Getting off the ship at ports

[Bazrat]

We are not really that bothered, we have booked up all our tours and just waiting for the cruise to begin.

[P&O SUE]

56 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Next summer the Iona itinerary between 21 May and 3 Sept is Stavanger, Olden, Geiranger, Haugosund.

 

Stavanger is a coastal city, Olden is 65 miles inland up the fjords, Geiranger is 70 miles up the fjords and Haugosund is a coastal town with not much to do in town. So two days of scenic fjord cruising with lots of mountains. The cruises before 21May and after 3Sept substitute Alesund, a coastal town, for Geiranger so you get only half the fjord cruising. There is always the chance of course that a surprise change of itinerary will take place after you have paid your final balance!.

 

Norway is my favourite destination so I have booked 21 May and 3 September clear of the school holidays.

Alesund looks an interesting town but I’d like to do the cruising to Geiranger. I’ve been on one Norway cruise that went to Stavanger, Olden, Flam and Bergen. 

[SarahHben]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

Next summer the Iona itinerary between 21 May and 3 Sept is Stavanger, Olden, Geiranger, Haugosund.

 

Stavanger is a coastal city, Olden is 65 miles inland up the fjords, Geiranger is 70 miles up the fjords and Haugosund is a coastal town with not much to do in town. So two days of scenic fjord cruising with lots of mountains. The cruises before 21May and after 3Sept substitute Alesund, a coastal town, for Geiranger so you get only half the fjord cruising. There is always the chance of course that a surprise change of itinerary will take place after you have paid your final balance!.

 

Norway is my favourite destination so I have booked 21 May and 3 September clear of the school holidays.

We're on the 21st May Norweigan cruise next year too. I noticed that was the first one to go to Geiranger, which looks beautiful, so we opted for that one.

[SarahHben]

30 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Alesund looks an interesting town but I’d like to do the cruising to Geiranger. I’ve been on one Norway cruise that went to Stavanger, Olden, Flam and Bergen. 

I am dissapointed to be missing Bergen next year, I'm not sure that Haugasund makes up for it. Geiranger looks lovely though, and was the big pull for me.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, P&O SUE said:

Alesund looks an interesting town but I’d like to do the cruising to Geiranger. I’ve been on one Norway cruise that went to Stavanger, Olden, Flam and Bergen. 

Alesund is very nice and easy to ‘do’ by yourself (if allowed) I’ve been to Geiranger about 3 times and it’s a lovely sail in along the fjord. I haven’t yet been to Olden or Flam, hopefully I’ll get the chance one day. 

[P&O SUE]

3 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Alesund is very nice and easy to ‘do’ by yourself (if allowed) I’ve been to Geiranger about 3 times and it’s a lovely sail in along the fjord. I haven’t yet been to Olden or Flam, hopefully I’ll get the chance one day. 

Flam and Olden are beautiful with the long sail in and out.

[yorkshirephil]

2 hours ago, SarahHben said:

We're on the 21st May Norweigan cruise next year too. I noticed that was the first one to go to Geiranger, which looks beautiful, so we opted for that one.

Geiranger was our favourite cruise port until we went to Olden, it is a close call. By end of May the Seven sisters falls should be full gush,

[SarahHben]

1 hour ago, yorkshirephil said:

Geiranger was our favourite cruise port until we went to Olden, it is a close call. By end of May the Seven sisters falls should be full gush,

That's good to know, we're going to Olden too, Stavanger, Olden, Geiranger and Haugasund,

Yes, it should be a good time for waterfalls, I'm hoping that there will still be snow on the mountain tops too 🙂

[Josy1953]

29 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

That's good to know, we're going to Olden too, Stavanger, Olden, Geiranger and Haugasund,

Yes, it should be a good time for waterfalls, I'm hoping that there will still be snow on the mountain tops too 🙂

We have been into the fjords in early July and there was snow on the tops of the mountains then, so you could well be lucky.

[P&O SUE]

On 9/8/2021 at 7:52 PM, SarahHben said:

That's good to know, we're going to Olden too, Stavanger, Olden, Geiranger and Haugasund,

Yes, it should be a good time for waterfalls, I'm hoping that there will still be snow on the mountain tops too 🙂

That’s why I need to go again. We went end of April 2013, I think the Thursday was the 1st of May - all the waterfalls were frozen!!

[jeanlyon]

After September 25th, you can now go ashore on your own

 

From 25 September, guests will be able to go ashore independently but must adhere to the specific COVID-19 protocols in each destination. However, as restrictions in each destination are changeable, and some destinations may only allow cruise line organised experiences ashore, we highly recommend you purchase P&O Cruises shore experiences prior to travel to ensure you always have the option to explore each destination. We will arrange options for organised P&O Cruises shore experiences and health protocols such as social distancing, face masks and sanitising will be in place to protect the well-being of all guests and crew.

[SarahHben]

9 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

That’s why I need to go again. We went end of April 2013, I think the Thursday was the 1st of May - all the waterfalls were frozen!!

Oh wow, I hadnt really thought about them freezing. I think by end of May they'll be flowing.

I've just been chatting to my sister and she and her husband are hoping to get on the May 21st one too and join me, hubby and my parents, very exciting, it can't come quick enough for me.

[terrierjohn]

33 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

Oh wow, I hadnt really thought about them freezing. I think by end of May they'll be flowing.

I've just been chatting to my sister and she and her husband are hoping to get on the May 21st one too and join me, hubby and my parents, very exciting, it can't come quick enough for me.

I once went to Norway on business in mid June, and we drove alongside 6 ft snowdrifts at the side of the roads over the mountain tops.

It was thawing though as the temperature at fjord level was in the mid to high 20s.

[Purdey16]

We done our first cruise to Norway in late may and we were sunbathing on top deck in Bergen some were in costumes it was hot , flam is beautiful and sunbathing at dockside but up in the mountains (flam train) we were knee deep in snow and the water falls were frozen.

[P&O SUE]

7 hours ago, Purdey16 said:

We done our first cruise to Norway in late may and we were sunbathing on top deck in Bergen some were in costumes it was hot , flam is beautiful and sunbathing at dockside but up in the mountains (flam train) we were knee deep in snow and the water falls were frozen.

Yes on our cruise it was dry at ship level but at Flam and Olden we went up into the mountains and there was fresh overnight snow. Of course this being Norway it had all been cleared and the coach had snow tyres. It was a bit hairy going on the hair pin bends !!

[P&O SUE]

9 hours ago, SarahHben said:

Oh wow, I hadnt really thought about them freezing. I think by end of May they'll be flowing.

I've just been chatting to my sister and she and her husband are hoping to get on the May 21st one too and join me, hubby and my parents, very exciting, it can't come quick enough for me.

It was an exceptionally cold Spring that year. I remember being rather depressed getting an email from P&O a week before cancelling an excursion because the lake was frozen! 
I’ve seen numerous pictures  of May cruises since and the weather has been gorgeous! 

Edited September 11, 2021 by P&O SUE

[Cpt Pugwash]

On 9/5/2021 at 7:46 PM, lorrainemargaret said:

Hi I am going on Iona in Jan 2022 Spain and Portugal,Can you get off at the ports and sightsee individual,or do you have to have ship excursions,any info will be much appreciated thanks

P&O have announced passengers will be allowed off ships to independently tour from 25th Sept taking into local covid restrictions into consideration.