Help me choose a Norwegian Cruise for my Mum

[popk1d]

I'm planning to take my Mum for a cruise for the first time in her life: she's talked for years (decades!) about wanting to see the Fjords. I'm assuming it's pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I want to get it right. I gather this forum is where the experts hang out, so I'm asking for advice.

 

She loves the idea of Hurtigruten:

* 'Scenic cruising' see the landscape/fjords during the day

* Smaller, more intimate boats

* "Authentic" Norwegian experience* (see my concerns!)

* Seeing a range of towns up the coast

 

I'm looking at the 7-day north-bound cruise, but I have some concerns/questions:

The boat stops at 34 ports! Looking at the itinerary, there's only 3-4 ports that you stop for more than an hour - even those are 2-3 hours. Most are just 30mins or so: hardly worth getting off the boat. I'm worried that we're really stuck on a (smallish) boat without many facilities for the whole time, and won't get to see anything much of the towns and culture of Norway.

 

What are the other good cruises/operators that I should consider? All the other operators I can see seem to sail exclusively at night, giving you full days in the towns, but seemingly little chance to see the coast go by.

 

What I'm looking for is a mix of both: some days with decent time in towns (maybe Tromso, Hammerfest, Trondheim, Bergen, etc) and some time to watch the scenery go by, especially Geirangerfjord during the day.

 

Does this kind of mix exist? I like the length of the Hurtigruten tour (6 days) but I'm prepared to give it longer if it's the right mix - up to 10 days.

 

I'd really appreciate your help in finding the good options that we should consider. I've never been on a cruise before either, so I'm very clueless on where to look.

[MeHeartCruising]

My 12 night Fjord cruise was a fairly traditional one with most sailing done during the night and arriving at new ports in the morning. I had stops in Stavanger, Bergen, Molde, Flam, Geiranger, Oslo, Olden, and Alesund (not in that order). Days are long in the summer months in Scandinavia. On port days, we typically departed at 5pm or 6pm. We still had a few hours of daylight to enjoy the sights on the way out of the deep fjords. Also, in the mornings, if I wanted to be awake, I could view the sights on the way in for an hour or two (although it was often foggy/cloudy during my cruise due to weather). With this arrangement, I felt like I saw a LOT of the coast line as we moved about. And I also had long days in ports to do shore excursions to see even more of the beautiful countryside, waterfalls, mountains and towns. A couple stops were more urban (Oslo and Bergen), which gave a nice alternative as well. Personally, I can't imagine what it would be like to be on a one week cruise with 34 stops and some only being an hour or less in time. I suppose that might be attractive to some, but not me.

[TLCOhio]

I'm planning to take my Mum for a cruise for the first time in her life: she's talked for years (decades!) about wanting to see the Fjords. I'm assuming it's pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I want to get it right. I gather this forum is where the experts hang out, so I'm asking for advice.

She loves the idea of Hurtigruten:

* 'Scenic cruising' see the landscape/fjords during the day

* Smaller, more intimate boats

* "Authentic" Norwegian experience* (see my concerns!)

* Seeing a range of towns up the coast

I'm looking at the 7-day north-bound cruise, but I have some concerns/questions: The boat stops at 34 ports! Looking at the itinerary, there's only 3-4 ports that you stop for more than an hour - even those are 2-3 hours. Most are just 30mins or so: hardly worth getting off the boat. I'm worried that we're really stuck on a (smallish) boat without many facilities for the whole time, and won't get to see anything much of the towns and culture of Norway. What are the other good cruises/operators that I should consider? All the other operators I can see seem to sail exclusively at night, giving you full days in the towns, but seemingly little chance to see the coast go by. What I'm looking for is a mix of both: some days with decent time in towns (maybe Tromso, Hammerfest, Trondheim, Bergen, etc) and some time to watch the scenery go by, especially Geirangerfjord during the day. Does this kind of mix exist? I like the length of the Hurtigruten tour (6 days) but I'm prepared to give it longer if it's the right mix - up to 10 days. I'd really appreciate your help in finding the good options that we should consider. I've never been on a cruise before either, so I'm very clueless on where to look.

 

Welcome to these Cruise Critic boards. Lots of great ideas and people are here on these boards 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.

 

We didn't sail on Hurtigruten, but saw a number of ships as we sailed and in the various ports.

 

Tell us more about your budget, ages, personal and travel interests, past Europe travel experience, etc. How much are you interested in history? Countrysides vs. cities? Museums, food, music, shopping, architecture, culture, etc.? How much of it in a leisurely style versus fast-paced? Then, with more detailed and specific information from you, we can make better, more specific suggestions on what best fits your needs and interests.

 

Will the Hurtigruten "style" fit you and your mother's interests, style? Some of their options are more "basic" than what some like and expect. How "small" of a ship offers the right "things" as she sails along this scenic coast?

 

You can look through my live/blog for many pictures and details on such great places as Bergen, the fjords, etc. Be happy to provide additional info and answer other questions after learning more details from you about your mother's interests, travel style.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

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 82,195 views.

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

 

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 105,110 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

 

 

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 picture shows the Bergen Floibanen funicular railway coming up the steep hill with the harbor, fish market, etc. in the background of this charming Norway coastal town with so much great history and architecture. On the top, somewhat right, the Silver Cloud and Costa ships can be seen in the harbor.

 

 

 

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.:

 

 

 

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, 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. Here is this view, at a lower level, that 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.:

 

[popk1d]

Tell us more about your budget, ages, personal and travel interests, past Europe travel experience, etc. How much are you interested in history? Countrysides vs. cities? Museums, food, music, shopping, architecture, culture, etc.? How much of it in a leisurely style versus fast-paced? Then, with more detailed and specific information from you, we can make better, more specific suggestions on what best fits your needs and interests.

 

Will the Hurtigruten "style" fit you and your mother's interests, style? Some of their options are more "basic" than what some like and expect. How "small" of a ship offers the right "things" as she sails along this scenic coast?

---

 

I know she is put off by the idea of 'big ship' cruising: bars, pools, shops, etc. She wants to get a sense of Norway, and that seems to be what Hurtigruten sell themselves on. I'm just not convinced how real that is yet.

 

Interested in the landscape, the towns, the people of Norway. History and culture more than shopping, activities and excursions. Definitely more country than cities.

 

I'm lucky that while 'the cheaper the better' budget is not our main concern: like I say - I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm late 30's and my Mum is, let's say, older than that, but fit and active. I think basic is no barrier - in fact simple will appeal to my Mum. I'm concerned that if we're spending all the time on the boat (with the short stops of Hurtigruten) getting bored might be a possibility. That's why I'm looking for advice and experience of people here.

 

We're looking to go in Spring 2013 - say mid-April to mid-May. So it looks like sunset at about 9pm according to Google.

 

Does this help? Thanks for offering the benefit of your experience.

[Alaskanb]

You may want to read the Hurtigruten section of Cruise Critic--it is under cruise lines. It could give you an idea of what folks are planning in the different ports. We have looked at H but had similar questions to you and decided on a Baltic adventure instead. Our first cruise was to Alaska this past May and found we could participate as much or as little, in our case, as we wanted to in shipboard activities.

[alexandra cruiser]

a little too "basic" from the reviews ,posts,googling,,etc...plus seems too many stops at ports,,but very litle time to really SEE anything.

 

We ended up on 400 passenger Seabourn,,,quite a difference ,,I agree..but was WORTH EVERY PENNY...small enough to get into many ports big ships can t ...time to see the sites,,,

 

Lots of ships,,both large and small,,do the Fjiords....need to research and find which one is exactly right for BOTH of you.;)

[kaisatsu]

The Hurtigruten isn't really a cruise ship. It's a ferry that Norwegians traditionally used to get from town to town along the coast, and essentially that's what it still is. The reason the port calls are so short is that those are towns where a few people may get on or off, but otherwise no one is really going ashore, and frankly there isn't always much in these little towns. A few houses, a church, a shop. Populations in many of the fjord towns are often only a few hundred people.

 

Although Hurtigruten markets the Bergen-Kirkenes routes as a cruise package, even today you can still book point-to-point passage from one tiny town to another, instead of a meal plan you can buy food a la carte, and you can even make some trips without booking a cabin (an old backpacker trend was to do the whole route just sleeping in the corner of a lounge, but I don't know if they still allow that).

 

The newer, larger Hurtigruten ships include some of the basic cruise ship amenities, like hot tubs and a gift shop, and the variety of services varies greatly depending on the ship. The oldest/smallest ships can be quite basic.

 

The draw of the Hurtigruten is the scenery rather than the ports. The ship hugs the coastline almost the entire trip, so you get lots of scenic cruising. However, as you mentioned the time in ports is short. In the bigger cities they dock for a few hours, so you can get off and walk around, but you definitely won't be seeing more than one or two attractions.

 

To address a few of your points directly...

What I'm looking for is a mix of both: some days with decent time in towns (maybe Tromso, Hammerfest, Trondheim, Bergen, etc) and some time to watch the scenery go by, especially Geirangerfjord during the day.

Any cruise that visits Geiranger as a port will sail through Geirangerfjord. If you're on the Hurtigruten trip that includes it (I forget whether it's northbound or southbound), I believe there are some optional overland trips you can book through them to give yourself more time there and then meet the ship back at another port. (Geiranger is one of those tiny towns with a population around 250, so it's just a drop-off/pick-up stop for the ferry.)

 

On a traditional cruise you'll have a full day in one of the towns and then the sea days are usually fully at sea. A few itineraries include scenic cruising without a port call, but this is fairly uncommon and should be indicated on the itinerary. On the Hurtigruten, you'll have some scenery a lot of the time you're sailing, but the port calls are shorter.

 

I like the length of the Hurtigruten tour (6 days) but I'm prepared to give it longer if it's the right mix - up to 10 days.

With only 6-7 days, you'll really only be able to visit the southern part of the coast. Most traditional cruises of this length will visit about four ports in the most famous fjord area. Typically Bergen, Geiranger, Ålesund, Olden, or Flåm. They usually only reach the northern part of Norway on 11-12 night sailings or longer.

 

We're looking to go in Spring 2013 - say mid-April to mid-May

That's fairly early in the season, so you will have very few sailings from the major cruiselines. They typically start their Norwegian coastal season in May or even June, but there are a few early-May sailings on the shorter southern-fjord routes. If you want to visit the northern ports that early in the season, there will be very few sailings other than the Hurtigruten.

 

One additional comment, since she's interested in Norwegian culture and you're considering that time of year: May 17 is the national holiday, and it's a very interesting day to be in one of the Norwegian cities, since many of the locals don the national costume (bunad) to celebrate their strong national spirit.

[shoreham01]

The others are quite right regarding it being a ferry rather than a cruise ship. There is no entertainment, just a nice lounge to sit in. From what I understand the food is not always included, it may be half board or full board or nothing. Even if it is full board, it will not include coffee or snacks which you may require if you are sitting about all day.

 

Everything in Norway is really really expensive (yes I meant to write really twice). On a cruise ship such as Princess and Celebrity and probably the others too, you can at least go up to the buffet and help yourself to inbetween snacks and there is free tea and coffee and sometimes cold drinks up there too. The food will be far superior with lots more choice than the rather basic food on the Hurtigruten.

 

You will also have plenty of entertainment. You can still sit on deck and watch the world go by, the scenery all around Norway is just wonderful. You will get the chance to get off the ship and explore as most of the time the ships stop most of the day at ports.

 

I would say that if you do decide to go on the Hurtigruten then make sure it is one of the new ships as the old ones can be very noisy and you can feel vibrations. When we stayed in Tromso for a week we went and had a look around a couple of their ships. The lounges were lovely and the cabins although basic were quite ok. Unfortunately I cannot remember the names of the ships, I just know one was much older than the other. The newer one did not seem to vibrate as much, even though it was docked. We heard from some passengers that there was a little noise during the night as they still stop at the little ports and take on deliveries and drop off deliveries.

 

It is an adventure, but I would only want to go on one if I won a holiday

[Chelseadub]

I did the Fjords with Princess Cruises. A seven day cruise from Southampton to Bergen through to Stavenger ticked all the boxes. You wake up entering a beautiful port have ample time to explore the area and relax on your balcony early evening enjoying the view. Shore excursions pricey but easy to go it alone.