Buying shore excursions on arrival in these ports in Norway?

[YTOcruisers]

We are booked on a HAL cruise on Aug 24 from Amsterdam to Norway and Scotland. In Norway we are going to Alesund, Trondheim, Honningsvad, Tromso and Leknes.
 

is it advisable to buy shore excursions on arrival on shore (I had seen a video suggesting this was cheaper and adviseable in Norway although not sure for the ports we are visiting).
 

We were hoping to see fjords (I know there are no deep fjords for our itinerary) and also north cape in Honningsvad. Any recommendations or experiences with buying onshore?

Thx

[nini]

Personally, we always book our shore excursions way ahead so we know that we have a tour for sure; otherwise it is just too stressful for a vacation. IMHO, you do not have an advantage at the "last minute".

[CruiserBruce]

Buying excursions at the dock is not " a thing" in Europe. 

[hallasm]

You’re right - no fjords included in your itinerary. Depending on time of arrival/ departure in Ålesund there might be time for an excursion by bus or boat to Geiranger Fjord - might take 6 to 8 hours. Must be Purchase in advance. In Honningsvåg excursions to North Cape or the Gjesværstappan Nature Reserve must be purchased in advance.

In Tromsø you can take the Fjellheisen cable car to the view point. 

Also Leknes, Tromsø and Honningsvåg are inside Arctic Circle but August is too late for Midnight Sun.

[kaisatsu]

If you’re looking for tours or organized activities, definitely book them in advance. There are a limited number of operators, so waiting until arrival may mean missing out. For smaller less-known activities, they may not even run on a day if no one has booked.

 

If you’re looking to visit museums, cable cars, and other fixed sites, you should still do some research ahead of time. Some of the ports are a fair distance from the town center, and taxis are quite expensive (if even available).

[edinburgher]

10 hours ago, YTOcruisers said:

s it advisable to buy shore excursions on arrival on shore (I had seen a video suggesting this was cheaper and adviseable in Norway although not sure for the ports we are visiting).

It is of course a personal decision as to whether to buy excursions in every port, but in some, IMHO it can be very easy and inexpensive to sightsee independently. One of your port calls is to Alesund, a favourite with cruise pax, partly as you dock in the centre of town, partly because there are a number of sightseeing options and partly because they are easy to do on your own.

 

You would find it helpful to read this thread which has a number of posts which would help you decide. And Norway is expensive so a saving in at least one or two ports is better than no saving at all.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2963492-alesund-excursions/#comment-66098932

 

Ttromso is another port where it is almost as easy to explore independently,  even easier if you dock in the centre of town rather than out by the botanical garden.  there is quite a lot to see and do in Tromso, your decision as to which sights, museums etc appeal most to youpersonally.  We have visited 3 times and found things to see and do each time.  Many previous threads about Tromso.  Here they are ready for you to decide which to read.  As a number of threads digress from the original subject line topic or from the original question, don't dismiss some without first reading.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=tromso&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=116

 

You can find past threads on all your ports by using the SEARCH TOOL under your username.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by edinburgher

[Shiba_Lover]

If you want to just walk around in Tromso - check out an app called GPS My City.  They have walking tours, and there is one of Tromso.  They have the history, maps, etc.  Honningsvag - for sure don't wait.  Very few tour operators and if you decide to do something, depending on how many other ships are in port, you may miss out.

[kitkat343]

Honestly, Norway was the hardest we found it to arrange private tours for all of our previous cruises.  There are very few private operators.  In the end, everything worked out really well but I wouldn't wait until the last minute to try to book on the shore.