cknic

Obviously lots of differing opinions! With only one day I would stay in town ... there is lots to see and it's easy to get around.

 

On one trip we had a private tour to Jerez where we visited the Spanish Riding School, Clock Museum (back then it was private tours only and you needed a group of 8 or so) and a vineyard. A delightful day.

 

But you CAN do Cadiz on your own, whether on foot or by bus.

 

On our first visit in 1999 the Cathedral visit was free. On our last visits it was NOT. But it's worth seeing.

 

There are also self-guided walking tours one can do.

 

A charming town.

 

Mura

How far is Jerez from the dock? Our ship will be in Cadiz from 11am to 7pm and I would really like to see the Dancing Horse Show but it starts at noon. Is there enough time to get there? And the best way to get there and back? I would purchase advance tickets. We want to then see the Cathedral and the town.

Assume you mean arriving from the US into FRA, before connection to AMS.

 

The day after the Asiana crash at SFO, we made it in 40 minutes for a connection to CPH (SFO-FRA-CPH). But we arrived at a much later time than the majority of international flights into FRA, and there were no lines at Passport check. Had there been lines there, we would have been screwed.

 

So, an hour is doable, but it is going to be very stressful, and potentially filled with running. On other flight boards, the recommended minimum is 90 minutes. You may have to bus to your plane for the AMS flight (we did for CPH), but if you are on a LH plane, you won't have to bus to your gate when arriving at FRA. Make sure you are on a LH plane.

Thank you and to dogs4fun..you confirmed what I was thinking..not really enough time. Won't chance it.

I'm considering a flight to Amsterdam on Lufthansa going through Frankfort. The layover is only 1 hour 5 minutes. Is that long enough to make my connection?

We were on that cruise, now it's time to write blog and review. Realized that I didn't save a picture of Itinerary Map before the sailing, now it's hard to find. :loudcry:

 

Can someone kindly email me the map if you have one?

 

Thanks in advance.

I just took a cell picture and will gladly send it to you. I need your email..

We had the exact opposite experience in Cagney's on the Jade in December. It was the best meal we had all week (and all the food was good - no complaints at all). Because of that experience, we will be dining there three times on our upcoming cruise in October. I hope your experience was just a bad day!

We were on the August 9 Jade sailing and ate at Cagney's twice (excellent meals and fun staff), once at Moderno which was ok, not great and once at Le Bistro definitely not our favorite. The food in the MDR was very good.

All right, just coming back from our trip to the Norwegians Birthplace: there's a free shuttle from the harbour to the already mentioned church and from there it's only one block down and a half block right where the bus station is. The driver DOESN'T need the exact fare, a hundert NOK bill is fine for him: it's 35 NOK each way per person, that's around 4,50$ per trip. A daily pass will cost you 95 NOK each.

On the way back the bus station is exactly on the other side of the road, from there (and the way back of course) it'll take you 12 to 15 minutes walking time to the Norwegian Birthplace. The stop in the city is only 4 blocks down where the shuttle to the harbour will depart.

Everything has been easy, please calculate around 4hours minimum from leaving the ship until your return...

 

Hope that helps...

Cheers Oliver

Just repeating..this is such a great thread! Thanks to you all. Oliver, back to Haugesund..did the Museum and Viking Farm accept credit cards?

It sounds like the information I received from the Tourist Center makes the excursion more complicated than it really is. At least I hope so:). Did either one of you...Oliver or Cheryl, notice what time you actually boarded the bus? The museum doesn't open until 10 and I had been told the 210 bus runs at 17minutes past the hour from the city center which is where the shuttle let you off correct?

Happy to hear the weather improved..hope it stays nice!

Carolyn

All right, just coming back from our trip to the Norwegians Birthplace: there's a free shuttle from the harbour to the already mentioned church and from there it's only one block down and a half block right where the bus station is. The driver DOESN'T need the exact fare, a hundert NOK bill is fine for him: it's 35 NOK each way per person, that's around 4,50$ per trip. A daily pass will cost you 95 NOK each.

On the way back the bus station is exactly on the other side of the road, from there (and the way back of course) it'll take you 12 to 15 minutes walking time to the Norwegian Birthplace. The stop in the city is only 4 blocks down where the shuttle to the harbour will depart.

Everything has been easy, please calculate around 4hours minimum from leaving the ship until your return...

 

Hope that helps...

Cheers Oliver

Very helpful. Thanks! What time did the bus depart and then return? We are only in port until 3. I understand there is a tourist center at the harbor. Is there an ATM there? Did you enjoy the attraction?

Carolyn

Afternoon from a beautiful 75 degree sunny sea day. Let's see if I can address some questions:

 

1. We bought the unlimited internet package. Do NOT per purchase this. They have received so many complaints that one day is free (you pay for 9 on a 10 day cruise). According to the internet manager we should expect ZERO connectivity in both flam and Gieranger.

 

Jensen- we plan to hike to Rvalnden (sp?). Do you have any specific trails to recommend? Looks like quite a few to choose from. We are ok with anything 8km or less.

 

Shipfriendmax- I don't consider sorreentos food, and last year on the rhapsody from Venice park cafe closed at 11pm. The hours were better on the anthem in April, but we really think rcl should up their late night food game.

I think you will very much enjoy the jades new more subdued palette.

 

The guitar player in the atrium was excellent last night! We really enjoyed. He did a great Santana rendition. I suspect will be with him every night.

 

We skipped meet and greet (I'm sure it was terrific); but signed up for a pub crawl this afternoon. Looking forward to it.

 

There was an emergency evacuation this morning. German military helicopter. God speed recovery for the patient.

 

We have Cagney reservations tonight. I'll catch up posting the dailies now and try to get some photos of the ship uploaded tonight.

 

 

 

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You are a gem! Thanks for this thread and to everyone giving such helpful info.

One more request please....when you get to Norway, tell us how the internet is on board. This is our first NCL cruise and the package rates seem to be pretty high. Guess the new "Freestyle Choice Plans" are not available on Jade.

We probably won't have much time to watch movies, but which ones are showing on your cruise?

Thanks.

We will be boarding Jade August 9, same day you leave the ship so I was delighted to see this thread!

We will be in Haugesund on a Tuesday but only from 8 to 3 and intend to visit the History Center and church via public bus. I've been communicating with the Tourist Center but am still unsure of some details, ie, can both the bus tix and entry be purchased at the Tourist Center with a credit card, where we actually board the bus and at what time---so whatever info you can give will be greatly appreciated!

Also, in Alesund, is the road to Aksla open? We want to take the little train.

Thanks in advance. Have a wonderful cruise! Hoping for great weather for you and for us!

Carolyn

The last ferry leaves Bygdøynes at 18:40 (since the museums close). You can find the schedule here: http://nyc.no/pdf/2017/fergetabell_2017_web.pdf

 

The bus #30 runs until approximately midnight.

Thank you so much!

My recommendation would be to start with Vigelands Park in the morning, since it's open 24 hours, and the sun will be behind you as you enter (if it's early enough in the morning or late enough in the season), which can be good for photos.

 

Then head to the Bygdøy museums by taking the bus 20 (direction Skøyen) from Vigelands to Olav Kyrres plass and switching to the bus 30 (towards Bygdøy). Get down at the Folkmuseet stop and visit the open-air Norwegian Folk Museum. Spend a few hours exploring the grounds and checking out some of the exhibits inside the historic buildings. Be sure to visit the iconic wooden stave church on the grounds.

 

Then head around the corner (either catch a 30 bus if it's there or walk 5 minutes) to the Viking Ships. This is a fairly small museum but worth a visit, given the fame of the Gokstad burial ship.

 

Hop back on the bus 30 (or walk 15-20 minutes) down to Bygdøynes, home to the Kon-Tiki and Fram Museums. The Fram is well worth a visit for a look at polar exploration and the chance to explore inside the ship that carried Roald Amundsen part of the way to the South Pole. If you have an Oslo Pass and are not suffering from museum fatigue by this point (or if you're an avid Thor Heyerdahl fan), you can also pop into the Kon-Tiki Museum to learn more about his voyages.

 

The Oslo Pass covers the Bygdøy ferry, so you can catch it at the pier next to the museums and ride straight back to the city center.

 

If there's still time before closing, I would then recommend either the Nobel Peace Center (across the plaza from the ferry pier, closes at 6pm) for an interestingly high-tech presentation of the prize and its laureates, of the National Gallery (closes between 5 and 7pm depending on the day) with its collection of Norwegian painters, including a room of Edvard Munch and his famous The Scream. If it's close to 6pm, you can make a quick stop into the Rådhus (city hall) to see where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded and to enjoy the murals.

 

In the early evening, explore the grounds of Akershus Fortress for the history and the views over the harbor (and straight into the shoreside balcony cabins of your ship), and for modern architecture, take a stroll up onto the roof of the Oslo Opera house, which was designed to be an open public space for people to enjoy the Oslofjord views.

 

 

 

How late does the ferry run going back to the city center? And bus #30? This would be for mid August. Thank you.

"It's a shame that none of the cruises we have seen have taken the opportunity to sail down the fjords during the day, so be prepared to wake up early to enjoy the scenery before you dock, and don't make any specialty restaurant bookings early evening on fjord days, if you don't want to miss the scenery."

What time do you consider early for a dining reservation?

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Big help!

We will be on Jade, Norwegian Fjords August 9. What did you like/dislike about the ports? How was the internet?

We toured the Jjade last week and made a video. You can watch it on our YouTube channel here.

 

Hope you enjoy :-)

 

 

 

 

David

Enjoyed your video very much! We will be on the Jade in August and it was fun doing your tour.

Carolyn

Thanks for your thoughtful review. We will be on Jade in August and I found your information very helpful.

Just finished lunch at O'sheehans

 

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Enjoyed your pictures very much. We will be on Jade in August and I had read somewhere that O'Sheehans has prime rib on Saturdays and it is not to be missed. Is that true of the "new" Jade? Did you take any menu pictures there? Thanks.

A few additional comments:

 

If you use the Oslo Pass app, you need to be able to connect to the internet once (each day, if you're in port overnight) to download the control codes for the transit system. The coffee shops around the city hall have WiFi if you need it.

 

Taxis handle most of their transactions by bank card. Of course they would take cash, but I wouldn't expect them to have much change. Since taxis are expensive (200+ NOK for a 10-minute trip), most people just pay by card.

Oh thanks. I had not thought about having to download the codes both days on our overnight. Appreciate the heads up. On another note, are you familiar with Haugesund? We will be there the day before Oslo and I wonder where we should concentrate our time there. How do the Viking Farm and Nordvegen History Centre at Avaldsnes compare to the Folk Museum in Oslo?

I received the exact same notice for our scheduled LHR pick up next week

 

Srpilo

I tried to change our pick up time to add in an extra hour but received this email back..

"Hi, we have to put down the time you land but the driver will wait until the flight is baggage in hall before coming in the arrivals hall."

We have a reservation with Smiths for an upcoming trip (LHR to Southhampton). Surprised they didn't take a deposit or prepay, but their price quite was better than others I checked.

 

Question -- Does the driver take credit card for payment? And can tip be added onto the credit card? I usually get local cash from ATM but since I assume they'll be waiting for us right outside customs, I may not have time to get local currency right there.

 

I'm surprised their website doesn't have any info about payment on it. The whole website is kinda weak, honestly.

I had the same question re our bookings with them and the answer I received from Smith's----"Hi, you can pay cash on the day or by card , credit cards have a £3 per trip charge.

Kind regards Sharon

Smiths for Airports

Tel: 023 9283 1111"

Another post mentioned a problem with the collection time since Smith's shows the actual arrival time of our flight and that concerned me. The website does say the driver monitors the flights but nothing is said about the hour or so it will take to pick up our luggage and clear customs. That being said, I sent another email requesting that the collection time be adjusted and added an extra hour and half.

Yeah, leaving at noon the next day doesn't give you much time at all that day. That's a shame. Just a few hours more and you probably could have done the whole Bygdoy sweep all in one day.

 

 

Not sure how much time you have the 1st day, but it sounds like that's tight too. If you can manage to squeeze an hour left after the Folk Museum, you could take the #30 bus the mile to the bottom of the road where the Fram, Kon Tiki, and ferry boat are all right there together, and return via ferry (although again, verify closing times for all 3 for the time of year you'll be there). Even if you don't care much about the Kon Tiki, you get to see an actual Oscar (Academy Award) on display, if you've never had the opportunity to see one in person.

We will just have to see how it all works out, since the ship doesn't dock until 4pm. The museums close at 6pm but the Fram and Kon Tiki open the next morning at 9 and 9:30 so we can go back. It would be cool to see a real Oscar close up.

Thankfully we have been to Oslo once before and visited Vigeland Park and the day before Oslo we will be in Haugensend where it looks like there is a Viking settlement.

If you're going to the Folk Museum, it's a full mile up the winding neighborhood road from the ferry dock at the bottom where the Fram and Kon Tiki Museums are (check it all out on Google Maps first if you haven't already). So unless you plan to walk that mile each way, you're going to need to catch the #30 anyway. For simplicity sake, you may just want to take the #30 from the ship area to get there. Coming back you could go either way (if the ferry runs that late - I never checked since our cruise was a daytime stop).

 

If you're buying the Oslo Pass and plan to go over to Bygdoy for the Folk Museum, it's kind of a shame not to pop into the 3 ship museums as well since they're all so close (and free with the pass). But of course it depends on your interests and the rest of your schedule too.

Thanks for you information. It helps a lot! We hope to have time the next morning to return to Bygdoy and see the 3 ship museums, especially the Fram before the ship leaves at noon.

So much depends on (1) how much advance planning you want to do map out where you want to do and which bus/train/tram stops you need to find and walk between, and (2) if you're comfortable doing a lot of walking. I just checked my Fitbit for that day and I walked 5 miles more than my normal daily avg of 5. Of course, much of that was at the venues themselves (the ski jump, the sculpture park, around museums), but there were quite a few 3-4 block walks to get to/from transit stops as well. Not saying it wasn't doable (we're 4 guys age 57-66), but it was still a pretty good workout for the day.

 

The ski jump was the biggest part of that though. The roads and paths around it are pretty steep walks, and there's a fair amount of walking involved. It was a little confusing figuring out which door to go in to take the elevator to the top, as there was a smaller shop that didn't open until 10am that we initially waited a few minutes to get in before realizing there's a bigger gift shop you go through for the elevator ride which was already open. You get tickets inside there and then there can be a pretty good line at the elevator. Ours wasn't too bad (maybe 25 minutes), but I suspect at peak times it could be much longer. Total time out of our day to take the train up and back and visit the ski jump was about 3 hours. I suppose you could take a taxi but it is a ways up there and the train takes you almost right to it (10 minute walk, albeit uphill). I would definitely use the train. That part worked pretty well for (despite our unlucky timing throughout the day to catch the next one). Plus the train ride is kind of pretty up and down the mountain. Part of the experience.

 

I didn't see a separate line at the Visitor Center just for picking up passes, and I don't really see any advantage to buying it online first if you have to pick it up there anyway. Once we got up to the counter, it was just a simple 1-minute purchase (I paid by credit card). Just be aware that there's manned counters by both entrances, and watch both sides. It's an "L" shape area with an outside entrance on one side and a mall entrance on the other (into the train station building, with lots of shops). You can find it from the inside but I'd recommend finding it from the outside, otherwise it's like blindly wandering a mall trying to find a specific store. If you walk to the train station building from the Opera House side as we did, don't go in that south entrance. Walk around the outside of the build (left side) and the Visitor Center is tucked in a little corner at the bottom of the 25 wide plaza steps. There are a few hotels in the area, and the website says many hotels sell the passes as well, so that might be an alternative if you just happen to walk by one. But if you're taking the train to the ski jump, you need to go to that train station anyway.

 

If you do as we did (go to the ski jump in the morning), on the return train you can get off at the Majorstuen stop, and walk 1/2 mile to the entrance to Vigeland sculpture park. That turned out to be better than I expected. After that we caught a tram to the Solli stop and hopped on the #30 bus to the museums (Viking Ship, Kon Tiki, Fram), and the ferry boat back to the ship area is right behind the Fram.

 

Even though the Viking Ship Museum is supposed to be the biggie, I might have actually skipped that one had I to do it all over again. It was OK, but not amazing, and it was by far the most crowded. Plus it's further from the Kon Tiki, Fram, and ferry that are all together at the bottom. You either have to get on/off the bus (and any delays that takes) or walk the 3/4 mile down to the bottom, making sure you walk the right road. If we did skip the Viking Ship Museum, I maght have just taken the tram from Vigeland back to the ship area and used the ferry back and forth to the Kon Tiki/Fram instead.

 

All of the above (the train to the ski jump, the tram, the #30 bus, and the ferry) are included on the Olso Pass. We did not use a HOHO bus. I'd have a plan all mapped out first though for where you want to go and how to get there. Or at least that's me anyway. I'm not one of those that can just "wing it" when we get there.

 

Hope that helps.

Our stay in Oslo will be an overnight on board our ship but the timeframe is not very good. I plan to buy the 24 hour Oslo Pass using the app so we can just activate it when ready to use and had intended to use bus #30 to go to the Folk Museum before it closes at 6pm. But now I wonder if the ferry would be faster? What do you suggest?