Question regarding ports in Norway

[drefinnej15]

Hello! I am cruising to Norway and wanted to know if anyone knows if the towns are literally outside the ship so that you can get on and off the boat for shopping within close proximity. I know not all cruiseports allow for this such as in the Mediteranean so that is why I am asking. The ports I am visiting: Stavanger, Hellsylt/Geiranger, Trondheim, North Cape, Tromso, Flaam, Bergen. Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks!:D

[LBcruzman]

Hello! I am cruising to Norway and wanted to know if anyone knows if the towns are literally outside the ship so that you can get on and off the boat for shopping within close proximity. I know not all cruiseports allow for this such as in the Mediteranean so that is why I am asking. The ports I am visiting: Stavanger, Hellsylt/Geiranger, Trondheim, North Cape, Tromso, Flaam, Bergen. Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks!:D

Hi, I just joined these boards and was looking for ideas for where to go and what to do on possible future cruises in Europe, the Med and Greece. I saw your question and figured I could help with what I know.

 

I have been to Geiranger, Flam and Bergen by cruise ship. Geiranger and Flam you can walk around right at the port, shop, eat, etc. I believe in Geiranger we had a tender to port, been many years, so am not exact on that one.

 

In Flam we took the train ride to Voss and I cannot tell you how absolutely beautiful the scenery is. Norway is stunningly beautiful.

 

In Bergen we were a very short cruise shuttle to town. I do remember some people walking to town as it wasn't that far.

 

Do enjoy your trip, I hope to go back to Norway again soon.

[drefinnej15]

LBcruzman thanks for your feeback!..we are in fact doing that Overland to Voss tour in Flaam and really looking forward to that! :D

[Ine]

We did the tour to Voss also from Flamm, in a combination of bus and trains. Very nice tour.

In Stavanger our ship was docked almost city-center, next to a section with lovely white wooden houses. Easy to walk around.

 

Bergen: some ships dock close to city-center, then you can walkm to Floyenbahn, fishmarket etc. Some ships dock a little more out.

 

Geiranger is indeed a tenderport, but after that easy to walk around.

Interesting is the visitorcentre about the fjords. Of course the sailing through the fjord itself is a great.

[Giantfan13]

You may get better answers if you posted this on the Baltics board. there are several threads already there on Norway and it's ports.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[drefinnej15]

hi Giantsfan! actually you are the person i want to talk to...you went to london and mentioned that you used your capital one credit card for everything...did you have any instances where you must use cash..i am trying to find out how much british pounds to bring with us for 4 nights...i will use my credit card as much as possible but how much british pounds do you think we need?

[Giantfan13]

hi Giantsfan! actually you are the person i want to talk to...you went to london and mentioned that you used your capital one credit card for everything...did you have any instances where you must use cash..i am trying to find out how much british pounds to bring with us for 4 nights...i will use my credit card as much as possible but how much british pounds do you think we need?

 

We went with 100 pounds in cash, and hit an ATM in London for another 100 later on. We stayed for 7 days and we came back with just a few pounds in coin.

Again, we made use of the cash, because we had it. We took Taxi's several times and always paid with cash. Never even asked if we could use a credit card. I do remember using Simply Airports to get us from Heathrow to London and, later on, visa versa, and they REQUESTED cash. That is why we brought some with us. We weren't sure if we could hit an ATM before we left the airport. We wanted some cash if we had to tip a porter, just buy a bottle of water, whatever. To us, it is a bit foolish to buy, say, a magnet, and charge it. For a couple of pounds we prefer to pay cash. Same for an afternoon snack of some ice cream. There is always the need for some cash.

 

If we wanted to, we probably could have spent less that 100 pounds in cash.

 

As was said, we probably could have charged some of the taxis, but we just like to use the currency of the country we are in.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[soccerref]

Hello! I am cruising to Norway and wanted to know if anyone knows if the towns are literally outside the ship so that you can get on and off the boat for shopping within close proximity. I know not all cruiseports allow for this such as in the Mediteranean so that is why I am asking. The ports I am visiting: Stavanger, Hellsylt/Geiranger, Trondheim, North Cape, Tromso, Flaam, Bergen. Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks!:D

 

Hi,

You have chosen a wonderful cruise. I have copied the relevant parts of my review of our Norway cruise on P&O Arcadia in July 2008 which may be of help.

 

We decided not to do many organised trips because we were not sure what the weather would be like. In retrospect, I wish we had done at least one into the mountains around the fjords but we still saw a lot although I think we missed out on the information about the areas.

Bergen:

It was cool and overcast when we woke up but, as this was our first sight of Norway, we were immediately struck by the grandeur of the hills and the way the town with its strongly colourful wooden buildings nestled among the hills.

There were 7 cruise ships in that day so everywhere was very crowded. Arcadia was docked about ½mile from the town centre and, following advice gained from the cruise forums, we headed, on foot, straight for the funicular which is situated very close to the market area. We had to join a long queue and stood in line for 30 minutes. The return ride was 70kroner (£7)pp but worth it for the views of the city and fjord. I’m glad we went straight there as the queue was almost twice as long when we arrived back at base.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the harbour area where there was a lively and vibrant market with some unusual stalls - whale products and fur products were in evidence everywhere. It was there that we began to realise just how expensive everything in Norway is!!!! I love to go in local supermarkets and try to bring back home a typical delicacy – jam, packet cake mix, sauce, sweets or a cooking utensil – but I could not bring myself to buy anything. Everything was at least twice the price of a similar item in the UK. Even a single post card cost nearly £1. We quickly learned to eat and drink on the ship and to limit our spending to entrance fees and bare essentials.

Bergen has a delightfully quaint area (a world heritage site) just behind the very deep coloured wooden shops by the harbour side. We wandered around there taking photos for a long time before returning to the ship. It was lovely having our first experience of sailing down a fjord and, to make it even better, the sun came out and stayed out for most of the rest of the cruise.

-4-

Tips

· Do the funicular ride as early as possible to avoid the worst of the queues.

· Public toilets are expensive – between 5kr and 10kr (50p &£1) so have change available.

· There are free toilets in the building at the centre of the fish market area.

Flam:

We thought Bergen was attractive but Flam was a revelation. We were so lucky that the weather was warm with clear blue skies as it accentuated the magnificence of the lush green hills and the sparkling patches of snow high up on the mountainside. The water of the fjord glistened bright blue and everything was so quiet and still. We had set the alarm for 6.30a.m. knowing that we had a long sail up the Sognefjord to get to Flam and wishing to see some of the fjord. I’m so glad that we did as the scenery in the early morning sunshine was just too beautiful to describe. It was lovely eating breakfast and seeing the mountains and tiny villages slide by.

We docked in the little village of Flam at 8.00a.m. and decided to disembark as soon as possible. This was an excellent decision as it enabled us to catch the first train of the day on the famous train for the 50 minute ride up to Myrdal which left at 8.35a.m. The station is about ¼mile from the dock and there was only a short queue to purchase tickets (310Kr-£31- pp return). The train ride was spectacular with amazing views of the mountains, waterfalls, rivers and villages. The train makes a 5 minute stop at a huge waterfall and most people got off to take photos.

There is not much at Myrdal except for the station and its cafe. My DH and I decided to walk down the path opposite the station and, again, were happy with this decision as it took us alongside a mountain stream to a beautiful waterfall. I felt a bit sorry for the couple who were camping there as their peace was suddenly shattered by us and a few others who had chosen to walk the path.

We caught the 10.50a.m. train back to Flam and were amazed (horrified) by the huge queues waiting for the train. There were several coach loads of people arriving all the time.

The village of Flam is a couple of miles from the dock area so we decided just to wander around the dock/station area with its restaurants, souvenir shops and supermarket. There is a pretty park area and a shingle beach where families were picnicking and sunbathing. My DH saw a crew member swimming and asked if the water was cold. The man replied “somewhere between freezing and ice cold!!” so we decided to give paddling a miss that time!

Arcadia sailed at 5.30p.m. and we were able to enjoy the return trip down the fjord while having a drink on our balcony .....bliss!

Tips

· Get the 8.35a.m. train to avoid the queues.

· Sit on the right side of the carriage facing forward for the best views.

-5-

Olden:

This holiday was beginning to settle into a pattern by now as we realised that we would miss so much if we stayed in bed late so, once again, the alarm was set early so that we could have a morning coffee and watch the magnificent scenery pass by as we cruised up the Nordfjord to Olden.

Nordfjord was just as impressive as Sognefjord but in a slightly more gently rolling way. The weather again was superb and the early morning sun accentuated the brilliant greens and blues of grass and water. Olden is also situated a long way down the fjord and, like Flam, has a dock area and then a small town about 1mile away.

My DH had booked a fjord fishing excursion for the morning so he had breakfast and went off to do his thing. I took the opportunity to wander the ship and take photos and then to have a quiet read on the balcony surrounded by the crystal clear air and wonderful scenery. DH had a good time but only caught 3 fish so he was a little disappointed.

In the afternoon we strolled from the ship into the little town. The walk took us past some lovely houses with colourful and well kept gardens before we reached the village centre. There were a few shops selling clothing, souvenirs and food but prices were so high that it was easy to resist buying.

There is a lovely white painted wooden church that is open to visitors and after a look round there we walked slowly back along the waterside to the ship. There was an abundance of wild flowers in bloom and a lot of different sorts of birds. We sat on a bench and soaked up the sights and sounds, revelling in the peace and quiet.

Tips

· There is a trolley train that runs from the ships side and does a 1 hour round trip of the area.

· There are free public toilets in the building next to the supermarket in the village centre.

Trondheim:

The weather continued to be kind to us and we, again, were up early to see the approach to Trondheim. This was a less spectacular sail but still pretty in its own way. The ship docked in the industrial area of the city and there was a regular shuttle bus service into the town centre which we caught. The bus dropped us off very close to the cathedral so we walked to that. It is a very impressive building and reminiscent of Many English cathedrals. From there it was a few minutes’ walk to the ‘old’ bridge which we crossed into the old town area. The buildings here are pastel coloured wooden houses with pretty flower displays. We wandered this district for a little while before heading into the modern town centre. This was a pleasant enough place but very much like any other town so, after an extortionately priced cup of coffee, we returned to the ship.

Tips

· Shuttle bus was 50kr (£5)pp return.

· You could walk into the city but it was a long way and the route was not particularly attractive.

· There is a 100kr (£10) entrance fee pp to the cathedral.

· Toilets are free in the shopping mall.

-6-

Sea day:

This was when we crossed the Arctic Circle although we would never have guessed from the fabulously hot weather we were having. The great thing here was that we could see the Norwegian coastline as we travelled north and it was an amazing succession of high jagged cliffs. Unfortunately the calm and still conditions were perfect to create the fog blanket that descended in mid-afternoon and followed us for the next couple of days. This meant that we did not see the ‘midnight sun’ but we did get the 24 hours of daylight. It was a surreal feeling to be sitting on the balcony at 1.00a.m. in full, although misty, daylight!

Honningsvaag and North Cape:

It was heaven not to have to set the alarm so early as we were not due to reach Honningsvaag until 12.30p.m. After a late breakfast and a bit of line dancing my DH and I went our separate ways to join our different tours. We were tendered into the little town of Honningsvaag as Arcadia is too big to tie up to the dock side. There is a permanent population of around 400 in the immediate area and I’m not surprised. It is very wild and beautiful in a stark sort of way but, in winter, they have 74 days of almost total darkness.

DH was going bird watching and he was full of praise for the whole trip when he returned. The guide had been excellent and the group had seen many different birds – sea eagles, puffins, cormorants etc plus a minky whale, seals and sea lions.

I did the North Cape trip. This cost £46 which included the £20 entrance fee to the North Cape national park. The coach trip took about 50 minutes along very windy roads with some spectacular views across bleak moorland. There were herds of reindeer grazing on the patches of lush grass and wild flowers.

The North Cape tourist centre is large and has some interesting exhibits including the 180 degree wide screen film show. It was such a shame that the mist was still hanging around and was thick enough to make it difficult to appreciate the height of the 900ft cliffs. We were free to return when we wanted so I spent about an hour there and 15 minutes looking round the town of Honningsvaag before getting the tender back to the ship.

Unfortunately the mist persisted so we were unable to see the North Cape cliffs as we cruised past them at midnight.

Tips

· It would be difficult to do anything independently in this area.

· There is a free toilet on the ground floor at the museum in Honningsvaag.

· Have warm clothes.

Tromso:

The mist cleared as we travelled south to Tromso and the warm weather returned, much to our delight. We also resumed our early morning alarm call and were not disappointed as we sailed up another pretty fjord.

-7-

Arcadia docked at the industrial port which is a good way out of the town centre. We were able to see the large bridge and the modern ‘Arctic Cathedral’ from the upper deck of the ship. We caught the port run shuttle bus which dropped us off in the shopping district. This was about 3 miles from the ship.

We walked down to the water front and realised that it was too far to walk across the bridge to the cathedral so we concentrated on the commercial centre. This comprises of a few shopping streets, some pretty wooden houses and there was also a small market where we found some affordable small gifts.

After a couple of hours of slow meandering we felt that we had seen all that was walkable in Tromso so we caught the shuttle bus back to the ship and finished the day with a game of scrabble and a bit of sunbathing.

Tips

· Shuttle bus was 55kr (£5.50)pp return.

· The market had the cheapest gifts of all the places we visited.

· Free toilets in the small shopping mall.

Alesund:

After yet another early morning sitting drinking coffee on the balcony and watching the approach down the fjord to the next destination we were pleased to find that we were docked right in the centre of Alesund.

The weather had changed and was cool and damp. This was a shame because Alesund was perhaps the most attractive of all the ‘cities’ we visited.

Once again we wandered the streets and found some beautiful waterfront buildings. My DH then decided to climb the 400+ steps to the top of the mountain where there is a viewing platform. I gave this one a miss and spent a bit of time window shopping before returning to the ship.

The weather improved in the afternoon and the sun came out as we set sail. Apparently this had been the first visit of a P&O ship to this port so we were escorted out into the fjord by a fire department boat with the hoses spraying fountains of water.

Tips

· There is a trolley train which takes you up the mountain to the view point for 150Kr (£15)pp

Stavanger

We had lovely weather again as we neared Stavanger. I have to say that I was not particularly looking forward to this port but it turned out to be my favourite of the larger ports. Arcadia docked right in the centre of the town and the market was only a 200 yards from the gangplank. We walked to the market square and then, just to the left is the church with some beautiful and interesting artefacts. A short stroll down the narrow shopping streets lined with attractive floral displays took us to the ferry terminal and a most unusual children’s playground constructed from all kinds of industrial materials.

-8-

We carried on walking and eventually came to small hill in the centre of the town with an old ‘lookout tower’ on it. There were very good views of the ship from there. Our stroll took us back to the church square and then into the pretty little park area with the lake and fountain. From there we continued to walk back towards the ship but followed the quayside on the opposite side of the harbour until we came to the Old Town area. This was truly beautiful in the warm sunshine. The old town comprises of several narrow, cobbled streets lined with quaint, white painted, wooden houses which were set off by colourful displays of flowers in window boxes, hanging baskets and the small gardens.

My DH and I spent some time sitting at various vantage points so that we could soak up the atmosphere of this, our last port in Norway, before heading back to the ship.

There was a ‘Great British Sail Away’ party on the aft pool deck as we slid out of Stavanger and down the last fjord. This seemed a fitting end to our Norwegian adventure.

Tips

· This is the perfect place to get off the ship in the morning, return for lunch and then get off again in the afternoon.

· Spend all your remaining Norwegian Kroner coins as banks at home will not change them.

[alexandra cruiser]

I made a copy of your post and will use it planned cruise in June 2011..really useful tips and things you just can t find in brochure or website....also, can you tell me about the ship, ocean conditions,,,,rough or smooth? Have not made firm plans,is P and O ship sailing from London?Thanks in advance....:)

[HeinBloed]

Flaam:

 

There is nothing more in Flaam:

 

 

Hope it's close enough...

 

And that's Bergen... hope it's close enough as well...

 

 

About Stavanger and Geiranger I can tell you in August when we are back from WESTERDAM.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[kaisatsu]

We did a cruise of the Norwegian coast a few years ago, and I posted a description of our port explorations along with some of the resources we used. In the very small towns like Flåm and Geiranger, the ship docks/anchors very close to the towns. Also, in Stavanger, the cruise pier is right in the middle of the historic city center. We were on the QE2, and at Trondheim, Tromsø, and Bergen we were at a commercial port and not right in the center of town, so we took the ship's shuttle downtown.

 

However, since the cities are generally quite small, even in places where the ship docked at a commercial port facility, we were only a few minutes' drive from the city center. In some cases like Trondheim, it may have been possible to walk, but it would probably have taken half an hour. But at any rate, it's definitely not like the Mediterranean where "Rome" is really Civitavecchia. In Norway, "Trondheim" means Trondheim.

 

As for the idea of getting off the ship and doing some shopping, you may rethink that idea when you see the prices! Haha! ;) (On a serious note, I suggest eating a large breakfast before Norwegian port days, because a lot of the passengers on our cruise couldn't stomach the prices [no pun intended, I promise] and ended up skipping lunch!)

[drefinnej15]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE for all your wonderful posts..very helpful and i am printing it all out!:D

[Master Tom]

Hello! I am cruising to Norway and wanted to know if anyone knows if the towns are literally outside the ship so that you can get on and off the boat for shopping within close proximity. I know not all cruiseports allow for this such as in the Mediteranean so that is why I am asking. The ports I am visiting: Stavanger, Hellsylt/Geiranger, Trondheim, North Cape, Tromso, Flaam, Bergen. Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks!:D

 

In Bergen it depends on what day you arrive and how many ships there are in port that day.

The port thats closest to the center of Bergen can only take 2 large cruiseships and thats on days when the ferry to Denmark is not in port like Thuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sundays.

 

Bergen has 240 ships calling this year and only 23 of them will arrive a little far away with bus transfer from the port. (as seen on pic no. 2)

 

This is the port closest to the city-center on a day when the ferry is in port

 

 

so the other ships have to dock here

 

 

and a full overview of all the ports

 

[kaisatsu]

I'm glad MasterTom was able to answer Bergen, since there are so many pier locations. :)

 

For reference, here are the approximate locations where our ship docked in some of the other ports, with walking directions to the town center. Obviously pier assignments can change, and alternate facilities can be used, but as a general idea:

 

Stavanger (Street view shows a Costa ship in port) We were in port in Stavanger with another, larger ship, and there was enough space to dock side-by-side, though it took some interesting maneuvering to get us in/out!

 

Tromsø (port to Polar Museum)

 

Trondheim (port to Nidaros Cathedral)

[NancyIL]

Thank you to soccerref and kaisatsu for your wonderful reports! I just printed both. :) kaisatsu - your Norway in a Nutshell blog was very helpful, too.

[TLCOhio]

Thank you to soccerref and kaisatsu for your wonderful reports! I just printed both. :) kaisatsu - your Norway in a Nutshell blog was very helpful, too.

 

THANKS for the added info! The pictures really help to see it and understand better the docking location. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[soccerref]

I made a copy of your post and will use it planned cruise in June 2011..really useful tips and things you just can t find in brochure or website....also, can you tell me about the ship, ocean conditions,,,,rough or smooth? Have not made firm plans,is P and O ship sailing from London?Thanks in advance....:)

 

Hi, I'm glad the info is useful. P&O is a mainly British company but owned by Carnival PLC. It is sister to Princess and your cruise points count on both lines. The ships are very similar in size and performance to the ones belonging to the major US lines but with a British twist to the food and entertainment. We sailed on Arcadia (80,000ish tonnes) which is all adult ship and, even though we were in our early 60s, we felt young but everyone we met was very pleasant. P&O usually sail out of Southampton which is about 100 miles from London. We had fabulous weather for the vast majority of our trip with calm seas but the weather in that area can be very changeable.

P&O have a web site which gives very comprehensive information about its ships and destinations.

[phabric]

I like to buy something from the places we are visiting. In Belgium we bought chocolate, and lace.

 

Is there something special we should be looking for? We will be going to Stavanger, Olden, Geiranger, Bergen.

[drefinnej15]

WOW Great Pics! Thanks!

[kaisatsu]

I like to buy something from the places we are visiting. In Belgium we bought chocolate, and lace.

Is there something special we should be looking for? We will be going to Stavanger, Olden, Geiranger, Bergen.

Foodstuffs

 

• Cloudberry Jam [mølte syltetøy]
  
• Smoked Salmon
  
• Black Licorice
  
• Lefse Flatbread (Supermarkets sell a pre-packaged kind with butter and cinnamon)
  
• Reindeer Meat (Dried and cured sausage is very popular and can be found mad of a large variety of meats including reindeer and moose [elg]. Check with customs regulations, as in the US I've had reindeer sausage confiscated as it's considered a ruminant animal and therefore carries "a risk of mad cow disease.")
  
• Whale Meat (Often available at the Fisketorget market in Bergen, though I wouldn't plan to take it home. I don't know about Canadian customs, but the US customs officials told me it would be disallowed under the endangered species regulations, even though the Minke whale is not usually considered threatened)
  
• Freia brand Chocolate
  

Other items

 

• Cheese Slicers
  
• Knit Sweaters (These can be extremely expensive - thousands of kroner for a famous brand - but some tourist outlets sell cheaper versions. Alternatively, you can consider a hat or pair of mittens in a traditional pattern. Or check out second-hand shops like Fretex fordeeply-discounted high-end sweaters.)
  
• Silver Jewelry (The Norwegian national costume [bunad] is often adorned with silver jewelry in traditional patterns, most often a brooch, but also necklaces and earings. It's also possible to find jewelry with traditional viking designs.)
  
• Pewter
  
• Troll Figurines
  
• Sporting Equipment & Sportswear (Devold, Helly Hansen, Bergans of Norway, etc)
  
• Glasswear (from Hadelands and other Norwegian companies)
  

[KCcruisin07]

While in Norway, we found our best souvenirs in Bryggen, the section with wooden buildings along the wharf. There were many shops with souvenirs, and they were less expensive than in other ports.

[TLCOhio]

Foodstuffs

 

• Cloudberry Jam [mølte syltetøy]
  
• Smoked Salmon
  
• Black Licorice
  
• Lefse Flatbread (Supermarkets sell a pre-packaged kind with butter and cinnamon)
  
• Reindeer Meat (Dried and cured sausage is very popular and can be found mad of a large variety of meats including reindeer and moose [elg]. Check with customs regulations, as in the US I've had reindeer sausage confiscated as it's considered a ruminant animal and therefore carries "a risk of mad cow disease.")
  
• Whale Meat (Often available at the Fisketorget market in Bergen, though I wouldn't plan to take it home. I don't know about Canadian customs, but the US customs officials told me it would be disallowed under the endangered species regulations, even though the Minke whale is not usually considered threatened)
  
• Freia brand Chocolate
  

Other items

 

• Cheese Slicers
  
• Knit Sweaters (These can be extremely expensive - thousands of kroner for a famous brand - but some tourist outlets sell cheaper versions. Alternatively, you can consider a hat or pair of mittens in a traditional pattern. Or check out second-hand shops like Fretex fordeeply-discounted high-end sweaters.)
  
• Silver Jewelry (The Norwegian national costume [bunad] is often adorned with silver jewelry in traditional patterns, most often a brooch, but also necklaces and earings. It's also possible to find jewelry with traditional viking designs.)
  
• Pewter
  
• Troll Figurines
  
• Sporting Equipment & Sportswear (Devold, Helly Hansen, Bergans of Norway, etc)
  
• Glasswear (from Hadelands and other Norwegian companies)
  

 

 

THANKS, Meg! As always, super great info that I'm saving in my computer file for our July 1-16 Norway Coast cruise. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[tony@stanton19.freeserve.]

I did a bit of an onboard post when we were on the Jade's first trip to Norway in June 2008. I will try to find it and post the link.

I took way too many pictures of this fabulous cruise which may be viewed from my signature.

[tony@stanton19.freeserve.]

I did a bit of an onboard post when we were on the Jade's first trip to Norway in June 2008. I will try to find it and post the link.

I took way too many pictures of this fabulous cruise which may be viewed from my signature.

 

link is here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=804382&highlight=