Celeb canceled our Med sea cruise - need help on cruising Norway's fjords

[BuckeyeMark]

Celebrity decided to move their ship the Beyond to the Caribbean and so they canceled its Med cruises for the summer of 2024. Just sent us all emails saying "Sorry, you don't have a ship any more."  Didn't even replace the Beyond with a different ship so we could still go on that cruise - just canceled it. Now we need to select another cruise - and we have two weeks to do so to get some perks and goodies that Celeb is offering to "make up" for the inconvenience.  On top of that I had a big church group I was bringing on that Med Sea cruise!  So now I'm choosing for a big group ...

 

We are looking at going to Norway. Celebrity has a cruise in May that goes to Nordejordeid, Geiranger, Flam, Alesund and Kristiansand out of Southampton. That looks good but I need to know more about cruising fjords. Is it true you have to be up at 4 AM every morning to see the fjord as you sail into port and appreciate it?  Is everyone pretty worn out all day because of the early starts? These cruises look amazing but the cruises I have been on have been about the port mostly - the sailing was inconsequential (the ocean looks the same every day).  Norway looks like it's not so much about ports as it is about the sailing. Yes? What else should I know about these cruises before I put my group on a ship to Norway?  Below is the cruise we're looking at.  Any and all info appreciated.  We're really trying to get up to speed on this quickly as Celeb pulled the rug out from underneath a well-planned, we've got everything in place cruise and now we're starting over from scratch.  Thanks!

[MeHeartCruising]

You CAN get up at 4am and enjoy the sail in thru the fjords.  You do not have to.  You will also sail back out those same fjords later in the day, so you can view them at that time (albeit with different sun angles).  I generally woke up around 6:00 am to enjoy part of the sail in.

 

The fjords are quite narrow, you can easily see the shore on both sides as you sail in and out -- for several hours.  Looking at the waterfalls, mountains, vacation houses, etc. along the way is enjoyable.

 

While the waterway travel is wonderful, the ports can also be very enjoyable.  If you arrange excursions (private or thru Celebrity), you get to see some more amazing scenery, viewpoints, cultural things, etc.  I think the ports are just as good as on any cruise.

 

The cruise you are researching looks like a good itinerary -- it includes both Flam and Geiranger, which are usually considered the Crown Jewels of fjord cruising.

[hallasm]

Only two deep fjords into Geiranger and Flåm where I normally recommend to be at upper decks early for the scenery - but not a must and as @MeHeartCruising is saying - you’re sailing the same fjords in the evening - but often many activities in the evening.

For the other three ports no long fjord sailings. Ålesund is a nice coastal city.

Nordejordeid is a small town with very limited activities - Kristiansand not that interesting.

 

just as a note: Geiranger and Flåm are located in the UNESCO World Heritage fjords. From 2026 ‘Zero emission zones’ will be introduced in these fjords and number if cruise ships that can visit Geiranger and Flåm will be very, very limited. Another reason for taking this cruise and be early on deck when sailing the fjords.

[JohnAlleb77]

Nordfjordeid is a really nice port where you dock right in town. Some activities available, check out :

 

www.portofnordfjordeid.no 

www.fjordex.no 

 

 

A nice port to take a hike in the local mountains, rent a bike or a car.

 

The ships use around 1,5 hours on slow speed from the far coast into the port of Nordfjordeid, when docking at 1000 I guess there will not be anything interesting to see before 0800.

 

 

17th of May is constitution day in Norway, and Norway are famous for the 17th May celebration. You might wanna google that... 

 

The ship itself might have its own excursion not listed on www.fjordex.no 

 

 

 

 

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, JohnAlleb77 said:

17th of May is constitution day in Norway, and Norway are famous for the 17th May celebration. You might wanna google that... 

An important subject. May 17th is a very special day to be in Norway, and if possible you should join in the festivities. There is also not much else you can do - the vast majority of shops are closed that day.

[BuckeyeMark]

This is all so helpful.  Thank you thank you thank you!  We'll see if Celeb has room on the ship for us to go to Norway but I'm greatly encouraged.  Keep posting your ideas, ideal itineraries, if some other line has a great May sailing we should investigate (it wouldn't take much to say "see ya!" to Celebrity!), etc.  Really appreciate everyone here!

[BuckeyeMark]

QUESTION: Do you need to be on deck or is being in a balcony okay?  Obviously you see only one side of the fjord in your balcony but is that terrible? 

[hallasm]

9 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

Do you need to be on deck or is being in a balcony okay?  Obviously you see only one side of the fjord in your balcony but is that terrible? 

My assessment is subjective - also the word terrible.
From the balcony you only see one side of the mountain - to enjoy the panorama, the snow on the mountains and the waterfalls, you have to go up to the upper deck and get the full view. The morning sailing through the deep fjords to Geiranger and Flåm is, in my opinion, one of the highlights of the cruise which I enjoy from the upper deck.
However, based on the number of guests on the upper deck early in the morning, the vast majority of guests find it terrible to get up early and enjoy the view from the open decks.

[BuckeyeMark]

8 hours ago, hallasm said:

My assessment is subjective - also the word terrible.
From the balcony you only see one side of the mountain - to enjoy the panorama, the snow on the mountains and the waterfalls, you have to go up to the upper deck and get the full view. The morning sailing through the deep fjords to Geiranger and Flåm is, in my opinion, one of the highlights of the cruise which I enjoy from the upper deck.
However, based on the number of guests on the upper deck early in the morning, the vast majority of guests find it terrible to get up early and enjoy the view from the open decks.

This is, again, extremely helpful.  Would be good to tell my group exactly that, and then let people choose what they want to do. If folks want to get up and get the max experience they can, and I'm letting them know how to do that. If they don't, that's okay too - their choice.

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, BuckeyeMark said:

…and then let people choose what they want to do.

It is entirely up to the individual - I have attached a short video with some inspiration for Ålesund, Geiranger and Flåm. 
There are some indications sf times of the day in the video.

 

[Meander Ingwa]

The reason most people take this trip is the magnificence of the scenery.  To experience it at its best, being on a panorama observation area is better.  Can you stay in your cabin, sure you can

 

I would make sure the shore experience meets up to expectations of the group.  A more urban port schedule may be more to the liking.  Norway compared to the Med is a completely opposite experience

 

Some people just want to go on cruise to experience ship life and really dont care where they go to.

 

It is hard being all things to all of your group, I would find out what the majority feels about what they want in the experience.  Is there any significance to it being a church group? Why was the original itinerary choice made?  May be a need for a group get together to discuss all the option pros and cons of each potential trip

 

what other trip options are available?

[kitkat343]

Geiranger and Flam were two of my favorite ports, along with Olden.  Alesund is also beloved on these forums (but I've never been so I can't comment).

 

In Flam, you can ride the beautiful flam railway.  In Geiranger, you can visit gorgeous viewpoints.  I took this cruise with a. 6 year old and 2 year old, so there was absolutely no way anyone was awake at 4 am but we all really loved this cruise.  

 

 I would disagree with the statement "Norway looks like it's not so much about ports as it is about the sailing."   Norway is to a large extent about beautiful scenery, but you also go to gorgeous viewpoints in ports to see it from there.  We also visited a goat farm, went on a funicular, rode on the flam railway.   If you are interested in more adventurous tours, they are also available throughout Norway (there are RIB boats and lots of hikes, bike rides and climbs available), but if you just like looking at beautiful scenery this is a very special cruise.

 

Unless celebrity is offering an amazing moreover offer, you'd want to sail to Norway for itinerary not cruise line.

Edited June 30, 2023 by kitkat343

[CCJack]

I agree with all the responses...   A couple thoughts...

 

I would think a Norway cruise would be pretty appealing to most people, however, just make sure your group understands that it is vastly different then a Med cruise, mostly because Med cruises go to large cities and a Norway cruise does not.

 

As far as viewing the sail in at 4 am.... on our cruise there was exactly one person on the top deck (me) for over 1.5 hours.   The other 3000 people, including my wife, was sleeping.   The one time in my life that I was the smartest person on the boat, and probably the one time in my life that I was the smartest person in my marriage.    Don't miss it, at least for the long Fjords.    For our cruise,  the morning sailing was much more serene than the evening sail out due to wind, clouds, etc. in the evening.    You will have time to view from your balcony, plus the top deck, plus get a refill of coffee, etc...  

 

I would be curious if Celebrity is generous with their freebies for you.   If not, consider other cruiselines.   I personally really like Celebrity, but I think they owe you something besides a token discount.   It sounds like this was a business decision and not a weather related decision, and they should be considerate of their customers in this case. 

 

 

 

 

 

[BuckeyeMark]

31 minutes ago, CCJack said:

I agree with all the responses...   A couple thoughts...

 

I would think a Norway cruise would be pretty appealing to most people, however, just make sure your group understands that it is vastly different then a Med cruise, mostly because Med cruises go to large cities and a Norway cruise does not.

 

As far as viewing the sail in at 4 am.... on our cruise there was exactly one person on the top deck (me) for over 1.5 hours.   The other 3000 people, including my wife, was sleeping.   The one time in my life that I was the smartest person on the boat, and probably the one time in my life that I was the smartest person in my marriage.    Don't miss it, at least for the long Fjords.    For our cruise,  the morning sailing was much more serene than the evening sail out due to wind, clouds, etc. in the evening.    You will have time to view from your balcony, plus the top deck, plus get a refill of coffee, etc...  

 

I would be curious if Celebrity is generous with their freebies for you.   If not, consider other cruiselines.   I personally really like Celebrity, but I think they owe you something besides a token discount.   It sounds like this was a business decision and not a weather related decision, and they should be considerate of their customers in this case. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is helpful.  And I may try to be the smartest person on the boat too!

It was not a weather decision in any shape, form, or fashion.  It was a financial decision - for which Celeb will pay dearly in many very unhappy customers.  But someone decided they could live with that ... over in the Celebrity forum it sure doesn't sound like they are doing much for canceled customers. We'll see if they are willing to help us a little more since we're a big group and working with Group sales, not an individual customer service agent. I would say this: this thread has made me eager to take my group to Norway!

[CCJack]

Also, note the 4 am Fjord viewing may actually be 5:00 or 5:30 am depending on your ship's schedule.  You may need to figure it out yourself.  On our cruise (Cunard) there was no mention or suggestion by the ship about any Fjord viewing / sail in time.   

 

[BuckeyeMark]

6 hours ago, CCJack said:

Also, note the 4 am Fjord viewing may actually be 5:00 or 5:30 am depending on your ship's schedule.  You may need to figure it out yourself.  On our cruise (Cunard) there was no mention or suggestion by the ship about any Fjord viewing / sail in time.   

 

How long does it typically take to sail the Geiranger fjord?  If we're sked to dock at 8 AM we'd prolly enter the fjord at ___________?

[hallasm]

Not that simple to answer.

It takes about 5 hours in total - you actually sail through three fjords, Storfjorden, Sunnylvsfjorden and finally Geirangerfjorden. The Geirangerfjord itself takes 1 hour.
My recommendation is to be on deck a little before sunrise - around 04:30 (depending on the date) - then you will experience the last part of Storfjorden, entering and sailing through Sunnylvsfjorden and Geirangerfjorden.

 

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, hallasm said:

It takes about 5 hours in total - you actually sail through three fjords, Storfjorden, Sunnylvsfjorden and finally Geirangerfjorden. The Geirangerfjord itself takes 1 hour.
My recommendation is to be on deck a little before sunrise - around 04:30 (depending on the date) - then you will experience the last part of Storfjorden, entering and sailing through Sunnylvsfjorden and Geirangerfjorden.

Forgot that you had included your itinerary in previous post.
Sunrise on May 19 is 04:25 am - so that's the time to be on deck. Sunset is 10:30 pm. Remember that you must also be on deck early when entering Flåm - approximately the same time to sail through Sognefjord and Aurlandsfjord as sailing in to Geiranger.

[kaisatsu]

While I'm always on deck for the sail-in to Geiranger, I prefer to spend the sail-out lounging in an aft deck hot tub. We tend to hike in the hills during the port day, so it's a much-needed chance to relax and recover, but also, the fjord walls tower over the ship, so it's actually a different perspective than you get from the railings. We watch the view out/around during the sail-in, down from above during the port call, and up on the sail-out.

[CCJack]

9 hours ago, hallasm said:

Forgot that you had included your itinerary in previous post.
Sunrise on May 19 is 04:25 am - so that's the time to be on deck. Sunset is 10:30 pm. Remember that you must also be on deck early when entering Flåm - approximately the same time to sail through Sognefjord and Aurlandsfjord as sailing in to Geiranger.

Also, sometimes I download a marine GPS app.   Although the GPS positioning is the same as you have for land GPS, the marine apps sometimes have better coastline / island maps - so you can track where you are relative to Fjords.   Download the pertinent maps/charts ahead of time (while on wifi).    GPS may not work when inside the ship but on deck or on balcony I have had good luck.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Try Holland America 

[BuckeyeMark]

Looking like we'll be on the cruise from Celebrity that I posted as the replacement cruise so I need some additional info about these ports please.  Notably the ports where we can sked a group activity before we dock.  Some of these ports are at the end of a long fjord cruise and the whole reason we're going is to be out on deck and see these great fjords so I don't want to sked anything then. But, for example, Kristiansand looks like sea cruising so we could do something that morning?  
We're scrambling here to get up to speed in a hurry so any and all info on these ports is appreciated. "Don't miss" or "You have to" or the "The signature thing in that port is _____" are all very welcome.  Yes, I'm googling like mad but there is no substitute for the folks who have been there!  Everyone has been so helpful.  THANK YOU!
 

Day 3 - NORDFJORDEID, NORWAY - Docked: 1:00PM to 7:00PM - great fjord cruise in so nothing that morning, yes?

 

Day 4 - FLAM, NORWAY - Docked: 8:00AM to 4:00PM - am thinking the railway is the thing here,yes?

 

Day 5 - GEIRANGER, NORWAY - Docked: 8:00AM to 6:00PM - obviously want to be out on deck for sail in and sail out.  BTW, the Seven Sisters are about five miles from port. Is that about an hour's cruise away so we should for sure be there 7AMish?

 

Day 6 - ALESUND, NORWAY - Docked: 8:00AM to 4:00PM

 

Day 7 - KRISTIANSAND, NORWAY - Docked: 1:00PM to 8:00PM - could do a morning activity before port on this day?

 

Again, big thanks to all.

[hallasm]

16 minutes ago, BuckeyeMark said:

Day 3 - NORDFJORDEID, NORWAY - Docked: 1:00PM to 7:00PM - great fjord cruise in so nothing that morning, yes?

The fjord into Nordfjordeid is relativere short - i would be On uppercut deck an hour before arrival

 

17 minutes ago, BuckeyeMark said:

Day 4 - FLAM, NORWAY - Docked: 8:00AM to 4:00PM - am thinking the railway is the thing here,yes?

Don’t miss the fjord sailing - as impressive as Geiranger.

Railway is great - tickets must be booked in advance. Also Stegastein viewpoint. 
 

18 minutes ago, BuckeyeMark said:

Day 5 - GEIRANGER, NORWAY - Docked: 8:00AM to 6:00PM - obviously want to be out on deck for sail in and sail out.  BTW, the Seven Sisters are about five miles from port. Is that about an hour's cruise away so we should for sure be there 7AMish?

Yes, be sure not to miss the waterfall. In Geiranger has some impressive view points not to be missed.

 

Do som searching for your ports of call in this forum.

[BuckeyeMark]

4 minutes ago, hallasm said:

The fjord into Nordfjordeid is relativere short - i would be On uppercut deck an hour before arrival

 

Don’t miss the fjord sailing - as impressive as Geiranger.

Railway is great - tickets must be booked in advance. Also Stegastein viewpoint. 
 

Yes, be sure not to miss the waterfall. In Geiranger has some impressive view points not to be missed.

 

Do som searching for your ports of call in this forum.

So we could do a morning activity on Day 3 at 10 AM and not miss anything going into Nordfjordeid?  That'd be great.  And yes, I'm searching everything, including and especially this forum.  Thanks!

[wineoclock]

We were on Silhouette in May.
 

For sailing into Olden the captain opened up the helipad at 5am. I went into the OVC at 5.30am as I wanted coffee. (Was up at 4.30 watching some from my balcony.)

 

By 6.30am we had reached the end of the fjord. Absolutely worth getting up for & breathtaking. Husband missed a treat. Was not the same view sailing out later in the evening.