Our First Fjords Cruise

[toester74]

Hi Everyone

 

We have just booked our first ever Fjords cruise and as a result, im looking for some help and guidance from any 'experienced hands'

 

We are travelling on the P&O Ventura on 1st September 2012 and our ports of call are

 

Stavanger

Skjolden

Geiranger

Bergen

 

As mentioned, we are total newbies when it come to the Fjords so id really appreciatte if anyone has some comments on each of the destinations, ideas on what to do and where to go and any other hints or tips of advice

 

Hoping for replies x

[soccerref]

We loved our Fjords cruise on Arcadia in 2008.

Below I have pasted the parts of my review which cover Bergen and Stavanger. You may find the info useful although things may have changed a little since then.

Have a great time.

 

 

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 pp (£7) 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.

 

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.

 

StavangerWe 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.

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.

[TLCOhio]

Hi Everyone. We have just booked our first ever Fjords cruise and as a result, im looking for some help and guidance from any 'experienced hands'. We are travelling on the P&O Ventura on 1st September 2012 and our ports of call are: Stavanger, Skjolden, Geiranger, Bergen. As mentioned, we are total newbies when it come to the Fjords so id really appreciatte if anyone has some comments on each of the destinations, ideas on what to do and where to go and any other hints or tips of advice. Hoping for replies.

 

You wanted "replies"? Here comes and I'm "experienced" (or have lots of grey hair if that counts)!

 

As noted below, you can see a complete live/blog that I did regarding our sailing up and down the Norway Coast. This includes stops in both Geiranger and Bergen. Both are spectacular and very special. Check out these postings for many more pictures, lots of details, etc. Skjolden is very, very small and at the far end of what some rate as Norway's best and longest fjord. Stavanger is more the center of the major Norway oil business. We have not been here. It seem OK, but Bergen is the real superstar for history, great architecture, etc.

 

As the seat of Norway’s medieval kingdom of Norway for six centuries, Bergen is a former Viking stronghold encircled by deep fjords, towering mountains, and sweeping glaciers. Today's Bergen has much of the medieval flavor remaining around Bergen's harbor. We explored the cobblestone streets, saw its pastel-color wooden houses, bargained in some of the many artisans' workshops and visited the famous and always-entertaining Fish Market. You can watch the locals haggling over today's catch and enjoy a quayside lunch of freshly caught salmon or fish and chips.

 

Rated by Frommers as more scenic than Oslo, Bergen was the base of the medieval Hanseatic merchants. Those historic timbered houses are set around Bryggen or The Wharf, a center for crafts and workshops. Its prime row is mostly reconstructed 14th-century structures, some of which were originally destroyed by fire. Det Hansseatiske Museum depicts commercial life on the wharf in the early 18th century and is highly rates with well-preserved wooden structure. Its art museums are highly-rated with religious icon, local art, etc.

 

We did a special two-hour tour for our group of six with Anne Lien, the owner of Bergen Guide Service. You can reach Anne at http://www.bergenguideservice.no or by e-mail at anne@bergenguideservice.no.

 

Anne was great in giving us the details about the unique history of the Hanseatic merchants, how their building were built, what’s caused the crooked-look of today and what’s being done to preserve these unique structures.

 

In the afternoon, after some of the big crowds had lessened, we took the Floibanen funicular railway to the top of a 1050-foot high peak for scenic views. This cable car has been operating for over 80 years and was refurbished in 2002. The Funicular Lower Station is situated 150 meters from the Fish Market. At the top of the Mount Floyen, there are hiking trails and places for lunch or dinner. The trip takes seven minutes and both cars are on the same cable going up and down. Mariakirken or St. Mary’s Church is the most outstanding Romanesque church in Norway. Bergen is Norway’s largest port and has a population of 252,000. Scenic Bergen completed our voyage with its dramatic backdrop of seven rounded mountains and cobbled streets. It entices you to take memories and photos cherishing the land of the Norsemen.

 

Tourism Office: http://www.visitbergen.com/en

 

We docked at the fairly handy Skoltegrunskaien Pier. This put us within about a 10-15 minute walk of the main attractions at the market and warehouse area.

 

Below are a few of my highlight pictures for these two areas. Need more? Reactions and needs for added information?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 63,294 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 58,073 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

This picture shows the Bergen Floibanen funicular railway coming up the steep hill with the harbor, fish market, etc. in the background. On the top, somewhat right, the Silver Cloud and Costa ships can be seen in the harbor, plus nearby scenic areas, etc.

 

 

 

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, etc. :

 

 

 

Right near the Hanseatic merchant warehouse area is the Bergen Fish Market with lots of options to buy food to eat on site or just watch, enjoying the “show” as people ask questions and buy the various fresh fish items.:

 

 

 

Bergenhus Festning Castle is located in the entrance to Bergen’s harbor and is one of the oldest, best-preserved castles in Norway. Shown is Rosenkrantz Tower, built in the mid 1500’s with dungeons on the ground floor, cannons on the top floor, etc. :

 

 

 

This is the super scenic view from immediately above Geiranger that shows the Silver Cloud and Costa ships tendered. A little before this picture, we were to go to Mt. Dalsnibba as a photo stop from this 4,920-foot vantage for the snow-covered surrounding mountains, icy glaciers, crystalline lakes and Geirangerfjord far below. We went there, but it was totally “socked in”. It was so thick, you could barely find your bus on this day on top of the big mountain crowded with lots of buses from the Costa ship. But this view, at a lower level, makes up for that problems and provided a wonderful vista.:

 

 

 

After being tendered from Geiranger, we sailed out and passed by two super famous waterfalls. YES, yes, we saw lots and lots of waterfalls on this trip, but these two were among the “best of the best”. First is the “Seven Sisters”. Directly opposite in this narrow fjord, it is called several names, including “The Suitor”. The majesty for these feats of nature is pretty amazing.:

 

[Cros14by]

Hi..we are also first timers and it's sort of overwhelming to decide what to do. We are travelling on Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas at the end of July. We are stopping at Bergen, Stavanger, Alesund, Oslo & Geiranger. We have looked at the cruise options and while the Lysefjord Cruise looked interesting, I would like to climb to the top of pulpit mountain but there appears to be no true hikes published. We want to be mindful, of course, of the ship's schedule and I was wondering if anyone had done a hike up to the top, if you got there from the ship (and how) and/or if you did the Fjord Cruise and what did you think of it? This will likely not be my only question but I'll start there! Thanks.

[TLCOhio]

Hi..we are also first timers and it's sort of overwhelming to decide what to do. We are travelling on Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas at the end of July. We are stopping at Bergen, Stavanger, Alesund, Oslo & Geiranger. We have looked at the cruise options and while the Lysefjord Cruise looked interesting, I would like to climb to the top of pulpit mountain but there appears to be no true hikes published. We want to be mindful, of course, of the ship's schedule and I was wondering if anyone had done a hike up to the top, if you got there from the ship (and how) and/or if you did the Fjord Cruise and what did you think of it? This will likely not be my only question but I'll start there! Thanks.

 

Welcome to these Cruise Critic boards. Lots of great ideas and people are here and they are happy to help. Don't be shy!! The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask. Keep researching and planning. It is very helpful. In many of these great ports, you have many, many options. As you ask questions for the future, tell folks about your personal interests, needs, travel style, past Europe experiences, etc. That helps us make better suggestions to fit your exact interests/needs.

 

Below are some preview pictures for Alesund and Oslo to get you excited for what you will be seeing and enjoying there, plus Bergen, the fjords, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 63,497 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 58,427 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

 

 

You go on these Norway Coast cruises for the spectacular fjords. From the journey to Flam, Gudvangen and Sognerfjord, here is one picture giving you a sampling of the skies and views for these beautiful internal coastlines of the fjords.

 

 

 

This is the dramatic overview of Alesund from the Aksla vantage point. This spot allows a nearly 360-degree view of this setting for this island city and the surrounding mountains and islands. It is at a 597’ height overlooking the five islands making up the scenic town.:

 

 

 

At a lower, street-level part of Alesund, here are some of the buildings along the central waterway, plus a nice statue.:

 

 

 

This picture shows the main, historic fortress next to where many cruise ships dock in Oslo. The fortress construction started around the late 1290’s. The very interesting Norwegian Resistance museum can be visited there. Norwegian Royalty have been buried in the Royal Mausoleum in the castle. A portion of this fortress was replicated at the Norway pavilion at Disney’s Epcot Center.:

 

 

 

Vigeland Park has a wide variety of outdoor sculptures in a super, wonderful setting that is a highlight for Oslo. Its admission is free and the views and art are "priceless". It is open 24/7 so hours are not an issue.:

 

 

 

Here is Oslo’s City Hall exterior. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here annually in early December. On the inside are a wide variety art and design items.:

 

[kaisatsu]

We have looked at the cruise options and while the Lysefjord Cruise looked interesting, I would like to climb to the top of pulpit mountain but there appears to be no true hikes published. We want to be mindful, of course, of the ship's schedule and I was wondering if anyone had done a hike up to the top, if you got there from the ship (and how) and/or if you did the Fjord Cruise and what did you think of it?

I wanted to do this, but with our port timings, the schedule for the ferries was too tight for comfort. However, I know that at least one person on the board has managed to do the hike during a port call.

 

There was a small bit of discussion about this a few days ago:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1566287

 

I found that the Lonely Planet Norway book had quite thorough details on how to get to the starting point for the hike. You can probably also find quite a bit of information online as well if you search for things like "hike preikestolen" and "preikestolen ferry bus timings." There's a lot of detailed information on VirtualTourist. And Tide has a link to the timetable for the ferry and bus, and also seems to offer online sales for the tickets:

http://www.tidereiser.com/Hikingtour-Pulpitrock

[camly]

Hi there,

 

This post is for everyone who cares to answer but as time is limited, I haven't figured out how to start a new thread hence tagging on this post. By the way, thank you for those beautiful photos.

 

I am thinking to book the cruise with these iteneries to include Iceland, going at the end of July. We are all "up for it" except my 11yrs old son. He said he will come along as it will be a family holiday but he is not as enthusiastic as if we went to one of the warmer places. We have cruised to the Baltic ie Russia, Helsinski, Tallin... two years ago and we knew that he did not have as such a good time as at the other cruises. We think part of it was the weather and part of it there were not many children at the similar age as his on the cruise. If you have any experiences for the above points and please let me know what an 11 yrs boys could do at the port and please let me know. He is not a great walker (2/3 miles at his best) but loves football and sports, whilst our 14yrs old daughter loves to explore the sightseeing and museum...It is a big task to make evryone happy. Hope you could give me some ideas.Many thanks.