Port / dock locations Norway ( Northern Lights)

[Meander Ingwa]

I know there is a web site which lists dock locations for the various port towns / cities around Europe.  I have lost my reference link, do you know?

 

I am a pretty independent traveler and am not adverse to walking and exploring.  I want to keep those options open at my stops and having a starting point ( or possible points) will help with finding my interests that are not included on the ships planned or bookable excursions.

 

Thank you for your help

[CruiserBruce]

Looking on Google Maps, or searching there (" Cruise Ship Terminal,  Bergen" for example) will get you a lot of info. Many, probably most, docks in that area are right in town.

[Meander Ingwa]

Bergen is the only one I can see/ know for sure, but you are correct, can certainly get a feel from the maps.  My only secondary issue is  knowing how walkable the route is from the dock to the town.  Tilbury is a good example of a walk that seems a little unpleasant from train station to dock.  I am planning on using the ferry from Gravesend for a more pleasant and road safe walk

[Izzywiz]

It would be helpful if you could post the name of your ship, travel dates and the names of your ports including arrival and departure times.
 

There are many contributors who have cruised to numerous Norwegian ports so might be able to help with specific information if they know the details.

 

The size of your ship is important because the docking locations can be different. A good example is Tromso where, often, the smaller ships dock right in the centre of town and the larger ships dock at the industrial port about 3 miles from the centre.

 

It might also help if you could list some of the things you would like to see and do. We have cruised to northern Norway twice in the winter and done things like a husky sledge ride, ice fishing, hunting the Aurora and riding the Tromso cable car so may be able to give you some relevant information.

 

 

[Meander Ingwa]

Thank you Izzy.  I am with Viking Ocean Venus doing Northern Lights out of Tilbury Jan 12 2024

Calling at A'dam, Narvik Tromso Alta and Bergen

 

Bergen I have good information on via Travel guides, but info on the other towns is pretty slim.  I already have the Amsterdam plan.

 

My interests are natural history, ancient culture, trains .  I also love old architecture and graphic visuals and expression; decor and advertising.  .  I am still debating returning to London via Oslo and taking the train from Bergen to Oslo. I hear it is a lovely journey.

 

I can see where some of the ship docks may be and some of the access areas dont look particularly walker friendly in the dark of winter

 

 

[Izzywiz]

Hi, Meander.

It looks like a very interesting trip but, you are right, there won’t be much daylight at that time of the year. 
We were in Narvik, Tromso and Alta in March 2022 and I have lots of information on the ports but it will take me a couple of days to get it organised enough to post so please bear with me.

[Izzywiz]

Hi Again Meander,

I hope you don't mind me posting this information. It may be useful if you haven't done very cold weather cruising. I will post the port information on individual posts..

Cold weather clothing and useful items for Northern Lights cruises

Clothes	Isabel	Accessories	Isabel
Thermal underwear – long sleeved vests and full length underpants		Crutch clamp
Snow boots		Snow grips
Thermal socks		Lip balm
Silk glove liners		Snow glasses
Thermal gloves		tripod
Thermal trousers		Camping chair for use while out on the late-night Lights hunt
Thermal hat
Thick fleece
Wind/waterproof jacket
scarf

 

Brought/forgotten - used/not used.

Forgotten but needed

Highlighter pens

Polo shirts

Casual, thin day wear for around the ship

 

Brought and used.

Thermal vests, long johns, socks.

Water/wind proof jacket

Fleeces to layer

Scarf

Neck warmer

Thick hat with ear protectors 

Thermal gloves

Silk glove liners

Camera tripod

Fur lined snow/waterproof boots

Crutch/walking stick ice spike

Hand/foot warmer gel pouches

torches

 

Brought and not used

Ski goggles

Crampon studs

 

General Information

Our captain made an announcement over the PA system in public areas and on channel 1 on the cabin TV when the lights were visible from the ship.

The advice was to leave the TV on through the night with the volume turned up if you wanted to hear the call.

 

The ship is warm inside so have appropriate clothing for that too. We had concentrated so much on Arctic weather clothes that I didn't pack much indoor wear!

[Izzywiz]

Alta

 

P&O Oriana. February 2017

Day 9. Tuesday 28th February 2017

Tromso to Alta with scenic cruising

Arrival in Alta at 13.30

A.M. Very cold, sunny and clear until mid-morning and then increasingly cloudy 

P.M. The mist dropped as we neared Alta and there was a heavy snow shower before the sun came out in short bursts. -3*C without the wind chill.

 

Alta.

·         The ship docks at an industrial pier on the outskirts of the town.

·         The town is small and 'modern' with 60s style architecture.

·         There is a regular free shuttle service from just by the ship to the town square.

·         It is a 15-minute journey and a 5km walk.

·         There is very little to see in the town except for the tourist information centre by the bus drop-off point and the shopping mall which is opposite the bus park.

·         The shopping mall has a food court, a variety of shops and a supermarket. I thought prices were very high.

 

ship's excursion - 'In search of the Northern Lights' - - 4 hours.

·         I booked this as soon as the tours became available online so I got the day and time of my choice (day 1, 21.30 departure).

·         I did look at independent tours but, although they offer more flexibility, I found the price to be even higher than the ship's excursion and as I am on a budget I chose the less expensive option.

·         Each day's groups had the option to attend a 30-minute special presentation given by the local expert on the day of departure.

·         This was excellent as he explained the cause of the phenomenon and how it is tracked.

·         He also explained which of the 3 possible viewing sights we would be taken to (2 are 50km from the ship and the other is a 15-minute drive) and what would happen once there.

There are:

·         toilet facilities 

·         Hot chocolate and cake.

·         10 guides who will help with photography and other queries.

·         Places to be warm.

·         Transport back to the ship on request if you want to return early.

The Solvang site.

·         We were taken to the Solvang site which is the 10-minute drive from the ship.

·         It was interesting to see into people's houses as they don't draw their curtains and have the rooms brightly lighted. The homes seemed cosy, spacious and modern with good quality furnishings and kitchens.

·         Once at the site we were led along pathways to a large field where people spread out to find a suitable space.

·         We passed a building where the toilets were situated and a rest area where there was a tepee and 2 camp fires.

·         No mention was made of the availability of refreshments.

Important.

·         It was extremely cold (-10*C and no wind chill factor.....thank goodness ) so it is important to have the correct clothing.

·         There was very little seating so people were standing for hours.

·         I took a fold up camping chair which was invaluable and envied by many!

·         You need a long exposure time on your camera (between 10 and 20 seconds is recommended) so a tripod is vital for getting clear pictures.

·         We had hand warmer gel packs which also proved to be invaluable as the night wore on.

·         The lights are a natural phenomenon and viewings can't be guaranteed. It was cloudy when we got there and I left after 90 minutes without seeing them but my DH saw them after a 2.5 hour wait.

·         The lights appear as a fuzzy, ethereal gas cloud. Photographs enable you to see the intensity of the colour.

·         The ship offers tours that begin at various times through the evening. We chose the 21.30 departure but there were earlier and later options.

·         There were a lot of people from the ship at the site but also from other tour companies.

·         We didn't need a torch and we were requested not to use anything with a bright light while in the viewing field.

·         Coaches returned to the ship at regular intervals once they were full.

 

Fred Olsen Cruise line – Borealis February 2022

 

Day 8. Friday 18 February 2022.

Alta - 08.00 and overnight.

A.M. very cold and overcast with occasional snow flurries.

P.M.

Sea conditions: moderate swell

We caught the shuttle into town at midday. 

We had a look around the shopping mall and we shared an ice cream and a coffee before getting the shuttle back to the ship.

Alta Port

• the port is a small industrial area right by the airport.
• There isn’t a terminal building. 
• Tour busses and shuttle busses are parked about 100m from the gangway.
• I didn’t see any taxis or independent tours being offered.
• The town is approximately 3 miles from the port.

Alta Town.

• The town has grown a bit since we were last here but it is mainly industrial units and housing.
• The main attraction in the town centre is the 'cathedral’.
• There is quite a large indoor shopping mall close to the shuttle bus drop-off point which has free wifi, a supermarket, a variety of shops and several food outlets.

 

Independent excursion to VIEW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR WITH ALTA ADVENTURES - 19.00

• I booked the tour through Viator.
• I had several communications from Alta Adventures asking if we had questions, needed cold weather clothing etc. I requested a chair as I will not be able to sit on the ground on the reindeer skins…..not a problem.
• Our meeting time is 19.00 at the bus car park and Stig arrived promptly. There was another couple with us and the people carrier seated us all comfortably.
• Stig told us that the likelihood of seeing the lights that night was very low but he used an app on his phone and made a valiant attempt to locate them…..no luck!!!
• Our first stop was at Stig's office where we were provided with extra warm clothing.
• He then drove us through Alta and told us about the locality and its history before we headed out into the hills.
• Unfortunately, the longer we drove and the higher we got, the worse the weather became until we were in the middle of a blizzard.
• Stig turned the vehicle round and we left the blizzard behind as we got lower and closer to the fjord.
• Stig spotted tracks made by a lynx and he stopped the vehicle so we could see them
• Stig then made a comfort stop. He took us to a small harbour where there was a cabin with a toilet and a waiting room. He served us with fruit tea or hot chocolate and a reindeer meat sandwich baguette while we had a chat. The tea was nice and the baguette was delicious….the reindeer meat was very tender and the lingonberry sauce was sweet and tangy.
• Stig dropped us off at the port just after midnight. It was such a shame that we didn’t see the lights but it was an interesting 5 hours.

 

Day 9. Saturday 19th February 2022 - LOCAL BUS

Alta - departing 02.45 on Sunday 20^th February.

A.M. very cold and overcast. 

P.M. as above with snow showers in the evening 

Sea conditions:

 

We left the ship on the second shuttle bus about 09.15.

 

Independent excursion on a local bus.

·         I went into the shopping mall to access the free wifi while Jim went to the tourist information office to enquire about the local bus routes.

·         He came rushing back to say that the only coastal route bus was leaving in 4 minutes!

·         We 'raced' back to the bus station and caught the bus just as it was about to leave. It cost NOK60 = £5 for the 2 of us for a 1 hour round trip to Talvik.

·         It was a very scenic route along the coastline and then a slightly more inland route for part of the way back so well worth doing.

 Alta Port

 

 

Alta town

 

 

Local countryside

 

 

[Izzywiz]

Tromso

 

P&O Oriana. February 2017

 

Day 8. Monday 27th February 2017

Tromso - 08.00 to 03.00 the following morning

A.M. Very cold with long, sunny periods and no wind. Temp was -3*C.

P.M. As above until about 15.30 when the wind got up and then the temperature dropped noticeably.

 

Ship’s Excursion - Discover Tromso.

·         The tour group met in the car park at 12.45 for a 13.00 departure.

·         The guide explained some of the history of the area as we drove up the hill and around the back of the city and through some pleasant suburbs.

·         Our first stop was for 15 minutes at the Arctic Cathedral. We were lucky because, with there being sunshine, the huge stained-glass window glowed and was very impressive.

·         We were then taken back across the bridge and driven through the town centre before travelling along the shoreline to the museum. We had 45 minutes there to explore. There were a lot of interesting exhibits relating to the Sami People and Arctic exploration.

·         There was a shop, toilets and a cafe.

·         From there, the drive took us through more suburbs to the Planetarium where we had a show about the Northern Lights. That was our last stop so the coach took us back to the ship. We arrived just after 16.00.

·         It was a nice excursion and I'm glad that we were taken over the bridge and through the suburban areas as it gave a good oversight into the way local people cope with the extremes of the climate.

 

Tromso.

·         The 'sail-in' is pretty but not as dramatic as some of the fjords because it is wider and the mountains are lower.

·         The dock area is industrial.

·         There are free shuttle busses into town that ran at 20 minute intervals until 23.00.

·         The journey is 10-15 minutes.

·         It is walkable but the pavements were very icy.

·         The Arctic Cathedral is on the other side of the fjord so, to walk, would mean going into town and then across the bridge.

·         The cable car is close to the Arctic Cathedral but I'm not sure if that is walkable too.

·         The town centre is relatively small with a variety of shops, cafes, supermarkets, picturesque buildings, open spaces and the harbour area.

·         Prices are high compared to the UK. It was £1 to use the toilet in the small shopping mall!

 

Ship’s Excursion - Husky sledging.

The bus left the port terminus at 16.30 and took about thirty minutes to reach the Tromso Wildlife Centre. The journey was during sunset and the views were quite dramatic. The centre was out in the countryside and we were first taken into a large wooden building for coffee/tea, cake and to meet our guide. This building was comfortable with tables, chairs, fire pit, toilets and a small shopping area. The guide was excellent and explained everything about the dogs' working life whilst we walked around the site visiting the kennels, breeding area and sleight boarding area. All of the dogs were very friendly and people were allowed to cuddle the puppies. I was on a sleigh by myself with the driver.  The ride took about thirty-five minutes over undulating ground and at times you could see the lights of Tromso in the distance. The ride out in the deep snow was a wonderful, although bouncy, experience.  We got back to the ship at 20.00.

 

 

Fred Olsen Cruise line – Borealis. February 2022

Day 6. Wednesday 15th February 2022

Tromso - 11.00 and overnight

A.M. clear sunny sky and very cold…-6*c. Thick snow and ice under foot.

P.M. As above but even colder. Fortunately, there wasn’t any wind

Sea conditions: A strong swell until we got into the fjord where it was calm.

07.00 seems to be my default waking up time so we had coffee and then I got dressed and headed outside to enjoy the sail-in along the fjord. It was very picturesque.

We had breakfast as the ship began its docking manoeuvre and the call came to start disembarking just after 11.00.

 

Independent excursion to the Tromso Cable Car

We got shuttle number 4 just after midday and it took us to the centre of town (15 minutes) where we got off outside the Radisson Blu hotel.

We walked (slithered!) along by the harbour before turning into the shopping area where we had been told the #26 bus stopped. We took the bus to the cable car and got talking to 2 very nice young gentlemen from London who stayed with us on the bus to show us the stop nearest to the cable car.

 

Once at the lookout point at the top, we spent about 20 minutes enjoying the amazing scenery. We then went into the cafe and had 1 small coffee and 1 large chocolate muffin for NOK97 = £8.60.

After an hour we took the cable car down and got the bus back to Tromso. After a bit of a wait the shuttle bus arrived and we were back on board at 04.15.

 

Tromso Industrial Port

• the port is industrial.
• It is situated about 2 miles out of the city centre.
• There isn’t a terminal building.
• The shuttle busses and ship’s tour busses depart from the bottom of the gangway.
• I didn’t see any taxis or private tour companies but couldn’t see all the parking area so there may have been some.
• There was a shuttle service into Tromso town centre which was free for us but £10 for those on a saver fare for unlimited journeys.

Tromso City

• the city centre has a wide variety of ships and eating outlets
• There are walkways along the harbour area.
• There appeared to be boat trips and sightseeing tours being offered but I’m not sure if they were running while we were there.

Cable car

• I had done my research online at home so I knew that it was possible to get a bus from the town centre to the cable car.
• The Bus stop for bus #26 was quite close to the shuttle bus drop off point.
• Busses were quite frequent.
• Tickets must be purchases from the ticket machine (Instructions can be accessed in English) by credit card before boarding. Unfortunately, this machine wasn’t working so we bought our tickets at the shop across the road… NOK40pp = £3.30pp
• Tickets must be validated on the machine on the bus.
• The journey takes about 20 minutes and the driver will call out when to get off.
• There is a short walk to the lower station where the ticket office is situated.
• Tickets are NOK280PP = £20.  or NOK220pp = £18 or pensioners
• Each car holds about 20 passengers. 
• At the top there is a cafe, toilets, a viewing platform and access to open space where people were skiing etc.

 

Day 7. Thursday 17th February 2022 - Formal Night - WE GOT AURORA PHOTOS!!!

Tromso - all aboard by 17.30

A.M. cold and overcast

P.M. as above 

Sea conditions:

We went up to the Observatory Lounge for the 10pm quiz. It was then that people were telling us that the Aurora was visible above the ship so we rushed out and managed to get some great photos on my phone once I turned off the flash.

We were in and out of the lounge for an hour because it was so cold but the lights faded after half an hour so we went back in to get warm!

 

Ship’s Excursion - JIM. ICE FISHING WITH A LOCAL.

There were seven participants in the group which consisted of five men and two women.  Before setting off each person was asked for their body and feet sizes so the correct weatherproof gear could be collected. On leaving the port it took half an hour to collect the gear from the company’s base in Tromso. The drive to the lake took approximately fifty minutes and this was through stunning countryside with the added bonus of great views of a golden eagle and two white tailed sea eagles. Once at the lake it took about fifteen minutes to kit everybody out with snow suits, snowshoes, reindeer skins for sitting on and walking poles.  A short walk to the fishing holes followed, each person was designated to one, and the short fishing rods were baited up and presented to each person. I thoroughly enjoyed the fishing and the group got on very well with each other but we failed catch any fish. Tea or coffee and cake was provided along with a fire on the ice to keep us warm. After nearly two hours we packed up and re boarded the coach for the journey back to the ship. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience but was disappointed because the driver chopped the wood for the fire, on the ice, about a meter and a half from where I was fishing.

Sail-in 

 

Dog Sledging

 

 

Tromso City

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cable car

 

Ice Fishing

 

[Izzywiz]

Narvik

 

Fred Olsen Cruise line – Borealis. February 2022

 

Day 12. Tuesday 22nd February 2022 (22022022!!!!)

Narvik - 07.15 to 19.30 (all aboard time)

Ship’s excursion - Arctic Train

A.M. Brilliant sunshine but extremely cold

P.M. as above

Sea conditions: Calm

 

Narvik Port.

• the port is small and industrial. 
• There isn’t a terminal building .
• Tour busses are parked about 100m from the gangway. 
• There were a couple of taxis parked in the car park.
• There was a private 'yacht' docked next to Borealis that belonged to a Russian billionaire (£54,000,000 to build)!

Narvik Town

• The town centre is about 1km from the port and the road is uphill.
• The town has a variety of shops and cafes, a war museum and the railway station.

Ship’s Excursion - Arctic Train

• we met in the theatre at 11.05 and were advised to set off walking to the bus as I walk slowly.
• We were both issued with a packed lunch as our trip took place over the lunch period.
• I had a seat near the front of the coach already reserved.
• The coach journey to the railway station took 5 minutes and went through the centre of Narvik.
• The train was chartered by FO and was waiting for the 5 shuttle busses when we arrived.
• We were directed to specific seating compartments depending on our bus number.
• The seats were arranged in a 2&3 configuration.
• There were toilet facilities at the centre of the train.
• The journey goes out and returns by the same route and doesn’t turn round so it is important to sit on the right hand side if the seat faces forward (left side if backward facing)
• The journey takes approximately 2 hours.
• There was a taped commentary in English on the outbound journey where information was given on points of interest.
• The scenery was spectacular, especially since we had glorious sunshine for the whole route.
• The train made 3 stops where passengers could disembark for a few minutes.
• It was comfortably warm on the train but bitterly cold on the small stations…..-15*c!!
• We arrived back at the ship at 14.20
• A great experience.

 Narvik port

 

Narvik Town

Arctic Train

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Meander Ingwa]

Thank you for your very generous evaluation of the different places.  Hopping on a local bus and going for a ride is exactly what I would do.  I would be thrilled with the lynx stop too.  I was in the middle of nowhere eastern Oregon when our group stopped to visit a Rattlesnake that was snoozing on the warm road .  I remember that above many things on that escapade 

[Izzywiz]

You are very welcome 

[Lucas Mom]

We were on the Viking Venus this past January (set sail on the 19th).  We didn't have near the amount of daylight as the person who shared all of her info (from when she was there in March) - and our weather was more mild - mainly in the low to mid 30's.  If you're on FB  - there is a "Viking Cruises Travelers" group that I am a part of.  I posted daily about our trip and if you search my name (Michelle Eisenhart) you'll find lots of pictures/info.  At the end of our cruise (we also ended in Bergen) - we spent two extra nights there and then took the train from Bergen to Olso and flew out of Oslo back home.  The scenery on the train trip was beautiful.  We also did a fjord cruise out of Bergen that we loved.  We did see the Northern Lights a couple times from the ship and on one of the ships excursions - when we traveled into Sweden.  

[jrmende63]

On 5/9/2023 at 4:37 AM, Izzywiz said:

Hi, Meander.

It looks like a very interesting trip but, you are right, there won’t be much daylight at that time of the year. 
We were in Narvik, Tromso and Alta in March 2022 and I have lots of information on the ports but it will take me a couple of days to get it organised enough to post so please bear with me.

@Izzywiz

I see you have been to Narvik. I am also going there and looking for a northern lights excursion. We will be there Mid October 2024 on Queen Anne. I saw the train one. Hopefully QA will have this excursion. But if Not , I am looking for another company to go with.

Edited August 6, 2023 by jrmende63

[gojocruise]

16 hours ago, jrmende63 said:

@Izzywiz

I see you have been to Narvik. I am also going there and looking for a northern lights excursion. We will be there Mid October 2024 on Queen Anne. I saw the train one. Hopefully QA will have this excursion. But if Not , I am looking for another company to go with.

You can book direct with the Arctic train https://www.arctictrain.com/ thats what I'm planning on doing when I go in November on P&O Arcadia.

[Meander Ingwa]

I plan to book direct as well either the Arctic train itself or the regular line service on the same route.  My current itinerary shows  , however, an exceedingly short stay in Narvik.  I am hoping someone  accidentally typed PM when they mean AM