Oslo - what would you think?

[terrierjohn]

58 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I've moved on now.  OH likes Aurora for the itinerary (extra port) and time of year - we usually holiday in Greece in July but after the food poisoning fiasco this year will be giving that a rest for a while!

 

So more daft questions I'm afraid.  

 

I've priced both deluxe deck B and ordinary balcony.  Reading the comments these deluxe balconies are the preferred option of most.  The situation of the cabin bears consideration as the prices rise quite a lot.  

 

Select Fares deck B

Fwd or rear is £6198, Mid fwd £6598, mid £6898, mid aft £6498, aft £6498

These all have £450 OBC

 

There are 5 deluxe cabins D197 thru D205 on D deck all at £6198.

 

Saver fare deluxe

Fwd/aft £5458, mid fwd £5658, mid £5798

No OBC

 

Question: are all these deluxe cabins same size, do balconies differ, apart from the 5 on deck D aft are there any others elsewhere?  

 

If there is little difference I was thinking of booking save mid which is £1,100 cheaper than the select fare.  I don't know these ports but assume I'm not likely to spend £650 on transfers!  Does anyone know if any of the ports are miles out from the centre - I'm conscious the article I posted states no ships are going to be allowed in the main area of Oslo anymore regardless of size.   How do the other ports stake up, are they easily accessible or miles out.

 

Re speciality dining, I note Selbourne mentions fewer options.  What will be the choices?

 

Thanks everyone.

 

That would be my choice, the location is reasonable, and unless there are known rogue cabins in these locations, you should be OK.

[Megabear2]

31 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Notwithstanding what Tring has said, personally I wouldn’t pay the large extra premium for a deluxe cabin on Aurora. I’d maybe pay £500 more for one if it was a longer cruise, but not the substantial extra cost that is often asked. If you Google ‘Aurora deck plan’ you’ll get the P&O deck plan and you will see that there are plenty of standard balcony cabins that are not above or below potential sources of noise.
 

We have had quite a few noise issues on Aurora, but it’s always been from other cabins (above or to the side of us) as the sound insulation is poor. I don’t believe that the deluxe cabins are significantly bigger, but if you call P&O they can tell you the exact square footage of every cabin. If you look at where the accessible balcony cabins are on Aurora (A and C deck mid-forward) we have stayed in most of them and never noticed any more movement than elsewhere and, as I say, we’ve never had noise other than from other cabins. 

I've been given a selection in that area - they're answering the phone very quickly today!  

 

A148/150 or A151/153 £5458 plus 450 obc

C154/58/60 or C151/C153 £5558 plus £450 Inc

 

Obviously a huge saving on the select deluxe but tiny on the saver.

 

I assume it would be right to take a select on a normal balcony because of the risk of being anywhere on a saver but assumedly the deluxe carries little risk on mid or mid forward/midaft?

Edited October 27, 2023 by Megabear2

[Gettingwarmer]

2 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I've been given a selection in that area - they're answering the phone very quickly today!  

 

A148/150 or A151/153 £5458 plus 450 obc

C154/58/60 or C151/C153 £5558 plus £450 Inc

 

Obviously a huge saving on the select deluxe but tiny on the saver.

 

I assume it would be right to take a select on a normal balcony because of the risk of being anywhere on a saver but assumedly the deluxe Carrie's little risk on mid or mid forwardz/midaft?

You know your risk factor for getting a decent cabin below working decks or above public rooms on A or C. Myself I would still take the deluxe mid saver on B. 

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I've been given a selection in that area - they're answering the phone very quickly today!  

 

A148/150 or A151/153 £5458 plus 450 obc

C154/58/60 or C151/C153 £5558 plus £450 Inc

 

Obviously a huge saving on the select deluxe but tiny on the saver.

 

I assume it would be right to take a select on a normal balcony because of the risk of being anywhere on a saver but assumedly the deluxe carries little risk on mid or mid forward/midaft?

Yes, put that way, a Deluxe on a Saver may be better than a Standard on Select. 
 

Just to put the cat well and truly amongst the pigeons, as you are quite flexible about cabins and don’t need an accessible cabin, is it worth considering booking late? The cheapest fare above, even after deducting OBC, is over £300 a night and presumably more again for a deluxe cabin, even on a Saver. That’s a lot by P&O standards these days. I know that Aurora carries a premium over the bigger ships but, as you know, we have secured a late saver on Aurora for less than half that per night and, much as we love Aurora, I’m not sure I’d pay those prices any more as that puts it in Cunard price territory. However, if it’s a special occasion and you don’t want the anxiety of relying on late availability then that’s understandable. 

[tring]

24 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I've been given a selection in that area - they're answering the phone very quickly today!  

 

A148/150 or A151/153 £5458 plus 450 obc

C154/58/60 or C151/C153 £5558 plus £450 Inc

 

Obviously a huge saving on the select deluxe but tiny on the saver.

 

I assume it would be right to take a select on a normal balcony because of the risk of being anywhere on a saver but assumedly the deluxe Carrie's little risk on mid or mid forwardz/midaft?

 

I would agree with that, would not risk saver on a standard balcony.  The size difference is a fair bit and also more storage space, but suggest you look at you tube videos to see the difference yourself as personal choice.

 

Two main differences gipped us a lot.  The standard balconies only have a very small settee, (more a love couch) and area near there, so was not viable to sit together and have a drink or room service breakfast as arms will knock that of the other person.  Also the bed by the wardrobe is incredibly near the wardrobe doors in the standard, so we were constantly getting in each others way.   There is a chest of drawers to the wardrobe side of the bed in the deluxe balcony, c.f. a very small bedside chest which can be easily seen on you tube videos to gauge the difference in space there. 

 

The wardrobes in both cabins have a dead end section, which can only be accessed by moving the hangers forward to get to the back section.  We did not find the balcony in the standard cabin a problem at all, as plenty of space and the metal surround gave a tad more protection if weather not brilliant.  All personal choice, but that perhaps explains the differences a bit better.  We heard nothing from neighbours on either our Caribbean last Nov in deluxe cabin, nor in our standard one this September.  Entirely personal choice though and the deluxe can be a fair bit more expensive.

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by tring

[Angel57]

32 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I've been given a selection in that area - they're answering the phone very quickly today!  

 

A148/150 or A151/153 £5458 plus 450 obc

C154/58/60 or C151/C153 £5558 plus £450 Inc

 

Obviously a huge saving on the select deluxe but tiny on the saver.

 

I assume it would be right to take a select on a normal balcony because of the risk of being anywhere on a saver but assumedly the deluxe carries little risk on mid or mid forward/midaft?

I was in C181 (the balcony was pictured earlier) this year which is exactly on the opposite side to C154. It was quiet and stable.

[Selbourne]

11 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Arrrrrrgh!!!!  There's already too many complications with worrying if we will get there.  I only booked the Cunard one in September and that's gone out the window and now I dither here.

 

I had looked long and hard at the Britannia one - I could have a corner suite D738, E742 or G732 /33 for £6198 plus £630 obc but have been informed by his bibs as he's spending 35 days on QM2 in the January of 2025 he would rather be more relaxed and he doesn't like the idea of butlers etc!

 

It wasn't intended as a special occasion as the one that went up the swanny is next year and we already have Queen Anne Club in the Med for September that year for anniversary.  To get Oslo I've been very restricted so though I'd best book now.  Princess has one on Sky but again 2025 and OH disliked Regal so I thought P&O would be best.

 

I've looked at the MSC one that Showingdiva kindly sent as it is 2024 but when I showed him that the reply was "Isn't that the huge ship in that murder detective programme you insisted I watched. If it is I don't fancy 6,000 people".

 

I think I'll sleep on it overnight but I am concerned this might be the last opportunity to actually get him there for some time.  A search on the Iceman and beast sites produce very few Oslo calls apart from Hurtigruten.

Understood. You don’t have to have a Butler with a suite. You can decline them. All it means is that you lose the ability for in-suite (or balcony) dining. You get to have breakfast in Epicurean, which is nice. Avoid G deck aft though as it’s right above the Live Lounge. We had a corner aft suite on F deck and it was still deafening! Choices, choices 😂 

[Megabear2]

12 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Understood. You don’t have to have a Butler with a suite. You can decline them. All it means is that you lose the ability for in-suite (or balcony) dining. You get to have breakfast in Epicurean, which is nice. Avoid G deck aft though as it’s right above the Live Lounge. We had a corner aft suite on F deck and it was still deafening! Choices, choices 😂 

Thank you. I was unaware about the butler being unused.  As I said way back that cruise covers my 45th wedding anniversary and 70th birthday so I could turn it into a big celebration. I noticed it also has an overnight in Copenhagen but OH says he'd like to do something different so Aurora sounds like the winner at this stage, added to which every single member of the family from myb30 year old nephew to my 83 year old aunt swear she's tye best P&o ship bar none.

 

As I say, I'll have a discussion with OH tonight, sleep on it and decide tomorrow. I might, she says very nervously, check some prices with a couple of t/as as well. I haven't used one since my friend retired but if there are any decent savings or Extras it might be sensible.  Ironically both of these cruises are dearer than the original Cunard booking which I grabbed in the recent sale.  Such is life.

[cruising.mark.uk]

40 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I think I'll sleep on it overnight but I am concerned this might be the last opportunity to actually get him there for some time.  A search on the Iceman and beast sites produce very few Oslo calls apart from Hurtigruten.

If it is your husband who really wants to go there and opportunities are limited, my advice would be to book flights and an hotel.  I'm sure all the experienced cruisers on here have multiple experiences of cruises they have been on having the itinerary changed before departure and / or not visiting particular ports for a whole variety of reasons, many of which cannot be anticipated and can happen at little or no notice.  We learnt very early on in our cruising career never to bank on a cruise getting us to any particular port.  And, from that, we learnt that if we really wanted to go somewhere off the beaten track within a constrained timescale and to a port which features only on a limited number of cruise itineraries, then we should not try to do it on a cruise ship.  Another reason for opting for a plan B is that if it is that desirable / important a location it probably deserves more than the 6 or 7 hour visit that one stop on a cruise itinerary normally provides.

[tring]

12 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Thank you. I was unaware about the butler being unused.  As I said way back that cruise covers my 45th wedding anniversary and 70th birthday so I could turn it into a big celebration. I noticed it also has an overnight in Copenhagen but OH says he'd like to do something different so Aurora sounds like the winner at this stage, added to which every single member of the family from myb30 year old nephew to my 83 year old aunt swear she's tye best P&o ship bar none.

 

As I say, I'll have a discussion with OH tonight, sleep on it and decide tomorrow. I might, she says very nervously, check some prices with a couple of t/as as well. I haven't used one since my friend retired but if there are any decent savings or Extras it might be sensible.  Ironically both of these cruises are dearer than the original Cunard booking which I grabbed in the recent sale.  Such is life.

 

Fred tends to call at Oslo quite a lot, though many of his summer cruises to there will.leave from northern ports, so perhaps not that good an option for you.  Best to book Fred at a later stage for cost reasons, so more a case of keeping an eye out for what may come up.  You may just find a suitable shortie to slot in.  Lots to do on Oslo, but the city itself is not particularly attractive imo, but we have been loads of times, mainly with Fred, but also Artemis and last June on Arcadia.  We did the Christmas markets on Artemis one Dec and it was incredibly cold then.  I had to buy a good hat and I do not normally wear hats 🙂

 

Every time we have been there we have docked in Riviera Quai, which is pretty central.  

 

[Selbourne]

Re the two different berths, in the first photo the ship closest is in the berth by the Opera House (where we’ve berthed on Aurora and Oriana). If you look in the distance behind it you will see the other berth where we berthed on Britannia (it’s Britannia in the photo). The first 3 photos are taken from the viewing floor in the new Munch museum. The pedestrianised area with the bunting is en-route from where Britannia is berthed to the city centre. Another view of the sculpture park and finally a depiction of someone trying to decide which cruise to book 😉 😂 

[Son of Bare]

If Aurora wins, you could select a standard balcony of your choice after checking the deck plans and then make a cheeky offer for a balcony deluxe cabin when that opportunity arises. If you are not bothered whereabouts on B deck you are, that would be the cheapest way of securing a deluxe balcony and you'd still have the safety net of a  standard balcony cabin, location chosen by you.

[Son of Bare]

16 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Re the two different berths, in the first photo the ship closest is in the berth by the Opera House (where we’ve berthed on Aurora and Oriana). If you look in the distance behind it you will see the other berth where we berthed on Britannia (it’s Britannia in the photo). The first 3 photos are taken from the viewing floor in the new Munch museum. The pedestrianised area with the bunting is en-route from where Britannia is berthed to the city centre. Another view of the sculpture park and finally a depiction of someone trying to decide which cruise to book 😉 😂 

That 'other berth' that you experienced on Britannia is imo, one of the best places to park a cruise ship in Europe.

 

[tring]

56 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Re the two different berths, in the first photo the ship closest is in the berth by the Opera House (where we’ve berthed on Aurora and Oriana). If you look in the distance behind it you will see the other berth where we berthed on Britannia (it’s Britannia in the photo). The first 3 photos are taken from the viewing floor in the new Munch museum. The pedestrianised area with the bunting is en-route from where Britannia is berthed to the city centre. Another view of the sculpture park and finally a depiction of someone trying to decide which cruise to book 😉 😂 

 

The Riviera quai berth, (which we have always moored at on a number of occasions), is the one which you refer to as "by the Opera House" and is clearly shown in your first picture here.  Some good photos Selbourne 🙂

 

40 minutes ago, Son of Bare said:

That 'other berth' that you experienced on Britannia is imo, one of the best places to park a cruise ship in Europe.

 

 

The berth you mentioned is the one that was mentioned in a newspaper clip which MB posted at the start of this thread (#1), by Akershus Fortress.   That article was saying they were not going to allow most of the ships that should have docked there to continue to do so, as they obstruct views and because of noise from their pa system.  Pollution also being a problem.  So probably only be available for a very select few smaller ships in the future, if that.  The Riviera Quai berth is not far away, though I do not know about the third berth mentioned in the news article - possibly much further out.

 

[Megabear2]

48 minutes ago, tring said:

The berth you mentioned is the one that was mentioned in a newspaper clip which MB posted at the start of this thread (#1), by Akershus Fortress.   That article was saying they were not going to allow most of the ships that should have docked there to continue to do so, as they obstruct views and because of noise from their pa system.  Pollution also being a problem.  So probably only be available for a very select few smaller ships in the future, if that

Yes, when I spoke to Cunard they confirmed QM2 had been one of the ships that missed out on a berth after the new arrangements.  I was a little surprised as my experience has always been ports love to have her come in, particularly as it's very rare for her to be in Eurpean ports in the summer.  I assumed her age/cleanliness was possibly a factor which was my worry with choosing another ship.

 

 

[DamianG]

Lots of great advice on this tread so far. One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned is that the sea view cabins on Aurora are a very good size and worthy of consideration. I appreciate that your preference would be a balcony cabin, however with the fantastic tiered stern being just a short walk away from the mid to aft cabins (since Aurora is a smaller ship) we never ever missed having a balcony on her or Oriana (which will always be our favourite P&O ship with Aurora a close second).

 

The only thing that has been mentioned that I would strongly echo is that since Aurora is significantly smaller than Britannia that should hopefully mean less chance of being banned from Oslo.

 

Best of luck with the decision making and planning.

[Megabear2]

14 minutes ago, DamianG said:

Lots of great advice on this tread so far. One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned is that the sea view cabins on Aurora are a very good size and worthy of consideration. I appreciate that your preference would be a balcony cabin, however with the fantastic tiered stern being just a short walk away from the mid to aft cabins (since Aurora is a smaller ship) we never ever missed having a balcony on her or Oriana (which will always be our favourite P&O ship with Aurora a close second).

 

The only thing that has been mentioned that I would strongly echo is that since Aurora is significantly smaller than Britannia that should hopefully mean less chance of being banned from Oslo.

 

Best of luck with the decision making and planning.

That's very helpful, thank you.  Following Selbourne mentioning late booking we are holding off and monitoring the situation at least until we are onboard Britannia in January when hopefully there might be some extra incentives.  We have decided on Aurora for all the reasons discussed and the swimming pool for my husband as his exercise is vital to his health.  The big decision is whether the "B" deck balcony is really necessary. Our thinking is that we might get some offer onboard to sweeten a deal on a select "C" or "A" balcony thereby being able to choose where we go.

 

The other reason for choosing Aurora is if anything goes wrong and the itinerary changes drastically we can hopefully move to Britannia as an alternative late on as hopefully she won't sell out so quickly and the prices will be more stable.  

 

Well that's the cunning plan ...