Norwegian Fjords

[allisonfamily]

Question about a shore excursion in Flaam.  May 2, '24.  Specifically, I want to do two things: 1. Fjord boat cruise from Flåm, through Nærøyfjord, into Gudvangen then return to Flåm through the tunnel.  2. Drive to the Borgund Stave Church, tour it, then come straight back (no railway, no Stegastein viewpoint, no Snowy Road, just Borgund and back).

 

Does anyone know of a shore excursion that covers those two itinerary items, or is there a way in Flaam to develop a custom excursion?

 

Thanks!

[ericosmith]

You can book the cruise and bus yourself from norwaysbest.com.  I'm not sure about the church.  That's about an hours drive each way so time could be an issue to do both.

[allisonfamily]

Thanks for the suggestion ... I'll definitely track them down.

The itinerary (MSC Euribia May 2) says that the ship arrives in Flam at 0800, and departs at 1800.  In the mythical world of math, ten hours *should* be enough to take a 2 hour boat ride and a three hour stave church drive.  But in the real world of cruise math, we all know that 0800 to 1800 isn't actually ten hours.

I'm betting that the humans at norwaysbest.com might be better at estimating actual tour time and how to fit it into that time window.

[kaisatsu]

17 hours ago, Camber99 said:

Looking for some itinerary help for a 2024 Norwegian/Iceland cruise. There are two itineraries we are interested in on Atlas. The first itinerary covers both Geiranger and Flam, which would be great, but the date of the second itinerary works better for us. I would love any and all feedback. Thank you!

 

July 12 - 23, 2024

• Reykjavik
• Isafjoraur, Iceland
• Seyarsfjoraur, Iceland
• Alessund, Norway
• Geiranger, Norway
• Flam, Norway
• Gudvahgen, Norway
• Bergen, Norway
• Stravanger, Norway
• Aredal, Norway
• Oslo

August 10 -21, 2024

• Oslo, Norway
• Skagen, Denmark
• Stravanger, Norway
• Bergen, Norway
• Flam, Norway
• Olden, Norway
• Alesund, Norway
• Seyarsfjoraur, Iceland
• Akureyri, Iceland
• Isafjoraur, Iceland
• Reykjavik

Looks like the differences are:

July - Geiranger, Gudvangen, Arendal

August - Skagen, Olden, Akureyri

 

Neither Arendal or Skagen are terribly common cruise calls, and both are more known as low-key summer destinations for the surrounding regions. I wouldn’t let either weigh heavily in my opinion unless you have a particular sight you’re keen on.

The Gudvangen call is short but only seems to cut an hour from the time in Flåm and means you’d be sailing through the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord (literally “narrow fjord” given the small width). You could, however, potentially do this as a side trip from Flåm on the local tourist boat.

 

As for Geiranger vs Olden, they’re both excellent and well-loved fjord destinations. IMO Geiranger has a slightly better sail-in/out and nice hiking options if you’re active and inclined, but Olden has its skylift and access to the (now significantly receded) Briksdalsbreen glacier. If you don’t have your heart set on one or the other, these are both great options.

 

As for Akureyri, I’m quite fond of the nearby geothermal area at Hverir, but it’s maybe not a must. (Also, the Atlas site is showing an Akureyri call on 14 July?)
 

 

[Camber99]

1 hour ago, kaisatsu said:

Replied in the other thread:

Thank you for your very detailed comments on these itineraries. Sounds like we can't go wrong with either one. My husband has thrown in another option on the Scenic Eclipse.Very different. Would love your thoughts on this one too. TIA!

[kaisatsu]

On 2/17/2024 at 1:08 PM, Camber99 said:

Thank you for your very detailed comments on these itineraries. Sounds like we can't go wrong with either one. My husband has thrown in another option on the Scenic Eclipse.Very different. Would love your thoughts on this one too. TIA!

It’s a very different trip, so kind of an apples to oranges comparison.

 

It doesn’t visit any of mainland Iceland, so if you wanted to see any of the famous sights in Iceland, you’d need to plan some pre-cruise exploration.

 

Geiranger is the only traditional fjord scenery on this cruise. Kristiansund is a less-visited coastal town, probably most similar to Ålesund on the other trips (but without the art deco architecture).

 

The second half of the trip is focused on the Arctic coast with what looks to be two days in the stunning Lofoten Islands (Reine and Leknes, according to Scenic’s website, which are actually quite close to one another). Lofoten has long been considered by Norwegians to be the most beautiful part of the country (yes, even above the fjords) and has become more famous since the rise of Instagram. It looks like they’re hoping to use Eclipse’s on-board helicopter to offer flightseeing trips (weather-permitting) which I imagine could be breathtaking. The trip ends in Tromsø, which is a lovely Arctic coastal city surrounded by mountains and probably the most famous Arctic cruise port.

 

If you’re specifically looking for Norwegian fjords, this probably isn’t the best choice. But if you just want a taste of the fjords along with a variety of other beautiful scenery, this could be a good choice.

[Camber99]

1 hour ago, kaisatsu said:

It’s a very different trip, so kind of an apples to oranges comparison.

 

It doesn’t visit any of mainland Iceland, so if you wanted to see any of the famous sights in Iceland, you’d need to plan some pre-cruise exploration.

 

Geiranger is the only traditional fjord scenery on this cruise. Kristiansund is a less-visited coastal town, probably most similar to Ålesund on the other trips (but without the art deco architecture).

 

The second half of the trip is focused on the Arctic coast with what looks to be two days in the stunning Lofoten Islands (Reine and Leknes, according to Scenic’s website, which are actually quite close to one another). Lofoten has long been considered by Norwegians to be the most beautiful part of the country (yes, even above the fjords) and has become more famous since the rise of Instagram. It looks like they’re hoping to use Eclipse’s on-board helicopter to offer flightseeing trips (weather-permitting) which I imagine could be breathtaking. The trip ends in Tromsø, which is a lovely Arctic coastal city surrounded by mountains and probably the most famous Arctic cruise port.

 

If you’re specifically looking for Norwegian fjords, this probably isn’t the best choice. But if you just want a taste of the fjords along with a variety of other beautiful scenery, this could be a good choice.

Great information. Thank you for taking your time to give so many details. I think my husband is drawn to the Scenic ship. It does sound like it would be an amazing trip but I was really wanting to do the Norwegian Fjords. Thanks again for you great input.

 

[allisonfamily]

On 2/17/2024 at 3:30 AM, allisonfamily said:

Thanks for the suggestion ... I'll definitely track them down.

The itinerary (MSC Euribia May 2) says that the ship arrives in Flam at 0800, and departs at 1800.  In the mythical world of math, ten hours *should* be enough to take a 2 hour boat ride and a three hour stave church drive.  But in the real world of cruise math, we all know that 0800 to 1800 isn't actually ten hours.

I'm betting that the humans at norwaysbest.com might be better at estimating actual tour time and how to fit it into that time window.

By the way, here's what we decided to do: RENT a car!

 

NorwaysBest confirmed that they don't have an excursion that does both the Nærøyfjord and Borgund Stave Church.  They also don't offer the ability to build a custom tour for that.  Also, they don't have a bus to Borgund, or a taxi, or a private transfer tours that would do that.  So the phone call nailed down what they don't do.  Which, frankly, was VERY helpful in making plans.  What they did suggest was renting my own car.  And as it turns out ...

 

Perfect!  Fjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen, taxi from Gudvagen to Flåm, rent a car in Flåm, drive to the stave church and return in plenty of time (fingers crossed) to make the 1800 departure.

 

Why take the taxi back to Flåm and not the NorwaysBest shuttle bus?  Of course, the return shuttle bus is already fully booked.  🙂

 

Car rental is right there near the dock: FlåmCarRental

Taxi was also easy to book: FlåmTravel

 

Hope this helps!

[allisonfamily]

A QUESTION about picking up car rentals in Molde:

Do you have to take a taxi to the airport?

Or do some of the Molde car rental companies offer a pickup service at the cruise dock?

Thanks!

 

[farodeluzgirl]

Looking for some itinerary help  in order to choose the Norwegian cruise. We are looking at Caribbean Princess departing Southampton on June 14, 2024.

6/16 Stavanger

6/17 Olden

6/18 at sea

6/19 Tromso

6/20 Alta, Norway

6/21 Honningsvag, Norway

6/23 Lofoten Islands

6/24 at sea
6/25 Trondheim,Norway

6/26 Andalsnes,Norway

6/27 Bergen

6/28 at sea

6/29 Brussels/Bruges

6/30 Southhampton

My husband likes the 16 day cruise, but I am not sure how many of this stops will let us see the most fjords.

any advice or recommendation will be greatly appreciated.

 

[gnome12]

41 minutes ago, farodeluzgirl said:

Looking for some itinerary help  in order to choose the Norwegian cruise. We are looking at Caribbean Princess departing Southampton on June 14, 2024.

6/16 Stavanger

6/17 Olden

6/18 at sea

6/19 Tromso

6/20 Alta, Norway

6/21 Honningsvag, Norway

6/23 Lofoten Islands

6/24 at sea
6/25 Trondheim,Norway

6/26 Andalsnes,Norway

6/27 Bergen

6/28 at sea

6/29 Brussels/Bruges

6/30 Southhampton

My husband likes the 16 day cruise, but I am not sure how many of this stops will let us see the most fjords.

any advice or recommendation will be greatly appreciated.

 

The only deep sea fjord is Olden. This is mostly a midnight sun cruise. 

[kaisatsu]

6 hours ago, farodeluzgirl said:

Looking for some itinerary help  in order to choose the Norwegian cruise. We are looking at Caribbean Princess departing Southampton on June 14, 2024.

6/16 Stavanger

6/17 Olden

6/18 at sea

6/19 Tromso

6/20 Alta, Norway

6/21 Honningsvag, Norway

6/23 Lofoten Islands

6/24 at sea
6/25 Trondheim,Norway

6/26 Andalsnes,Norway

6/27 Bergen

6/28 at sea

6/29 Brussels/Bruges

6/30 Southhampton

My husband likes the 16 day cruise, but I am not sure how many of this stops will let us see the most fjords.

any advice or recommendation will be greatly appreciated.

 

If you’re only interested in the fjords, it’s not the strongest option, but if you want to see most of Norway’s best highlights, it’s actually pretty lgood.

 

As mentioned, Olden is the only iconic fjord port on the list, but Bergen, Lofoten, and Tromsø are my very top non-fjord port choices, and Honningsvåg is very popular for the visit to Nordkapp.

[farodeluzgirl]

I found an itinerary with Sky Princess (6/15/2024 RT from Southampton) that includes Flaam(6/18/2024), Hellesylt and Geiranger (6/19/2024). I have called  Princess 3 times and they cannot tell me the tours that are available between Hellesyilt and Geiranger.

Can anybody tell me what happens between those to ports of calls?

 

[kaisatsu]

1 hour ago, farodeluzgirl said:

I found an itinerary with Sky Princess (6/15/2024 RT from Southampton) that includes Flaam(6/18/2024), Hellesylt and Geiranger (6/19/2024). I have called  Princess 3 times and they cannot tell me the tours that are available between Hellesyilt and Geiranger.

Can anybody tell me what happens between those to ports of calls?

There's a description of the Princess excursion in this thread and it looks like there are some blogs/reviews posted further on:

 

I've always just stayed on the ship, because the cruising between Hellesylt and Geiranger is some of the most iconic fjord scenery there is, so I never mind seeing it twice. There are waterfalls on both sides, so if you're watching from a balcony, that gives you the chance to see both sides. I prefer to be up on the upper decks where I can see easily switch sides as the scenery changes. And I watch the sail-out from an outdoor hot tub, for a different perspective, leaning back and looking up a the towering fjord walls above. Also recovering from my hikes up to some of the overlooks.

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, farodeluzgirl said:

I have called  Princess 3 times and they cannot tell me the tours that are available between Hellesyilt and Geiranger.

Can anybody tell me what happens between those to ports of calls?

Hellesylt is just a technical stop for start of  excursions ending in Geiranger. If you do not want to join ship excursions from Hellesylt you just stay at the ship and arrange excursion in Geiranger.

[Anubi]

38 minutes ago, kaisatsu said:

I've always just stayed on the ship, because the cruising between Hellesylt and Geiranger is some of the most iconic fjord scenery there is, so I never mind seeing it twice. There are waterfalls on both sides, so if you're watching from a balcony, that gives you the chance to see both sides. I prefer to be up on the upper decks where I can see easily switch sides as the scenery changes. And I watch the sail-out from an outdoor hot tub, for a different perspective, leaning back and looking up a the towering fjord walls above. Also recovering from my hikes up to some of the overlooks.

Thanks for this.  We are doing Norway next summer and your ideas are excellent.  

[quilter49]

we are stopping in Honningsvag in June, 2024. I heard that you can just get off the ship and purchase a bus tour to the North Cape. Is this true, or should I just book through Blue Puffin or North Cape Tours?

[Karen Lynn]

Anyone already done Flam in Norway  ?

I’m torn between 2 tours 

1 on land and water ( do have a couple of other ones booked on water in other fjords)

1 doing the Flam railway 

 

Any suggestions appreciated ?

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, Karen Lynn said:

Anyone already done Flam in Norway  ?

I’m torn between 2 tours 

1 on land and water ( do have a couple of other ones booked on water in other fjords)

1 doing the Flam railway 

 

Any suggestions appreciated ?

I assume the land and water one goes into Næroyfjord. That is supposed to be particularly scenic. I was also torn between those options, Ultimately, I am trying to do both. What I am doing is taking the cruise in the morning, and have booked the railway for the afternoon. (This of course depends on your departure time.)

[Karen Lynn]

Thanks for your reply

 

Well our time has been cut short and we now leave at 3 pm due to the reduced speed in effect … 

 

Our booked tour is - You'll take a cruise through the Aurlandsfjord and into the Naeroydalen, which was recognized in 2005 by UNESCO for its wondrous beauty and geological treasures. Your boat will take you past steep mountainsides, beautiful waterfalls, and narrow fjord passages. You'll arrive at the breathtaking Gudvangen, which means playground of the gods. Here, you'll board your coach for a thrilling ride along Naeroy Valley's steep curving mountain road.

Not sure about that last bit …😮
I guess I am questioning myself because we do boat tours in 2 other ports ..

[gnome12]

7 minutes ago, Karen Lynn said:

Thanks for your reply

 

Well our time has been cut short and we now leave at 3 pm due to the reduced speed in effect … 

 

Our booked tour is - You'll take a cruise through the Aurlandsfjord and into the Naeroydalen, which was recognized in 2005 by UNESCO for its wondrous beauty and geological treasures. Your boat will take you past steep mountainsides, beautiful waterfalls, and narrow fjord passages. You'll arrive at the breathtaking Gudvangen, which means playground of the gods. Here, you'll board your coach for a thrilling ride along Naeroy Valley's steep curving mountain road.

Not sure about that last bit …😮
I guess I am questioning myself because we do boat tours in 2 other ports ..

Sorry I can’t help more. I also really wanted to do the train trip (by the way, cruise line excursions don’t go all the way to the top; they get off to go to a hotel for waffles before reboarding the same train on the way down) but I saw a description by someone who had done the cruise/bus combination and decided that I really wanted to do it. 

[Karen Lynn]

3 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Sorry I can’t help more. I also really wanted to do the train trip (by the way, cruise line excursions don’t go all the way to the top; they get off to go to a hotel for waffles before reboarding the same train on the way down) but I saw a description by someone who had done the cruise/bus combination and decided that I really wanted to do it. 

 

Yes I watched a YouTube video of the train and thought that too … I tried to book a late morning train independently but I guess other cruisers beat me to it and the one open still gets me back at 2:30. Not enough wiggle room …

[kaisatsu]

22 hours ago, Karen Lynn said:

Anyone already done Flam in Norway  ?

I’m torn between 2 tours 

1 on land and water ( do have a couple of other ones booked on water in other fjords)

1 doing the Flam railway 

 

Any suggestions appreciated ?

If you’re also calling in Geiranger, the scenery is similar to the sail-in there (though still more narrow), so I might consider the train in that case. If you’re not, and dramatic fjords is what you’re in the area for, I’d do the Nærøyfjord cruise.

 

I’ve taken the train a few times, and I always think it’s disappointing that you don’t get to see much of the fjord at all. It’s a nice pretty ride and interesting engineering, but if you’re there to see the iconic fjord scenery, I’d focus on that. There are mountain trains in other areas. The most interesting part to me is going from sea level to mountain plateau so quickly, and that really is astonishing and helps underscore how dramatic the fjord landscape is.

[Karen Lynn]

2 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

If you’re also calling in Geiranger, the scenery is similar to the sail-in there (though still more narrow), so I might consider the train in that case. If you’re not, and dramatic fjords is what you’re in the area for, I’d do the Nærøyfjord cruise.

 

I’ve taken the train a few times, and I always think it’s disappointing that you don’t get to see much of the fjord at all. It’s a nice pretty ride and interesting engineering, but if you’re there to see the iconic fjord scenery, I’d focus on that. There are mountain trains in other areas. The most interesting part to me is going from sea level to mountain plateau so quickly, and that really is astonishing and helps underscore how dramatic the fjord landscape is.

Thank you … I decided to keep to what we have. I looked at the YouTube videos and was a bit underwhelmed so we’ll proceed as planned. Thanks for your feedback 

[UNH1995]

Good evening,

 

I am currently looking to book a Fjords cruise in August/September 2025.   These are the two itineraries I am considering but unable to figure out which will give me the best combo of scenic cruising as well as interesting sights and excursions in the ports:

 

Celebrity:

Haugesund

Flam

Geiranger

Bergen

 

Princess:

Haugesund

Skjolden

Olden

Stavanger

 

I appreciate any insight anyone can provide.  This will be our first time in Norway.

 

Thank You.

Ken