My husband and I are taking a cruise up the west coast of Norway in June to experience the Summer Solstice & the long days. I have information on Bergen and Flam from Rick's books and DVDs but not for the rest of the ports of call. Has anyone been to the following and can you tell me things that I might do/info/websites for the day in these ports? We love walking, hiking, seeing the scenery and getting to know the locals. The ports are: Geiranger, Tromso, Narvik, Honningsvag, Trondheim, Alesund, & Eidfjord. Thank you!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
In addition to any replies you get here, look at Cruise Critic. Here's their Hurtigruten forum (whether you're taking that line or another one, there should be lots of ports information available there): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=821
And here are their port reviews (scroll down, then choose "Ports" from among the
Cruises Planning Ports Reviews Forums
tabs): http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/area.cfm?area=14
Posted by
OP
Okotoks
35 posts
Thank you Harold for this information. I will definitely look this up. I am also buying Rick's book on Northern European Cruise Ports. I had not realized that Rick had a book on this topic as it was not at the travel store that I frequent.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Rick's Northern European Cruise Ports book is more focused on Baltic cruise locations, so it only has a few places you're going to. From his website, the Norwegian destinations it covers are: "Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, Flåm, the Sognefjord, Norway in a Nutshell, Geirangerfjord." So, unless you're taking some time before or after your cruise to see these places, it won't be of much help.
You'll do better with Cruise Critic, or a dedicated Norway guide book such as Rough Guide or Lonely Planet.
Posted by
OP
Okotoks
35 posts
Thanks, Harold!
Posted by
Acworth, Georgia, USA
78 posts
Last August we did a Norwegian cruise that stopped in four ports. Our favorite port by far was Eidfjord. It is a small town near the end of the fjord and we found the scenery breathtaking. We did not do the shore excursions offered by the cruise line and instead did the "Troll Train" from the center of town to get an overview (tickets purchased from the tourist office near the dock). Although we did not do more, there were many opportunities walk and hike in the area. Some from our ship did the kayaking but one couple we met fell in and found the water to be very cold. This summer we will be stopping in Flamm and Alesund as part of a cruise to Iceland. The Flam Railway looks interesting but we have not booked anything yet.
Posted by
1 posts
My wife and I will also be a similar trip mid-to-late this June and would welcome any feedback on the Hurtigruten Excursions, since they collectively can become expensive. If you had to pick 3 or 4, which would those be?