The North Cape, Honningsvåg....and beyond

[Ssislandgirl]

So just curious now - can anyone tell me:

1. Just how windy & cold might it be at Nordkapp in late June with wind chill? Do I need to bring all my cold weather gear - down jacket, hat, heavy gloves, muffler, warm sweater and pants? I DO want to walk out to the statues.

2. I've read that some ships cruise up to the cliff at Nordkapp so passengers can see the globe statue. However, I think after our visit, the ship (Viking Star) heads back down to a more southern port in Norway, so I would guess this would be out of our way to go up north. Does anyone have any idea of how often people see the cliffs at Nordkapp, and the globe statue from their cruise ship?

 

 

 

 

Hi there ,

I am the original poster of the thread and we were at the North Cape in late June. Let me tell you, it was extremely cold. As you can see on some of my pics, we were wearing down jackets, gloves, head band and thermal pants. Honestly , it would have been nice to have some facial protection against the wind. We actually had to cut a hike short because of the brutally cold wind. So, if you want to spend some time outside, I highly recommend cold weather wear.

 

 

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[J-D]

So just curious now - can anyone tell me:

1. Just how windy & cold might it be at Nordkapp in late June with wind chill? ...

 

2. I've read that some ships cruise up to the cliff at Nordkapp so passengers can see the globe statue. ...

 

Clothing requirements will of course depend on the specific day. When we were there in late June 2016, winds were very strong. The temperature was not especially cold -- in the 40s (F) -- but it felt much colder due to wind and intermittent light (near-horizontal) rain. We were very glad to have a substantial fleece layer below our Goretex rain parkas. Here and at a few other stops along the Norwegian coast, we also made good use of our waterproof outer pants and waterproof footgear, and gloves. The cruises to northern Norway go well into the Arctic, and it is best to be prepared for just about any potential (summer) weather conditions.

 

Because Nordkapp is at an elevation of about 1000 ft asl, the globe and structures at the top would appear quite small even if the ship does come close and if the visibility is good.

 

John

Edited December 22, 2016 by J-D

[roothy123]

Thanks for the answers. I guess it won't really be a big deal if the ship doesn't go past the Cape. I hadn't thought about how small that statue would appear on such a high cliff. I don't think the ship I'll be on will even go up that way, as I believe it cut through the islands that surround Honningsvag when I looked at the track it was taking this past summer. It didn't go up around the cape and back down to get to Honningsvag, so probably our ship won't either.

 

I guess I'll go prepared for severe weather, even if I only have to wear it a time or two!

[moswinner1]

Been there twice, both in June, once cold once quite mild. Only thing to add to comments already made is, look out for the giant rhino hiding behind the cliff face as you pass by.:)

[angeleyes27]

This looks like something we would enjoy. How do you contact Nordkapp Bilservice? I loved your pictures. The roads look easy to drive on. Were they icy? Were they paved? Were places easy to find? Thank you

 

 

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[angeleyes27]

I do see the contact info from Terry so I will contact them. We are interested in going to Nordkapp, seeing a Sami village and the Sordvlag village, perhaps the King Crab Safari. Safari directly through the tour operator is about $100 less per person than the cruise ship.

 

 

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[angeleyes27]

We are going early July so same time frame. I am into photography so I like to be on my own schedule. I once did a scenic trip and all the scenery was on the opposite side of the bus. A waste of money for me. I couldn't see anything

 

 

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[roothy123]

We are going early July so same time frame. I am into photography so I like to be on my own schedule. I once did a scenic trip and all the scenery was on the opposite side of the bus. A waste of money for me. I couldn't see anything

 

 

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Agree that scenic bus trips are difficult for photographers, and that's one reason we love renting cars. However, if I do take a bus trip, if I can, I pick a seat way in the back, where few people are. That way, if I'm quick, I can move from one side to the other if I need to. It's minimally better, but still better!

[kahtrav]

This looks like something we would enjoy. How do you contact Nordkapp Bilservice? I loved your pictures. The roads look easy to drive on. Were they icy? Were they paved? Were places easy to find? Thank you

 

 

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I think you can just Google bilservice Nordkapp (or Honningsvag). The roads are all paved. If stormy, you might have issues with road conditions, but we had totally dry and no snow showing on the island (May). If it's totally fogged in you can't see anything, but could still get to Nordkapp for the museum, etc. We went to each fishing village, very easy, with signs. There really isn't anything else out there.

[angeleyes27]

What happened with the Zodiac, kahtrav? I wonder about them although I haven't had a problem

 

 

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[kahtrav]

What happened with the Zodiac, kahtrav? I wonder about them although I haven't had a problem

 

 

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It was a whale watch trip in the Bay of Fundy - should have been canceled due to wind and high waves. We thought that if they were going, it would be okay. We had to hold on for our lives for several hours and when we got back, he couldn't drive our motorcycle, his hands were so tight. We felt that the tour company just wanted to make money and didn't care about the safety. I suspect it was an isolated incident and they are probably generally safe, but it's put him off zodiacs. It was a long time ago, though.

[angeleyes27]

Sorry to hear of your experience. I heard about the shore excursion in Jamaica where the driver was speeding, had an accident and one passenger was killed. There is a lawsuit about that one. Also another shore excursion in Belize I think where an airboat went too fast, capsized and numerous people were hurt.

 

 

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[kahtrav]

Just a clarification, this experience on a zodiac had nothing to do with shore excursions - it was a land based trip. We mostly do privately arranged excursions when on ships, with lots of research and planning. We've never felt that ship excursions were any safer than ones arranged privately. We're just more independent and don't like large group tours.

[roothy123]

Just a clarification, this experience on a zodiac had nothing to do with shore excursions - it was a land based trip. We mostly do privately arranged excursions when on ships, with lots of research and planning. We've never felt that ship excursions were any safer than ones arranged privately. We're just more independent and don't like large group tours.

 

I agree with you. The cruise line may arrange excursions, but they still have to rely on available vendors, and the quality of those can vary. Besides, if you're hurt on a cruise ship arranged excursion, it's my understanding that the cruise ship has no obligation to help you.

[kahtrav]

I agree with you. The cruise line may arrange excursions, but they still have to rely on available vendors, and the quality of those can vary. Besides, if you're hurt on a cruise ship arranged excursion, it's my understanding that the cruise ship has no obligation to help you.

I think you are correct about the cruise lines' lack of responsibility on excursions - here are some disclaimers on the shore excursion documents. Our last cruise (Antarctica on the Zaandam in December) was the first time that they seemed to openly acknowledge private excursions without the usual defensiveness - kind of refreshing. Many tender ports and they did a great job of getting tenders into the water and also processing tender tickets was much improved (we're 3☆mariner, so lots of HAL experience.

[TLCOhio]

We are going early July so same time frame. I am into photography so I like to be on my own schedule. I once did a scenic trip and all the scenery was on the opposite side of the bus. A waste of money for me. I couldn't see anything.

 

roothy123: Agree that scenic bus trips are difficult for photographers' date=' and that's one reason we love renting cars. However, if I do take a bus trip, if I can, I [b']pick a seat way in the back[/b], where few people are. That way, if I'm quick, I can move from one side to the other if I need to. It's minimally better, but still better!

 

Appreciate these various posts. Yes, there are some challenges with larger buses, ship excursions, etc.. During our Norway trip, we did a mix of on-our-own, DIY trips, car rentals, etc. BUT, in other cases, we did ship excursions. Much depends as to where you are, the logistical options available, etc. For Norway, especially as you get much farther up north, the range of local options, infrastructure gets fairly limited in some of these small ports. This is not the Caribbean and/or Med, where there can be a fairly wide selection of potentials and services. Some of the fjords port towns might only have 500 people in the village.

 

Great idea for being farther on the "back of the bus" and being creative in switching back and forth between the two sides to capture the best visuals.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 167,426 views for this posting.

[2thelimit]

Thank you SOOO much for posting your wonderful photos and advice! We will be there in June 2017 and are weighing our options - vehicle rental vs. tour. I wanted to ask about the visit to the Sami Camp which I would very much like to do. How did you find out about that? Where is it? Do you have to book it or is it an 'attraction' that you stop by while driving along the road? Much appreciated!!

[Mura]

Two,

 

We didn't do the Sami camp when we were in Honnigsvaag although we did on a private tour from Hammerfest. I doubt they are that much different. From my perspective it was interesting but not an essential visit. You may have a different perspective!

 

On our first visit to Honnigsvaag -- this was back in prehistory, 1975 -- and we were on a Bergen Lines trip. They bussed us to the Cape on a private tour (we were first class passengers on the mail boat,most passengers were second or third class).

 

We returned with Insignia in the summer of 2010 when we were a group of 8 with a private driver for our overnight visit. I didn't book the driver and have no information about who we used, but he was great. We went to North Cape the first night (for a midnight visit) and then to Jesvaer the next day for a boat trip to Bird Island. This was fabulous.

 

We were back this summer but being as we had a day time stop we weren't interested in going out to North Cape and so we just stayed in town.

 

But if you want to rent a car, from our perception of the road there isn't a lot of traffic! We liked having a private driver because he gave us much information along the way and made some private stops that were interesting, but I don't think you'd lose that much if you drive yourself.

 

Regarding your upcoming visit, if you are in Hammerfest it may be easier to do a Sami camp trip if that's what you are interested in. I think I have info about the private guide we used in the past, and from our visit this summer the ship's tours seemed to do exactly what we did privately. Our private guide cost less (and we were a smaller group) than the ship's tours, but oLife benefits weren't in place back then ...

 

Mura

 

It occurred to me after I posted that any visit to a Sami camp is probably better privately than on a ship's tour. Their tents are just not that large. I admit, I've only done it on a small private tour ... but I don't think I'd like doing it with a large ship's tour.

Edited March 15, 2017 by Mura

[Ssislandgirl]

Hi there 2thelimit,

The Sami camp was very easy to find right on the way to the North Cape. It was very busy with tour buses on the way up there and we decided to wait with our visit until we headed back. By then we were the only visitors and it was quite interesting. There is no admission charge and it allows you to get some insight into a very, very different lifestyle.

Hope this helps

Petra

 

 

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[2thelimit]

Thank you very much for your reply! We are going in June of 2017 and will only be in port from noon til 8 pm. We will probably rent a vehicle.

[Kiwi Abroad]

On 7/30/2015 at 9:27 PM, Ssislandgirl said:

We also noticed, that just about every resident of Honningsvåg owns a snow mobile and stores it right by the front door

 

 

 

 

A few more impressions

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were back on board around 7 after a great day in port

 

During the night, on our way to Tromso, I captured a few photos of the "never setting" sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More port reviews from our most recent cruise

 

Stavanger

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2232099

 

Olden

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233136

 

 

Flam

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2236140

 

 

Andalsnes

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2237893

 

 

Trondheim

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2239089

 

 

I know it's a long time since you posted this great review but it has still been very useful for planning our forthcoming trip. I have one question: We are keen to do the hike to Kirkeporten but would like to know if it is easy to find the start and is the trail marked? Somewhere near Skarsvag but…

[Ssislandgirl]

Hi there,

Thank you for your interest in the thread!  

I really don’t know if the trail starting point is marked now. At the time we visited, we actually had to ask to find it, but the locals were really friendly, gave us directions and let us know where we could park the car. The trail was not very well marked either at that time and we just followed the trampled down grass path fellow hikers left behind. Don’t worry it is a very easy hike, you can’t get lost!

Hope this helps

Regards

Petra

[hallasm]

2 hours ago, Kiwi Abroad said:

We are keen to do the hike to Kirkeporten but would like to know if it is easy to find the start and is the trail marked? Somewhere near Skarsvag

The path is starting at Kirkeporten Camping / Nordkapp Turisthotell located ar the left side of the road just before entering Skarsvåg.

[Kiwi Abroad]

Goodness, I didn't mean to quote that much of your original post! But, moving on, thanks for your reply. We will see how it goes and if we can't find it we have car, will travel. We want to go to the Visitor Centre and also to do one of the bird safaris, and maybe this walk will be the icing on the cake. But if not we will still have a good day (weather permitting). Thanks again

[Kiwi Abroad]

Goodness, I didn't mean to quote that much of your original post! But, moving on, thanks for your reply. We will see how it goes and if we can't find it we have car, will travel. We want to go to the Visitor Centre and also to do one of the bird safaris, and maybe this walk will be the icing on the cake. But if not we will still have a good day (weather permitting). Thanks again