hallasm

Hurtigruten has had a discount for solo travelers for many years - certainly a way to filling cabins. With a daily departure from Bergen, there are many available cabins outside of public holidays - you'll probably have to plan outside of Easter. Hurtigruten ships vary in size, but service is the same on all ships. I am confident that you will find a 'solo / No single supplement' offer by April next year. For Hurtigruten I would recommend that you compare with the prices on the Norwegian .no web site. There are often better offers. For both Hurtigruten and Havila, you must read the terms and conditions - they can vary from the different web sites.

Just a minor correction. Havila ships are new but focus on reducing emissions is not different from Hurtigruten. Hurtigruten and Havila must meet the same Norwegian ‘zero emissions’ requirements when sailing the heritage fjords and both are using Biogas as fuel when sailing at open sea.

Agree - I have only done Hurtigruten north bound or partial. Personally I think return is too much of the same - Consider spending a little more time in Oslo and taking the Bergen line from Oslo to Bergen with a stop for one or two nights in the Flåm area and in Bergen.

in Denmark, going on cruises is not that common, and especially not in the 90s. I had never thought about a cruise when in 1996 I got an offer from my favorite airline for a 7-day Caribbean cruise from Miami with Sovereign of the Seas - traveled a lot in Europe and had a lot of air miles. My first cruise was an offer for air miles - it's now been more than 30 cruises.

Yes. Sometimes you insure yourself against a situation that may not be necessary, while at other times you overlook what is necessary. It is necessary to know which expenses you have to cover yourself if you fall ill on board a cruise ship. Evacuation is not necessarily a cost you have to cover yourself. It is also important to know which expenses are not reimbursed in the event that someone in your travel company falls ill before the trip - for example, payment for flights and cruises. Illness on board can be a costly affair, while the cost of the journey itself is known. Insurance is required to cover for medical emergency and cancellation.

You will not stay in the cabin very often. All ships have a cafe where you can sit but also nice lounges where you can read, enjoy the view and meet fellow passengers. On Hurtigruten's website there are deck plans for all ships where you can get more information about cabins and lounges and picture. Link to Vesterålen example of Vesterålen with two lounges Vestråerålloungen at deck 4 and Trollfjord lounge at deck 5. As Oakridger mentions, you can also look at Havila.

Yes, it's a bit longer to walk from the light rail stop to your hotel - half a mile on level ground. Tickets for the Flybussen can be bought online at flybussen.no Tickets for the Light Rail can be bought at ticket machine at the Light Rail stop outside the terminal building or using the app "Skyss billett", or by SMS. App or SMS does require smartphone with data roamingen.

yes, many possibilities - Oslo Fjord is not part of what we traditionally understand about the deep Norwegian fjords on the Norwegian west coast - a completely different experience. Link to options. For a more detailed answer I think you should post yourOslom question Here:

A public railway operated by Vy. Same train, same route and same stops - most stops, however, just as needed. Norway's Best is a tour operator and only sells excursions as a return trip from Flåm to Myrdal - at a lower price than Vy. At vy.no you can buy partial route or single tickets.

You might get more answers in the Western Europe forum. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/

Ulvik, Molde, Haugesund are all very small coastal towns without many options. Flåm has scenic cruising - you must not miss sailing in and out - be on the upper deck at sunrise. In Flåm there is a scenic railway up to Myrdal - tickets must be booked in advance - there are more Topics about FlåmAlesund and Bergen are two interesting cities - plan to visit attractions - also more Topics - Sandnes is 16 km south of Stavanger - here are an excursion to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock is an option - Kristiansand is a larger but not very interesting town. Aarhus is in Denmark - also more Topics. Search for the ports in this Forum - below few examples.

Thank you for the correction - again very cruise line specific. Normally tenders are operating continuously - depending on number of tenders - either ship tenders or local boats. Time for last tender announced at the pier.

At vy.no the Oslo to Bergen train is 60 days out.

If tender you cannot catch a train at 08:25 unless you arrive early. Tour operators can only buy a certain number of tickets. Vy will have tickets for sale 120 days before departure on their website. Check at vy.no and book from 'Flåm stasjon' to 'Myrdal stasjon' 120 days prior to your visit. Price is NOK 350 each way.

Tender procedures are cruise line specific - you must ask at the NCL forum. Tender tickets are not something you purchase - normally tender tickets are used by the cruise line to control the flow at disembarkation at a tender port in the morning - after the ‘rush hour’ you’ll not need tickets. - you’ll not need any tickets when you embark the ship.

Please note that Copenhagen in general is very expensive but tips and TAX is always included in the price - no additional tips for taxi, guides or at restaurant. There are options for private tours - just an example Sightseeing taxi You can begin everywhere - tickets can be purchased online. possible to book a rickshaw for three - just one example of a provider cykektaxa Tour

Might depend on cruise line. My experience is change during night at 2 am west bound when gaining hours and at noon when sailing east bound when loosing hours.

Excursion from Ålesund to Geiranger possible - it’s an 9 hours excursion. From Stavanger possible with excursion to Lysefjord. May is a bit early - but primarily for Geiranger where some view points might not be accessible and if you want to bike from Myrdal to Flåm aften the railway trip.

RCL has two deep fjords to Olden and Geiranger- Celebrity has only Olden RCL has Bergen while Celebrity has Oslo. Ålesund and Stavanger are also two nice cities in the Celebrity itinerary. Both have Haugesund which is ‘not that interesting’ I would choose RCL for the two fjords and Bergen. Chose Celebrity if you want to see Oslo.

the Norwegian Parliament has adopted a resolution to stop emissions from cruise ships and ferries in the Norwegian World Heritage fjords as soon as technically possible and by 2026 at the latest. However, there is a proposal to allow the use of biogas under certain circumstances for a transitional period of 5 years, so that new cruise ships powered by biogas can still sail the fjords until 2030.

My answer must be seen in the context of the questions asked. I am aware that in a strong magnetic storm it is possible to see the Northern Lights far to the south - I saw the Northern Lights in Denmark last week, but I would never think of or suggest taking a cruise in southern Norway with the aim of seeing the Northern Lights.

Yes, just like Viator. Definitely a legitimate company, but I'm always a bit skeptical when I see so many excellent reviews in a relatively short time from people who have only posted a few reviews. We'll see if anyone here at CC has experience with them.

Personally, I'm a bit skeptical It seems like a company that mediates excursions from local providers at a somewhat higher price - their prices are generally very high. Their guidelines for tips are also not in accordance with current practice for the Nordic countries. Guides get a fixed salary and a tip of 10% on an upfront very high price is too much. I'll try to find some more background information.

Haugesund and Stavanger are coastal cities. No scenic fjord cruising - however possible excursions to Lysefjord from Stavanger - separate sailing. Haugesund is a small city - not that many options. Geiranger, Olden and Skjolden are scenic deep fjord cruising - in the early morning when entering the port and again in the evening - same fjord sailing morning and evening. Geiranger is my favorite with nice view points - Olden has Loen Skylift and Briksdal Glaicier.

Not a silly question by any means. Hurtigruten/Havila (identical sailing schedules) has 34 port stops from Bergen to Kirkenes - most stops are only 10 to 15 minutes - one longer stop each day. Most of the voyage takes place along the coast, between Islands and not into the fjords - in winter and spring they do not sail into any fjords - in summer they sail through Geirangerfjord and in autumn through Hjørundfjord. When the weather permits, they Will also sail through Trollfjord on Lofoten. The islands and the landscape along the coast are breathtaking - especially the area around Lofoten. There is a lot of differences from a traditional cruise ship to a working ship - no entertainment but lectures about the areas passed and fantastic local food from the places the ships dock.