P&O Iona geiranger port

[eric4395]

Travelling on the Iona in June next year stopping off at Geiranger, which can be a tender port, however it is the only ship showing in port and hopefuly should be able to use the new seawalk pier. I am looking to book a tour with the local excursion company rather than the ships tours, the ship arrives at 9:00 am and the tour is at 10:00. Anyone any experience of this port and if it was a tender would I struggle to make the tour.

[mhb1757]

Well docking at the skywalk incurs a sizable charge for the cruise line, so even though another ship isn’t using it P&O May or may not want to pay the fee for its use. I have never sailed with that line so I don’t know what their tender situation is but Geiranger is just a tiny village and it will take you just a couple of minutes to get from the tender dock or the skywalk exit to the meeting point for your tour. I wouldn’t worry much about making your 10am tour. If there aren’t any other ships in port and you are late arriving for some reason they will wait. Everyone on your tour will be coming from your ship. 

[kaisatsu]

11 hours ago, mhb1757 said:

Everyone on your tour will be coming from your ship. 

I just want to warn that this is not true. In the summer, many people travel overland to Geiranger as part of their trips around Norway. So there is a fair chance that other people on the tour may not be arriving by cruise ship.

 

Of course there’s also a statistically good chance that other people on the tour will be coming from your ship, so I wouldn’t worry much. Independent tour operators in Norway tend to be small operations, which lends itself to flexibility, so even if something goes wrong, they’d probably be willing to wait a little. Especially if you phone them to let them know the situation.

[scubacruiserx2]

Here's the seawalk pier in use

 

 

Edited October 26, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[GastroGnome]

It rather depends on how nervous you get about these things and how quickly you can get off P&O.  We sail with Celebrity and because of our status we can get priority disembark; but ordinarily ships tours are given priority and can disembark first.   Celebrity do always use the sea walk - but as mhb says that incurs a massive fee and some lines chose not to.  You also have to be aware of the fjord ferry which comes in directly to the right of the sea walk as you look at it from scuba's first picture.  Tenders will have to give way to that which might mean a pause. 

 

If you can disembark quickly an hour is absolutely fine.  But if you are tendering and if you cannot disembark until after the ships tours have left you might be cutting it fine.

[ollienbertsmum]

I was thinking about asking the same question.  Gastronome has helped with my answer and I think that I will be booking a 10.30 tour.  

 

I would like to add that the Viking Star is supposed to be in port on the same day.  If size matters I think we will be the big boys.  

[eric4395]

Since I have asked the original question I have been in touch with the geiranger tour company and asked them if 10:00am tour would be cutting it too fine and they replied according to them the p&o iona is docking next to the seawalk pier and everything should be fine for a 10:00am tour. 

Edited December 22, 2019 by eric4395