Prince Albert 2 Longyearbyen 22 June 2010

[Cambridge]

Hello,

Hope some of you are booked on the above cruise as I understand there are only 2 staterooms left! We booked in May but didn't book flights with Silversea and are now having real problems getting to Longyearbyen and Silversea are not being particularly helpful. Has anyone else had a problem or can offer some advice?

Thanks

[Jade13]

Hello,

Hope some of you are booked on the above cruise as I understand there are only 2 staterooms left! We booked in May but didn't book flights with Silversea and are now having real problems getting to Longyearbyen and Silversea are not being particularly helpful. Has anyone else had a problem or can offer some advice?

Thanks

 

We did this cruise this year, but we started in Tromso. We had round trip tickets with Lufthansa from the US through Munich which connected with SAS in Oslo. So, we had round trip tickets to Tromso and purchased a separate ticket on SAS for one way from Longyearbryn to Tromso on the return.

 

Have you looked into SAS?

[a5150mom]

Hello,

Hope some of you are booked on the above cruise as I understand there are only 2 staterooms left! We booked in May but didn't book flights

Thanks

We used frequent fliers in June 2009 Flights into Tromso Norway. Tromso has 1 flight per day into Longyearbyen at least it did June 2009 . Had to pay for short flight to Longyearbyen . We flew into Tromso 2 or 3 days prior . There are hotels in Longyearbyen if you need to get in a day or 2 early in order to get flights. Good Luck !

[Jade13]

We used frequent fliers in June 2009 Flights into Tromso Norway. Tromso has 1 flight per day into Longyearbyen at least it did June 2009 . Had to pay for short flight to Longyearbyen . We flew into Tromso 2 or 3 days prior . There are hotels in Longyearbyen if you need to get in a day or 2 early in order to get flights. Good Luck !

 

Same here regarding using FFmiles for the round trip to Tromso and than paying about $100.00pp for the flight from Longyearbyen to Tromso on SAS on our return. I think there was the one flight in the afternoon in that direction.

[Mike2131]

With charters and itinerary changes, this is the only Longyearbyen RT cruise offered on the PA II in 2010. We booked about the same time you did and I am not surprised there are only 2 cabins left.

 

We used FF mles for the US-Europe portion and booked our Oslo-Longyearbyen-Oslo RT independently as soon as we could (non-refundable directly with SAS). We fly up from Oslo on the 21st and back on the 29th. SAS has dropped the evening flight on the 21st and we are having to take what is now the only daily flight that morning. That would certainly make reservations tight. I would definitely ask your TA to waitlist you. With 8 months to go something should open up - or perhaps the evening flight will be reinstituted. As a last resort, is the Silversea air option still available? I am sure it is more expensive (it sure was from the states), but at least you'll make the sailing.

 

One last thing, if you have not made a pre-cruise room reservation in Longyearbyen I would do so. There are not a lot of choices.

[Jade13]

As a last resort, is the Silversea air option still available? I am sure it is more expensive (it sure was from the states), but at least you'll make the sailing.

 

.

 

SilverSeas Air was something like $3,200.00pp from the US last year if I recall. This was into Tromso and out of LYR. It was really high and included 2 nights at the Grand Hotel in Oslo and transportation. There was someone on SilverSeas who booked everything through them and were really pissed when they were dropped off at the ship at 10:00am and told to come back at 3:00pm or so. They had luggage and no place to go and were also in the second highest Suite if I recall. They demanded they be let on the ship and eventually were.

[Mike2131]

SilverSeas Air was something like $3,200.00pp from the US last year if I recall. This was into Tromso and out of LYR. It was really high and included 2 nights at the Grand Hotel in Oslo and transportation. There was someone on SilverSeas who booked everything through them and were really pissed when they were dropped off at the ship at 10:00am and told to come back at 3:00pm or so. They had luggage and no place to go and were also in the second highest Suite if I recall. They demanded they be let on the ship and eventually were.

I know the cost was what I call "stupid money". Since the OP is coming from the UK, I hope the cost might be somewhat lower - but I am sure still much higher than independent arrangements.

[tupper10]

It is ironic that if you were flying out of NYC specifically Newark you could book your entire trip with SAS and pay about 1200.00 per person to get to where you need to go for this Arctic trip - including by the way a stop overnight if you wish in either Copenhagen or Oslo. We live very far from Newark and to use the internal flights on SAS was much more expensive with round trip fares well above what we were quoted for the entire trip. It seems that SAS can do what it wishes since they are the only ones that fly to these cities in Norway. We are on a later trip (changed by Silversea) and are flying in and out of different cities - it didn't matter to SAS the fare was the same going from Newark. So come visit the Big Apple - it may end up being cheaper. You have got to love these airlines.

[Mike2131]

It is ironic that if you were flying out of NYC specifically Newark you could book your entire trip with SAS and pay about 1200.00 per person to get to where you need to go for this Arctic trip - including by the way a stop overnight if you wish in either Copenhagen or Oslo. We live very far from Newark and to use the internal flights on SAS was much more expensive with round trip fares well above what we were quoted for the entire trip. It seems that SAS can do what it wishes since they are the only ones that fly to these cities in Norway. We are on a later trip (changed by Silversea) and are flying in and out of different cities - it didn't matter to SAS the fare was the same going from Newark. So come visit the Big Apple - it may end up being cheaper. You have got to love these airlines.

Our US-Europe-US portion is on FF miles. We booked the SAS intra-Europe air (non-refundable) as soon as it opened. Our routing of Oslo-Longyearbyen-Oslo-Copenhagen (overnight in Oslo on the way back from Longyearbyen) totaled $511 pp including taxes. More than I would have hoped, but not too bad. Tacking on the one-way Oslo-Copenhagen leg only added $90.

[retiredbrit]

we are flying from UK on 28 June 2010, overnight in Tromso and then flying on 29th to Longyearbyen to join voyage 7012 Longyearbyen to Tromso.

 

We originally booked voyage 7014 which was 14 nights Longyearben round trip, plus an overnight in Tomso on the way out.

 

We booked this in June this year, in October however Silverseas cancelled the cruise and offered 10% discount if we picked another one. This may account for the shortage of cabins and flights as we were not the only ones in this position.

 

We took Silverseas air as it was less hassle, the flights hotel and transfers come to £1150 each.

 

There is an earlier post which describes the process of DIY flights which I will try to find

regards Alan

[Cambridge]

Thank you to you all for your replies. Our problem is that SAS don't have spaces on the flights that connect within about 48 hours each way and Silversea won't offer connections or hotels but are still charging about £1200 each for flights that would invlove about 3 nights in hotels! But thanks Mike I will look into option via our travel agent of being wait listed as we have until Feb 2010 to cancel if it proves necesaary:(.

[maddie2312]

Hi Cambridge,

Have had a look at flights today (not sure where in the UK you are but guessing by the name...? - SAS has Heathrow flights going out on the 20th and back on 29th for £685 return inc taxes. They have Oslo flights to LYR on 21st ret on 29th at £587 Return or ret 30th at £437. You could then use low cost airline Norwegian who fly to gatwick, Edinburgh or even Amsterdam.Or check out other European airlines who fly cheaply to Oslo or Tromso from your local airport.The return flights from Tromso to LYR are out on 21st ret 29th £412 or back 30th £329. We used Edinburgh to Oslo then Tromso on Norwegian then it has to SAS to LYR. Looks like you will need to be creative!

If you need anymore ideas let me know.

 

good luck

[retiredbrit]

Silverseas have changed our flights

we now fly UK to Oslo on 27 June over night in hotel, Oslo to Longyearbyen on 28 June - over night in hotel and board PAll on 29th.

 

gives us a chance to do a little sightseeing

 

regards Alan