hallasm

5 hours ago, Zeery said:

Oh Wow!!! That’s fantastic!!! Maybe it is possible to do both!!

You’ll have time for both. 

The Danish Arctic Command has contacted another cruise ship which is in the vicinity of the Ocean Explorer. The ship has been asked to remain in the area around the grounded expedition ship so that it can assist if necessary.
The Icelandic coast guard may also be involved in the rescue operation.

You can experience kayaking in many places but panoramic Mt Dasnibba and Eagle Road are only in Geiranger. Definitely viewpoints.
I don't know your arrival/departure times in Flåm, but there should be time for both excursions.

However, the Nærøyfjord with Stegastein Viewpoint and the Flåm Railway are both good excursions. Cruising both Geiranger and Aurlandsfjord into Flåm as well as Lysefjord I would probably choose the railway.

Both for Geiranger and Flåm be at upper decks early morning to enjoy the scenic fjord cruising. Sailing into both ports through the deep fjords takes five hours.

The expedition ship Ocean Explorer has 206 people on board and ran aground in Alpefjord near Mestersvig in East Greenland on Monday afternoon. The ship cannot free itself.
The Danish Arctic Command has sent the nearest inspection vessel, Knud Rasmussen, towards the cruise ship, the passengers must arm themselves with patience before help arrives - the inspection vessel must travel 1,200 nautical miles, which corresponds to more than 2,200 kilometers on the open sea, before arriving to the rescue.
The vessel can arrive at the ship on Friday morning local time at the earliest.

Ocean Explorer is currently being chartered by Australian cruise operator Aurora Expeditions

The Ocean Explorer has 206 people on board and ran aground in Alpefjord near Mestersvig in East Greenland on Monday afternoon. The ship cannot free itself.
The Danish Arctic Command has sent the nearest inspection vessel, Knud Rasmussen, towards the cruise ship, the passengers must arm themselves with patience before help arrives - the inspection vessel must travel 1,200 nautical miles, which corresponds to more than 2,200 kilometers on the open sea, before Knud Rasmussen can arrive  to the rescue.
The vessel can arrive at the ship on Friday morning local time at the earliest.

I lack details about ports and time for the best advice, but basically it doesn't matter which side of the ship - part of the route can be between islands - for example the Lofoten Islands - other places through fjords - and on longer stretches quite far from the coast.
 

1 hour ago, Shiba_Lover said:

From what I can see for the booking, it is only a booking to arrive, then depart again for the return in 1 hour.  If we wanted to return in 2 or 3 hours - is that possible?

There is not much to experience around Myrdal and that is not the idea of staying in Myrdal. You can buy flexible/single tickets at vy.no.
However, I do not know how suitable the area around Myrdal is for hiking. One option might to get off the train at an earlier station.

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

The only problem, making yourself go to bed because of the midnight sun. 

Not quite.
The term "midnight sun" refers to the consecutive 24-hour periods of sunlight experienced north of the Arctic Circle. Flåm is somewhat south of the Arctic Circle, but the days are very, very long - sunrise at 4 am and sunset at 11 pm.

As a starting point, SAS and Norwegian Air fly from Oslo to Tromsø. There are also Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt and other options depending on the time.
Plan to arrive in Tromsø no later than the day before your cruise.

Use Google flight or momondo.com to search for options.

Book the entire journey on the same flight reservation unless you choose to stay overnight in Oslo.

I would definitely spend the night in Flåm and have time to visit Stegastein as well. Flåm has until now been used to handling the arrival of large ships and this will only mean many travelers by train but no delays or other disruptions. You just need to secure tickets for the train.

19 minutes ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

Most of their 2025 itineraries for the fjords are 7 days and they appear to be replacing Geiranger and Flam with Olden and Vik. I am curious on thoughts about this new itinerary and any input about Vik:

The 10 day itinerary is OK - only exception is Arendal.

Skagen is a small fishing village in Denmark.

For the 7 day itinerary:

Olden is a fair substitute for Geiranger while Vik (Vikøyri) is not that interesting - very small port. Åndalsnes is not that interesting either.

Trondheim, Ålesund and Bergen are all coastal cities.

1 hour ago, Joey_L said:

should I get Danish kroner before arriving in Copenhagen on a cruise next Saturday since it is only possible to buy tickets with cash on the public bus at the terminal? Or are there ATMs at the terminal(s) (Oceankaj)?

There is no ATM at Oceankaj.
My suggestion is to use the DOT ticket App to buy tickets - one way is 2 zones DKK 24 to the centre. Bus to Orientkaj Metro Station and Metro to Centre.

There should also be a kiosk where it is possible to buy tickets. possibly long line and I don't know if it is open here at the end of the season.
If you have a mobile phone, I think this is the best solution.

Often you can also exchange on the ship.

27 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

We only have 1 1/2 hours of layover and weren't sure if we'd be going through passport control there or in Rome. It's now clear it'll be MUC, which is fine.

Passport control/ immigration in MUC - might also be additional security check.

Luggage is checked through to Rome - 1 1/2 is sufficient time - in case of delay Lufthansa (assuming LH) will make sure you’re booked at a later flight. 

My suggestion is a Norwegian Fjord cruise - maybe including Arctic and midnight sun (normally a longer cruise) in June / July.

However, be aware that some itineraries unfortunately include less interesting ports.
If the Norwegian Fjords are on the bucket list, be aware that two of the most famous ports: Flåm and Geiranger (UNESCO World Heritage List) cannot be visited by most cruise ships after 2026 (Zero Emission zones in the fjords).

6 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Is there a way to get to Flam on an excursion from a port other than Flam?

No, not possible from any ports of call on cruises.
@janetcblmentioned that it is possible from Bergen, a fantastic trip (part of Norway in a Nutshell) but it takes a very long time - transport from Bergen to Flåm alone is three hours.
Possible from Bergen, but if first (and only) time in Bergen, so much to see and do in Bergen. Cannot be recommended during the day of an ordinary cruise stop in Bergen.

3 hours ago, philbob84 said:

silly question but what tea brand do they have? Coffee also? How was the food service. i understand they use small portions to redeuce waste.

 

Was the gym space croweded?

Fairly broad questions in a subject that deals with two different cruise lines - Hurtigruten and Havila.

I am not familiar with which brands of coffee and tea - there is not much focus on brands and that can probably change.

Food waste programs have been introduced with the aim of reducing food waste, but this does not necessarily mean that you do not get enough to eat. Food is local from the areas passed - with a focus on fish dishes.

Gym areas are different from ship to ship - generally small but I have generally not seen many people using the gym. Mostly empty.

I myself have seen sea eagles from the ship and whales should be possible too.
You do not mention which ports of Call, but there may be several options for excursions to bird falls.
When you come to the North Cape, it should also be possible to visit tGjesværstappan bird reserve from Honningsvåg.

55 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Some ships still berth at Langelinie,

It will increase the quality of answers if posters indicated ship and date - there are as mentioned by @John Bull several options both in Copenhagen and Stockholm.

You’re right - majority of cruise ships dock at Oceankaj - few at Langelinie.

Do not know which ship but just checked HAL ships during September -  Nieuw Statendam docks at Oceankaj while Rotterdam docks at Langelinie. 

I'm pretty sure there is no HAL shuttle bus in Copenhagen - there is a public bus from Oceankaj cruise terminal to Orientkaj Metro Station (bus 25 or 164) - from there Metro to the center - total og 30 minutes).
Price is DKK 24 for a single ticket - can be bought on the bus for cash or in a kiosk at the bus stop. If mobile phone also in DOT ticket app

6 minutes ago, preston said:

We will have a driver for eight hours the first dayand would like a nice beach to relax at

Yes, that sounds like a great idea. We did the same.
Have you considered contacting your driver and getting his recommendation.

If you ask this question in the Celebrity Forum or Roll Call, others will undoubtedly know the itinerary but in this Forum there are very few people who can answer your question without knowing the itinerary - list the ports off call - alternatively search for the ports in this forum - already a lot information.

50 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

Or run into a bicycle! You really have to watch out for the bikes.

As a starting point, in Denmark we have a traffic law that also applies to pedestrians and cyclists.
Foreigners do not know / follow the law, which can be dangerous. Foreign cyclists in particular do not follow the traffic law - dangerous situations can arise, but it can also be expensive for the individual cyclist - between €100 - €200. Some examples: driving through a red light, including right turns, - driving against the direction of traffic or using a hand-held mobile costs €130.

You’ll tender to Benoa - I took a taxi from the pier to the beach at Kuta. 
Is it your first visit to Bali?

This is actually the first time I've heard of cruises to Fredrikstad (I assume) and Farsund. New and relatively small ports.

I have found a few links but I don't think there is much to experience in these ports.

https://www.visitfredrikstadhvaler.com/en/fredrikstad-cruise-port/

https://cruise-norway.no/destinations/farsund/

Hope there is someone with more experience with cruises to these ports or Norwegians who know more about the ports or cities.

It is a perfect excursion for someone with walking difficulties.
Book a departure so you have plenty of time - check whether it's a tender or dock.Be at the train half an hour before departure.
Some ship's excursions involve an additional walking- book a round trip from Flåm to Myrdal at Norways Best. Book well in advance as the trains sell out.