Questions about Midnight Sun itinerary & general

[perlgirlnj]

We've booked the "Into the Midnight Sun" itinerary for next June and I'm starting to come up with questions about this itinerary and Viking in general. Can anyone help with any of these?

 

1. Generally, how long are the included excursions? What time of day (e.g. all in the morning or are some in the afternoon, or mid-day)?

 

2. Does anyone forgo the included excursions to do things on their own? Or ditch partway through (with notice to tour guide or excursion leader, of course)?

 

3. Our cruise starts with an overnight in Bergen. Does anyone know or can you take an educated guess as to what time the initial muster drill will be on the first day? I assume there will be a "make-up" drill on the second day since not everyone will be on board for the first one. Any guess or knowledge as to what time the second one will be?

 

4. We are coming in from Oslo on our own. I'm trying to decide between flying or taking the train from Oslo to Bergen where the cruise begins. The train would be very scenic but long. We wouldn't do the full "Norway in a Nutshell"--too much shlepping and too long of a day. I'm thinking that if we just take the direct train, we will pick up enough scenery with the rest of the cruise so that it won't be so bad that we're not doing the full Nutshell itinerary. Does anyone have an opinion on plane vs. train, especially given that we're not doing the full Nutshell? Is it a big mistake to forgo the full Nutshell?

 

5. If we come in to Bergen via plane, I assume there'll be taxis to get us to the pier. If we come in via train, are there taxis at the Bergen train station?

 

6. I've read somewhere that the Sea docks close to downtown, which I assume is the Skolten dock. Anyone know for sure?

 

As you can tell, I'm working on the logistics of the Oslo-Bergen part of the trip. I can post some questions under Ports of Call and the 2016 Roll Call, but this kind of a mash-up of different issues so I thought I'd start here. Thanks folks!

[Peregrina651]

We've booked the "Into the Midnight Sun" itinerary for next June and I'm starting to come up with questions about this itinerary and Viking in general. Can anyone help with any of these?

 

We were on the first sailings of Midnight Sun this past June, 2016 (and loved every single minute of it!). There is a lot of information about the 'experience' posted in the 2016 roll call; read the posts from June, 2016 onward because those are live posts or follow-up after we returned and contain more concrete information (up to that point, we were just asking each other questions and guessing about how things would be).

 

Also, I put together a travel blog with photos. Keep in mind that there are some difference between the two itineraries. 2016 did not have an overnight in London because we not docked on the Thames in the middle of London and 2017 will not be visiting the ports of Alesund, Bronnoysund and Bodo.

 

1. Generally, how long are the included excursions? What time of day (e.g. all in the morning or are some in the afternoon, or mid-day)?

 

Most of the included tours were half-day tours (2-4 hours) and started shortly after we docked; if we docked in the morning, sometimes the included tours stretched into the afternoon hours. There were a couple of ports where we did not dock until lunch time. Multiple buses are scheduled for each time slot. Included tours usually meet up on the dock where you are assigned to a bus (groups should show up together if they want to be on the same bus). Optional tours form up in the theater on Deck 2, where buses are assigned and then groups are walked to the buses.

 

2. Does anyone forgo the included excursions to do things on their own? Or ditch partway through (with notice to tour guide or excursion leader, of course)?

 

Yes but some of the tours are just not ditchable because you will have no other way of getting back to the ship. Personally, we did Edinburgh on our own using the Hop-on-hop-off bus yellow route (stop was at the end of the pier where the tenders landed) and we did Geiranger on our own. We booked with the Geiranger tour services company for its combo trip up to mount Dalsnibba and then a boat ride on the fjord (we lucked out and it was clear as bell so we could see all the way back down to the fjord). Brave folks rented electric cars to drive up there (no windows in the cars; take jackets and let them give you blankets). In the other ports, we did a combination of included tours or optional tours; we never did multiple tours in a port because we wanted some time to just wander around. I posted my port by port review of the tours we took in the 2016 roll call.

 

 

3. Our cruise starts with an overnight in Bergen. Does anyone know or can you take an educated guess as to what time the initial muster drill will be on the first day? I assume there will be a "make-up" drill on the second day since not everyone will be on board for the first one. Any guess or knowledge as to what time the second one will be?

 

There were a couple of folks on the Bergen to London run on the roll call and I think I have a vague recollection of a comment made about the muster drill in the 2016 roll call (just don't quote me). If we are playing guessing games, then I would guess that the muster drill be scheduled for a time when everyone must be on the ship (i.e., just before you leave Bergen on Day 2).

 

4. We are coming in from Oslo on our own. I'm trying to decide between flying or taking the train from Oslo to Bergen where the cruise begins. The train would be very scenic but long. We wouldn't do the full "Norway in a Nutshell"--too much shlepping and too long of a day. I'm thinking that if we just take the direct train, we will pick up enough scenery with the rest of the cruise so that it won't be so bad that we're not doing the full Nutshell itinerary. Does anyone have an opinion on plane vs. train, especially given that we're not doing the full Nutshell? Is it a big mistake to forgo the full Nutshell?

 

We flew out of Bergen so I can't comment.

 

5. If we come in to Bergen via plane, I assume there'll be taxis to get us to the pier. If we come in via train, are there taxis at the Bergen train station?

 

 

 

6. I've read somewhere that the Sea docks close to downtown, which I assume is the Skolten dock. Anyone know for sure?

 

The Sea docked at Skolten pier in 2016 and while it probably plans to do the same in 2017, berthing is never set in stone. The Skolten piers are at the far end of the Bryggen, the picturesque/historic section of town. There is a lot to see in that small area and for various reasons, in the short period of time that we had in Bergen, we never got beyond the fishmarket.

 

As you can tell, I'm working on the logistics of the Oslo-Bergen part of the trip. I can post some questions under Ports of Call and the 2016 Roll Call, but this kind of a mash-up of different issues so I thought I'd start here. Thanks folks!

 

This is a good place to start. :)

[mhb1757]

Lots of good questions... We are doing the same route next June on the Star and it is currently scheduled to dock at Skolten 3. I assume the Sea will do the same.

I think the train would be a great way to get from Oslo to Bergen. It is supposed to be one of the the 10 most scenic train trips in the world. We are flying into Oslo and doing the Nutshell route with an overnight in Flam but I think if the whole route in 1 day is more than you want to do and 1 day is all you have then the train would be a great option.

Can't speak from personal experience about cabs at the train station but both Rick Steves and Lonely Planet say they are readily available there.

[perlgirlnj]

Thank you for all the information and links! I've got some reading to do but I know it will help me make plans--and get excited.

[Graypanther]

Booked on Jun 3 cruise. Flying to Oslo and staying near train station. Hoping to catch late morning train to Bergen.

My first booking when searching for air to Oslo ended up to TLF (I think) as search came up with that airport as well as OSL. I was able to change it under the 24 hour rule so just be careful when booking your own air.

I think I also read that trains can not be reserved until 6 months or later.

I'm interested in any comments from people that traveled from the airport to downtown Oslo; and also from train station to the ship in Bergen. Taxi costs or used public transportation?

Thanks!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Booked on Jun 3 cruise. Flying to Oslo and staying near train station. Hoping to catch late morning train to Bergen.

My first booking when searching for air to Oslo ended up to TLF (I think) as search came up with that airport as well as OSL. I was able to change it under the 24 hour rule so just be careful when booking your own air.

I think I also read that trains can not be reserved until 6 months or later.

I'm interested in any comments from people that traveled from the airport to downtown Oslo; and also from train station to the ship in Bergen. Taxi costs or used public transportation?

Thanks!

 

I recommend a taxi from the train station to the ship in Bergen. You would have to change from a tram to a bus at minimum to use public transportation, and that would still involve some walking. The distance is about 2 km if your ship is in the closest dock -- that that's another problem with using public transportation, that you won't know exactly where the ship is [Azamara Quest had that closest location, but Viking ships are larger so I don't know if they go there or further out].

Edited September 23, 2016 by Host Jazzbeau

[mhb1757]

You can catch the train straight from the airport to Oslo S. There are 2 types of trains. The flytoget train is an express from the airport to Oslo S. Takes 20 minutes and costs 180 Kr (about $24). You can also take the regular train that makes a couple of stops and takes 24-26 minutes to Oslo S and is significantly less expensive. There is a Comfort Hotel inside Oslo S and a Thon Opera hotel across the street from the station that both get decent reviews.

[Graypanther]

Thanks for the information on getting to and from the train stations.

[Asborjn]

Most of the included tours were half-day tours (2-4 hours) and started shortly after we docked; if we docked in the morning, sometimes the included tours stretched into the afternoon hours. There were a couple of ports where we did not dock until lunch time. Multiple buses are scheduled for each time slot. Included tours usually meet up on the dock where you are assigned to a bus (groups should show up together if they want to be on the same bus). Optional tours form up in the theater on Deck 2, where buses are assigned and then groups are walked to the buses.

 

I am doing Midnight Sun in July 2017 and was wondering, it shows us in London for 2 days at cruise beginning and then Bergen for 2 days, so is there a tour of London if you want when you first board and then another of Bergen after you get to final destination but before you finally depart the cruise?

[Peregrina651]

I am doing Midnight Sun in July 2017 and was wondering, it shows us in London for 2 days at cruise beginning and then Bergen for 2 days, so is there a tour of London if you want when you first board and then another of Bergen after you get to final destination but before you finally depart the cruise?

 

Midnight Sun will be offering two overnights in 2017, one in London, now that they have secured berthing on the Thames in Greenwich, and the other in Bergen. (2016 did not include an overnight in London because it was berthed two hours away in Harwich).

 

I just checked out the Viking website for the details on this cruise and it is confusing. It shows the shorex listed on Day 1 and the arrival day page on Day 2. (For those who are unfamilar with this, you can see the details of the itinerary by clicking on the ports of call shown on the left side of the page; scroll down each day's page to see the shorex). Day 1 will be arrival day with no tours scheduled (unless they offer an optional evening tour) and the tours will be offered on Day 2.

 

On Day 14, there will be an included walking tour of the Bryggen UNESCO site when you arrive in Bergen along with a host of optional tours. You disembark the next morning, Day 15.

 

The final offering of tours along with times will not be announced until the tours appear on MyVikingJourney about 100 days out.

[Asborjn]

Thank You Peregrina651, for the prompt reply.

[KyOh]

Before our Viking Homeland cruise (which also starts in Bergen) we flew into Oslo then took the train into the city. We stayed at a hotel right beside the train station. The next day we took the train as far as Myardal then did the nutshell part of the trip on our own. The train from Oslo to Bergen is through beautiful scenery. I don't think you'd be terribly bored by it!