttle bus from Stortorget that passes the Arctic Cathedral (takes about 15 minutes to travel there.)