valuemkt Posted July 16 #601 Share Posted July 16 Best Norway board I've found so far. Just starting to layout excursion potentials for my August 7 2025 Norway cruise on Celebrity Apex R/T from Southampton. Will try to absorb the previous 24 pages before asking duplicate questions. Frequent traveler and cruiser, but first time Norway. Not a hiker or cycler.. Looking for must see things from the cruise ports. Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Bonjour Posted July 16 #602 Share Posted July 16 1 hour ago, valuemkt said: Best Norway board I've found so far We're glad you found us! This board is what it is thanks to the contributions of the amazing community members which as you've probably noticed, include some folks who are native to many of the countries in the region. Other members have visited many times and have vast experience to share, which they always do generously with our community. We love to see questions when members are in the planning stages of a journey as this is often a very fun and entertaining way to kickstart the trip. You may even make some friends! Enjoy browsing and posting. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunzini Posted July 19 #603 Share Posted July 19 Been searching all the mainstream lines for good itineraries for seeing the fjords in May or September of 2025 Found a couple of great ones that I can string as a B2B on Celebrity that would include Olden, Flam and Geiranger. I keep looking at one in September on the Rotterdam but it names fjords/ports I am not as familiar with their choice of itinerary which includes Eidfjord Nordfjord Oslofjord Hardangerfjord Anyone have any idea about these fjords the Rotterdam is offering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallasm Posted July 19 #604 Share Posted July 19 Sailing in to Olden, Geiranger and Flåm does include cruising the most scenic deep fjords - Some cruise lines does mention the fjords. Nordfjord is the fjord leading to Olden Eidfjord is the port in Hardangerfjord Oslo is the port in Oslofjord if you want to see the deep fjords the cruise must include either Olden, Geiranger or Flåm - all located at the end of a deep fjord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaisatsu Posted July 20 #605 Share Posted July 20 (edited) On 7/19/2024 at 2:49 AM, bunzini said: I keep looking at one in September on the Rotterdam but it names fjords/ports I am not as familiar with their choice of itinerary which includes Eidfjord Nordfjord Oslofjord Hardangerfjord Anyone have any idea about these fjords the Rotterdam is offering? It’s generally easier to understand an itinerary by the actual ports, rather than the arbitrary “scenic cruising” designations the cruiseline may or may not use. Looking at what you’ve listed, I’m guessing it’s this back-to-back itinerary? Amsterdam Eidfjord Ålesund Olden Stavanger Rotterdam Copenhagen Oslo Kristiansand Stavanger Rotterdam As hallasm mentioned, Olden is one of the top fjord ports. Eidfjord has a long, but wider, sail-in. Not too dissimilar from the Sognefjord cruising to Flåm (but Flåm offers easy access to the dramatic Nærøyfjord). I have t seen as much info about Eidfjord as a port, so I’m not sure what’s possible during the stop. It’s relatively close to the Hardangerjokull glacier and Odda, but there may not be a lot of tourist infrastructure, especially in September. Oslofjord, while a long stretch of scenic cruising, is not one of the dramatic fjords. The scenery is more akin to coastal inland waterways with low hills. In fact, it’s not geologically a fjord, and instead created by the boundary between two tectonic plates (the rock on the west side of Oslofjord is 250-350 million years old, but the rock on the east is over 1 billion). If you’re primarily interested in fjord cruising, you could probably skip the second half of that back-to-back completely as it’s focused more on the southern coast than the fjord areas. Edited July 20 by kaisatsu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottaKnowWhen Posted July 20 #606 Share Posted July 20 1 hour ago, kaisatsu said: It’s generally easier to understand an itinerary by the actual ports, rather than the arbitrary “scenic cruising” designations the cruiseline may or may not use. Looking at what you’ve listed, I’m guessing it’s this back-to-back itinerary? Amsterdam Eidfjord Ålesund Olden Stavanger Rotterdam Copenhagen Oslo Kristiansand Stavanger Rotterdam As hallasm mentioned, Olden is one of the top fjord ports. Eidfjord has a long, but wider, sail-in. Not too dissimilar from the Sognefjord cruising to Flåm (but Flåm offers easy access to the dramatic Nærøyfjord). I have t seen as much info about Eidfjord as a port, so I’m not sure what’s possible during the stop. It’s relatively close to the Hardangerjokull glacier and Odda, but there may not be a lot of tourist infrastructure, especially in September. Oslofjord, while a long stretch of scenic cruising, is not one of the dramatic fjords. The scenery is more akin to coastal inland waterways with low hills. In fact, it’s not geologically a fjord, and instead created by the boundary between two tectonic plates (the rock on the west side of Oslofjord is 250-350 million years old, but the rock on the east is over 1 billion). If you’re primarily interested in fjord cruising, you could probably skip the second half of that back-to-back completely as it’s focused more on the southern coast than the fjord areas. I am almost finished our Norway cruise. I lost track of the fjord names, the more interesting places for me were several hours sailing through a series of interconnected fjords. Top destinations for me: Geiranger; Olden; and Flám. Wonderful cruising out (and in, for those up on deck early in the morning.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunzini Posted July 20 #607 Share Posted July 20 4 hours ago, kaisatsu said: It’s generally easier to understand an itinerary by the actual ports, rather than the arbitrary “scenic cruising” designations the cruiseline may or may not use. Looking at what you’ve listed, I’m guessing it’s this back-to-back itinerary? Amsterdam Eidfjord Ålesund Olden Stavanger Rotterdam Copenhagen Oslo Kristiansand Stavanger Rotterdam As hallasm mentioned, Olden is one of the top fjord ports. Eidfjord has a long, but wider, sail-in. Not too dissimilar from the Sognefjord cruising to Flåm (but Flåm offers easy access to the dramatic Nærøyfjord). I have t seen as much info about Eidfjord as a port, so I’m not sure what’s possible during the stop. It’s relatively close to the Hardangerjokull glacier and Odda, but there may not be a lot of tourist infrastructure, especially in September. Oslofjord, while a long stretch of scenic cruising, is not one of the dramatic fjords. The scenery is more akin to coastal inland waterways with low hills. In fact, it’s not geologically a fjord, and instead created by the boundary between two tectonic plates (the rock on the west side of Oslofjord is 250-350 million years old, but the rock on the east is over 1 billion). If you’re primarily interested in fjord cruising, you could probably skip the second half of that back-to-back completely as it’s focused more on the southern coast than the fjord areas. Thanks so much! This information was just what I was looking for. I have been vacillating between two B2B's and you have helped me to make up my mind. This is what I love about cruise critic! Getting this information is so helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbella Posted July 22 #608 Share Posted July 22 Iceland vs Norwegian Fjords...which would you choose? Celebrity Silhoutte (7/18/25) - Reykjavik, Seydisfjordur, Djúpivogur, Akureyri, Isafjordur OR Celebrity Apex (6/28/25) - Southampton, Bruges, (Zeebrugge), Flam, Geiranger, Bergen OR Royal Independence - Southampton, Alesund, Molde, Olden, Haugesund - from what I've researched so far, this has 2 stops that are not very exciting, so probably not the best choice. It will be my husband and I (50's), and a 18 and 24 year old. I can't find any info about Molde. I know that's not the most exciting itinerary, but it's more affordable than the other Fjord. We are NOT into touring museums, churches etc... All reactions: 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaisatsu Posted July 22 #609 Share Posted July 22 8 hours ago, simbella said: Iceland vs Norwegian Fjords...which would you choose? Norwegian fjords. The landscape makes it difficult to cover this area on a land-based trip, and driving can be slow and difficult. Touring Iceland by car is much easier to plan. And the Celebrity itinerary is far better than the Royal. It’s actually one of the best I’ve seen. All of those Celebrity ports are gems. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PATRLR Posted July 24 #610 Share Posted July 24 On 7/21/2024 at 8:40 PM, simbella said: Iceland vs Norwegian Fjords...which would you choose? Celebrity Silhoutte (7/18/25) - Reykjavik, Seydisfjordur, Djúpivogur, Akureyri, Isafjordur OR Celebrity Apex (6/28/25) - Southampton, Bruges, (Zeebrugge), Flam, Geiranger, Bergen OR Royal Independence - Southampton, Alesund, Molde, Olden, Haugesund - from what I've researched so far, this has 2 stops that are not very exciting, so probably not the best choice. It will be my husband and I (50's), and a 18 and 24 year old. I can't find any info about Molde. I know that's not the most exciting itinerary, but it's more affordable than the other Fjord. We are NOT into touring museums, churches etc... All reactio ?I would do Norway for the sole reason that some of those fjords will be off limits after 2025 for large cruise ships. Do Iceland another time. I'm not familiar with Molde either, but, I don't think it's a deep fjord. You say you aren't into museums and churches, so, I'll assume you are into nature and scenery. With that in mind I think it's a no-brainer to do the Apex. You'll get both Flam and Geiranger which are deep fjords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightOne Posted July 24 #611 Share Posted July 24 On 4/28/2024 at 9:10 PM, fc123 said: We will be in Flam in July on Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas. We were notified that our time in port has been extended until 7 pm. We had already planned a morning tour to the Borgund Stave Church and Stegastein Viewpoint. Since we now have extra time in port, we were looking at also doing the following: Nærøyfjord round trip - bus and boat from Flåm | Norways best We were planning to take the 3 pm boat from Flam which arrives in Gudvangen at 5 pm. The shuttle bus leaves at 5:30 pm and arrives back in Flam at 5:50 pm. Does anyone have any experience with how on-time the boat and shuttle are? Does the shuttle wait if the boat is late? We are just wanting to see as much as possible while in port, but certainly don't want to miss getting back to the ship. Thanks for your help. Do NOT I repeat do NOT book the shuttle bus 15 minutes after the boat arrival We know because we just got stranded in Gudvangen by Norway's Best We had an 11:45am bus ticket We didn't get off the boat until 11:36am We searched diligently around but could not find anyone from Norway's Best or the bus We searched and search and eventually found the bus around 11:47am It had a small sign in the front window but it was parking facing away from boat/dock There was a guy holding a sign there behind the front of the bus and was not visible We got in a line of about 6-7 people to get on the bus My wife is in a wheelchair so the other people just jumped on the bus real quick while we waited The bus driver then informed me the bus was full and we had to wait for the 12:45pm bus How can a bus with timed tickets be full ??? Because the driver let people without the proper tickets board the bus and take seats and then refused to remove those people from the bus I complained to Norways's Best when I got back to Flam and they basically didn't care Found a thread about this after the fact: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.norwaysbest.com that I wish I would have found beforehand Bus drivers are the worst. Give yourself at least 1 hour after exiting the boat to take the bus (and good luck finding it) We waited in the exact same spot as the 11:45am bus parked and when the 12:45pm bus arrived (same *%^&(^& driver) he parked in a different spot in a different direction. Everyone waiting ran to that spot and we were once again were last in the line. Luckily, we told are story to some of those people waiting and they all said we were going on the bus first. Bus driver was a total jerk about it too. With that said, the Nærøyfjord cruise was awesome as was the Flamsbana train. We decided not to go on the Stegastein excursion that afternoon because we didn't trust them to get us back to the ship on time. Unfortunately, Norway's best owns almost everything in Flam (or has a large ownership stake) including the fjord boats and the trains. So no matter who you book through they are going to be getting the money. https://www.norwaysbest.com/information/corporate-information/ You've been warned. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XuGator Posted July 30 #612 Share Posted July 30 On 7/21/2024 at 8:40 PM, simbella said: Iceland vs Norwegian Fjords...which would you choose? Celebrity Silhoutte (7/18/25) - Reykjavik, Seydisfjordur, Djúpivogur, Akureyri, Isafjordur OR Celebrity Apex (6/28/25) - Southampton, Bruges, (Zeebrugge), Flam, Geiranger, Bergen OR Royal Independence - Southampton, Alesund, Molde, Olden, Haugesund - from what I've researched so far, this has 2 stops that are not very exciting, so probably not the best choice. It will be my husband and I (50's), and a 18 and 24 year old. I can't find any info about Molde. I know that's not the most exciting itinerary, but it's more affordable than the other Fjord. We are NOT into touring museums, churches etc... All reactions: 11 Apex by a mile. Best ship and best itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Matic Posted July 30 #613 Share Posted July 30 Hi all, we are cruising from Southampton on the MSC Virtuosa August 24th for 7 nights. We're a family of 5 (3 boys 3,7&11) Can anyone give me some advise on what clothing to pack? I've booked the excursion day to Maloy too, which we're looking forward to. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaisatsu Posted July 30 #614 Share Posted July 30 5 hours ago, Laura Matic said: Hi all, we are cruising from Southampton on the MSC Virtuosa August 24th for 7 nights. We're a family of 5 (3 boys 3,7&11) Can anyone give me some advise on what clothing to pack? Layers and rain gear. Adjusted for wind chill, expect temperatures to likely be between 5° and 25°C. Rain is easily possible, as is sun. It’s fairly late in the season, but you may still encounter warmer weather. So choose pieces that can be put together for more warmth if it’s cool and worn separately if it’s warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikamarii Posted August 4 #615 Share Posted August 4 On 5/31/2023 at 5:28 AM, hallasm said: For Olden make sure to be up early and enjoy the scenic sailing through the deep fjords. Be at upper decks at sunrise. Also check if your ship dock in Olden or is tendering to Loen. Hello, We will be Olden in a couple weeks. I’ve confirmed through the port website that we will be tendering. Just to confirm is Loen the only arrival dock for Tenders or could they still drop us off in Olden? It doesn’t specify anything on the port website just that we will be tendering. We want to do the Skylift and just trying to determine if we should purchase in advance and pay for the shuttle from Olden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallasm Posted August 4 #616 Share Posted August 4 5 minutes ago, Mikamarii said: I’ve confirmed through the port website that we will be tendering. Just to confirm is Loen the only arrival dock for Tenders or could they still drop us off in Olden? Tendering is in Loen just next to the Skylift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikamarii Posted August 4 #617 Share Posted August 4 17 minutes ago, hallasm said: Tendering is in Loen just next to the Skylift. Perfect thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottaKnowWhen Posted August 4 #618 Share Posted August 4 31 minutes ago, hallasm said: Tendering is in Loen just next to the Skylift. Maybe it depends on cruise line? A few weeks ago we tendered into Olden and bought a Loen shuttle/lift ticket from a ticket seller next to the bus stop. (Windstar Star Legend) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallasm Posted August 4 #619 Share Posted August 4 15 minutes ago, GottaKnowWhen said: Maybe it depends on cruise line? Thanks for the update - yes, I can actually see that there is a tender position in Olden. @Mikamarii which ship and date? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikamarii Posted August 4 #620 Share Posted August 4 2 hours ago, hallasm said: Thanks for the update - yes, I can actually see that there is a tender position in Olden. @Mikamarii which ship and date? We're on Jewel of the seas. We will be be in Olden on August 19th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikamarii Posted August 4 #621 Share Posted August 4 Looking at the Port of Olden site again it looks like some ships have (Loen) next to it. So im assuming if it doesnt say that we will be docked or tendered in to Olden. Jewel gets in before another ship and Jewel is a bit larger so maybe we will be docked. I cant remember where i saw we would be tendered now. Ive been lookong at so many port websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallasm Posted August 4 #622 Share Posted August 4 9 minutes ago, Mikamarii said: We're on Jewel of the seas. We will be be in Olden on August 19th I will be very surprised if Jewel does not tender to Loen - this has been common practice in recent years - but there may be weather challenges. Wait to buy your tickets until you know where you will land. There is ample capacity for both the shuttle and the cable car. If it turns out that the weather is bad, it may be a good idea to wait to buy tickets. Not much fun going to the top of the mountain if there is no view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikamarii Posted August 4 #623 Share Posted August 4 55 minutes ago, hallasm said: I will be very surprised if Jewel does not tender to Loen - this has been common practice in recent years - but there may be weather challenges. Wait to buy your tickets until you know where you will land. There is ample capacity for both the shuttle and the cable car. If it turns out that the weather is bad, it may be a good idea to wait to buy tickets. Not much fun going to the top of the mountain if there is no view. Sounds great thanks! We always like to buy tickets in advance but from what im seeing the skylift doesnt really sell out. Not like the train in Flam! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallasm Posted August 4 #624 Share Posted August 4 29 minutes ago, Mikamarii said: We always like to buy tickets in advance but from what im seeing the skylift doesnt really sell out. Not like the train in Flam! Correct - Skylift has a large capacity. You can still buy tickets online so you don't have to queue at the ticket office - the queue at the cable car is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skopgat Posted August 5 #625 Share Posted August 5 Hello cruising friends! I've booked the Queen Mary 2 in August 2026 on a cruise through the Norwegian fjords prior to being in Reykjavik for the solar eclipse. Today I learned of restrictions beginning in January 2026, requiring clean fuel sources (a change from a previous, stricter restriction, it seems). According to Wikipedia, QM2 runs on diesel and gas, which don't sound like they'll meet the restrictions. Does anyone know whether cruises are "grandfathered" in, meaning because it's scheduled, they'll get to cruise through? Or am I looking at a giant risk of having the entire itinerary altered? (Or something in between . . .) Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now