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Norwegian Fjord or Norwegian Fjord/Iceland combo?

brewcrew

By brewcrew,
in Holland America Line

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brewcrew

brewcrew

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Hi!  We are looking at booking with Holland America for the first time for summer 2025.  We are trying to decide between a 7 day Norwegian Fjord or a Norwegian Fjord /Iceland combo?  We have never been to this part of the world and just wanted thoughts or opinions.  The ship would be the same (Rotterdam).  Thanks in advance!

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Bolt.

Bolt.

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I recently went on the Rotterdam, on a Back-to-back cruise including 7 days in Norway, followed by a little more Norway, then Iceland and Scotland. It was fantastic. If I had to choose between them, I'd go with the Iceland-Norway combo -- but for us, the shorter cruises are never quite enough for us. We barely get settled in on a 7 day cruise. I'd recommend booking a longer block of time and going to multiple places when ever you can.

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YourWorldWithBill

YourWorldWithBill

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, brewcrew said:

Hi!  We are looking at booking with Holland America for the first time for summer 2025.  We are trying to decide between a 7 day Norwegian Fjord or a Norwegian Fjord /Iceland combo?  We have never been to this part of the world and just wanted thoughts or opinions.  The ship would be the same (Rotterdam).  Thanks in advance!

We took a cruise around Iceland on a different line a couple of years ago and loved it! It is such a unique place, and a cruise might be the best way to see the main tourist sites, as the ones most visited are along the coast. We were on the Rotterdam to the Norwegian fjords in May and it was a great cruise, but we're glad we saw both. If you can manage it, it's worth considering Iceland. 

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vicd1969

vicd1969

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If you don't have work or personal commitments that discourage a longer cruise, definitely go for the Norwegian Fjord / Iceland combo, especially if it includes either Geiranger or Flam. Also, highly recommend booking the cheapest cabin in your category and then getting the free upgrade by purchasing Club Orange. The Rotterdam's separate Club Orange dining where I had one of the best dining experiences in all my HAL cruises was well worth it. Just upgrading to middle of ship unobstructed balcony from an obstructed balcony paid for itself.

Edited by vicd1969
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YourWorldWithBill

YourWorldWithBill

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Another note to agree with what @vicd1969said. The Club Orange room on Rotterdam is very nice. We just booked another HAL cruise, paid for the lowest priced verandah cabin, and got an upgrade to the best verandah cabin. Club Orange is worth it for that, in addition to the dining and other benefits that come with it.

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BSinPNS

BSinPNS

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Just completed the 21-day (7+14 combo) on Rotterdam. The 14-day Norway/Iceland/Scotland was excellent.  Adding the additional 7-day Norway cruise was icing on the cake.  The 7-day drew a far  younger crowd (mainly Dutchies) with children.  We thought the average age of the 14-day increased by 15-20 years with it being the traditional HAL crowd. As others have said, if you can only do one, do the 14-day.  Have fun!

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Cruisercl

Cruisercl

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On 8/30/2023 at 11:56 PM, SusieKIslandGirl said:

If you decide to do the lowest cabin grade and upgrade with Club Orange, call to make the upgrade as soon as possible. It is a capacity-controlled option. 

Do you know if you can call in advance to see if it is available?

TIA. 😊

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3rdGenCunarder "Live from...." Rare

3rdGenCunarder

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16 hours ago, brewcrew said:

Thank you all for your responses!  The people have spoken and I think the Norway/Iceland combo sounds like the winner!  Now I need to go learn about this Club Orange!  I have no idea what that is, lol!  Thanks again!,,

 

I call it the "club orange game." Book the lowest cabin in a "meta category" and when you add CO, you ask for an upgrade to a higher cabin in that category. So lowest grade inside to highest grade inside, or lowest grade verandah to highest grade verandah, etc. No jumping to the next meta category--no upgrade from inside to outside or verandah. I think you can even start with a guarantee, which might be even cheaper than the lowest grade cabin in the category you're looking at. 

 

HAL has multiple price structures, more than you see on the website, so it's best to book by calling HAL or using a travel agent to see what the different prices and amenities/restrictions are. The website does not show all of the available cabins. So have the deck plan open when you call and don't be afraid to ask about specific cabins. 

 

Club Orange has other perks, like some priority access and a separate restaurant for dinner and breakfast. But for many people, the biggest value is the upgrade.

Edited by 3rdGenCunarder
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colin v

colin v

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3 hours ago, Cruisercl said:

So, do you have any experience with calling about this, which is what my question was?

Thats the only way to find out....give them a call. Yes I do have experience with this, but I mostly let my TA do the calling.  You do have to pay the CO fees in advance to obtain the upgrade.

 

OP - I would and have chosen the combo trip. Interesting fact, Rotterdam skipped their overnight in Reykjavik this past weekend due to rough seas.

 

 

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Cruisercl

Cruisercl

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Just to be clear, because I have not done CO before, a person can call in advance to see if CO is available for the cruise you plan on booking? It would affect the category of stateroom you book, IMO. 

TIA.

No TA use here...

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SusieKIslandGirl

SusieKIslandGirl

Posted
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13 hours ago, Cruisercl said:

So, do you have any experience with calling about this, which is what my question was?

Yes, I did call and was told that it had reached capacity and wasn't available. It was for an Alaska cruise that was still many months away. I was surprised it wasn't available that far in advance.

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