Need to decide which cruise to Norway - Help!

We want to book our cruise to Norway with Holland America but cannot decide which one.

They are both 14 days, but one includes Oslo and the other goes up to the North Cape. Is it worth it to miss Oslo to go to the North Cape?

Which one would you choose and why? Thank you for your help!! This is probably the only cruise we will take to Norway so we want to make the best choice.

We are looking at HAL so we can spend an extra day and visit Amsterdam.

North Cape 14 days Cruise

Rotterdam

Sea Day

Stavanger

Flam

Cruising Sognefjord

Alesund

Trondheim

Cruising Trondheimsfjord

Sea Day

Hammerfest

Honningsvag

Cruising North Cape

Sea Day

Sea Day

Geiranger

Cruising Geirangerfjord

Bergen

Sea Day

Rotterdam

The other one is to both sides missing the North Cape

Rotterdam

Sea Day

Eidfjord

Cruising Hardangerfjord

Alesund

Geirganger

Cruising Geirangerfjord

Bergen

Sea Day

Rotterdam

Sea Day

Flam

Cruising Sognefjord

Stavanger

Kristansand

Cruising Oslo Fjord

Oslo

Sea Day

Rotterdam

Even though one goes back to Rotterdam, it has 4 sea days vs the other one has 5 sea days, so that balances out.

As we haven't gone as far north as the "North Cape", we would probably do that one. But Oslo is a wonderful sail in- very pretty. So you can't go wrong with either cruise.

We did midnight sun one from Harwich last July. Would def recommend, the 'best holiday ever' from my 15 year old son. In my opinion Oslo is a city, you'll see 100's ok they're all a bit different but they're still cities. The North Cape is unique.

We saw the midnight sun in St Petersburg. The sun was out until almost 11:45pm. But does the ship stay that late in the north cape area? I read some reviews off the HAL website and some people said it was a tourist trap. Not sure what they mean since we have not been there.

We sailed past the North Cape about 11pm but we're in the Arctic Circle for 5 days so had daylight all that time. You're itinerary is quite different though. We enjoyed the visitor centre at North Cape. Yes it's very touristy, but that's all it's there for but it's also very interesting and we felt it was worth it

Both are great but if I had to choose, I'd pick the North Cape. We did a Norway cruise last year and had 70 degree weather in Kristiansand and both sun and a snow storm at North Cape! It was an amazing trip and I'd go as far north as possible in Norway.

I must say, living in Oslo myself, that had I the choice between Oslo and the North Cape, I'd go north any day! Oslo is a nice city, but the North cape and the tour up there is something else!

We saw the midnight sun in St Petersburg. The sun was out until almost 11:45pm. But does the ship stay that late in the north cape area? I read some reviews off the HAL website and some people said it was a tourist trap. Not sure what they mean since we have not been there.

In St. Petersburg there is no "midnight sun" - as that only happens north of the Arctic circle. And the trip north takes days, so after you cross the arctic circle, you will have sun the whole day and night for several days (if the clouds stay away, that is). I suggest you check out your map! :)

I vote North Cape!

North Cape.

Oslo as a city isn't spectacular, imho.

We have been to North Cape twice and Oslo three or four times. You really can't go wrong with either one in my opinion. It DOES depend on what you generally like to do. (Both itineraries are good as well.)

We will be on Oceania in July with a stop in North Cape but since we are only there for the day we aren't going to bother going back to Nordkap. We probably WOULD go back if we had an overnight there. Our first visit in 1975 was during the day, our second was at midnight -- much preferable as far as we were concerned. And yes, it IS crowded! The last time we were there the bulk of the ship's crew came to North Cape as well as just about all of the passengers. (Fortunately the ship only carries 684 passengers so we didn't overwhelm the place, but then we weren't the only tourists there.)

But we also enjoy Oslo very much. There is the wonderful Museum Island which is easy to get to by ferry from the dock area and has several varied museums. There is the wonderful Vigeland Park. http://www.vigeland.museum.no/en/vigeland-park

When I was working for a big PR agency in Beverly Hills many years ago one of the partners created a wonderful photo book on the sculptures in Vigeland Park and after that I just had to go there. So far we've been there twice ... it's very special. An easy bus ride from the seaport.

You really can't go wrong with either itinerary. (I also have a special love for Trondheim because as musicians my husband and I just adored the Ringve Musical Instrument Museum when we were there in 1975. We're going back in July.)

Mura

Which place would you prefer to visit; Oslo or Alesund?

There is more cultural things to do in Oslo but Alesund is more scenic.