Atlantic Ocean Park Alesund

Well, having been to Ålesund but not to the aquarium, I can tell you that I would choose Ålesund to focus my time on. I love Art Nouveau architecture and art, and the town was just absolutely beautiful. I wandered around it for hours and could have spent more time there.

But that's me. If you like aquariums, and I understand that this is a very unique aquarium, then you may want to focus your time there. I don't think that a drive through town will give you the opportunity to see as much of the Art Nouveau architecture that Ålesund is famous for, but it may be enough for you.

I agree with Mardee. Save the aquarium/zoo visits for the US when you decide to use your Southwest Airlines rewards.

What are your other shore excursion options for Ålesund?

Mardee and jeanm

I love architecture and I think that I might love just walking around Alesund.

I gather that Alesund is walkable and so interesting that I could spend my time just walking around.

jeanm, there are so many excursions. offered that I am not going to focus on them for now. I think there are 18 excursions offered and they sound similar. Atlantic Ocean park sounded different. All the other excursions will take me to a beautiful place that I have never heard of.

I am going to wait until November before I begin to spend a lot of time on my excursions.

Going to have my cataracts done beginning this week and then London. And then I will be getting very serious about my cruise in September 2027.

Thank you both for your many responses to my posts. Thank you for your help. I hope that you will continue to advise me.

I love zoos and aquariums.

I think you should seriously consider it, especially considering your mobility concerns. When we were in Alesund, we did the stairs (several hundred) up to the Aksla viewpoint followed by wandering in the park up there and then working back to the center of town. After lunch, I was out taking in more of the town, some of the waterfront, up to another park viewpoint near the big yellow school building, and wandering all over. I also even popped into some local supermarkets on Nedre Strandgate as I made my way back to the center of town where the ship was docked.

I don't remember Alesund as being "flat" - not in the least. Maybe not San Francisco steep, but certainly plenty of hills in town. I also think you'll have time before/after your excursion to explore as the ship will be smack dab in the center of town and it's easy to get to the heart of town in just a few minutes. Visit the aquarium and then wander the town core when you get back. Maybe check out up close some of the stuff you see as the bus returns through Alesund.

Tom R

Thank you for your feedback.

I will most definitely consider Atlantic Ocean Park. Will probably check out some youtube videos and additional reearch.

The aquarium is on our list when we go back to Alesund. I would think you would have time for both the aquarium and wandering around town.

mnannie, it sounds like a bus picks them up at the aquarium, and then they just drive through Alesund, which made me hesitant to suggest that, since I don't think you'll get to see all the beauty just by driving by in a bus. Maybe I'm wrong, though. I don't know what the excursion says and how long they spend on the bus.

Hi mnannie and Mardee
x
Here is a description of the excursion:

Atlantic Ocean Park
DETAILS
3
hrs
Estimate Duration

Ålesund, the largest town on the northwest coast, has a beautiful setting, built on several islands stretching out into the ocean. You'll drive to the Atlantic Ocean Park, a unique aquarium in Norway. Here, the tanks use sea water to recreate an environment which resembles the coastal environment as much as possible. The largest tank contains 1 million gallons/4 million liters of seawater. The park also features an outdoor pool with local species as well as penguins. Here you can look straight out towards Breisundet - the wide sound surrounded by islands and far out into the open ocean. On the way back, you'll have the opportunity to admire some of the fine details of the Art Nouveau architecture. After a short drive through the streets of Ålesund, you're back at the pier.

Sounds like it is transport only although it is eligible for the $50 off credit. Also says that it takes you back to pier but that does not mean you have to get back on ship. Time would depend on when you have to get back on ship.

mnannie

why are you interested in going to this aquarium?

UPDATE. and here are the port hours in Alesund
Alesund, Norway 10:00 AM - 8:30 PM so we are going to have a very long day in Alesund. That means we could go to Atlantic Ocean Park and still have plenty of time to walk around Alesund.

BP, your trip, so do what makes you happy, fits your budget and your abilities.

That said, IMO, Norway is all about the scenery. I live in the flatlands. Give me mountains and fjords (on the water or from above) everyday over zoos and aquariums and shopping. Adding some time to see the Art Nouveau architecture of Ålesund is the icing on the cake.

Is there an excursion that will highlight Norwegian scenery?

BTW, Google tells me that Austin has both an Aquarium and a Zoo.

jeanm

Austin does not have a real zoo or aquarium. There is a quasi zoo and aquarium owned by a private person or persons. And there is a lot of controversy over what some person or persons is trying to pass off as a zoo or aquarium. Complaints of all kind have been filed.

My memory is that animals have died and persons are claiming that they are neglected. Other people are complaining about paying money to go in and there is not much there. They feel ripped off.

No one I know has gone to this so called zoo or aquarium.

After London, I will look more seriously at excursions for Iceland and Norway.

BP, that's both disappointing and disgusting to hear of the mistreatment of animals. I only looked at a few Google reviews of both sites and they were positive. I'm glad you are aware of these places and what they are like.

Yes, you'll have plenty of time to look into the excursions after your London trip. You must be getting excited. London is such a vibrant city!

jeanm

I watched two youtube videos on Atlantic Ocean Park. The aquarium looks to be truly beautiful architecturally. Very open spaces, large pools and tanks but typical aquatic life. I do not know what i was expecting.

But it also looks like the area outside of the aquarium is extremely beautiful. So if I went on this excursion, I could probably walk around the area outside of the aquarium.

I never even think about our so called Austin Zoo or Aquarium. I did not even know that it was still open. Out of curiosity, I am going to google it myself or do some research.

I do not know one person who has ever gone. You never see any positive press. There are no advertisements.

I am very excited about my trip to London but feeling stressed as well. It is just over a month away and I have so much on my plate.

On Thursday, I had my first cataract surgery and will have the second in two weeks. I am amazed by what the corrected eye sees.

I spent days dealing with printer problems but it looks as though the issue has been resolved, at least for now. I was able to print out a copy of my ETA and my hotel reservation.

And then I will be having a shot for my arthritic knee as well as a flu and covid shot.

And I have to clean house and pack.

And maybe do some planning about what I am going to see and do. I am flexible because an old friend may come down from North England and I might meet up with a distant cousin. Just leaving everything open.

jeanm

The Austin Zoo gets mixed reviews. It is a non-profit owned by individuals. I can not get there. There is no public transportation to the zoo which is mostly rescue animals. There are pictures on Trip Adviser and I find them disturbing.

And here is a report on our so called aquarium by PETA.

https://www.peta.org/news/austin-aquarium-a-strip-mall-petting-zoo-dump/

UPDATE. I did some more research on the Austin Zoo. There are many positive reviews and some negative reviews. It is not a zoo but a rescue facility or sanctuary. It has no affiliation with The City of Austin.

mnannie

why are you interested in going to this aquarium?

When we were there before, we spent our time on genealogy. We found all the tombstones and homes of relatives, so now I have time to explore the town. As far as the aquarium, I want to see the penguins the most. But it's the location that is drawing me. We spent a night next to the sea at Farstad the last time we were there, and I loved looking out at the sea. This aquarium is uniquely built at the edge of the water. It's less than 3 miles from the cruise dock and you have to drive through the oldest part of Alesund to get there.

Alesund, Norway 10:00 AM - 8:30 PM so we are going to have a very long day in Alesund. That means we could go to Atlantic Ocean Park and still have plenty of time to walk around Alesund.

That's a nice chunk of time and will let you EASILY do both the excursion to the aquarium and a lot of time to still stroll around town checking out the buildings, picking a few places to snack, wandering the waterside, and checking things out in the heart of the town. I doubt the 400+ steps up to the Aksla viewpoint is your thing, but there are other ways to get up there from town (probably even an excursion but cheaper to do on your own). We saw plenty of folks getting driven up to the top, and it looks like there is even a hop on/hop off bus option in Alesund, so can get a town "tour" and a ride to the viewpoint. Depends if September is still the "summer" season there, which it may be right on the shoulder.

From the site ( https://www.stromma.com/en-no/alesund/sightseeing/hop-on-hop-off-bus/ ):
1 day ticket BUS Hop On-Hop Off (~$45 USD)
1 h 10 min
Get the best of Alesund on this classic sightseeing tour during the summer season!
Departure Point: Stop 1/Alesund Cruise Terminal. Running from 09.00 - 16.00 every 20 min. Tour length 1h 10min.
Highlights: Explore 9 stops along the route, including Sunnmøre Museum and Aksla Viewpoint.

Good to Know: Audio commentary available in 8 languages. Pick-up service from cruise ship harbors available on select days.

Apart from the sightseeing bus there is also the bytoget (train) which will take you up Mount Aksla as part of a 70 minute tour- https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/alesund-city-train-sightseeing/227183/

Both train and bus run on any day when there is a cruise ship in town throughout the season-

mnannie

Just what I was hoping -- that the aquarium is in a very beautiful area. I do not believe that I must stay in the aquarium. I think I am allowed to go outside and walk around.

The cost is very reasonable. It is Level 1 so I will get to see the aquarium but then the area that surrounds it. And still have time to explore Alesumd.

Tom R

I think the 400+ steps up anywhere might not be my cup of tea.

yes, we have an amazingly long day in Alesund, for a cruise port.

And I am thinking that I will be able to easily do the aquarium plus explore Alesund on my own.

Thank you for the information about the HoHo bus.

isn31c

Thank you for the info about the choo choo train.

I hope the weather is decent the day that I am there.

An interesting website with a bit of info on some of the ports you will likely be visiting.

Example for Alesund but also places like Flam, Olden, Molde, Bergen, etc, with how "easy" they are to navigate and main attractions in port:

https://www.canidothisport.com/alesund-norway

or for the various others:

https://www.canidothisport.com/cruise-ports/northern-europe/

I looked at this closer this morning after being in Minneapolis all weekend, and I think the HOHO buss might be a good option for you. If you like views, don't miss getting to the top of Aksla.

Look at street view to get an idea of the steepness of the sidewalks. We did a lot of exploring around the Alesund Kirke, and we walked up and down some big hills.

As for the weather, when we were there in September of 2023 for 18 days we only had 1 day of heavy rain. Unfortunately it was the day I wanted to explore the little town my grandfather lived, so I will be going back in hopes of being able to get out of the car next time.

Tom R

Thank you for what looks to be very valuable information.

mnannie
Thank you.

I will keep the hoho bus in mind. I have been doing a lot of research.

I do not believe the hoho bus is allowed to go to the top of Aksia any longer but the choo choo train still is.

One never knows about the weather.