Brilliance OTS, 2 June 2012 Trip Report - the Norway, no, Denmark, no, Norway Cruise

[Cotswold Eagle]

I have just seen the next set of photos. I have tears in my eyes and I am not peeling onions. It may not be in the next 2 years because I have promised trips. But I will do it. There is not one shadow of a doubt. Thanks for putting up those 3 pictures. They are enough to make me see that I should have been more persuasive with DH and we would have been on the Brilliance this July.

 

Uh, oh! I don't want to be the cause of a domestic dispute. Whenever you go, the fjords will still be there. :)

[villauk]

David,

 

Your photos are bringing back such happy memories. I just wish my photos were as good as yours. I did spot us on a couple of yours :eek: though.

 

We also thought it was a fantastic cruise; Norway is definitely a place we would like to return to.

 

Jenny

[Cotswold Eagle]

David,

 

Your photos are bringing back such happy memories. I just wish my photos were as good as yours. I did spot us on a couple of yours :eek: though.

 

We also thought it was a fantastic cruise; Norway is definitely a place we would like to return to.

 

Jenny

 

Hi, Jenny. I hope you got back home without any dramas?!

 

I figure if you take enough photos, some of them will turn out OK :)

 

David

[ollienbertsmum]

Uh, oh! I don't want to be the cause of a domestic dispute

 

Too late, my divorce lawyer is heading to the Cotswolds as I type. You are going to be used in evidence.

[Guest maddycat]

Your pictures are bringing back many wonderful memories for us. We did a 10 night British Iles and Norwegian Fjords cruise in 1999 on the Splendor of the Seas. We stopped at 4 Norwegian ports. The scenery was breath taking.

[Jason12]

Great review and photos we are going fjords on the AOS August 2013..

[2tall]

Uh oh. We have been considering a B2B Norwegian fjords/Baltic cruise for 2015 (assuming the itineraries stay pretty much the same). I've been wincing at the thought of how much this will cost...but now that I've seen your pictures, I'd better start saving up. You've convinced me. Thanks for this review and I will follow this thread with great interest.

[Cotswold Eagle]

As you can see from the photos, Geiranger is a tender port, although the ride to shore is only three or four minutes. For the first hour (and a bit) only those with tender tickets (either those doing ship's excursions or those who have collected them earlier, from the Sports Bar, if I remember correctly) were allowed ashore. I am doing an excursion later in the day, so I had a spot of lunch on board before heading to shore.

 

Immediately where the tenders drop passengers there are a few souvenir shops and just a few metres away is the useful Tourist Information Office. Here you can book a limited number of tours, pick up hiking maps, change money (although all the shops seem to take Euros, Dollars and Sterling) or use the Internet. There are also free brochures for other parts of Norway, so I picked up information on our three other ports of call. Another option for getting local currency is an ATM at the general store, a short walk further round the shore, which I used with no problems (English instructions are displayed).

 

The tender dock to the right, with shops in front and tourist information beyond

 

The tourist information office

 

Geiranger is a small village with a permanent population of less than 300, although this is swelled with seasonal workers. There are limited facilities for tourists, but there are some cafes and a tiny chocolate "factory", as well as the souvenir shops. There is also a "hop on" bus (the "office" is in a small trailer a few metres up the hill from the centre of town), which goes to the same viewpoints as the more expensive ship excursions, and bicycles, scooters and cars for hire. There is a sightseeing boat up the fjord and an operator offering RIB rides.

 

Beware - if you book the RIB Adventure, you will have to dress like this. Also in shot, the cycle and scooter rental place and the Chocolate ("Sjokolade") Factory. If you follow this road round to the shore you reach the general store.

 

Looking back to the village from the road climbing out of town. The bus and taxi "office" is just round the bend at the bottom, a very short climb from the tourist information office.

 

I walked up the road to the tiny, octagonal church, which is worth a visit. I also looked round the small graveyard, with the depiction of names reminding me how small a community this is without several thousand cruise passengers in town. I note that despite what must be very difficult conditions back in the day, many Geiranger-ans lived to a ripe old age, although I can't help wondering what tragedy befell the mother and young child who both died on the same day in 1936.

 

Geiranger Church

 

It is a tradition in these parts to hang a model ship in the church

 

After my little exploration of Geiranger village I headed back on board, as the meeting point for my excursion was, slightly oddly, in the main theatre back on the ship.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Cotswold Eagle

[Cotswold Eagle]

Uh oh. We have been considering a B2B Norwegian fjords/Baltic cruise for 2015 (assuming the itineraries stay pretty much the same). I've been wincing at the thought of how much this will cost...but now that I've seen your pictures, I'd better start saving up.

 

Blimey, that's one divorce and now an insolvency I am responsible for :D

[Cotswold Eagle]

We met in the theatre at 3.45 pm for a 4 pm excursion, but we had to wait for returning buses and tenders from the earlier tours, so we didn't actually get underway until 4.40 pm. We were led down to a tender reserved for us (they depart from Deck 2) and then across to coaches about 100 metres from the tender dock. This area was a bit chaotic with tours arriving back and leaving all at the same time. But it was simple enough to find the right coach, with our guide a young Swede who was spending the summer in Geiranger.

 

This panorama tour visited two view points at opposite ends of the village. First of all we went up the new Eagle Road, which was built to provide all year round access over the mountains. Our guide provided an interesting commentary and some tall tales of farmers in these hills. At the first view point, Orenesvingen, we got views up the fjord towards the Seven Sisters and back towards the village.

 

The view point

 

Looking towards Seven Sisters

 

The busy port of Geiranger

 

The tour then went back through the village and up into the hills at the end of the valley climbing past the church I visited earlier and the fjord centre. The next viewpoint, Flydalsjuvet, provided views back to the fjord.

 

Some more of my closest friends!

 

Looking back up the Geirangerfjord

 

In this shot you can see the Eagle Road snaking up the side of the fjord at right centre. And a slightly more precarious viewpoint at bottom right...

Edited June 17, 2012 by Cotswold Eagle

[Cotswold Eagle]

We were then supposed to go up to the top of a mountain called Dalsnibba for a spectacular view, but this early in the season the road was not open all the way. We drove up above the tree line and to the heights where snow was still lying. Our final stop was a frozen and snow covered lake at an altitude of 1030 metres, called Djupvasshytta. Here we frolicked in the snow and there was an opportunity to visit a restaurant and shop.

 

Djupvasshytta

 

Still quite a lot of snow up here!

 

The frozen lake

 

The coach then retraced its tracks down the road back to Geiranger, in time for a last look round the shops for a bit of souvenir shopping, before catching a tender back to the ship, just in time for dinner.

 

A view of the road - the coach (and other) drivers here are extremely professional and take great care, but I can understand that some people might find these roads a little scary

 

A shot from the moving bus, showing an avalanche scar to the left - these hills are dangerous for the uninitiated

 

A quick word about timings - I believe RCI has itineraries that arrive in Geiranger at different times, sometimes early and sometimes at midday, as we did. If I remember correctly, the times for the excursions on the RCI website didn't match the reality when we got to Geiranger, but I'm not sure. Certainly my ticket had the correct (intended time). My top tip would be to make sure to double check the time on your tickets (which were waiting for me in my cabin on day 1 in Amsterdam) if you have plans to do more than one thing here.

[Cruzin-K]

Wow!

 

Anyone know a good bankruptcy lawyer? :D

 

I've been following a thread on a fabulous British Isles cruise over on the Princess board, and now this one. If I spend an entire summer cruising all over Europe, I wonder if I'll have enough money left over for the return flight to the U.S. :confused: Probably not - guess I'll just have to stay over there and keep cruising :p

[Cotswold Eagle]

Some people may not be familiar with tendering - basically you use four of the larger boats on the ship (which double as life boats) to get from ship to shore and back again. They are not the most comfortable ride, but those on Brilliance have an upper open deck, which I am assuming is not used in an emergency! The tender station on the ship is very substantial and should prove no problem to those with some mobility issues.

 

One of our tenders, with open top deck!

 

They usually hang here

 

A Costa tender making a late run from the Fortuna (Eagle Road in the background)

 

One of two Brilliance tender stations - there is a lift for wheelchairs by the left hand stairs

 

Heading "home" at the end of a long but fantastic day

 

This evening at dinner, Eamonn and Deidre were not present (but I noticed a family at my "old" table, the only night they appeared). My two dining companions had organised their own tour - taking the sightseeing boat up the fjord, being dropped off at one of the farms and hiking back. It turns out, when I catch up with them the next day, that this hike was much harder and took much longer than they anticipated, with some sheer climbs and narrow paths. If you see this option, I would suggest caution. There are easier hikes from the village itself, and a trail map available at the tourist information. My tablemates ended up on the last tender back to the ship at 8.30 pm (although they had been back in slightly better time and got a beer from the general store before heading back to the ship).

 

Tonight's dinner for me was mussels & scallops gratin (a reprise of the escargot dish, with shellfish), a sirloin, and hazelnut chocolate tart, which were all very tasty, although I know the butter and garlic on the appetiser is not to everyone's taste. I am afraid to say I missed the show again tonight (another 10.45 pm performance for late diners), which according to my Compass was a juggling act, Daniel Hochsteiner, and two of the Royal Caribbean singers, Tracy and Reuben. An early night for me, looking forward to Aalesund tomorrow.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Well, I'm afraid time has caught up with me - the end of the weekend, and I have only got as far as Geiranger! We have Aalesund, Molde and Bergen to go yet, but I have some heavy work commitments the next few days. But I promise to post when I can, and we WILL get back to Amsterdam. I want to share as much as I can of this fabulous adventure on Brilliance of the Seas.

 

I disclaim any and all responsibilities for the effect this review has on fellow cruisers :D

 

Keep following.

 

David

[Cotswold Eagle]

Make that 2 divorces, and one insolvent more. After reading this the DW is going to make me go. Great review so far.

 

Oh, heck :eek:

[Mademypoint]

Thanks and I look forward to reading the rest :)

[erbunny]

What a wonderful review, and your pictures are beautiful. Thanks you so much for making this effort, I feel like I am there, yet also

it is making me want to take this cruise.

[splogger]

What fabulous review!!! I have done this trip many years ago, and they are good pics, but I believe the Cotswold has many more beautiful views!!! Loved it there. Keep them coming though, I am really enjoying them. Christine:)

[unberwoob]

David

 

Thanks for the great review. We fly to Amsterdam in a couple of days for thr 21 June cruise.

 

Dennis

[critterchick]

Wow!

 

Anyone know a good bankruptcy lawyer? :D

 

I've been following a thread on a fabulous British Isles cruise over on the Princess board, and now this one. If I spend an entire summer cruising all over Europe, I wonder if I'll have enough money left over for the return flight to the U.S. :confused: Probably not - guess I'll just have to stay over there and keep cruising :p

 

Just make your way to England and take one of the Cunard Queens home!:D

[rubrrick]

Just make your way to England and take one of the Cunard Queens home!:D

 

 

Jean, have you tried a Cunard TA yet?? We are planning that for next year, over on the Vision to Denmark, then we have a canal trip planned, and returning to New York on Cunard.:)

 

Rick

[critterchick]

Jean, have you tried a Cunard TA yet?? We are planning that for next year, over on the Vision to Denmark, then we have a canal trip planned, and returning to New York on Cunard.:)

 

Rick

 

Not yet. Some day!

[jomarb]

Thanks, David, for the wonderful photos of your trip. We leave on Thursday and are very excited about seeing this beautiful part of the world. And the Brilliance is our favorite ship so it will be doubly exciting.

 

Jo-Anne

[Jetscot]

Came across this thread by accident and really enjoying it. Been to Molde a couple of years ago and loved it. Will definately do the Fjords one day. Brilliance is my favourite ship too!

Janette

[drarill]

I'm enjoying your review and pictures!!! Thanks for sharing!!:)