Norwegian Ferry Ride/Cruise Questions

[danny8826]

 

We will be taking 2 ferry rides.  One from Hellesylt to Geiranger for the Geirangerfjord cruise and a round trip from Flam to cruise on the Naeroyfjord.

 

For those who have been on one of these ferry cruise before, are the ferry rides pretty smooth?

We asked because we are enthusiast photographers.  Our current camera is not stabilized and we are deciding if we need to upgrade.  If there are not much of a moment at all on the ferry ride, than there is no need for us to upgrade to a new camera as we do like our current one. 

 

Much appreciated for your help and comments.  

[kaisatsu]

These are inner fjords that are a long way from open seas. The conditions are more like a lake than the ocean, so there will be some movement, but it’s typically much less than I experience on trains or buses. Or even on cruise ships in some cases.

 

The cruise in Flåm is electric, and I find those boats to have less vibration than the combustion engines. If you’re on the car ferry to Geiranger, then there may be some engine rumbling.

 

What kind of photography are you looking to do? I’ve been on several fjord trips over the years with a variety of lower-end digital cameras, and I’ve never had a problem. If you can use your camera on the cruise ship, you’ll be able to use it on a fjord ferry.

[gnome12]

17 hours ago, danny8826 said:

 

We will be taking 2 ferry rides.  One from Hellesylt to Geiranger for the Geirangerfjord cruise and a round trip from Flam to cruise on the Naeroyfjord.

 

For those who have been on one of these ferry cruise before, are the ferry rides pretty smooth?

We asked because we are enthusiast photographers.  Our current camera is not stabilized and we are deciding if we need to upgrade.  If there are not much of a moment at all on the ferry ride, than there is no need for us to upgrade to a new camera as we do like our current one. 

 

Much appreciated for your help and comments.  

I did the Naeroyfjord cruise in June. It was very smooth. In addition, for photographers, there are ramps on both sides of the main cabin zigzagging up the sides giving lots more railing than expected for picture taking. There is, of course, also the top of the main cabin. All in all, there is plenty of outdoor space with direct views.

[danny8826]

11 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

These are inner fjords that are a long way from open seas. The conditions are more like a lake than the ocean, so there will be some movement, but it’s typically much less than I experience on trains or buses. Or even on cruise ships in some cases.

 

The cruise in Flåm is electric, and I find those boats to have less vibration than the combustion engines. If you’re on the car ferry to Geiranger, then there may be some engine rumbling.

 

What kind of photography are you looking to do? I’ve been on several fjord trips over the years with a variety of lower-end digital cameras, and I’ve never had a problem. If you can use your camera on the cruise ship, you’ll be able to use it on a fjord ferry.

 

Thank you so much for the detailed feedback.

I like to take photos of scenic places and architectures.  So in the case fhe fjords cruise, it's definitely waterfalls, and all the scenes as the ferry cruse along, but because I might want to slow my shutter speed down a bit to take the creamier look of the waterfalls.  That's why i asked how smooth is the boat ride.  

[danny8826]

5 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I did the Naeroyfjord cruise in June. It was very smooth. In addition, for photographers, there are ramps on both sides of the main cabin zigzagging up the sides giving lots more railing than expected for picture taking. There is, of course, also the top of the main cabin. All in all, there is plenty of outdoor space with direct views.

 

That's great to know.  I was debating whether I should or shouldn't bring my Monopod.  I know I won't bring a tripod because it takes too much time to set up, but a Monopod is possible so I am still debating.  Do you see anyone on the ferry with a camera or a camera and a monopod?

 

[gnome12]

7 hours ago, danny8826 said:

 

That's great to know.  I was debating whether I should or shouldn't bring my Monopod.  I know I won't bring a tripod because it takes too much time to set up, but a Monopod is possible so I am still debating.  Do you see anyone on the ferry with a camera or a camera and a monopod?

 

There were lots of people with cameras; I didn’t notice whether there were monopods or not. 

[ericosmith]

No need to stabilize.  The more likely issue you might have with a slower shutter speed is the forward motion of the boat.  

[danny8826]

16 hours ago, gnome12 said:

There were lots of people with cameras; I didn’t notice whether there were monopods or not. 

 

Thank you.  That's good to know.  I sometimes feel odd to stand out like when I am on a cruise, I see no one with a camera except myself.  

[danny8826]

13 hours ago, ericosmith said:

No need to stabilize.  The more likely issue you might have with a slower shutter speed is the forward motion of the boat.  

 

I was advise not to go below 1/125 which I plan to do.