Question if Alesund is frequently missed as a port

[cruise2relax]

Odd question I know.  There is a tour I am very interested in taking with in port but they have a 24 hour cancelation rule.  I may be willing to take the risk if this is not a port that routinely gets missed on fljords cruises.  Can anyone assit?

[TheOldBear]

The only data point I have is that QM2 missed both Alesund and Stravnger in November 2022 - weather forecast called for sleet both ports, so the ship diverted to Zeebruge  

[CruiserBruce]

I doubt it...its a pretty sheltered port.

[MeHeartCruising]

While it obviously can be skipped as proven by post #2, I haven't seen a significant quantity of people on this forum mention this in my years on Cruise Critic.  Perhaps get a travel insurance policy that protects you if it is a worry to you.  Myself, I'd put a cancellation in the "it's part of the adventure" category that I simply accept when I do major trips.

Edited February 24 by MeHeartCruising

[edinburgher]

22 hours ago, cruise2relax said:

I may be willing to take the risk

Ships can miss a port for many different reasons, and they can be very last minute, sometimes on the day itself. And you say you need a 24 hour cancellation notification  for any refund, which makes me think you have booked through Viator, which is not a tour operator, only a middleman which books you on to tours run by local operators, so you do not yet know which operator you are booked with.

 

That aside, for peace of mind, would you consider not touring at all from Alesund?  It is a favourite port of call by many as ships dock in the centre of town, there are a number of sights/attractions and it is very easy to DIY.

 

Should you want to consider doing your own thing in Alesund, this thread has much info and some images to help you decide.

 

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

 

Edited February 25 by edinburgher

[cruise2relax]

I appreciate all the responses so much.  The tour is directly through the vendor and is a food tour.  We have found it to be 50/50 if food tour companies will refund or not for missed ships due to the fact that restaurants and food vendors provision for the tours.  There are other FYI stuff we are planning to do but on the fence with the tour.

[kaisatsu]

In the sheltered ports of southern Norway, weather disruptions are more common in the off-season (October to March) or the shoulder season (e.g. April or September).

 

Strikes are a more common reason for missed ports in Norway, considering the number of people involved in docking a large cruise ship. I happened to be sailing during a large strike by the pilot boat drivers (not even the pilots themselves, but the captains of the boats that shuttle the pilots to the ships). However, strikes usually have fair warning, since the goal is to negotiate an agreement before it comes to that. So if you need to cancel 24 hours in advance, keep an eye on the news for ongoing labor disputes.

[edinburgher]

23 hours ago, cruise2relax said:

The tour is directly through the vendor and is a food tour.  We have found it to be 50/50 if food tour companies will refund or not for missed ships due to the fact that restaurants and food vendors provision for the tours. 

In that case, with catering involved, totally understandable that there is a 24 hour cancellation requirement.

 

Only you can decide if the risk is worth it to you or not. Tricky one!