cleo30

Did you have a short port time in Bergen? When we were there, we went up and down the funicular and had wanted to walk down, but weren't sure if we would have time since we left at 2. We did the 7 day but are considering the 14 day. If we get back to Bergen, we would like to do the walk down. Was it a time crunch at all to do so? Thanks.

:confused:

Yes we were in port only between 7 am to 2 pm. But we were not rushed..got out early..among the first on the funicular up and had enough time to spend on endless photo stops..the walk down is very picturesque..Also the town with charming houses and flowers everywhere in the cobbled lanes was lovely to walk through..

Also the funicular had wifi!! heaven sent!

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. It's good that "overall" you enjoyed the cruise. I am one of the few here who share your opinion in regard to the pizza. Ships with Alfredo's have great pizza but the stuff on Lido deck does nothing for us at all.

:cool:

I enjoyed your review.

Keith

Thank you so much!:)

After first few cruises where we purchased excursions thru the ship we started doing the vast majority privately. Find them better' date=' cheaper and less crowded. When the ship misses a port a good touring company will know about it.[/quote']

I agree. On all counts. We had booked a boat cruise at Stavanger and got a full refund from the vendor promptly the next morning.

That's not necessarily true. Besides the port charges being refunded, sometimes you are also given a compensation OBC. Case in point: the Pacific Princess just missed Jersey and all onboard were offered $150 OBC yesterday.

Thank you for pointing this out.That was my '' impressionistic knowledge'' too!

Thanks 'cleo30' for the review & we're eagerly anticipating our 14-day Norway cruise on the Sapphire next summer & experiencing all new ports of call.

 

We've enjoyed Maître d' Neville on several cruises & he was personable & seemed to be everywhere with his highly efficient dining staff.

You are sure to love it if you are nature buffs! The ports on our cruise were tiny by themselves but i had planned reasonably full days exploring the area!

We got $200 for a missed port a couple of years ago. Only port we've missed in 20+ cruises.

Wish we had been so lucky!

Enjoyed your review. I am booked on the Sapphire for the Norwegian Fjords July.

 

What private excursions did you do?

Pleased to hear that!

This would July 18?

We did a private guided glacier hike on Nigardsbreen glacier in Skjolden, A customised day in Olden which covered the Loen skylift, Lake Lovatnet and Kjenndalbreen glacier. And in Bergen we took the funicular up and walked down and then enjoyed snacks on the waterfront food market.

Three unforgettable days!!

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. I totally agree with you about Norway. I am looking to book a Norway cruise withinn the next couple of years as long as I get the okay from the boss.....:):D:)

 

Bob

So glad some of you enjoyed the read. Oh and i forgot to add that we booked independent shore excursions in all the ports. The options are not too many so its a good idea to do the homework well in advance. I have posted some reviews on TA (same user id) in case anyone needs inputs. Because i had to do a LOT of research to get to the resources/vendors we used. Norway is just breathtaking and I cant imagine anyone not falling in love!

:D;p

I'm happy you had a wonderful time on one of my ships. :D I'll speak to them about that internet compensation.

We booked this cruise because Norway was right on top of our travel list, and we got a great price for an itinerary that suited us. Plus generous OBC from the cruiseline which proved to be like sweet chocolate sauce..

Having cruised earlier, but never with Princess we were unsure what to expect. But we are travelers with the right spirit and enthu so weren't too worried.

The Crown Princess met all of our great expectations (bad literary pun i know!) and exceeded some.

our group had 3 regular balconies and one inside, We loved the wardrobe/storage area, really made for an uncluttered cabin, The inside ( our first time booking one separately for the offspring) was surprisingly spacious, With the same wardrobe/walk in closet area. which I was surprised about - and pleased too with two 20ish modish daughters! major points for me there for booking it!

The ship was beautiful. Yes its not new or very flashy. But we like classy and understated and we enjoyed its ambience and its overall tenor. Grace and comfort with a sprinkling of glamour.

The food has to be the kingpin. After 6 odd cruises we are quite blase about the orgy of excess that defines cruise dining. But Crown Princess just killed the competition here. Best food and best prep ever. Except in one place- more on that later.

Their Head of Dining Neville..and his staff are just fantastic, so is their food.Their main buffet was the best in all our cruises. For the sheer taste of the food. And in our two dinners at the Da Vinci we wre not disappointed either. Was happy to note that he and so many of the team are Indian! Though i did find Princess'' layout a bit confining and cloistered. They should think about opening that up.

The coffees , teas, ice water etc etc was exactly as it should be.The burger and fries joint near the pool was disappointing- HAL does this way way better. and the much touted pizza was just ok we all thought.

The evening entertainment was definitely a weak area. and the dancing later was all too sedate! Nothing like frenetic Bollywood numbers he he!

And we had a free paid dinner option courtesy Princess.. this is the place i alluded to earlier...we made the mistake of booking Sabatinis. Awful. Boring food. Thats the worst thing.Seriously, they should shut down the place and start an edgy Asian fusion restaurant like othetr cruise lines have.

We did miss our first major stop (and one of the reasons we chose this itinerary !) Stavanger. A medical emergency one heard. No recompense. not even one measly drink or coffee. And Princess gave us more than enough grief for even sending a cancellation email to shore excursions booked months in advance.We were asked to pay for those few minutes of internet too- A bit of battle ensued naturally, till they realised just how ridiculous they were being.

All in all we had a lovely time on a great ship with attentive staff.

Ohh and about the OBC.. we all have our own thing to blow up money on.. And it really was nice to order wines with dinner knowing they were paid for..but this is the first cruise.. we got lots of family photos clicked in our formal wear,, and their photographers were exceptional. Its the kind of thing you might think about but almost never do at home. So we used some of that OBC to buy these really beautiful photos. Seriously dont dismiss the idea.

And lastly their onboard shopping is pathetic. Except the alcohol prices toward the end of the cruise. You cant drink it but still a steal!

Princess will be right on top of my search engine options next time i am booking a cruise.

Hi :) There are many cruise ship berths in Bergen. If you let me know what ship you're on and the date of your visit I can see where you'll be docking and advise accordingly :).

Hi! We are on the Crown Princess and will be in Bergen on 6th July. Thanks again!

Stockholm any day! fabulous sail in/out and failrly long in terms of time so you can plan accordingly. Helsinki is great too but not on your itinerary.

hi!

We are planning to do the funicular on our half day stop at Bergen in July on a cruise.( though not being Norwegians we are taking the ride up and walking down :D) Please let me know how far the funicular depart point is from the cruise dock and which public bus would be convenient. also ticket prices and whether we need to pay cash or card.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the review and the photos! Hope to be going there this summer..!:)

We were on the Eurodam last year and the ship had docked at Warnemunde. The train station is right across.It was really easy to take the train to Rostock from where we changed for a train to Schwerin with the Regional ticket. The transfer from W'munde to Rostock was on a separate ticket.

We had bought the regional ticket online so as to save time and hassle. On the way back we stopped at Rostock for a stroll, some shopping and snacks. It was LOVELY day!

We were on the Eurodam in June this year.. its a great ship! with great staff!

The entertainment in the bars and lounges is excellent. The mainstage shows are so so. Except for the comedy routines we saw, which were topnotch.

But overall the Eurodam is such a happy place to be that it would take a real nitpicker to not enjoy it!

hi sppunk! really enjoyed your your brilliant and witty review!has made me even more excited for our norway cruise next year on the Koningsdam. thanks again & look forward to more from you!

we recently disembarked at copenhagen at 7.00am and made it very comfortably for a 10.10 am flight. since we a were a largish group we did pre book a van transfer.( we did the same for our airport to cruiseport transfer- same company-excellent service!)

at that time we did not see taxis around also. but i think you would have enough time. and prebooking also depends on how big your group is and how nervous you might be with uncertainty!

we went to schwerin from warnemunde in June this year. very easy by train. we booked our day regional train pass for the whole family at a very nominal cost online. printed out the ticket and just breezed on. schwerin is a pretty town and we really enjoyed our day!

We just used Stromma for 3 cities- Copenhagen Stockholm and Helsinki. we got a 20% discount on each of the bookings. it was pretty good except for Copenhagen which was haphazard and really a waste of time. For Helsinki it was a good tour covering most of the highlights and giving a good 'fee'of the city.We also bought tickets for a scenic boat tour at the last minute in Helsinki for 10 euro each i think . the ride lasted about 1.5 hours and was beautiful. There was a cafe onboard to buy snacks and drinks.

Jmps-thank you for sharing your experience. we are sailing the eurodam with the same itnerary in mid june( 13th to 25th june) and so looking forward to it!

Cruising-along-how warm is it likely to be? will we need light jackets?

thanks in advance!

Thank you Pacificdaze and Lanzador!

i just used the link and downloaded and printed the map.

looking forward to using it this June!

Dear Heinbloed- I have just completed the purchase of the lander tickets online. With your detailed instructions it was remarkably simple.

Even otherwise, its pretty straightforward, and I would recommend buying online since it saves the bother of fiddling with the ticket vending machine and getting the 'hang'of it. Also possible queues with multiple ships in port. Just my two bit!