Alesund, Maloy and Flam

If we start with Flam the cruise ship docks right next to the railway station.

It's interesting that they don't quite get to the end of the railway line at Myrdal, but go to the Vatnahalsen Hotel for waffles and coffee. I've actually been to that hotel and had the waffles. Pretty good. A typical Norwegian country hotel.
As I remember it, it is only a short uphill walk from train to station. The day I went there there was heavy snow, but I don't remember any difficulty. NCL are charging £185, the train fare is 598 Kr (say £60) each way. So with your discount on excursions that is not actually badly priced. Vatnahalsen is only 4 minutes from Myrdal so you have really done the line. Take the walk slowly, and you can do it. At full price then £60 for waffles and coffee is clearly extortionate, but you aren't paying full price.
Level 2 feels very cautious to me.

Or book the train yourself to Myrdal and straight back if you want.

Stegastein, a Level 1, they charge £104. You can book that yourself through Norway's Best for 560 Kr (£56)- https://www.norwaysbest.com/en/flam/things-to-do/stegastein-viewpoint

Voss Full Day Tour £297- You can book that yourself- public bus for 179 Kr (bus to Voss) and about 800 Kr train via Myrdal- so about £100, of course you miss out on lunch at the Hotel in Voss but it isn't worth £200. With the greatest of respect I know your history, and although the changes at Voss and Myrdal couldn't be easier, just worries me that little bit.

So I think do either Stegastein or Vatnahalsen. I think you get 50% discount on excursions, in which case the ship's trip to Stegastein may be the better bet.

I'm very surprised to be saying those two ship excursions may be the best option at Flam.

Thank you isn31c

and what about the other two ports Alesund and Maloy. Have you got any suggestions for these two ports?

I am aware that most cruise lines overcharge for excursions, not just NCL. But I feel a certain safety and security when I book through NCL.

However because the excursions are so expensive I am going to try and do some ports on my own.

Maloy- I could find things myself to do independently but then I am proficient in using Norwegian public transport, and services are not frequent there.
So I don't hesitate to say take any one of the ship's Level 1 tours. I've not been but the standout tour is Selje Island. However that should NOT be the Level 1 they claim, and I don't think is suitable for you because

Note: This tour includes approximately 1 ½ hours of moderate uphill walking/standing; There will be some inclines, steps and uneven surfaces to negotiate. The tour is not available to wheelchair guests and may not be suitable for those with mobility concerns who are cautioned to carefully evaluate their personal level of stamina and ability.

(Now of course after your surgery it may be a different story, but I have a duty of care in my advice, reading what you have said previously).

Bytoget, the tourist train, goes up to Aksla viewpoint in Alesund.

My great-grandfather was a fisherman from Alesund who died at sea, so we chose to visit the Fisheries Museum. There are several other museums that are close to the cruise dock.

I love to walk and explore, so I would just spend the day in the Alesund.

Trollstigen is amazing, so you could check to see if that is a tour choice.

mnannie

Here is one of the excursions offered, one of 17 excursions. That is a lot of excursions any time at all but 15 months out ....

"Majestic Views of Norway
DETAILS
8
hrs
Estimate Duration
Meal
OVERVIEW
Drive towards a viewpoint of one of Norway’s most dramatic and mountainous stretches of road – where trolls supposedly roam at night – and stop at attractions that add to the mythical allure. The deeper you drive into the countryside, the more staggeringly beautiful the landscape will become. While pausing at the Trollstigen Viewpoint and Gudbrandsjuvet lookouts, you can snap photos of the impossibly deep ravines and hear folk legends associated with them. Still, nothing can prepare you for Trollstigen, the so-called Troll’s Path that climbs through the precipitous mountains. The road is narrow, steep and full of hairpin turns. Coming upon the Old Stordal Church will offer a glimpse into real life centuries ago. Itinerant rural artists painted nearly every square inch of its interior with decorative roses and Biblical figures in a style known as rosemaling. The two century-old cobblestone bridges at Skodje are another manmade wonder as they were once Norway’s longest masonry road bridges
HIGHLIGHTS
• Be awed by the steep mountainous landscape when viewing the incredibly serpentine Troll’s Path.
• Stop at spectacularly scenic lookouts and hear folk legends about the surrounding countryside.
• Behold the decoratively painted interior of the old “Rose” Church in Skordal.
• Snap photos of two historical cobblestone bridges from the new bridge that replaced them.

This tour does NOT drive down Trollstigen/Troll's Path as the road is closed due to safety reasons. There are two platforms at Trollstigen guests can choose to use during the photo stop. One is close to the bus parking, this is at the same level as the souvenir shop and it is accessible to wheelchairs. The second platform is much further, and several steps must be taken to reach it. The itinerary will vary depending on the restaurant booked for that tour. The venues may be shared with other guests."

mnannie

Is that what you are referring to?

isn31c

I may have watched a youtube video about this excursion. Is this the one that has something to do with the only female saint in Norway?

I will have to watch other videos about this excursion.

Will have to do other research to see if maybe I could do it

Yes, it's St Sunniva, an Irish princess who fled from a forced marriage.

The island has always been an important pilgrimage site. In some ways it's importance in Norwegian culture is akin to Lindisfarne in England, Caldey in Wales, or Whithorn in Scotland.

isn31c

I went back and rewatched the youtube video. It was posted just two weeks ago so it is recent. It is a good video. Content Creator did. good job.

I am going to post a link if I did the copying correctly.

It seems like it is mostly free time exploring the island and the site.

And depending on how much you want to see and are able to do, you might be walking up and down and all around some rough terrain.

You do not have to go up and down the stairs or enter the tunnel. The Content Creator and his wife did. I would not be able to.

You take. a boat to the island which is a beautiful trip and then yoiu are given a history of thr saint and the island. The Content Creator has posted the guide's talk. Everyone stood and there did not seem to be any boulders to sit on as far as I could tell. Standing for long periods of time is difficult for me.

But then it seems the rest of the excursion is your own free time.

For me, the biggest problem might be no flush toilets only outhouses as we call them in the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cteGpT3m_1k&t=22s

mnannie

Is that what you are referring to?

Yes, although I am puzzled as to why the bus doesn't drive down the mountain at Trollstigen.

In Flam the main attraction is to take the historic and scenic Flamsbana railroad. Given you are on a large cruise ship that likely will reserve a large amount of the train, I strongly recommend you book the ship excursion so you actually get a seat. Flam is pretty but it is very small - no hop on bus, no trams, only a few restaurants, and one tiny museum. The train ride is truly spectacular, it would be a shame to miss it.

FYI food in Flam is very expensive due to remote location and being a tourist area. I checked the menu at the Aegir Brew pub where I had a good dinner, the current price for what I had is $85 US, a bowl of soup is $20-25 (even at lunch time). There is a small grocery but if you happen to be there on a Sunday it opens late.

Well, that is very interesting, at least you can make your own informed choice. As I say I don't think it should be a Level 1 excursion.

It is also useful to know that you can book the tour independently on cruise ship days for 895Kr (+20% extra for insurance in case the ship can't dock). This is important enough that I'm posting a link for anyone else who finds this thread- https://www.fjordguidingselje.no/eng

You know I don't generally take cruise excursions, but that could well be an exception in my eyes.

The Hurtigruten/Havila ship also calls very briefly at Maloy at around 5 to 6 am in each direction, so for the right person this could be a stop over on that journey as well.

Again, for general interest it is interesting that this is one stop on a coastal pilgrimage trail from Egersund to Nidaros- https://www.fjords.com/en/western-norwegian-fjords/fjord-guide/nordfjord/selja-monastery/
and that there is another pilgrimage island at Florø- the next Hurtigruten/Havila stop towards Bergen

Nidaros is the old name for Trondheim- and it's great Cathedral.

Egersund is a port just outside Stavanger.

There is actually a twice daily bus (a daytime and an overnight one) from Maloy to Oslo Airport and Oslo City Centre.

mnannie

There was a landslide and a lot of damage was done.

The road has been closed since the landslide but it might be open by the time that I go September 2027

Hello. CL

yes, the ship does offer two excursions to and through Flam.

One is by both coach and train. I would stop in Voss for lunch but that excursion will cost me about $350 with my credits.

That is 6 hours long.

Then the one just by train is about 3 3/4 hour long and will cost a little under $200 with my credits. This one stops in Vatnahalsen where we will have waffles and coffee at its namesake hotel. Description says nothing about snack or meal included in price so I guess that we pay.

Thanks for the info.

thank you isn31c

You have so much knowledge.

From the youtube video, the island all by itself did not look all that beautiful. It was very interesting but i would not call what I saw beautiful.

I could see where historians, archeologists and religious might be very interested in this excursion.

I did not have much time to look at the link that you sent me but I will look at it again later or tomorrow. The pictures did make the island look prettier than the youtube video.

There was a landslide and a lot of damage was done. The road has been closed since the landslide but it might be open by the time that I go September 2027

Actually, BP, I just looked it up and it's because the tour bus they use for the excursion can not make it down that road due to safety issues. Here is the info I found, when I looked it up.

The Norwegian Cruise statement about the Trollstigen/Trolls Path road is due to the use of massive tour buses. Many cruise lines modify their itineraries for safety and logistical reasons. While the Trollstigen road itself is not permanently closed, navigating the steep, 11-hairpin turn mountain pass presents heavy logistical challenges for full-sized coaches. Because Trollstigen is an extremely narrow, winding road that is susceptible to heavy traffic and potential rockfalls, large tour operators like NCL often prioritize guest safety by operating a modified route.

Instead of taking the bus down the iconic hairpin turns, the tour will usually just drive up to the Trollstigen plateau via an alternate route (e.g., from the Valldal side), granting you access to the spectacular viewpoints, lookouts, and the visitor center safely. Visitors will still get to see the famous Troll's Path snaking through the mountains and the Stigfossen waterfall from above.

Having said that, it sounds like an incredible excursion and if I weren't afraid of heights, I would sign up for it. 😊

I visited Denmark, Norway and Sweden in 2024. I found Norway to be the most expensive, especially for food. And Flam was even more - small village with so many tourists. Just need to accept and plan for it (I balanced my budget by having cheaper meals at other places when possible).

The Trollstigen opened for the season on April 26, almost a month earlier than normal. This was the earliest opening on record.

You are not traveling until 2027. The opening date won't be known until after the 2027 winter season when any road damage can assessed and repairs are made.

Then the one just by train is about 3 3/4 hour long and will cost a
little under $200 with my credits. This one stops in Vatnahalsen where
we will have waffles and coffee at its namesake hotel. Description
says nothing about snack or meal included in price so I guess that we
pay.

The cost for same day round trip Flamsbana tickets is currently about $110 so that excursion cost sounds quite reasonable considering. You don't have to buy waffles if it is optional, instead have breakfast on the ship and just enjoy the outing.

it's because the tour bus they use for the excursion can not make it down that road due to safety issues.

The service bus, which is the same size as the tour buses, drives the entire road every day during the season there and back from Alesund to Geiranger- https://www.vybuss.com/destinations/geiranger/

so I do not know which port or which excursion but when doing my research I discovered that some of the road had to be closed due to a rockslide or landslide and that vehicles could not go through until repairs were completed

As said, it was one of the ports in Norway that I will be visiting but I can not remember which one nor can I remember the excursion

Thank you Mardee

We'll see what I am offered in September 2027.

I am not one for hairpin turns ...

ADDED. steep, 11-hairpin turn mountain pass

Are you kidding me?

Joy

So I have heard but I was diagnosed with CKD last year and my diet is much simpler. I eat less and more basic foods.

On the bright side, I save money when it comes to food.

Still I will attempt to be prepared for food costs when in Norway. I will attempt to eat as much on the ship as possible.

bostonphil7 - I am sorry to hear about living with CKD, but amazed to see you are still traveling and exploring new places! And having a positive attitude about it.

Thank you Joy

I had a real scare but the culprit turned out to be my statin.

My nephrologist took me off my statin and my labs are normal now but there is also permanent kidney damage. The kidneys almost never repair themselves.

I had to completely change what I can eat and drink. My diet is very restrictive and will be for the rest of my life.

Traveling has become more challenging but I am saving money because my diet is so minimal. Trying to see the bright side of things.

Almost certainly there are no food tours in my future or long sit down meals at a fancy restaurant but I was never one for those anyway.

so I do not know which port or which excursion but when doing my research I discovered that some of the road had to be closed due to a rockslide or landslide and that vehicles could not go through until repairs were completed

This relates to the Trollstigen road, but is out of date information. In 2024 the road closed for the season on 17 June due to a rockfall, not re-opening until 11 July in 2025 (so a 13 month closure), it then closed again on 15 August 2025 (so open for 1 month) to allow for roadworks to attempt to future proof the road against future rockfall closures (to do the roadworks after the end of the Norwegian domestic peak season, in mid August when schools go back, but before winter sets in).

2025/2026 was a very mild winter, so the road re-opened historically early in 2026.

The 15 August closure was scheduled in 2025 to also occur in 2026 and 2027- but I can't find anything in English to confirm that, only the 2025 closure notice in Norwegian. The very late arrival of winter in 2025 may mean they got all the required work done in one closure as VyBus expect their season of operating the scheduled bus #25 over the road to last until 30 September 2026 (above reference)-
https://www.nrk.no/mr/vil-rassikre-trollstigen-i-tre-ar-der-vegen-blir-stengd-fra-15.august-1.17336120

isn31c

Thank you for the information

I went back to the youtube videos that I had watched and you are correct. They are two or three years.

I was interested in viewing the excursion and not the date. I also did not realize that land and road slides are regular and often having to do with winter weather and length.

However I still will have to rethink this excursion as I am not certain I want all the excitement of the many turns on.a one way road as beautiful as the drive may be.

Has anyone ever flipped over the railing? Is it possible that someone could flip over the railing?

Has anyone ever flipped over the railing? Is it possible that someone
could flip over the railing?

Tens of thousands of people make this journey every year. If it was not safe, the Norwegian government would shut the road and tour providers would not undertake the drive. Accidents are possible any time you travel in a vehicle, no matter the type of road.

Thank you CL

I know that accidents happen but .......

I do want to see the trolls.