Norway Ports - opinions/help needed!

[MUN]

There were some reports from the Pulpit Rock excursion from 2015. It generally said that it was a very strenuous hike and some people did not make it. Most people seem to feel that they were quite rushed. Maybe try a search with "Pulpit Rock" here on the DIS, that should bring up the reports... I don't have the time right now, otherwise I would do it for you, so sorry for being only halfway helpful!

Thanks! No need to look things up for me. I have over 400 days until the cruise.

MUN

 

[kayakgirl]

Here are our Excursions (We booked 3 of the 4 outside of DCL, saved us a bunch of $):

Geiranger - We booked the Panorama Bus Tour (10:45 a.m.) with Geiranger Fjordservice - $102 for family of 4
Stavanger - We booked the Lysefjord & Pulpit Rock Tour (10:00 a.m.) with Rodne Fjord Cruise - $158 for family of 4
Bergen - We booked the Fjord cruise Bergen-Mostraumen (10:00 a.m.) with Rodne Fjord Cruise - $183 for family of 4
Bergen - Mt. Floien Funicular - We will just buy tickets there - $25 for a family of 4
Alesund - We booked the Alesund Highlight Tour through DCL - $220 for a family of 4

All in all, the cost for the above was a total of $688 for the four of us, if we would have booked similar excursions through Disney, it would have cost us $1,330....so it is worth it to at least look at outside tour operators.

I am frustrated that the stop in Bergen on the 12 day Copenhagen to Dover on July 13th is SOOOO brief - arrive at 8:15 depart by 1:45. How timely are the Roedne fjord cruises? They are to get back to Bergen at 1:30pm - Big question- can I make it back to the Magic by 1:45 departure???? No fjord excursions offered at all by Disney, originally when I booked this cruise, thought we'd stop at either Geiranger or Stavanger- but get short stop at Bergen and longer one at Kristiansand (what to do there?)

 

[bksaffle]

kayakgirl -

I wouldn't risk it, We are in Bergen from 8:45-4:45, so I feel like we have a great amount of cushion on our time frame. But I am not as risky as some people....you just never know what could happen. With that short of time in a port I would stick with the DCL excursion.

 

[Simba One]

Thanks, so you didn't hike to the top and walk on ledge. The video I watched said it was a 3 hour rt hike to the top.

MUN

No, we didn't take that excursion. And I am SUPER afraid of heights!

 

[Hubie]

We did want to do the Pulpit Rock hike, but considering the weather for the area (about 200 days of rain/yr), we decided to pass on it. And, sure enough when we arrived in Stavanger it rained the entire day. In fact, one of our fellow passengers broke his leg while on the hike and had to be evacuated by helicopter (imagine the expense and then having to also miss the rest of the cruise). I surely hope he had good travel ins.

We loved just walking around Stavanger, but we were astounded that hundreds of our fellow cruisers didn't pack a raincoat or an umbrella. The first store you encounter off of the Magic must have sold a 1000 umbrella's that day. Fortunately, we did have gorgeous sunshine the entire day in Alesund and decent weather in Geiranger. We took the DCL excursion ($99/adult) in Geiranger up to the top of Mt. Dalsibba for the views and it was well worth it. But otherwise, we like to explore on our own and just walked around in the other ports. Bergen is a wonderful city to explore on foot, but it did pour all afternoon while we were there. We also spent four nights in Copenhagen (3 before embarkation and 1 after disembarkation). What a fantastic city!

Our only regret is that we didn't schedule B2B cruises, which saves an expensive round-trip airfare back to Europe. Yes, we are going back next year for the 7-day Disney Baltic Cruise. We also learned from a tablemate on the Norway cruise to fly Icelandic Air, instead of SAS from the states, which allows you to stop over in Iceland for 1 - 7 days on the same round-trip ticket.

 

[Hubie]

I can't do the Back to back this year we are doing it on 2017 but this time with my mom.

I agree with everybody else that Geiranger is not to be missed! And as far as cruising to Iceland, fly Icelandic Air from the US instead. They allow you to stop over for 1 to 7 days, either on your way to Europe or on your way home, on the same RT-ticket. Depending on your budget, you'll get to see and experience much more than a one or two-day cruise stop in the country.

 

[MUN]

No, we didn't take that excursion. And I am SUPER afraid of heights!

How was the excursion to the fjords from Stavenger?

MUN

 

[Hubie]

How was the excursion to the fjords from Stavenger?

MUN

Sorry, as I noted above, we only explored Stavanger on our own by just walking around the touristy area, the older part of the city, and over by the beautiful park and granite church. But many others have noted that they enjoyed the private boat excursion into the fjord to the base of Pulpit Rock.

 

[linetbo]

If you can wait a couple of months we are on the 7 night Norwegian Fjords leaving May 29th (perfect timing as school gets out on the 25th!). We have the following planned:

Stavanger: Lysefjord cruise
Alesund: Alesund highlights
Geiranger: Rib boat
Bergen: Bergen highlights

I'll have plenty of pictures and reports when we get back!

How was your excursions?

 

[linetbo]

Here are our Excursions (We booked 3 of the 4 outside of DCL, saved us a bunch of $):

Geiranger - We booked the Panorama Bus Tour (10:45 a.m.) with Geiranger Fjordservice - $102 for family of 4
Stavanger - We booked the Lysefjord & Pulpit Rock Tour (10:00 a.m.) with Rodne Fjord Cruise - $158 for family of 4
Bergen - We booked the Fjord cruise Bergen-Mostraumen (10:00 a.m.) with Rodne Fjord Cruise - $183 for family of 4
Bergen - Mt. Floien Funicular - We will just buy tickets there - $25 for a family of 4
Alesund - We booked the Alesund Highlight Tour through DCL - $220 for a family of 4

All in all, the cost for the above was a total of $688 for the four of us, if we would have booked similar excursions through Disney, it would have cost us $1,330....so it is worth it to at least look at outside tour operators.

How did you like it?

 

[Birdie dog]

I did the nine night inaugural Norway in 2015.
I wouldn't miss Gerainger.
I wouldn't miss Bergen ( what a lovely city ).
We did do Pulpit Rock.. ( laughed the whole way that we might be about to die). We also did Olden, Molde and Alesund.
IMO, do the RHIB in Alesund. We booked it through DCL and were the only 4 people on the whole cruise who did! It was gorgeous (freezing but gorgeous and we did wear exposure suits).
We saw seals, sea birds, the landscape was stunning. It was my absolute favorite excursion.

 

[linetbo]

I did the nine night inaugural Norway in 2015.
I wouldn't miss Gerainger.
I wouldn't miss Bergen ( what a lovely city ).
We did do Pulpit Rock.. ( laughed the whole way that we might be about to die). We also did Olden, Molde and Alesund.
IMO, do the RHIB in Alesund. We booked it through DCL and were the only 4 people on the whole cruise who did! It was gorgeous (freezing but gorgeous and we did wear exposure suits).
We saw seals, sea birds, the landscape was stunning. It was my absolute favorite excursion.

RHIB?

 

[Hubie]

I really want to see Norway, but want a cruise longer than 7 nights. The 2017 11 Night includes the ports of Stavanger and Alesund. For those who have gone...how do those ports compare with the ones we will be missing (Geiranger, and Bergen). I know the 11 night includes Iceland and Scotland - which would be fabulous! - but I'd really love to hear if the 11 night would leave us feeling like we saw enough of Norway as I can't image we would ever get back. Thanks!

My personal feelings about our (6/29/16) 7-day Norway Fjord cruise is that it was wonderful. But as far as places we visited, we actually really enjoyed Copenhagen the most since we spent 4 nights there, and we used the Metro to get to or near wherever we wanted to go. We are returning next year to do the Baltic cruise and to see what we missed in Copenhagen, because there is just so much to see and do in this very friendly city. Concerning the Norwegian Ports we visited, we would have loved to have at least two days in Stavanger and Bergen. It rained all day we were in Stavanger and even without taking an excursion we felt very rushed to try to see and experience this wonderful city. Then in Bergen it poured on the afternoon we were there, and there is so much to see and experience just within the beautiful city. Unfortunately, most of the excursions on the cruise are not only expensive, but they leave you with very little or no time to experience the Norwegian ports. We only did one excursion on the entire cruise, it was "Views of Norway" ($99/adult) out of Geiranger. It was worth the cost, and Geiranger is so small that when our bus returned we had plenty of time to shop, explore the rest of little village, and do the (not to miss!) waterfall walk if you are physically able. Overall we too feel 7-days is just too short and wish there had been a longer cruise just to Norway.

 

[Hubie]

Does Disney have an excursion that include Lysefjord?

Yes!

 

[Birdie dog]

RHIB?

Rigid hull inflatable boat. It's not a RIB- it's a RHIB.

 

[ASchwa]

How was the excursion to the fjords from Stavenger?

MUN

I took the Lysfjord tour, it was nice. The boat is like a tender and try to get a window seat. At the Fjord Center in Stavanger, you get a waffle and something hot to drink.

 

[turtle27]

We just did the B2B starting June 29th this year, Norway and then Northern Baltic. I would agree, if you are going for Norway, Geiranger is not to be missed. We did a tour (not through DCL) that had us on a bus tour and then the fjord tour. If you woke up early that morning, you already saw the fjords, but still amazing from a different vantage. In Alesund, we did Path of the Trolls through DCL, it was a great excursion. However, I would attempt to book privately. In Stavanger we did the Lysfjord tour, and while it was a bit rainy, it was still gorgeous. It did rain on us off and on, so it was not the down pour like the afternoon in Bergen. In Bergen, we just walked around town, sat down for lunch and visited the Hanseatic museum. We absolutely loved Norway. It was so different from the Northern Baltic.

This all being said, we met new friends on our cruise and knew some that went on to do the 11 night from Copenhagen to Dover and the pictures and their reports have been stunning! No, not as much in Norway, but Iceland seemed amazing, as did many of the other ports.

 

[linetbo]

We just did the B2B starting June 29th this year, Norway and then Northern Baltic. I would agree, if you are going for Norway, Geiranger is not to be missed. We did a tour (not through DCL) that had us on a bus tour and then the fjord tour. If you woke up early that morning, you already saw the fjords, but still amazing from a different vantage. In Alesund, we did Path of the Trolls through DCL, it was a great excursion. However, I would attempt to book privately. In Stavanger we did the Lysfjord tour, and while it was a bit rainy, it was still gorgeous. It did rain on us off and on, so it was not the down pour like the afternoon in Bergen. In Bergen, we just walked around town, sat down for lunch and visited the Hanseatic museum. We absolutely loved Norway. It was so different from the Northern Baltic.

This all being said, we met new friends on our cruise and knew some that went on to do the 11 night from Copenhagen to Dover and the pictures and their reports have been stunning! No, not as much in Norway, but Iceland seemed amazing, as did many of the other ports.

Do you remember the tour company name is Geiranger?

 

[DahliaRW]

Do you remember the tour company name is Geiranger?

I'm not the pp, but we used http://www.geirangerfjord.no . We did the lower viewpoints only because the cloud cover was low enough the day we were there that there was no view from Mt. Dalsnibba. Wasn't worth the travel time to us to see the top of clouds!

The waterfall walk and fjord center in Geiranger are well worth it, imo. Very easy and inexpensive to do on your own.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Last yr I also did the Lysefjord tour in Stavanger. It was beautiful, but Geiranger Fjord is on another level. One of the most spectacular places I've ever seen. Of all the ports we did on the 9 night Norway cruise last yr, Stavanger was quite nice, but it was my least favorite. Geiranger was my favorite.