Advice on 2023 Cruise to see Northern Lights and Excursions

[Gretchendz]

Don't forget that you don't have to do the many stops cruise if you don't want to. Hurtigruten is beginning, this year, the North Cape Express. It has the Northen Lights Promise, but stays at ports longer, more like a traditional cruise.  We are taking it in November 2023.  It includes a couple nights in Bergin or Oslo on the front end, depending on which direction you sail.  The Trollfjord is being renovated right now for it.  In the summer there will be the Svalbard Express.

[GeezerCouple]

12 hours ago, Gretchendz said:

Don't forget that you don't have to do the many stops cruise if you don't want to. Hurtigruten is beginning, this year, the North Cape Express. It has the Northen Lights Promise, but stays at ports longer, more like a traditional cruise.  We are taking it in November 2023.  It includes a couple nights in Bergin or Oslo on the front end, depending on which direction you sail.  The Trollfjord is being renovated right now for it.  In the summer there will be the Svalbard Express.

This change has sounded interesting.

We need to take a look at the itinerary.

(We were on the Trollfjord, and have very fond memories of it.)

 

On the other hand, we were fascinated by the beauty of all the little towns the ship stopped at.  It was the towns themselves, the picturesque backgrounds (stunning scenery), plus the water... and the interesting routes the ship took to get to some of the ports.
That all turned out to be a very special part of the trip.  We did the RT, so we called at each port twice, albeit once during the day and the other direction at night (given the time of year we traveled).

 

We weren't quite sure what to expect, but it turned out to be one of our favorite trips ever.

 

As for the question about the Oslo-Bergen train, yes that was incredible.  The middle section of the route especially... that was an almost otherworldly experience, the scenery was so stunning and unusual.

 

We had stayed in Oslo for a few days, and then a few days in Bergen, and we flew home from Bergen the day after the ship returned.

 

GC

[Host Jazzbeau]

38 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

As for the question about the Oslo-Bergen train, yes that was incredible.  The middle section of the route especially... that was an almost otherworldly experience, the scenery was so stunning and unusual.

We did this, and I agree 100%.  However, now that [if I understand correctly] cruise ships are now allowed to go to Flåm – I recommend instead the official Norway in a Nutshell® version that starts in Oslo, diverts from the main line at Myrdal and takes the Flåm Railway down to Flåm, takes a scenic fjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen, bus up the hairpin road to Voss, and then rejoins the main railway line to complete the journey to Bergen [or vice versa for cruises ending in Bergen]

https://www.norwaynutshell.com/original-tour/

 

[hallasm]

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

However, now that [if I understand correctly] cruise ships are now allowed to go to Flåm

Cruise ships can still sail to Flåm (and Geiranger).

'Zero Emission' zones in the World Heritage Fjords will not be introduced until 2026. Work is being done on an option for ships that sail on Bio-LNG (Bio gas) to sail in the fjords until 2030.

Gives the opportunity to visit Flåm with cruise ships a few more years - but the 'Norway in a Nutshell' trip is a good suggestion if you have a few extra days and are going from Oslo to Bergen.