Norway cruise itinerary

[cruisewiththekids]

I am planning a cruise to Norway in 2014. After some research, I would like an itinerary that includes both Geiranger and Flam. With those two selections, it seems to limit me to only three ships; RCCL Legend, Celebrity Eclipse and NCL Star. Also, it limits me to only dates in May, one date in very early June or one date at the end of August. Also, two depart from Copenhagen and one from Southampton.

 

So I'm looking for advice on the following:

 

Pros and cons of a sailing in May.

Pros and cons of sailing from Copenhagen vs. Southampton.

Comparison of the three ships.

Am I wrong to limit myself to those three ships that visit Geirganer and Flam? Are other ports equally good?

 

Thanks.

[LHT28]

How many days are you looking at?

 

Some longer cruises do both ports

[cruisewiththekids]

How many days are you looking at?

 

Some longer cruises do both ports

 

 

I was looking at 7nt.

[Alaskanb]

We booked the 7 day August 9 Emerald Princess out of Southampton that originally included Flam --then the itinerary changed from Flam to Skjolden. At first I was annoyed now I'm happy to be going to a quieter port. It helped me to look at detailed maps of the fjords and several guide books before deciding that it was the "fjord" experience that was important and not that one port was slightly more picturesque than others.

[LHT28]

I am planning a cruise to Norway in 2014. After some research, I would like an itinerary that includes both Geiranger and Flam. With those two selections, it seems to limit me to only three ships; RCCL Legend, Celebrity Eclipse and NCL Star. Also, it limits me to only dates in May, one date in very early June or one date at the end of August. Also, two depart from Copenhagen and one from Southampton.

 

So I'm looking for advice on the following:

 

Pros and cons of a sailing in May.

Pros and cons of sailing from Copenhagen vs. Southampton.

Comparison of the three ships.

Am I wrong to limit myself to those three ships that visit Geirganer and Flam? Are other ports equally good?

 

Thanks.

 

We went in mid June one year the snow melting on the mountains is spectacular in Fjords

We found many ports in Norway that we like it may depend on what your interested in

Bergen & Oslo were very good for jusr walking around

Flam & Geiranger the for scenery

 

If you could stretch to a longer cruise you would see more ports

 

Enjoy

 

Lyn

[hallasm]

I have done the RCCL Norwegian Fjords - chosing RCCL, Celebrity or NCL depends on your preferences for cruise line and then the itinerary / ports of call - Geiranger, Flåm and Bergen are my recommendations.

 

Being from Denmark, I'll suggest a cruise from Copenhagen - and also suggest late May or early June when there still is snow at the mountains.

 

I did Ålesund, Geiranger, Flåm and Bergen from Copenhagen first week of June 2013. See the review of the cruise and watch the videos at my Norwegian Fjords Blog

[kaisatsu]

The biggest pro for May is that the waterfalls are very likely to be active because of the new snow melt. Also it tends to be less crowded. The cons are that some tourist infrastructure could still be on low-season schedules, especially in early May. Because it's the tail-end of spring, you may not be able to get as far up into the mountains, so being able to make it all the way up Dalsnibba at Geiranger is much more unlikely in May if that matters. Lastly, it's statistically likely to be cooler than later months, but the weather is a notorious gamble at any time.

 

As for Copenhagen vs Southampton, it depends on what you want to see/do pre-cruise and what air options make more sense. With zero other considerations, I would probably favor Copenhagen because the port is closer (no need to connect from London, though the rail trip isn't particularly long or complicated) and Schengen immigration at CPH is likely to be much faster than UK border control flying into London, which can often take ages if you're not an EU/EEA citizen.

 

As for Flåm and Geiranger specifically, I do agree that Geiranger is worth making a must-see, but I'm curious about Flåm. Unless you're a serious train aficionado, I don't see a huge advantage over many of the other fjord ports, especially since the bigger ships don't sail the UNESCO-listed part of Sognefjord (to Gudvangen).

[cruisewiththekids]

The biggest pro for May is that the waterfalls are very likely to be active because of the new snow melt. Also it tends to be less crowded. The cons are that some tourist infrastructure could still be on low-season schedules, especially in early May. Because it's the tail-end of spring, you may not be able to get as far up into the mountains, so being able to make it all the way up Dalsnibba at Geiranger is much more unlikely in May if that matters. Lastly, it's statistically likely to be cooler than later months, but the weather is a notorious gamble at any time.

 

As for Copenhagen vs Southampton, it depends on what you want to see/do pre-cruise and what air options make more sense. With zero other considerations, I would probably favor Copenhagen because the port is closer (no need to connect from London, though the rail trip isn't particularly long or complicated) and Schengen immigration at CPH is likely to be much faster than UK border control flying into London, which can often take ages if you're not an EU/EEA citizen.

 

As for Flåm and Geiranger specifically, I do agree that Geiranger is worth making a must-see, but I'm curious about Flåm. Unless you're a serious train aficionado, I don't see a huge advantage over many of the other fjord ports, especially since the bigger ships don't sail the UNESCO-listed part of Sognefjord (to Gudvangen).

 

 

Tell me more about sailing to Flam. I assumed we would see Sognefjord. What do you consider to be the bigger ships? Maybe the ships I'm considering wouldn't sail there.

[Carnita]

The 17th of May is Norways national day. So if you are here then you also will see lots of Norwegians in their national costumes. I guess that could be a pretty sight. But of course, most shops will be closed this day.

[LondonTowner]

We did a Fjord cruise in mid June. We generally had good weather apart from the day we were in Bergen. There was torrential rain and it was windy.

 

Other cruise lines like Cunard, P and O and Fred Olsen also cruise to Norway.

[TLCOhio]

Tell me more about sailing to Flam. I assumed we would see Sognefjord. What do you consider to be the bigger ships? Maybe the ships I'm considering wouldn't sail there.

 

From Meg/kaisatsu, she has, as always, given some excellent ideas/options. There are clearly a number of factors to consider. As detailed in my live/blog below, we did both Geirganer and Flam. Yes, on the way to Flam, you'll see some wonderful sights. Below are a few of my visual samples. For weather, July will be your "best" month. Does not mean that the other months are "bad". Just that July offers the best odds for having a good mix of temperatures, conditions, etc. Plus this added info for Flam and its fjord:

 

Flam, with a population of about 500, is nestled in a tributary of the world's longest and deepest fjord. It is 128 miles long and has a maximum depth of 4,291 feet. On the question of how deep are these fjords, local say: “A mermaid could swim all the way to China.” The chief attraction here is the 73-year-old Flam Railway. It includes twenty tunnels and eight stops as it goes up the mountain. This rail lines rises from Flam’s gingerbread rail station going up 2,835 feet to Myrdal and this "Roof of Norway" rail station. In 2010, this railway was chosen as one of the top ten most beautiful train journeys in Europe by National Geographic Traveler Magazine. In 2012, there was a new passenger record of 635,368 riders carried. That is a big jump up in ridership from 475K in 2005 and 380K in 1994.

Railroad website with more history and technical details for its construction, operations: http://www.flaamsbana.no/eng.

 

Personally, we super loved Copenhagen as a "base" from which to start and do this cruising. KEY NORWAY COAST QUESTION: A major challenge is whether to just focus on the lower Norway fjords, Bergen, etc. Nice and wonderful. BUT, there is the option of going up, UP farther north, above the Arctic Circle, seeing such great places as the Lofoten Islands, the North Cape, interesting cities such as Tromso and Trondheim, etc., in taking more time to go more north. Only doing the lower portion requires less time, has more sailing/ship options and costs less. That’s very good! BUT, if you can take the added time, seeing farther up this Norway coast can be very special and unique. Especially, if you really love/seek nature, great scenery, wildlife, etc. Your choice?

 

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 129,947 views.

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

 

 

As we sail along the way coming back from Flam, here are some typical sights with another ship traveling along this scenic waterway, a local farm and buildings with a big waterfall behind it (no water shortage here), a fjord shuttle ship for the locals and another shot sampling the mountains, fjords and dramatic water drama/action.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few highlights from the Flam train ride, including where you stop in a stone tunnel to get out and then see this dramatic 305-foot-high Kjosfossen Waterfall half-way on this 12.4 mile trip. We then exit the train at the Vatnahalsen Hotel, to see the grounds, nearby mountains, etc. Lots of great views on this routing, up and down. :

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2013 by TLCOhio

[kaisatsu]

Tell me more about sailing to Flam. I assumed we would see Sognefjord. What do you consider to be the bigger ships? Maybe the ships I'm considering wouldn't sail there.

You would definitely see Sognefjord, but Sognefjord itself is fairly big and Flåm isn't the only port on the fjord. Sognefjord is definitely pretty, but unlike Geirangerfjord, I wouldn't say that it's significantly more beautiful than the other fjords popular among cruise ships.

 

The other UNESCO-listed fjord (besides Geirangerfjord) is a branch of the Sognefjord called Nærøyfjord, which means "narrow fjord." Because it's so narrow, only the very small ships (around 25K tons or less) tend to sail through it, especially since there isn't a lot of room to turn around. Though you can visit it by taking a ferry or boat trip from Flåm.

 

The big draw for Flåm as a port is the Flåmsbana railway. If you're really just interested in seeing more of the iconic fjord scenery itself, you needn't restrict yourself to a cruise that specifically includes Flåm as a port call.

 

(Also, if you ever plan on returning to Norway, it's very easy to visit Flåm and Nærøyfjord on a long daytrip from Oslo or Bergen. Part of the reason it's so famous!)

Edited December 30, 2013 by kaisatsu

[I-Cruiser]

You have gotten some really good advice here. As as always the best advice are from the "locals".

May can be cold and many of the tourist roads still closed.

 

I agree that Geiranger is a must. Flam and Sognefjord is a beautiful place but so many fjords are.

 

If your ship stops in Ålesund or Åndalsnes you could make it to The Path of the Troll road (Trollstigen) and the "Troll wall mountain" (Trollveggen).

 

"][/url]

[I-Cruiser]

Path of the Trolls.

 

viewpoint

"][/url]

 

"][/url]

 

"][/url]

[I-Cruiser]

"][/url]

 

Trollveggen:

 

"][/url]

 

"][/url]

[I-Cruiser]

"][/url]

 

 

All my pictures was taken early/mid May.

[TinkernTeefer]

Thomson Spirit on 7 September from Horwich.

[cruisewiththekids]

We are leaning towards RCCL Legend of the Sea on May 31. The itinerary is:

 

Copenhagen

At sea

Flam

Alesund

Geiranger

Bergen

At sea

Copenhagen

 

Do you think there is a better itinerary out there that I should consider? We are looking to focus on fjord viewing.

Edited January 5, 2014 by cruisewiththekids

[I-Cruiser]

We are leaning towards RCCL Legend of the Sea on May 31. The itinerary is:

 

Copenhagen

At sea

Flam

Alesund

Geiranger

Bergen

At sea

Copenhagen

 

Do you think there is a better itinerary out there that I should consider? We are looking to focus on fjord viewing.

 

First of all; I love the Legend Of the Seas. Its a great ship for exploring the fjords. I think its a perfect size ship and after her refit she is stunning looking.

I specially love all the windows on the Legend OTS - this way you have a view wherever you are on the ship.

 

The itinerary is a "standard" fjord itinerary. I guess we can discuss which fjord or which itinerary is the best but I know you get to see the best the western part of Norway/Fjordland has to offer.

You get to cruise the Storfjord/Geirangerfjord to/from Geiranger.

You get to see the Sognefjord/Aurlandfjord to/from Flaam.

In Ålesund you can choose to explore the town or venture to the Path of the Trolls Road/Trollveggen Mountain either by ships tour or renting a car.

Bergen is always wonderful and full of sights.

 

As for better itineraries; The Celebrity Constellation has a longer more in dept cruise. I believe its 12 days r/t Amsterdam....

 

If you need any help planning what to do I will help you make the most of your time ashore :)

Edited January 5, 2014 by I-Cruiser

[cruisewiththekids]

There is another itinerary that sails on a date that is slightly more convenient, but is it not as desirable? We're really wanting to focus on fjords. Tell me what you think:

 

HAL Ryndam from Dover. Oslo, Oslofjord, Kristiansand, Stavenger, Ulvik, Hardangerfjord.

[happy_travellers]

First of all; I love the Legend Of the Seas. Its a great ship for exploring the fjords. I think its a perfect size ship and after her refit she is stunning looking.

I specially love all the windows on the Legend OTS - this way you have a view wherever you are on the ship.

 

The itinerary is a "standard" fjord itinerary. I guess we can discuss which fjord or which itinerary is the best but I know you get to see the best the western part of Norway/Fjordland has to offer.

You get to cruise the Storfjord/Geirangerfjord to/from Geiranger.

You get to see the Sognefjord/Aurlandfjord to/from Flaam.

In Ålesund you can choose to explore the town or venture to the Path of the Trolls Road/Trollveggen Mountain either by ships tour or renting a car.

Bergen is always wonderful and full of sights.

 

As for better itineraries; The Celebrity Constellation has a longer more in dept cruise. I believe its 12 days r/t Amsterdam....

 

If you need any help planning what to do I will help you make the most of your time ashore :)

 

Thanks so much for the pics. We have booked May17/14 on the Legend and I was pleased to hear your nice words about this ship. We booked an inside room for it and the Previous May 10th Baltic-Russia cruise with the idea that there were many public areas on the Legend for viewing the Fjords.

I am interested about renting a car in Alesund for driving the "path of the trolls". What car rental did you use?

 

Thanks Karen

[bling19572010]

First of all; I love the Legend Of the Seas. Its a great ship for exploring the fjords. I think its a perfect size ship and after her refit she is stunning looking.

I specially love all the windows on the Legend OTS - this way you have a view wherever you are on the ship.

 

The itinerary is a "standard" fjord itinerary. I guess we can discuss which fjord or which itinerary is the best but I know you get to see the best the western part of Norway/Fjordland has to offer.

You get to cruise the Storfjord/Geirangerfjord to/from Geiranger.

You get to see the Sognefjord/Aurlandfjord to/from Flaam.

In Ålesund you can choose to explore the town or venture to the Path of the Trolls Road/Trollveggen Mountain either by ships tour or renting a car.

Bergen is always wonderful and full of sights.

 

As for better itineraries; The Celebrity Constellation has a longer more in dept cruise. I believe its 12 days r/t Amsterdam....

 

If you need any help planning what to do I will help you make the most of your time ashore :)

 

I-Cruiser....I need your input and would love some help with an itinerary for the Norwegian Fjords. Please? I have a lot of questions. Would you mind emailing me at jmelindaturner@hotmail.com. I would really appreciate it! Thank you.

[I-Cruiser]

There is another itinerary that sails on a date that is slightly more convenient, but is it not as desirable? We're really wanting to focus on fjords. Tell me what you think:

 

HAL Ryndam from Dover. Oslo, Oslofjord, Kristiansand, Stavenger, Ulvik, Hardangerfjord.

 

This itinerary only covers Hardangerfjord. Oslofjord might be a fjord but is not as spectacular as the fjords on the west coast. (Narrow fjords, high mountains, waterfalls)

IMO this would not be a good options as it only has one "real" fjord.

[I-Cruiser]

Thanks so much for the pics. We have booked May17/14 on the Legend and I was pleased to hear your nice words about this ship. We booked an inside room for it and the Previous May 10th Baltic-Russia cruise with the idea that there were many public areas on the Legend for viewing the Fjords.

I am interested about renting a car in Alesund for driving the "path of the trolls". What car rental did you use?

 

Thanks Karen

 

Karen - I am glad to hear this.

Avis and Budget are closest to the port area.

 

All the deck by the atrium are great for viewing. Also the Viking Crown Lounge (even thought the forward part is now a restaurant)

[I-Cruiser]

I-Cruiser....I need your input and would love some help with an itinerary for the Norwegian Fjords. Please? I have a lot of questions. Would you mind emailing me at jmelindaturner@hotmail.com. I would really appreciate it! Thank you.

 

You`ve got mail:)