iowasue

mrsmagnolia, this sounds exactly like the kind of excursion I would like to take! Could you tell me how much this tour cost? Did you have to find others to join your tour? I have never snorkeled, but would love to learn. Do they have someone who can show you how?

We will be cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale on April 12, 2013. I'm looking at hotels to stay at on the 11th. Right now, it is between Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port on S. Federal and Best Western Plus on SR84. Which do you prefer, and why?

Kccrzr - I was already thinking the Sunnmore Museum was something I wanted to see. Is it hard to find the right bus to take? Is it something we could walk to?

That was exactly what I wanted to hear. Is there only one company that handles all the HOHO buses? Thanks for your help!

We are going to be on HAL's Rotterdam July 9 in Oslo. We are two couple who want to see the Norwegian Folk Museum, the Viking Ship Museum, and possibly the Vigeland Park. Would we be better buying Oslo passes and using public transportation, or purchasing tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off buses. Also, I've heard there is more than one company offering the Hop-on Hop-off buses. Which one is best?

We are planning to do the Norwegian Folk Museum in Oslo when we are there in July. Our plans are to buy tickets for the Hop-on Hop-Off bus to take us there.

Terry, there are four of us that will be on HAL Rotterdam in July. One of our stops is also Alesund. You mentioned you rented a car. How did you do that and how much did it cost? Did you have to do your own driving?

This morning’s report will be BOTH spectacular, but also super short? Why? So much happened great that it will take too much time to report all of the details, right now. AND, we are ready to arrive in Alesund and do a special Runde Birdrock trip we have set-up to do on our own, etc. Plus, it’s the Fourth of July!

 

Why was yesterday so great? Super wonderful weather! Almost “hot”, plus much sun. The fjords are so beautiful and dramatic. We had a nice, fantastic train trip up through the mountains from Flam, then Gudvangen with our private driver to Tvinde Waterfall, Stalheim Hotel and then returning by the Stalheimskleiva Road, Norway's steepest road with thirteen hairpin turns that was constructed in 1849.

 

Then in the evening as the Silver Cloud is sailing out through the fjords, we had a custom, five-course dinner by Chef Douglas Hope to celebrate, formally, my wife’s birthday with Hotel Director Giovanni Dotti joining us, a Broadway Rock musical program and it is light outside until after 11:30 pm. What more could be more perfectly nice and enjoyable?

 

Below are just a few of about 300 pictures that I took yesterday. Many more details will follow as the schedule settles down on a sea day.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Arriving at Flam, the Captain is right there directing this process. You can see here some of the fjord mountains, waterfalls in the background. Below are more pictures and highlights from this day in the Sognerfjord that is rated as the best in all of Norway for these views.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terry,

Did you book your train trip in Flam through the cruise line? It is so expensive that way! I thought about buying the train tickets in Bergen for the train in Flam. But there will be a lot of people with other cruise ships when we are in Flam. What are your thoughts about this?

There will be 5 of us sailing with HAL next July. Will there be a problem getting a table for all of us to sit together if we choose As You Wish Dining?