Excursions in Norway on the Constellation

The ship's tours seem pretty lame at each of the ports. Are tours really needed at these ports or do we just DIY or use local operators? Appreciate any history

Have you checked out the Ports of Call forum here at CC? We can't really help you without knowing your ports. EM

The ship's tours seem pretty lame at each of the ports. Are tours really needed at these ports or do we just DIY or use local operators? Appreciate any history

Have you checked your roll call to see what other passengers have found or have booked for private excursions? We have found the private tours the best option in all but one instance

Lucky you - we did a Norway cruise on Royal Caribbean and loved it! Every port was spotless and the people spoke excellent English and very friendly. Don't know if you are going to same ports but here is what we did

Stavanger - it was raining that day and we did a bus/city tour in the morning- it was average. We then had lunch at Skagen - my husband had whale meat! It was ok - the fish I had was very good. Great atmosphere. There is a place there with free usage of computers and wifi

Bergen - interesting ship tour to Ole Bull's the composer's home. I believe there was a shuttle bus to town and we walked around on our own - very nice and wish we had eaten at the fish market - it all looked very good

Flam - our favorite - we booked a rib boat ride through one of the companies I had found on the internet ( can not find the name at the moment) as it was quite a bit less. They give you a suit to keep warm in and it was great fun! The town is very quaint and right at the dock

Geiranger - took a ship tour to the top of the mountain and had a delicious fish soup at Naustkroa in town - the town is the port

Alesund - walked around town and ate lunch, then did a ship excursion which was a hike up a mountain with a beautiful view. The hike was a little strenuous.:)

Now, I want to go back - beautiful country!

in norway there is really no need to take ship excursions, unless you like them!

here is what we did:

in stavanger we did a tour with rodne fjord cruises. It was awesome!

This sightseeing tour takes 3 hours, with the famous Pulpit Rock in the starring role - and an impressive supporting cast of waterfalls, idyllic islands and magnificient scenery. On board our comfortable sightseeing boats there is a sun deck and kiosk. Guiding in several languages. Departures from Skagenkaien in Stavanger..

in Bergen we left the ship very early and went straight to the floyen-station, bought a ticket, went up and hiked down. then we visited bryggen.

in geiranger we took the hop on hop off scenic bus tour. great views!

in flam you can either take the flamsbana or you can hike.

We saved a lot of money by doing the excursions individually and had the advantage of "no crowd, no hassle".

kr pluca

When we did tours in Norway, we booked with local companies and people from our roll call. Best one was set up by a woman in Australia and a guy in Great Britain working together on the internet. We took the local bus from Flam to Gudvangen. Took the ferry from there through the Naeroyfjord back to Flam. Then took the Flamsbana up the mountain.

We also went to the top of Mt. Dalsnibba in Geiranger, but thankfully not on a ship tour. We booked with the local bus company. Apparently some people on the Celebrity tour freaked out at the hairpin bends on the road up the mountain and the bus had to turn back. Not sure how they thought the bus was going to make it up 10,000 meters without hairpin turns. Anyway, we were grateful not to have been on the bus with such people.

We were on the Infinity (Norwegian Fjords) in July. Because we booked the cruise last minute, we did most of our excursions through Celebrity. The only one we regretted was the walking tour of Oslo (overpriced and dull). For both Oslo and Bergen, you can definitely get off the ship and walk around yourself. Great museums, shops and architecture in both cities. For the smaller ports, we did active tours (hiking up to Briksdal Glacier, bike riding down Mt. Dalsnibba, hiking down from one of the stations near the peak of the Flam railway, etc). They were all very good, and while I'm sure you can book these independently, and save some money, we just didn't have the time to plan each day in port. The one exception is the Rodne Fjord Cruise from Stavanger (http://www.rodne.no/index.cfm?id=325701). A previous poster mentioned this, too. This was an excellent excursion that the ship didn't offer. We just stumbled upon it in port. If you have time, each port in Norway has a tourist office and they will send you very helpful brochures. Beautiful country and generous people. Enjoy your cruise!

Despite the cruiseline CD's attempts to paint a picture of inadequate tourism infrastructure, we were very happy to use more local Hop On Hop Off services in Stavanger to hit the museums, and we were happy just to take the shuttle from the ship to a central point in Bergen and just walk around Old Bryggen, the Castle and concert hall, Hanseatic museum and the Fish Market on our own. We did miss the Leprosy museum, which seemed a shame. We did take a ship tour around Molde, which was pleasant but crowded. All the locals were friendly and kind, and English was widely spoken.

I've done three cruises to Norway in the past three years and have been to most ports, some several times. It's definitely possible to do your own thing in the majority of ports and if you let us know which ones you are stuck for ideas for, then I'm sure either myself or someone will have some ideas for you. The only place I have found challenging for private tours is the Lofoten Islands. :)

We visited Bergen on the NCL Star last September. We were scheduled to stop in Alesund, but the stop was cancelled due to a cat 2 hurricane.

I organized private tours in both cities, since the NCL excursions were so expensive.

We wanted to do the Path of the Trolls in Alesund and I found a great private company, but we missed it due to the hurricane.

Some people in Bergen did ferry ride up the

In Bergen we used this tour company, very good.

BERGEN

We had never been to Norway and were looking forward to this port. We were not disappointed. Bergen was a Hanseatic port with the famous Hanseatic Wharf. The Hanseatic merchants dominated Wharf for 400 years. I opted for a city tour instead of going inland to see fjords, since our next port, Alesund involved a fjord tour. NCL’s Norway in a Nutshell tour for Bergen was $299 per person and I was not able to find a comparable private tour. Some people did a three hour fjord cruise and said it was good.

Our tour was with BERGEN GUIDE SERVICE (http://www.bergenguideservice.no).

The tour included two walking tours and a trip to the funicular. The cost of the tour was 175 NOK per person (about $27).

The tour was described as follows:

Nordnes:

On this walk, which takes us from Torgallmenningen - Bergen’s central boulevard - to the Aquarium, you will hear all about Munkeliv Monastery and how witches were burnt at the stake in Bergen!

The Wharf, historical Bergen and the funicular.

You can go for a walking tour of the Wharf. The guide will take you through the historical heart of Bergen, and stroll along the world famous Bryggen, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The ancient gables and the narrow alleyways will make you feel like stepping back in time to the era when the Hanseatic merchants dominated Bergen’s trade. You also pass the fish market and the modern harbour of today, and you will see -from the outside- both the Cathedral and the Church of the Cross as well as St. Mary’s church. Afterwards you can take the Funicular up to Mount Fløyen, which is 320 a.s.l., where you will enjoy the magnificent view over the city of Bergen.

The price for the funicular is NOK 85 per person.

Beate was our guide and she was excellent. She met us at the dock and took us through the old city, showing us the Bergenhus fortress and Haakon's Hall, which date back to the 13th Century. Also, there we saw the five hundred year old Rosenkrantz Tower. This was near the port, where during **** occupation an ammunition ship exploded, killing many people and blowing out windows for miles. The stone structures survived. We enjoyed walking through the old Hanseatic Wharf, with its colorful houses, shops and stores. Between tours, we took the funicular up to the mountain and had fantastic views of the city. The view from the funicular was awesome. We then walked through the modern harbor, quaint housing areas, the fish market and more. It was an excellent tour and the price was good.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g190500-d617680-Reviews-Trollstigen_Troll_s_Footpath-Western_Norway.html

http://moereguide.com/index.php/en/towns/molde/path-of-the-trolls

The ship's tours seem pretty lame at each of the ports. Are tours really needed at these ports or do we just DIY or use local operators? Appreciate any history

Tell us more specifics for the ports you would be visiting AND details about the types of port experiences you seek and desire. How much for history, culture, nature, shopping, wildlife, scenic locations, etc., etc.??

As detailed in my live/blog below from being all up along the spectacular Norway coast up to the North Cape and back, not all of these ports are "superstars" with their port offerings. Clearly, Bergen is great with its variety, most of which can be done on your own. BUT, many other location are not as significant compared to Copenhagen or St. Petersburg. There is much, however, to see and do . . . depending on your exact desires and goals.

One major plus with the ship tours is that they can make your logistics easier and/or be more time efficient. In some of the fjord ports, these are very small villages and the local tour options are rather limited. If you want to get "up country" to see the "roof of Norway", a cruise tour might be your only and/or best option. Over-priced, yes, but helping you to experience more above the port that should be seen to funny appreciate the beauty of this amazing country. Below are a few of my visuals samples/tips.

Added questions and reactions??

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 186,357 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

This is the dramatic overview of Alesund from the Aksla vantage point along the western coast of Norway. This spot allows a nearly 360-degree view of this setting for this island city and the surrounding mountains and islands. It is at a 597’ height overlooking the five islands making up the scenic town. The canal or waterway in the middle of the town is called "Brosundet" (or the Bridge sound). That means Ale sund (sloping sound). Or, reflecting that the sound slopes through town. This is how Alesund got its name.:

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, etc. Super loved the charm, character, history and beauty in Bergen.:

Right near the Hanseatic merchant warehouse area is the Bergen Fish Market with lots of options to buy food to eat on site or just watch, enjoying the “show” as people ask questions and buy the various fresh fish items.:

This picture shows the Bergen Floibanen funicular railway coming up the steep hill with the harbor, fish market, etc. in the background of this charming Norway coastal town with so much great history and architecture. On the top, somewhat right, the Silver Cloud and Costa ships can be seen in the harbor.

In going to Flam in one of the most scenic areas, you can see here some of the great fjord, dramatic mountains, waterfalls, etc. Below is a picture and highlight from this day doing a spectacular train ride up the mountain, seeing the valleys, etc.:

Some people on our ship did a Fjord cruise that they said was excellent.

Based on my research, in Alesund, try to do the Path of the Trolls tour. We missed it because of a hurricane.

Much depends on your itinerary. If you go up to the North Cape/Lofoten islands, private companies are almost nil. Remember the tourist season is very short. So there aren't many people willing to offer services, especially up north. it is way different than other countries where multiple tour agencies are available.

You really need to do a lot of research. Get yourself a good book or two as well as using the local tourist web sites. Dh chose this cruise to see certain things. He managed to find either the ship tour or a couple small group tours to cover MOST of his wishes. But he spent quite a bit of time researching the areas. yes, in larger cities like Bergen and Stavanger, you can do your own thing quite easily.

All depends too on what you enjoy. Lots of people focus on hiking, water based tours etc.

For sure, as soon as you book the cruise, get your train tickets booked for Flam. They sell out very quickly. Work with your roll call to form a group to reserve the tickets. Don't bother doing the ship ex.

What would you like to know? I live in Aalesund. :D

I would suggest going to "Trollstien", the very narrow road with hairpin curves. If

If you want to stay in the city, I would take a hike up the 419 stairsteps to "Aksla". Very streneous, but lots of benches to rest on on the way up. Or grab a taxi up and walk the stairs down.

Touristoffice: http://www.62.no/

Here you can find all sorts of things to do.

Despite the cruiseline CD's attempts to paint a picture of inadequate tourism infrastructure, we were very happy to use more local Hop On Hop Off services in Stavanger to hit the museums, and we were happy just to take the shuttle from the ship to a central point in Bergen and just walk around Old Bryggen, the Castle and concert hall, Hanseatic museum and the Fish Market on our own. We did miss the Leprosy museum, which seemed a shame. We did take a ship tour around Molde, which was pleasant but crowded. All the locals were friendly and kind, and English was widely spoken.

We were on the same cruise as ChinchillaGrl-

We found that Molde was easy to DIY as was Stavanger.

In Bergen, for medical geeks like us, the Leprosy museum was very interesting and not too far a walk from Old Bryggen

Please note that this thread is two years old. EM