[B]Oslo at 7 am?[/B]

[Begete]

We are on the Constellation beginning Aug 27, and our first stop is Oslo - docking at 7 am and leaving at 2 pm.

 

I have noticed that the various museums do not open until 10 or 10:30.

 

We would like to see the viking museum, the kon tiki museum, the folk museum and the Vigeland sculpture garden.

 

As we have no interest in the ski lift, we did not attempt to book a ship shore excursion, and are wondering what the best way to schedule these places is, and the most economical way to do them.

 

Will someone be so kind as to explain the best way to get to the Vigeland sculpture garden from the ship, as I assume being an outdoor park it would be open by 8 or 9 am and then, from there, how to get to the ferry pier to get to those museums? On the maps, it ( the sculpture garden) appears to be a considerable distance from where the ship docks.

 

Would it be better to buy the Oslo pass? or take taxis? We understand the Oslo pass is very economical, but would the wait for public transportation endanger our missing departure?

 

Is it possible to do these 4 things with the ship being in port only from 7 am to 2 pm?

 

Thank you.

[NH Cruiser]

We were on the Jewel of the Seas this summer with an early morning stop in Oslo. You are correct that nothing opens until 10:00, so we didn't rush off the ship. We left at 7:45 a.m. and took a cab from the pier to Vigeland, which is opened 24 hours a day. The cab fare was US$17 and the driver took credit cards but refused a tip. We were at Vigeland a little after 8:00, ahead of the tour buses. We spent a little over an hour in the park and then walked back to the front gate to take a cab to Karl Johans Gate. Cabs were only at the front gate, although tour buses were at the back of the park for pick up. When we reached Karl Johans Gate, we walked from Central Station to Domkirke. We were there around 9:30 (it didn't open until 10:00). There was a nice park on the side of the church where we sat and waited for the church to open. We did not do the three museums you mentioned, but you can probably take a cab there from Vigeland. You might message the Oslo Tourist Bureau (http://www.visitoslo.com/Brochures/) to ask how much a cab is from Vigeland to the museums.

[robthens]

Hope my review helps.

 

We had 3 days in Oslo prior to our cruise. With planning, it was easy to tour on our own.

 

Day 1-

We checked into our hotel around noon. It was located near the train station.

 

At the train station we found an ATM, tourist information and also bought train tickets for our day 3 excursion, "Norway in a Nutshell". Booklets about this excursion are available at the train station.

 

Other sights we saw that day were the Oslo Cathedral, Stortorget Square, City Hall, Oslo Harbor and the Akershus Fortress Complex and Castle.

 

I highly recommend you tour the Fortress and Castle. English tours are available free for the Complex and a small fee for the Castle tour.

 

Day 2

The morning began with a city bus tour with stops at the Vigeland Sculptures (quite facinating) and the Holmenkollen Ski Junp. In the afternoon, we purchased an Oslo card and took the ferry to Bygday. Our Oslo card included entrance fee to all the museums. Museums included the Viking Ship, Kon-Tiki, Fram, Maritime and the open air Fold Museum. We had ample time to see all the museums with the exception of the Folk Museum.

 

My all time favorite was the Fram Museum. The Polar Ship Fram is on display and you can walk thru all levels. It was facinating. I had read the book about Amundsen's ill fated polar expeditions and walking on his ship was quite meaningful to me.

 

For dinner, we ate at the "Red Mill" restraunt. The seafood was delicious and reasonable priced.

 

That evening we had drinks at the Radisson/SAS hotel 37th floor bar and watched a beautiful sunset (around 10pm) and a fireworks show in the harbor. They offer a magnificent panaramic view!

 

Day 3 - "Norway in a Nutshell"

This excursion includes a train ride, ferry through the fjords, bus trip and train trip back to Oslo. It is a beautiful trip!!!

 

We got a breakfast to go from the hotel (no extra charge) and got to the train station at 6:15am.

We boarded the "Bergen Train". You will have assigned seats.

 

At 11:30 we arrived at the Myrday station. We left the Bergen train and waited (with the crowd) for the "green" train going to Flam. Some had assigned seats. We did not, but we easily found seats together.

 

There was a photo stop at the Kjosefosse waterfall.

You have a short music show and the "Huldra" appears close to the waterfall.

 

The train arrives in Flam at 1:00. Go immediately to the ferry.

The best seats are upstairs. Don't be shy!

The chairs are stacked. Grab chairs and position yourself as far back as possible. Truly, it was wall to wall chairs when we left.

 

Food is available on the ferry.

 

The ferry takes you through the fjords. We were so lucky. We had crystal

clear weather.

 

At the end of the fjord cruise, go directly to a bus marked "Norway in a Nutshell".

 

The bus ride is about 2 1/2 hours. It also make a stop for a photo opportunity and rest break.

 

You then catch the "Oslo" train at the Voss station.

 

Dinner and drinks are available on the train.

 

It is a long day, but not physical.

 

The next morning we left for Copenhagen and the start of our cruise.

[DON M.]

We are on the Constellation beginning Aug 27, and our first stop is Oslo - docking at 7 am and leaving at 2 pm.

 

I have noticed that the various museums do not open until 10 or 10:30.

 

We would like to see the viking museum, the kon tiki museum, the folk museum and the Vigeland sculpture garden.

 

As we have no interest in the ski lift, we did not attempt to book a ship shore excursion, and are wondering what the best way to schedule these places is, and the most economical way to do them.

 

Will someone be so kind as to explain the best way to get to the Vigeland sculpture garden from the ship, as I assume being an outdoor park it would be open by 8 or 9 am and then, from there, how to get to the ferry pier to get to those museums? On the maps, it ( the sculpture garden) appears to be a considerable distance from where the ship docks.

 

Would it be better to buy the Oslo pass? or take taxis? We understand the Oslo pass is very economical, but would the wait for public transportation endanger our missing departure?

 

Is it possible to do these 4 things with the ship being in port only from 7 am to 2 pm?

 

Thank you.

You could probably do all of those sights you listed if you took taxis everywere. Vigeland is very interesting and pretty and so serene early in the morning before the tours arrive- try and get there first.

The Viking museum for us was very dissapointing, dark, crowded, and uninspiring displays. Like in other ports, we enjoyed the boat tour in Oslo. It was a good way to see the area by water. They also offer a hop-on-hop-off bus you might investigate.

[JodiBB]

We just got back from the Baltic cruise on the Jewel of the Seas and did the itinerary you're seeking. We took a tram to Vigeland Park first as nothing else is opened at 7:30 am anyway. The tram dropped us off in front of the Park. We spent a quiet hour there and upon leaving, was met with all the other tour busses!!

 

Then we took the bus down to the viking museum. There is one transfer involved, but it's quite easy. From the Viking museum, the Folk museum is right next door. You can walk down to the Kon Tiki & the Fram, which is right next door. From there, we picked up the ferry at the end of the dock by the Fram, which dropped us off in front of City Hall and left us with a 5 minute walk back to the ship. Easy??? Yes...very....

 

You could make it back to the ship in plenty of time...you may want to invest in an Oslo pass, which will pay for the tram, bus, ferry and all the attractions listed. You'll definitely get your moeny's worth.

[robthens]

I think Vigeland Park is an excellent choise for the early morning. An excellent site to read before you go is http://www.fortunecity.com/westwood/arch/769/Vigeland/walk1.html

[NancyIL]

My husband wasn't interested in the Vigeland, so we walked around the main street for a short while, then took the ferry at ~ 8:30 to Bygdoy. Most got off the ferry at the first stop, bypassing the Norwegian Folk Museum (which didn't open until 10) to go to the Viking Ship Museum (which opened at 9:00). We got off the ferry at the 2nd stop, visited the Fram and Kon-Tiki museums, which opened at 9:00 and 9:30, respectively. Then we walked to the Viking Ship Museum, which by 10 was fairly crowded so we didn't stay long. However, we had a wonderful time at the Norwegian Folk Museum! All the museums were covered by the Oslo Pass, as was the public ferry.