MSC Meraviglia-Norwegian Fjords- Hellesylt/Geiranger

[CruiseIreland]

Thanks for posting this info. So, Geiranger is a mere half day stop? That really messes up the plans. Thankfully,l purchased cancellation on the bus tickets. Ken PS..oops, didn't purchase cancellation!!! 

Edited August 17, 2019 by CruiseIreland

[dami.b]

8 hours ago, CruiseIreland said:

Thanks for posting this info. So, Geiranger is a mere half day stop? That really messes up the plans. Thankfully,l purchased cancellation on the bus tickets. Ken PS..oops, didn't purchase cancellation!!! 

Yes, time is limited but I had booked the 9:35-12:35 Panorama Exclusive bus that does all 3 major viewpoints and it worked fine for us. If you’ve booked something else that ends up after 1pm, you can contact the company (probably Geiranger fjord?) and explain that the boat’s itinerary will not allow you to complete the trip and ask for reimbursement despite their ‘no cancellation’ policy. I had emailed them about it when making my booking because of all of the uncertainty and they had suggested that they could make an exception if the boat’s schedule doesn’t allow me to complete my excursion. Hope you’ll work it out. Dami

[CruiseIreland]

Yes, l emailed them last night and they have offered to give us an earlier slot or a part refund. Good firm to deal with.

 

How was the other aspects of the cruise? Ship, food and other ports? Ken

[dami.b]

1 hour ago, CruiseIreland said:

Yes, l emailed them last night and they have offered to give us an earlier slot or a part refund. Good firm to deal with.

 

How was the other aspects of the cruise? Ship, food and other ports? Ken

 

Great that they’re willing to accommodate you!

The ship is really nice, new and with loads of things to do. We were almost never approached by sales people and this was a pleasant surprise.

Overall entertainment is fine, but the shows are so-so, dancers are good, singers are average for most part and the sound level is so high that it actually can make it an unpleasant experience. The mini Cirque du soleil shows are fine for kids or someone who’s never seen a real CdS show. If you’re not in one of these categories though expect to be disappointed. If you have to choose one show, we thought that Sonor was a bit better. 

The spa’s thermal area is on the small side but rarely gets very crowded, so that’s ok. The two massages me and hubby had were fine, but simply using the thermal area together was better. 

Food was ok though nothing exceptional. Don’t hesitate to order several starters, mains and deserts as some might be better than others and portions aren’t huge. We ate at the Panorama and the views were spectacular. If you have MyChoice dining as we did, I’d recommend starting your meal at 7:45 in between the two regular services to get less crowds, less noise and less stressed servers. Service in the restaurants and bars was mostly fine. We didn’t try any of the specialty restaurants so can’t comment.

Ports - we’ve been to Copenhagen before as a couple so this time we got on the HoHo and dedicated it to the kids and took them to Tivoli. It was a nice way to spend the day.

We loved Alesund - really beautiful city. Did the Viking tour « On Rollo’s footsteps » - highly recommended despite the cold weather we had. Went to the aquarium as well and visited a really nice antique store/gallery.

Took the Flam train - very nice scenery indeed but not the most spectacular train trip we’ve had (our Sri Lanka train trip had been more mind-blowing). Wanted to do the zipline but decided against it at the end. Street food on the port was ok for trying strange things like whale and reindeer meat.

Kiel looked boring so we’re now in Hamburg - nicer but very rainy and gloomy.

[CruiseIreland]

Thanks for the info. Can l check at what time the ship actually arrived in Geiranger? The bus company say we will arrive at 10.00!

I note you mention Alesund! That's not a port on our itinerary. Ken

[oceantriumph]

@dami.b Great to hear about your experience! We'll be on the Meraviglia and were wondering do you still believe the thermal suite is worth the price? We've only tried the Seaside's and loved it but don't have a good grasp on the comparison between the two other than posters mentioning the area on the Meraviglia seems small! I know you had it included, but I'm asking from the perspective of someone who is deciding whether to buy a spa pass for extra $$

 

Also, would you recommend seeing both Cirque de soleil shows? we were thinking of doing this but were not sure? Do you think both are worth the price, or does it make more sense to just see 1 for the "same effect". Also, did you do a cocktail or dinner with your show, and did you like it/prefer it over the other option because we weren't sure if the dinner is worth the upcharge.

 

Finally, is there a certain specialty restaraunt you believe is best to use Black card dinner on w/ "dining experience" menu?

 

thanks for the answers!

[dami.b]

4 hours ago, CruiseIreland said:

Thanks for the info. Can l check at what time the ship actually arrived in Geiranger? The bus company say we will arrive at 10.00!

I note you mention Alesund! That's not a port on our itinerary. Ken

 

4 hours ago, CruiseIreland said:

Thanks for the info. Can l check at what time the ship actually arrived in Geiranger? The bus company say we will arrive at 10.00!

I note you mention Alesund! That's not a port on our itinerary. Ken

Ken, not 100% sure about our arrival time as we were sleeping but we were already docked when I woke up at 8 am, so I guess the 7 am announced must have been correct. It’s probably best to check the port website for your precise itinerary.

[dami.b]

11 minutes ago, oceantriumph said:

@dami.b Great to hear about your experience! We'll be on the Meraviglia and were wondering do you still believe the thermal suite is worth the price? We've only tried the Seaside's and loved it but don't have a good grasp on the comparison between the two other than posters mentioning the area on the Meraviglia seems small! I know you had it included, but I'm asking from the perspective of someone who is deciding whether to buy a spa pass for extra $$

 

Also, would you recommend seeing both Cirque de soleil shows? we were thinking of doing this but were not sure? Do you think both are worth the price, or does it make more sense to just see 1 for the "same effect". Also, did you do a cocktail or dinner with your show, and did you like it/prefer it over the other option because we weren't sure if the dinner is worth the upcharge.

 

Finally, is there a certain specialty restaraunt you believe is best to use Black card dinner on w/ "dining experience" menu?

 

thanks for the answers!

 

Not sure what the price is for the thermal area and yes, it’s small but they have daily passes so you might try it out once and decide.

For CdS as I mentioned both were disappointing so defo go for only one - preferably Sonor imho. We had the cocktails as they serve roughly the same food as in the regular restaurants but with less choice and BEFORE the show not during so I didn’t see the point.

As I said, we didn’t try any of the specialty restaurants but we checked the Experience menus and Butcher’s cut would have been our choice if we had to go.

[oceantriumph]

@dami.b your answer is very helpful!

 

we wanted to book the thermal suite on board, but they charge about double onboard price so we'd really need to know beforehand..sorry for not including it before hand, but the price that a week pass is sold for is $130...with this in mind would you say it's worth it?

 

 

finally, sounds good regarding shows! I think we'll choose one 🙂

 

[dami.b]

1 hour ago, oceantriumph said:

@dami.b your answer is very helpful!

 

we wanted to book the thermal suite on board, but they charge about double onboard price so we'd really need to know beforehand..sorry for not including it before hand, but the price that a week pass is sold for is $130...with this in mind would you say it's worth it?

 

 

finally, sounds good regarding shows! I think we'll choose one 🙂

 

 

If you use it every day, that would be less than 20 USD per day so I’d say it’s a good deal. We didn’t stay more than an hour a day but it was nice to relax. Make sure to

check the second jacuzzi area with the beds inside the water to the right from the entry as it’s easy to miss at first. There were offers on board and I honestly didn’t pay attention to them but I doubt they’d come that cheap. You could get a free daily pass by booking a massage but neither I nor hubby were that amazed by the massages so your option might be the best one.

[CruiseIreland]

1 hour ago, dami.b said:

 

Ken, not 100% sure about our arrival time as we were sleeping but we were already docked when I woke up at 8 am, so I guess the 7 am announced must have been correct. It’s probably best to check the port website for your precise itinerary.

Thanks, appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'll check the port schedule. Ken

[CruiseIreland]

On 1/14/2019 at 8:00 AM, yoavstahl said:

Hi
I think it is different per date.
I have booked myself a tour in Geiranger and the tour company sent me an email that they have adjusted my travel time because of the ship schedule.
See here for more details - 
http://www.stranda-hamnevesen.no/cruise-calls

Hi. Your post/link has proved invaluable. Thank you once again. We will not arrive in Gerainger until 10.00am. All changes now. I will cancel local arrangement and book the ship tour! Thanks to all, Ken.

[CruiseIreland]

Update: On closer examination, it seems that we will be in Gerainger from 10.00 until 1700. I have left local bus booking in place and will take the chance. Fingers crossed! Ken

[Beamafar]

Best of luck, Ken, and Bon Voyage (in case you're not around here again before Sunday).  Hope it's the best one ever - especially if it does turn out to be your last one.  🤗

[CruiseIreland]

9 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Best of luck, Ken, and Bon Voyage (in case you're not around here again before Sunday).  Hope it's the best one ever - especially if it does turn out to be your last one.  🤗

Cheers Bea! Never Say Never.....! I'll be on here til Friday when we fly to Copenhagen, Ryanair willing! Ciao!

[CruisingFox27]

Have a great time Ken, the Fjords are stunning. 

[CruiseIreland]

11 hours ago, CruisingFox27 said:

Have a great time Ken, the Fjords are stunning. 

Thank you, CF. Just hope Ryanair don't mess it all up! Ken

[Beamafar]

9 hours ago, CruiseIreland said:

Thank you, CF. Just hope Ryanair don't mess it all up! Ken

 

Fingers crossed for you, Ken!  Thankfully we're flying Aer Lingus (why don't they fly to Copenhagen?  🙄) and, so far, anyway, no noises about strikes.

[CruisingFox27]

Hopefully they won't Ken. Fingers crossed for you. 

SAS fly Dublin to Copenhagen Bea.

After Aer Lingus stranded us in Orlando airport for 3 days, I'm happy with Ryanair!

Although I'm hoping for better luck in October as I'm relying on then getting us to JFK 😟

[Beamafar]

I remember you telling me about SAS before, CF.  By the time I ever get 'round to embarking on a cruise from Copenhagen, I'm sure I'll have forgotten that you did and will probably end up asking you again.  🙄

 

We're flying Aer Lingus Stateside too.  Not looking forward to it at all.  I was shocked at how poor it was when we went to Miami in January - especially in comparison to all the other long-haul carriers we've used down thru' the years.  I was tempted to upgrade to Business Class but, doing Seaview next week, it's just too soon after it and the budget won't stretch.  I'd prefer to have the extra money to spend in New York.

 

We'll definitely be ordering the steak dinner on the way out (at extra cost);  thought it was great value.  It wasn't as good on the return journey, though (US steak is nowhere near as good as what we produce!) so I'm not sure about ordering it yet.  You get a small bottle of wine with the meal.  I get DH's one as he doesn't drink wine;  he buys a couple of cans of beer and that's us sorted, alcohol-wise, for the flight (no complimentary alcohol on Aer Lingus long-hauls!!  😡)

[CruisingFox27]

I'll have to make sure I remember that they do then 😮 We flew with them to Stockholm a couple of years ago, IIRC they were fine. 

I looked at Business class too, it was more than our following week on Seaside, so unsurprisingly decided against. 

 

To be honest, with any flight I'm just grateful to arrive safely. And compared to the Flybe propeller planes which I use regularly from Belfast City, that I'm sure require an elastic band to take off, I genuinely consider any other airline and plane a bonus 😂

[CruiseIreland]

9 hours ago, CruisingFox27 said:

 ... compared to the Flybe propeller planes which I use regularly from Belfast City, that I'm sure require an elastic band to take off, I genuinely consider any other airline and plane a bonus 😂

We flew Flybe from Dublin to Southampton last year, propeller plane. No problem on way out but at Southampton, at check-in, the Flybe dolly insisted that DW's hand luggage, a hard plastic wheelie case that fits the frame in Aer Lingus and Ryanair, be checked in Flybe's smaller frame. Huffing and puffing ensued! 'It won't fit', she declared! 'Yes it will', l swore! Well, it did but l jammed it in 'handle down' and almost couldn't get it back out! I had visions of carrying frame and all to the plane. To my relief, l managed to extract it by squeezing it mightily!

BTW, Aer Lingus are flying the Copenhagen route but I probably booked Ryanair on price!  Thanks for the good wishes! Here's hoping! Ken

Edited August 20, 2019 by CruiseIreland

[CruisingFox27]

Don't even start me off on Flybe's cabin baggage measurements. Which i know are smaller and have a special Flybe cabin bag. We flew to England last year, bag measured absolutely fine on the way there, approved baggage label attached. On the way home the check in staff removed said label and declared the bag was too large 😡 Wheeling out a totally different measuring frame 😡

There were approximately 20 of us in the same position. Rather convenient on a mostly empty flight and a cynic might suggest they needed to increase revenue....

 

Are you off Friday and boarding Saturday? I'm going to be checking the schedules LOL

[Beamafar]

We'll probably be flying Flybe next year for our Preziosa cruise, so I'll have to make sure I don't use our regular cabin bags.

[CruisingFox27]

Absolutely do Bea. The normal dimensions are 55 x 40 x 20, with flybe its 55 x 35 x 20 but it does depend on the individual desk, sometimes that's too big!