norway - what is helpful to know before I go

I have never been to Norway . Any thing will be helpful . What you loved , was it better views on or off the ship ..ect

I was just in Norway. It is colder there. There was snow on the ground last week. I would bring clothes for cooler weather. It would depend where you go how the views would be.

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Norway is extremely beautiful. Fjords are breathtaking. Hope you have a balcony cabin, or try to be on deck as the ship sails to your ports. Take the opportunity to sail up a fjord on a smaller boat if you can. Take the train in Flam for other spectacular views, if your ship stops there.

Dress in layers. It is cooler as you go up in altitude, but if it's a sunny day you will soon be too warm. Bring mittens or gloves and a hat, if you end up not needing them you will not have lost much packing space .

Norway is very expensive. Any purchase of food on land will be very costly in comparison to other stops. A beer and 2 cokes along the water cost $30 U.S.

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I'm about to sail the Fjords for my third time and I've haven't been off the ship yet. I love the views sailing in and sailing out, Geiranger is particularly stunning! Also, in the summer, we've got 18+ hours of daylight this far North, so if you're in a balcony or oceanview, bring a sleep mask.

As above, pack layers as the weather can be unpredictable. Include a hat and gloves if you are going to higher altitudes on land and for the decks if you are outside viewing.

Take good comfortable walking shoes, ones with a decent grip.

We use a couple of clothes pegs to secure the edges of curtains/drapes so there are no light chinks.

Eat a good breakfast before leaving the ship. Take a snack and a drink with you if you can. Prices in Norway will make your eyes water so be sure you know the cost of anything you want to eat or drink ashore before you order.

Beautiful country, lovely scenery.

Lots of money. Norway is great but everything is very expensive., even by London and SE England prices. Food especially so, and alcoholic drinks will be priced at a level which will turn you teetotal. Even compared to Japan/Tokyo which is always quoted as one of the most expensive places on Earth, much of Norway is well above what Americans and Europeans are expecting to pay.

Where are you going in Norway?? Hard to make recommendations without knowing where you will be...

We have been in Norway, Japan, and China. Norway is very very expensive to eat out. It was about $9 for McDonalds and $35 for a small pizza. We couldn't afford a nice meal anywhere in Norway and ate alot at breakfast buffets. Japan and China were fine in prices in all ways. We spent $95 US for a very high quality hotel in Beijing and $130 in Tokyo. Meals in Asia were very reasonable but we didn't eat in gourmet restaurants. We had to only get snacks in Norway from the supermarket which was the price of a meal.

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Its really not that bad, i found prices to be very comparable to lets say Fort lauderdale. Maybe its up to 20% more expensive at most.

Only 20% more? Sorry, but I beg to differ.

I see you are Noway based, so presumably have a salary or pension paid in that country and if so, paid at the "going rate" for Norway.

Those of us not fortunate enough to have that advantage really do find it expensive.

We have been to N Europe approx 5 times and have always found Norway to be the most expensive country.

Only 20% more? Sorry, but I beg to differ.

Me, too!

I thought Denmark was expensive, then I went to Norway. Even Danish prices are more than 20% higher than US prices, including expensive areas like NYC. They have to be with 25% VAT.

I have a Princess Norwegian Fjords cruise booked. I plan on taking ships tours.

Should I bring Norwegian money for tips or use US$?

I have a Princess Norwegian Fjords cruise booked. I plan on taking ships tours.

 

Should I bring Norwegian money for tips or use US$?

If you're tipping in Norway, tip in Kroner. If you're tipping onboard, tip in the onboard currency.

Only 20% more? Sorry, but I beg to differ.

 

I see you are Noway based, so presumably have a salary or pension paid in that country and if so, paid at the "going rate" for Norway.

 

Those of us not fortunate enough to have that advantage really do find it expensive.

 

We have been to N Europe approx 5 times and have always found Norway to be the most expensive country.

I guess it depens on where we go. :)

This is a nice, high ranked, popular Italian restaurant located at the maybe the most expensive location in Oslo (Aker brygge). http://oliviarestauranter.no/akerbrygge/intro

Prices (no extra service charge or tax, just 10% tip is normal):

Italian style pizza (full meal for 1 person): 16.5 to 23 USD

Pasta dishes: 18 to 23 USD

Salmon, chicken or steak: 22 to 27 USD

Where in Fort lauderdale do i find nice italian restaurants, in a popular erea, with prices way lower then this? I went to a couple in February and one was priced about the same (La dolce vita) and one was 20-30% lower but also not as upscale(Franco and vinnys).

I guess prices are higher where you get off cruise ships in Geiranger etc, but going on a cruise to Oslo and then not be able to afford a normal restaurant dinner, sounds very wierd. At the price of couple frozen drinks onboard the ship you have yourself a little meal.

Groceries in Norway er very expensive at 7eleven etc, but normal grocerie stores (Kiwi, Rema 1000, etc) seem to have about the same prices as i encountered at Publix in fort lauderdale /miami. I do not know if Publix is considered expensive? I guess there might be cheaper options?

But ofc, most of Europe, and i guess other places in America is way less expansive. Norwegians love to travel to Greece, Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Thailand because of the sun, but also because of the low restaurant prices :)

We drove across to Norway from Sweden. Prices jumped at least 20% over this border. This means that on the Swedish side you see roadside stalls selling a case (24) of cans of coke. The Norwegian people were crossing the border to buy as so much cheaper and fill up with petrol as also much lower in Sweden although on the west coast north of Gothenburg, it was much more expensive here than elsewhere in Sweden.

Our price base is London,hardly a cheap city, Oslo is 20/25% above London and SE England prices. Alcohol is a crazy price, compared to UK and the comparison to the Latin countries of Southern Europe will turn you dry!!

Master, meant to add Norway is superb, friendly, delightful but people need to be aware of the expense. Enjoy but reign in on expensive purchases, otherwise you will spoil your trip.

It's not a destination you can do on the cheap.

Should be Magster, sorry predictive text!!!

When we went to Norway and took ship's excursions, we booked the ones that included lunch, or at least a "snack". Yes, the excursions were pricey, but it was a way to sample the local cuisine without sticker shock, having already paid up front.

Also, once I had Krone in hand, the equivalent of U.S.$ that I was comfortable spending, I didn't look at it and think "this equals this many dollars", I just spent what I wanted, keeping an eye only on how much I had left to spend. I came home with NOK left.

I did fine eating out in Norway by relying on recommendations from locals (instead of the tourist type restaurants). For example, I had a lovely duck breast dinner for about $40 in Oslo not too far from the train station at the Olympen Cafe: http://www.olympen.no/. I also had several reasonable meals at restaurants in the Grünerløkka area (with a friend who lived there) which a short trolley ride from the Central Train Station location. In Bergen, where I stayed in an AirBNB at the end of my cruise, my host directed me to several good restaurants that were not unreasonable in the Ole Bulls Plass area (near where I was staying). Tipping is not expected for service in Norway (they pay a decent wage to their servers) so you don't have that additional 20% cost for eating out compared to the USA.

Are there places at the ports of call to exchange for krone?

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