janetcbl

I have seen both the original and the reconstructed church and couldn’t tell the difference. The rebuilt church even smelled like the original!

We have almost always booked PV and gotten all the excursions we wanted. Things I have learned: Start checking at 12midnight; they are sometimes open then, believe it or not. Book one, pay for it; book another pay for it, etc. (Not necessary for Included Excursions.)

Clay: Pull up bt.no (Bergen newspaper) and search for “Webcams”. Great intro to the many sights in Bergen.

They mark the path to the concert hall and to the gravesite if I remember correctly. You had to walk on them. Don’t know if they are still there as it has been a few years since I was at those sites. I just wore sneakers and was careful and it was fine.

Flat, as I remember. The concert hall and museum and grave sites are worth a visit, just be careful on the paved stones. During my years as a guide, numerous people slipped on the stones (they were warned!).

I have stayed in this hotel many times. It used to be very basic, but has “upgraded” over the years. The location is perfect for getting around, sightseeing, restaurants, etc. I was able to store my large suitcase for the day from check out to the evening when I would catch the night train to Sweden. Really nice staff as well.

Check out skyss.no for timetables and maps. You would want Line 1, Byparken-Bergen Lufthavn and your stops would be Fantoft and Paradis. (Easy to get to the airport by this route as well.)

#382 Sorry I mentioned it…..

Anyone else think this topic has been thoroughly discussed to excess? Maybe time to close it?

Yes! Definitely worth your time if your enjoy plants.

You are correct about the stops! Sorry for the error. Also, surprised to hear you can now only leave the ship on organized excursions…part of the fun of traveling for me was exploring on my own, and returning to favorite art galleries, coffee shops. Guess this is called “progress”?

If I remember it is about a half hour walk. Check it out on Google. When I was there (years ago) there was also a public bus.

I think you mean 34 ports in 12 days. What I enjoyed was getting off at one port and either taking a tour and boarding again at a different port and seeing some of the country without packing. Also I would get off at a port, spend a few days, and then get on a different ship and continue the journey.

For emphasis on fjords, either Hurtigruten or Viking (certain destinations and no children under 18 allowed) is the way to go. Main emphasis is on the coast of Norway and the fjords. Have sailed with both many times and have always been awestruck at the beauty, mountains, people, etc. Hurtigruten is the “coastal ferry” and some stops are less than an hour, but there are excursions at the longer stops and some that leave at one stop and catch up with the ship at another.

Yes. The airport isn’t huge and, IMO, well run and easy to navigate. If you are flying Icelandair Saga Class, the lounge is a good place to relax before the flight.

Agree with everything you mention, but would add that the Cable Car in Tromso is a great outing as it also stops at the Arctic Church.

Just called Viking. The first agent “obviously made a mistake” according to the agent. She said it would be $100 more pp! SailorPaulH: Thank you so much for your post! We went ahead and added the additional coverage.

Good to know. I plan to call Viking again as our vouchers were less than yours, yet our charge would be $1000!

I don’t know that this would be the cost for everyone….I would imagine how much you paid for the cruise to be the deciding factor.

I called. For us the additional charge per person would be over $1000 more.

Totally agree! We were there some years ago and stayed not too far from the Arc de Triomphe. There was a small wine shop across the street where I purchased a bottle of wine and chatted (in my very poor French with the very patient owner). The next time I returned he clapped his hands and said with a smile that he had just received a small shipment of wine from a favorite farmer and saved a bottle for me! I was so thrilled and felt I had “arrived”. It was the best wine I have ever had in my life!

Look them up on Amazon. They come in different sizes that hold different weights. They are magnetic and stick to the walls of the Ocean ships. Great for hanging name badge/card by the door(if you put it in a lanyard), hats, purses, etc. or use them to fix the daily schedule to the wall or maps, etc, We took 8 and used all of them on a 29 days cruise.

Sorry to hear that the Market Square has changed to include more “touristy” items. That market was one of my favorite places, especially the cloudberry piles in the Fall. The Karelian pies were a favorite!….tried making them at home….dismal failure!

We received vouchers (four figures) from our cruise last summer (Homelands+Baltic due to a change in itinerary) , and applied them to a cruise we booked after we returned home. Today the new cruise was listed at $3000 less per person, so I called to rebook at the lower fare, knowing there would be a penalty involved. Little did I know that the voucher we got last summer could not be transferred to a “new” cruise! Use it, but once you apply it to a cruise, it can’t be transferred, even to the same cruise….I learn something new every day regarding Viking.

Did the same thing this morning for our two upcoming trips. By the time you add the flights you prefer, the class you want to fly, travel on a different day, etc., the Viking price is much higher than what you can work out yourself.