Booking Norwegian Fjords Cruise REAL Early??

[cluso]

Looking at booking the Fjords in 2014. If you book right when they are announced are the prices good (earlybird)? How far in advance do you think they are announced? It seems they go in May, June, July, and August. We don't like big crowds, so are thinking about May because more people vacation in July and August. Any inputs about the weather in May from past cruisers?

[Bobocasey]

We did this cruise this year. Booked it early at a good price and watched the price and it didn't go down. In fact went up. Since there is only a limited time for these cruises the prices are pretty much set. I believe the schools in Europe don't let out for summer vacation until about the middle of July. So the number of families doing this cruise should be lower until the middle of July. Really didn't have any problems with crowds in August. Check the number of ships in each port should give you an idea of how crowded the port will be. We did all of these port on our own with the exception of the Flam railroad. But since you are looking at 2014 you should be able to get a group of 10 together from your roll call to book tickets early and avoid having to take the ships tour. If I am not mistaken you don't have to actually pay for the tickets until you pick them up the day of the tour.

[Dick in Falls Church]

If you know when you can go and are definite about your choice, book it.

Then keep an eye on it. I've looked at several over the past few years.

One two summers ago did drop significantly at the last moment, but by then the air fares were more than the balcony cost! If it does drop before final payment, you can get an adjustment (as long as you ask for it--it isn't automatic).

 

and don't forget to plan to get to the departure port at least a day ahead!

[helen haywood]

That's not REAL early! I booked a cruise for April of 2014 back in January!

[cluso]

Am I missing something? I have not seen any schedules for the Norwegian Fjords in 2014 yet. :confused:

[grayjay]

I would also advise you to book early ( around April 2013 when the new schedules come out) . We were able to get a good price with a very late booking both in 2011 and 2012, but we weren't picky about cabins and - because of living not too far from Amsterdam - would have been able to come by train or even by car to the port.

Prices in general rather tend to stay the same for a long time with some good deals to be had rather late in the game - but personally I wouldn't risk it with an overseas flight.

I'd also advise you to look at June as the best month - long days , especially if you take the "Arctic Circle" cruise with its days of midnight sun. May is really quite early for Norway. Don't worry about hordes of schoolkids on these sailings - there won't be any. We did one cruise in June and one in July, there were a few children, mostly British and Spanish, but you almost didn't notice them on the ship. (just once, when they played that elevator game - pushing buttons for every floor...:mad:).

Holiday season in most European countries starts in the middle of June, but parents with children seemingly tend to book a warmer climate...

Check the ports you'll be visiting if there'll be more ships on port that day. Small places like Flam (book ahead with a group or take the ship's tour!) or Geiranger might become a bit crowded, then.

And: I'd cruise the Fjords again in a heartbeat - the scenery is simply stunning! Can't wait to go again!

[Keith1010]

It's always a good idea to book early to secure the cabin that you desire.

 

Keith

[DebbieMacG]

This year the May cruise dropped dramatically in price about five weeks before departure (£480 for an inside gty booked direct with Celebrity) :D

 

We booked one and were assigned an outside view which we then upgraded for £100 to a balcony gty and e eventually got a 1a :)

[TLCOhio]

Looking at booking the Fjords in 2014. If you book right when they are announced are the prices good (earlybird)? How far in advance do you think they are announced? It seems they go in May, June, July, and August. We don't like big crowds, so are thinking about May because more people vacation in July and August. Any inputs about the weather in May from past cruisers?

 

There are a variety of factors at work/play as you consider your 2014 fjord/Norway coast options. First, on weather, your best month, on average, will be July. That's when we were there in 2010 going all the way up to the North Cape and back. Our experienced ship Captain, from many years of sailing in that area, told us July is the best month. That doesn't mean June or August will be bad. For May, it will be more likely cooler and a little less enjoyable.

 

As Keith noted, booking earlier gives you a better shot for picking room location fitting your priorities, if that's important. On costs, things are generally higher in Norway and the Baltics. Part of it are higher ground costs with Norway's high taxes and labor costs. Second for here and the Baltics, the "window" is more narrow for sailing times being available. Unlike in the Med where the "season" is much longer, there is not as much flexibility and timing opportunities in these areas. Generally, ships fill up earlier as there is less space available here.

 

As noted by DebbieMacG, you could wait till after the 75-day deadline for people to pay up in full and maybe you can get a good bargain for a price drop as Celebrity works to sell of the remaining, unsold inventory. BUT, then, with this "roll of the dice", you might pay more for getting your airline tickets and/or find not that many bargains available as you would hope or wish.

 

Then, there is the question of whether you go mostly just to the lower fjords, Bergen, etc. That's nice and good. BUT, there are also great options with Celebrity and other cruise lines to go farther north, including up to the North Cape, Lofoten Islands, etc. How much of nature and scenic areas do you want to see and do?? Tell us more!!

 

Below is a link to my live/blog that gives lots of details for many of the super options and potentials along this great Norway coast. Below are a few of my sample visuals to document why these areas are so interesting and great. Reactions and questions??

 

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 83,103 views.

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

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 106,814 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

You go on these Norway Coast cruises for the spectacular fjords. From the journey to Flam, Gudvangen and Sognerfjord, here is one picture giving you a sampling of the skies and views for these beautiful internal coastlines of the fjords.

 

 

 

This is the dramatic overview of Alesund from the Aksla vantage point. 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.:

 

 

 

As we departed Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands of Norway on a perfect, sunny day, these are two of the green, tree-covered mountains rising up from the sea that we saw with the small out-islands in the foreground.:

 

 

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, etc. :

 

 

 

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 is the super scenic view from immediately above Geiranger that shows the Silver Cloud and Costa ships tendered. A little before this picture, we were to go to Mt. Dalsnibba as a photo stop from this 4,920-foot vantage for the snow-covered surrounding mountains, icy glaciers, crystalline lakes and Geirangerfjord far below. Here is this view, at a lower level, that provided a wonderful vista.:

 

[cluso]

Terry--WOW! I "lost" a few mornings this week while absorbed in your pictures and travel log--great info!! We are in to nature and scenary, and will be concentrating on the lower half of Norway for this cruise. The last time I was in Bergen was 1975 (Eurail) and I remember those hostel showers were freezing! I wanted to get a feel on when Celebrity would put the Norway schedules out for 2014. Most people have recommended we book sooner rather than later (hmmm...port or starboard?). The airline also drives that (we will book that early, too). I mentioned May (late) because I've read that the flowers and plants are at their best then. I've looked at some weather underground stats and late June looks like it rains more--but hard to tell because the western coast is such a large area.

[Adammara]

We booked this years Eclipse May 8 day cruise to the Fjords when bookings open in early 2011. After final payment the Aqua class cabin next but one to us was sold off for £1000 less than we paid. One evening we were talking to a couple in Blu, and they had been upgraded from an outside to Aqua. Celebrity UK really messed up on this cruise, some got OBC or upgrades or cashback, while others got nothing. They had to set up a special team to sort the mess out.

 

We are not to fussy which cabin we have, so in future we will not be booking early.

 

This was our experiences, others might vary!

 

Richard

[cluso]

Checking for Terry's reply.

[shoreham01]

Early June is a lovely time to visit Norway. With luck the weather will be sunny and warm. I say with luck as we have experienced Snow, Rain, warm sunshine all in one day in one place. You need to take layers and of course waterproof jackets.

 

The reason we like June is that there is still some snow on the mountain tops and the waterfalls are running well.

 

My best suggestion to you is to have a balcony, the scenery is so spectacular you don't want to miss a minute of it.

 

Round about the last week of May is half term school holidays in UK so there is a small chance you will get more children on the cruise. Summer break is round about 25th July to 2nd September so best to avoid these times just in case!

[cluso]

Shoreham01,

Thank you so much--this is the type of info we love to get. We did not know about the late May school holiday. Yes, your reasons for a June sailing sound quite nice. We will do a balcony--did one in New Zealand/Oz, and Alaska.

[ellbon]

Azamara has gone up in price but you should compared port times and towns. i have been to Norway 4 times and twice with Azaamra.

the later you are places like bergen etc you really need.

[TLCOhio]

Terry--WOW! I "lost" a few mornings this week while absorbed in your pictures and travel log--great info!! We are in to nature and scenary, and will be concentrating on the lower half of Norway for this cruise. The last time I was in Bergen was 1975 (Eurail) and I remember those hostel showers were freezing! I wanted to get a feel on when Celebrity would put the Norway schedules out for 2014. Most people have recommended we book sooner rather than later (hmmm...port or starboard?). The airline also drives that (we will book that early, too). I mentioned May (late) because I've read that the flowers and plants are at their best then. I've looked at some weather underground stats and late June looks like it rains more--but hard to tell because the western coast is such a large area.

 

And a big "WOW!" back to our Florida friend for the nice comments and interest in reviewing through my live/blog posting about our Norway coast adventure. Sorry for my delay in responding but have been busy during the past week with a number of work projects, travel, etc. Glad you have reviewed through some of the info from WeatherUnderground. Good resource.

 

Glad you are considering a balcony, but at times, being up on top and/or hanging out at the open back of the ship can provide some serious pluses. Those positions can allow you to see both sides, shift back and forth, etc., depending what's of interest on either side as you sail through fjord and coastal areas. Lots of good options to consider and use.

 

Nice to know you've been down under for Aussie-NZ adventures. Looking forward to our Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice sailing, departing Sydney, doing 14 days on this nice ship, finishing in Auckland. Plus, doing some pre-cruise options for Kangaroo Island near Adelaide and then the Great Barrier Reef before departing from Sidney’s scenic harbor. And, probably post-cruise in Queenstown and stopping in Tahiti on the way home to break up that long, long flight back. Any special tips to share for what you loved most down there?

 

What other questions, info can I share? Or other help needed?

 

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 84,116 views.

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

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I would book asap ..

[cluso]

Thank you everyone for your tips. Waiting for the cruise schedule to be posted.

Terry --Yes, I have have a few tips for down under. Am on a leaf peeping drive to Highlands, NC now. Will post update this weekend upon return.

[TLCOhio]

Thank you everyone for your tips. Waiting for the cruise schedule to be posted. Terry --Yes, I have have a few tips for down under. Am on a leaf peeping drive to Highlands, NC now. Will post update this weekend upon return.

 

Look forward to your tips and insights for down under. Have fun with the leaf watching in NC!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 107,645 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Chunky2219]

We've done Norway in May for the last two years running. The weather and sea conditions were great both times, although we did manage a snowball fight at North Cape this year, briefily until the sun came out and melted it away again. In 2012 spring was comparatively late coming, but nevertheless we were clear of snow and just saw a few iced lakes way up in the mountains.

 

First time was a week. Second time was two weeks. We paid about the same price for both, despite having a MUCH larger cabin the second time. The difference was that the second time we booked late and got a crazy, crazy deal. This wasn't with Celebrity and X is the only line we now book early with because (in the UK), it is the only line where we get a proper reduction if prices tumble. I believe that you guys across the pond get a more flexible deal with Carnival Group lines.

 

There are several things to note.... Firstly, as someone has pointed out the kids holidays are going to be mid July- mid September if you are planning to take the usual route ex-UK. The older kids get free earlier once they have cleared exam time. There is a half term holiday in May which floats around a little, but this shouldn't mean there will be hoards of the little darlings aboard.

 

Secondly, Norway has become very, very common on cruise routes lately as operators have been pulling ships away from the Eastern Med, reflecting all the Greek and Arab Spring problems. So there might be more late deals and price drops again to think about. But of course, these are never nailed on and you are always taking a risk if you wait for the big savings.

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.

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[TLCOhio]

Norway has become very, very common on cruise routes lately as operators have been pulling ships away from the Eastern Med, reflecting all the Greek and Arab Spring problems. So there might be more late deals and price drops again to think about. But of course, these are never nailed on and you are always taking a risk if you wait for the big savings.

 

Excellent above point by Chunky2219 on the "pressures" on cruise lines to shift offerings away from the Eastern Med due to the Greek and Arab Spring problems/challenges. BUT, for 2014, I would not assume that it will suddenly create lots of bargains for Norway. Ground costs are still high in Norway and parts of the Baltics. From our experiences, we know it is very interesting and worth it to go to these northern Europe areas, but the "demand" might not be up as high compared the long-known glories of the Med. Plus, better weather and a longer season in the Med.

 

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 84,659 views.

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

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 107,698 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[4774Papa]

We booked our British Isles cruise on Infinity early. Prices kept going up and up. A couple of months ago our May 2013 cruise was sold out except for suites. I think these Northern European cruises are popular. Book early.

[cluso]

It's so nice to get all the inputs.

Terry--we did the Sydney to Auckland run 1-15 February 2009 on the Millie. It was great! Stayed at Simpsons of Potts Point in Sydney, with cousins in Auckland :p. In Sydney Harbor, it was great to travel around on the local ferries. One day we took the ferry to Watson Bay/Southhead and walked the Cliff Walk to Bondi Beach (yes, the beach is touristy) and ate lunch at the "Iceberg" on the beach. It is a casual private club, but we could show our passports and get in. Another day we took the ferry to Manly Beach for a walk and for lunch. The Manly Wharf Hotel on the inner harbor has a great set-up for lunch--inside and out. Manly Beach is pretty "retro", we liked walking around there. Saw a giant swim competition there in open waters--all age groups. We did a lot of people watching those two days, talked to locals, and got a good feel for Sydney. We loved it! We even had our clothes washed at a Chinese laundry (great prices!) the day before we boarded. If you go to Hobart, Tasmania, check to see if the Wooden Boat show is on--it was 6-7 February 2009. Very cool--hundreds of boats right next to where you are docked.

[cluso]

For Terry...see last post.