As a person who lives in Stavanger and works in tourism, often with cruise ship passengers, this was really interesting to see/hear. Glad you liked my country though! But I have to add, despite of all that anti cruise ship propaganda you saw at some places, the attitude has changed significantly since the pandemic because the drop of income was a shock to the system at most places.
Norwegians probably also don't understand that most North Americans don't make as much money on average or have as much vacation time as most Europeans. The chance that most of us can afford or have vacation time enough to visit place like Norway on a strictly land based vacation is low. I loved my cruise to Norway and my favourite excursion of all time (from cruise or land based vacation) was in Flam. We took the train up the mountain where we had reserved Mountain bikes and rode down. The scenery was breathtaking. I agree we have to be more environmentally conscious where possible but I am sorry cruising in Norway is coming to an end.
Of course. Smug middle class not affected have no issue creating poverty and unemployment for others when they are not affected themselves by putting in place such rules. Apart from the total ignorance that common sense says that on a planet of 8 billion and needing to maintain the current lifestyle and not step back to 19th century living you can never ever have net zero carbon. Yet the sheep fall for it time after time.
How has the attitude changed and whos attitude? Anti cruise people don't care about the economy and usually don't even have a job. Regular people or businesses who derive an income from the cruise tourism industry will always value cruise tourism.
I'm on the Iona Fjord cruise now and it is fantastic. Some of the scenery brought tears to our eyes it was so Beautiful. The Norwegians are lovely people and are sad we didn't get to know them better.
If you are taking a Hurtigruten cruise, do a little research regarding the local excursions and save a lot of money. There is a four hour stop in Trondheim. Take a cab when you get off the boat and have them take you to the main cathedral. Then walk by the old wharf area and on to the main city plaza. Grab a cab back to the boat. In Tromso with a four hour stop, grab a cab and have them take you across the bridge to the Arctic cathedral and on to the base station of the cable car. You might want to get the cab company's phone number so you can grab a return cab after you come down from the cable car view. Have them drop you off by the old main church on the main business street and walk around a bit. The boat is docked only one or two blocks away.
We loved our cruise in 2012 with the “ Grand Princess “ - Bergen, Olden, Gerainger, Stavanger…. The people were lovely and the scenery spectacular… we loved Norway 🇳🇴🇳🇴🇬🇧🇬🇧
In 2011, we took our adult daughter to Norway. Two goals. Fjords and family. We used Hurtigruten and traveled from Bergen to Trondheim with Geraingerfjord in between. Mostly rain in the fjord, but still beautiful. We flew back to Bergen from Trondheim and took the nearly daylong ferry through the Songnefjord in spectacular weather. We did see glaciers in the distance. We stayed two nights in Flam at an apartment right on the water. Then took the Flamsbana train up the fjord wall to catch the train to Oslo where we spent most of a week with family from my grandparents that emigrated to the US 110 years before. Best trip ever and linked our daughter, the next generation, to her Norwegian family?
All of Havila cruise ships can run 4 hours on battery power. This is the way to go. Beautiful ships with less than 500 beds and eco to boot. They run the same route as Hurtigruten. They’ll be allowed in the fjords he mentions.
I would highly recommend the Hurtigruten, running between Bergen and Kirkenes. It is basically a regular ferry line and goods transportation line for connecting different parts of Norway that are difficult to reach by train or road, with daily departures. But it is also at the same time a marvellous cruising line. Hurtigruten has really succeeded in combining regular transport and cruising. And in my opinion the northern part of the cruise is the most beautiful.
I completed my first-ever cruise, on Hurtigruden, from Kirkenes to Bergen. The weather changed often, which was expected for late Sept. The seas were a bit rough on the northern segment in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. My cabin was spartan, but I was travelling alone and managed to avoid a single supplement. The purpose of the trip was relaxation and reflection, and I purposefully chose Sept to travel because there would likely be fewer kids. Thankfully there were none. Most of the crowd was mature Germans and Scandinavians. Very few Americans that I could spot, which was another consideration for choosing this cruise. It was a small ship, not glitzy, but it was the kind of experience I expected and desired. A Carribean cruise just really isn't my style at all, and 10 minutes on a Carnival or Disney cruise would kill me.
Agree with everything you say - my wife and I did the Hurtigruten for our honeymoon, from Bergen to Honnigsvaag. We put the car on the ship in Bergen, and then drove back north to south. Fantastic!
Thank you very much for this very informative video. We did a Norwegian cruise just before lockdown and we all said it is the most beautiful place we have ever been and thoroughly recommend it
We did a 29 day cruise on Viking in June and went all the way up the coast of Norway to Northcape. It was by far the best trip we have ever had. While not an inexpensive trip we are already thinking about doing the trip again. It is life changing.
Hurtigruten is great. We taxi drivers in Tromsø love working with them, they always bring us nice trips. And they usually have prime spots to dock their boats. Another company to consider is Havila, they have a handful of the 20ish coastal routes. but they are having a bit of fleet problems these days due to having loans in russian banks. But hurtigruten stepped up and picked up the slack. Hurtigruten also has a couple of hybrid ships that circumvent the rules for fjord cruising. One goes up to Svalbard, that I know of. Btw, toss me a line if your ship is ever in my city.
I love Norway in November & December. We’ve done the Hurtigruten coastal run a couple of times in those months. The ship isn’t usually very full, one time we had only 70 passengers! It was so relaxing :)
We loved Viking Ocean for our fjords trip. We took the train over the mountains from Oslo to Bergen. On the cruise (which started in Bergen) we went up as far as Honningsvag, above the Arctic circle. One of the highlights on the way back was kyaking in a fjord. I would hate to think that option wouldn’t be available in the future. It is important to care for the environment, so I hope cruising can continue with environmental precautions.
As a cruise ship passenger--I never want to go where I don't feel welcomed. I was concerned this summer when I read about protesters in Norway--but saw nothing--no people or signs on our 14 day Midnight Sun Cruise. The Norwegians are incredibly friendly and proud to have others see their country. Have rebooked again for this summer on a different Norway cruise that includes some of those fjords that will not allow current cruise ships in the future--ty for your informative videos.
Tell me more about future Viking cruises that won't be allowed in some Fjords. I am on a cruise right now but the ship's staff avoids talking about this
We dont protest like people further south in Europe:) We protest in silence:) It is always amusing to see how farmers and other workers in France protest.
What I think you need to know is that yes, some of the small places get completely overwhelmed by tourists, and yes, not everyone is happy about it. Especially since the cruise ships take their cut on both ends. That lovely little restaurant in Stordal you visited as part of a cruise's planned tour? They probably paid the cruise $$$ in order to be in their planned tours, bidding against other possible tour destination, so that in the end they barely make money off it. But on the other hand, there are small places like Geiranger and Nordkapp (Honningsvåg) that have been international tourist destinations for closing on 150 years already. People there are NOT offended by mass tourism, it's always been part of their life and it's how these societies go around. And museums in Norway are virtually always non-commercial, they won't bribe a cruise company for tours, and they have exhibitions directed at tourists without being exploitative about it (like the souvenir shops are). My advice to cruise ship tourists is to take some time away from the pre-booked tours and hop-on hop-off buses, and spend more time on shore in the old tourist places (Geiranger, Nordkapp, Ålesund), or in the cities that are large enough that they don't mind (Bergen, Trondheim, Oslo, maybe Stavanger), rather than in smaller places with less tourist history.
@@larryrueff1870 An option is that cruise ships that don't meet emission standards won't be allowed to run with their own engines, but need to use electric tugs for visiting Geirangerfjord. Another is that you may have to dock in Ålesund and take the trip into Geirangerfjord on a smaller boat that's easier to rebuild to be emissions-free (there are several such boats already).
As has been mentioned here, small places are overloaded with tourists at times. And as there are no toilet facilities for tourists in small places, they do their businesses in private (personal!) gardens, right outside peoples windows at times! The people who are misbehaving have ruined it for everyone, as always. It's not that there's a hatred for tourists in general, it's that people are fed up with people letting themselves in personal gardens.
In 2019 I did the 11 day Alaskan cruise on the Silversea Muse and a 11 day Bergen - Bergen cruise with Hurtigruten. The Norway trip was far far more memorable. So the Muse has five star luxury and Hurtigruten maybe three. I am glad I seen coastal Norway on a Norwegian ship with a Norwegian crew. Hope to do it again next year.
Just disembarked the hurtigruten ms vesteralen yesterday. What a beautyful country is. Had so much luck with weather and northern lights. Can only recommand to do it.
I did both Norway and Alaska cruises this year on Celebrity. You’re so right Gary, they are very different, but both beautiful! Norway was all about the scenery. We had mostly cloudy days in early May but it was still lovely. Alaska was in August and we had a bit of rain but it got better as we went on. Still beautiful scenery but much more wildlife and the glaciers were amazing!! Do both if you can!!
I took the Nordled ferry from Bergen to Flam. It was pretty awesome. Then I took the Flam railway train and the regular train to Oslo. It's a beautiful country
@@heatherhall7898 It's fairly straightforward to arrange. The little hotel is Flam is grossly overpriced but it's basically the only game in town. It's quite peacfeul at night. Bergen is a nice little city for a few days. Oslo is great - very walkable and excellent tram system for when you want to go a little farther afield.
Ex South African, now living in Sweden, taking my first fjord experience in May. Like anywhere in the World, tourists are just dumb if they plan significant money for trips & have not researched the geography, weather, cost of food, etc. Norway has 70% of days that are rainy. So....don't expect beautiful clear, blue skied photos & stunning blue water. You WILL probably get moodful shots that are mostly tones of grey. Stunning if you like Scandinavian 'stilren' (clean style) photography & design. You gotta love it or you'll hate it. For me as a Swede now, 17⁰C is pleasantly warm. Windchill is a factor to consider. Bring something that will break the wind to your body, protects your ears & wear sports shoes which cover the feet & are good for walking anyhow. Scandinavians are supremely practical in their dress code. Wearing layers 'underneath' is impractical. You get too hot inside or when the sun comes out. Wear thin layers over yr basic jeans & T-shirt. 👌 Lighter to pack, easier on the day. Things you can roll up small & shove in small, lightweight rucksack. Norway is the highest rated country IN THE WORLD on the Gini-coefficient scale (salary vs standard of living). So ....for virtually ALL other tourists, Norway is extremely expensive comparatively. Cruises are hideously expensive. Prices soar along with crowds of noisy, unappreciative tourists during summer - 2nd week June to end July (school holidays). Bear in mind that Scandinavians ALL take the IDENTICAL 8 week period holidays, so staff to manage resorts, restaurants, museums, etc are stretched thin & are summer student temporary workers. They will typically not be able to give the same level of insight to your questions as the permanent staff. Hit & miss with that. I have researched & planned an 8 day holiday (as a 60 year old with a recent hip op & post cancer) so that I have a manageable & affordable 'bucket list' holiday. There are trains & ferries you can take which will give you a variety & options in terms of your own timing, requirements & independence. Research sightseeing that is accessible to yr abilities (Norwegians are in essence mountain goats, tough & physically active people - Vikings, you know.... 😉😅). Dashing 2,000m up a mountain is a weekend afternoon picnic for them. I fly into Bergen, spend 1 day near Bryggen just cruising the historic area & enjoying the cuisine. I take a train to Flåm (2 trains actually, there is a change at Myrdal) which takes passengers through one of the most spectacular sceneries in the World (if you love train journeys you may have your own favourites to be sure, but Bergen-Flåm is listed as a top train journey for scenery). I then spend 2 nights in Flåm - the day I have in the UNESCO Heritage area I take a 2hr 'cruise' (a Norwegian electric boat, smaller than those massive cruise liners) to Nærøjfjørd and on to Gudvangen. Lunch there. Cruise back to Flåm another 2 hours. Another option that is really much cheaper is the bus, but it goes through a long tunnel. Overnight in Flåm & then onto a normal local Norwegian ferry, which takes 5 hours back to Bergen. 3 more days in Bergen to sightsee, take the tram up the mountain (you can hike the mountain. There is another mountain with a cable car - I may do that too), visit a museum or 2, eat fish & local delicacies. Nothing too heavy for my physical abilities & age. I am travelling alone. Length of days & scenery differ VASTLY to the average day length most tourists are used to. I have chosen end of May 1st week June for the waterfalls (snowmelt after winter, so they are at their best), the weather is warm, flowers & Spring greenery everywhere. Sundown is around 22:30pm, I think, so coming into Bergen at 21:00 hours at the end of my ferry trip may be lovely still. If you want to see Northern Lights be aware of a couple of realities: 1) To see them you need complete darkness, preferably away from city lights. You need to be FAR north, not Oslo or Trondheim. 2) Winter days are short, dark and get supremely cold. Not great cruising weather, much. 3) Norwegian winter storms are a real force of nature. Arctic storm north of Tromsø can be expected. Which will close some ports & activities. 4) Northern Lights hit during high CME emissions & solar storms - you will not be able to plan this in advance. 5) Cloudy weather - 70% of most days/nights - will mean you may see nothing 6) Northern Lights can vary from a few minutes only or hours. Luck of the draw. You need to be prepared to sit out in the middle of nowhere all night & in sub zero conditions. 7) You cannot have warm summer weather & see the Northern Lights. You typically need to be very far north for best viewing & in Spring, Summer & Autumn the nights are short or have long twilight periods - lessens the opportunity for being able to see the Northern Lights at all. Mid-Summer, there is sun all night long - NO chance of seeing the Northern Lights. 8) The further north you can go the better, it will be Winter & sub-zero temperatures. Perhaps even winds around 8m/s to 17m/s (which my daughter experienced recently on the day she sailed on the Hurtigruten). Be aware the Jacuzzi is open air on the top deck....they insisted on having a jacuzzi & had to run barefoot on uneven ice to get in 🤣🤣 & tie their towels to the railing so they would not blow away.
The trail up mount fløien is very, very easy, you don't even notice the elevation. Can recommend walking up if the weather allows. You'll spend more time walking but it's very pleasant terrain, you'll see a lot the old horse paths that people walk through, and you don't have to queue up the funicular for 30+ minutes due to all the tourists wanting to get up there. Nothing against tourists wanting to get up, but if there are a lot of people there will be a long line.
@@HrHaakon Thanks. I had thought about walking up, but wondered if it would get too tough for me. My benchmark is Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. 😉😅 The paths to the top of Table Mountain are definitely too much for me.
Very well done video! I am extremely critical of TH-cam videos and you do a good job my friend. I like the narration behind the video and I also like that you have a good microphone. Also love that you do not play annoying music in the background.
Hi Gary, many thanks for the heads up on the ship ban. I’ve bought forward my plan to return to the fijirds. Have just booked for June going to Geirangerfijord. I Chose Cunard for the particular itinerary and i enjoy enrichment speakers talking about the areas visited.
Hi Gary, totaly agree about what you have said in this video. One thing I can mention though is that in all ports there are local guides, the thing is buying tours onboard are expensive. If you are four to six people travling together it's cheaper, more personal and you get to decide what you want to see. One more thing, never more than three colours in a norwegian sweater, otherwise it get's tacky😉
This was a great video. I am strongly considering Norway for next year and it wasn't on my radar before. We meant to go somewhere warm given we live in Northern Canada. Thanks!
The Petroleum Museum in Stavanger was one of the most interesting museums I have ever seen. It was probably one of my top three ever, along with the Marine Museum in Reykjavik and the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D,C,
We just got back from a fjord cruise, Kirkenes to Bergen, on a small ship with Havila. They have new ships powered with batteries and natural gas. The cruise was beautiful, of course, and we were able to sail into the narrow Trollfjord. Every person we met at places where we stopped was friendly.
@@user-oz5gi6qk8s Many of the stops are 10-15 minutes to pick up passengers and get mail, and when those happened at night I didn’t even notice. They don’t announce stops at night. But it was during the midnight sun so on a couple of longer stops at night, we got off the ship and walked around town. It’s not a cruise for long stops, though, unless you do excursions. Mostly it was about the fjords, and we stayed an extra day on either end to spend some time in Kirkenes and Bergen.
Havila and Hurtigruta are operating along the traditional line along the coast. It wasn't originally a cruise line, but simply passenger and mail transport for western and northern Norway. So these harbours often only get that one ship twice per day, that they've "always" had, so they're unlikely to tire of tourists, they come in manageable numbers for them.
We are thinking of taking our first ever ocean cruise to the fjords in 2024. This video, and your linked one, are extremely informative and have helped tremendously to highlight key points. Thank you !
@5:05 you can see exactly why people want it banned (or at least the traffic drastically reduced). The haze we see about to blanket the whole valley, is caused by just one ship. I'm sorry people have started harassing cruise visitors though, it's not your fault.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge about this topic. We are planning to have our cruise and have to make the right choice-Alaska or Nfiord. It’s not easy
Hi Gary! Love your channel. We are cruising to the Norwegian fjords in early September. Any tips for us? We are Canadians but are very excited to be on the P and O Iona. Any advice on clothing, excursions etc? Once again, thank you for all your hard work in bringing interesting and very informative shows to us all.
Great video on Norway cruising, Gary! My wife and I are taking a 14 day Alaska cruise followed by a cruise to Iceland and Norway shortly after, so this was very helpful. My wife was unsure of traveling overseas because of Covid, but decided we should go to Norway this year before cruise ships are no longer allowed.
We did the fjords with P&O a few years ago in early May. Be warned the Flam railway stops at a waterfall half way up. Because the melt was late, the beautiful waterfall was non existent! Also the train is only 50metres from the ship so don’t bother to book the train on the ship as they will charge you an extra £30 to have a reserved seat in a packed carriage
If you want to meet more Norwegians on your trip, and see more places, Hurtigruten is the choice. Just keep in mind that it is a "transport route" so many towns are visited at night-time.
....well...that depends on if you are on the northbound or southbound route. Hence those ports which are called at night time on the northbound leg will be called at daytime on the southbound leg.
Hadeland glasswear have Beautiful products that I buy for foreign friends. Also, all winterwear and hiking gear & backpacks, rainwear etc are good buys.
We saw the Northern Lights in the 1st week in September this year, and the cruise before which was the last week in August saw them better than we did.
We found that even in the smaller places like Eidfjord and even Flam, there were some worthwhile 1-3 hour hikes with beautiful scenery that could be done without necessarily paying for an excursion. Though of course, this was dependent on the weather! Even though it was summer, I ended up wearing my single long-sleeved shirt for most of the cruise.
Thanks for this. I'm still upset that I had to cancel a Northern Lights trip in December 2013 on Hurtigruten from Kirkenes south and into Sweden due to urgent unexpected back surgery. Tbe surgeon's assistant (visiting from Finland) commiserated with me but also comforted me by telling me that there was a massive polar storm that had swept across the Atlantic. I still dream of trying to go there although I'm more limited physically. Thanks for the warning about grading of excursions. My cousins are half Norwegian half Irish and their father was I high demand in both the UK and Norway as he specialised in central heating!
....so you were about to take Hurtigruten "...from Kirkenes south and into Sweden....". That was a new one...!!! Hurtigruten - the coastal express route - goes along the Norwegian coast only ...between Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen. So were does Sweden come into the picture? The company Hurtigruten run some cruise ships that exclusively goes on cruise, but they have never anything with the coastal express route to do. The name Hurtigruten are used two ways. All the way back since the coastal express route was established in 1893 has it been called Hurtigruten and it was iconic along the coast. Up through the years has several ship companies shared this route that requires 11 ships in order to have a daily service of the 34 ports. There were at most up to 5-6 companies that shared the route. Later years it was only a couple of companies left. When they finally merged into one company they "stole" the name Hurtigruten. That was done when rich people (investors they call themselves) from Oslo bought the company. They are there only for earning money and has no interest in the coast or it's history and culture ....they couldn't care less. When those "investors" saw that they had earned what they wanted they sold their shares again. Most of the company was sold to a British investment fund. That was the status last time I heard about it.... ....a sad end of a iconic history of local/coastal ownership .......it's no longer a Norwegian company..... It is the big money in London that talks and everything is tailored around tourists ... Hence what the real and original purpose was with that route, to serve the coastal population, are less and less important and are lagging behind....it only seems like a joke nowadays....there is no development at all.... We had better service in 1960 than today.
I did this trip at the end of April. No northern lights, but long daylight, especially above the Polar circle. And most of the ice and snow had disappeared. In Kirkenes we had about 12 degrees Celsius.
1:10 they do strike at a major issue. Cruisers tend to not do a lot of spending that truly benefits the local economy. There may be local spending but much of it will be with affiliated/connected companies like tours or nonsense like diamonds international.
The new Havila ships are designed to run up to 4 hours on electricity, so they will be able to continue to go into the UNESCO designated fjords. They are alternating with the Hurtigurten ships for the trips from Bergen to Kirkenes.
Havila have ships that can run on battery power for 8 hours, built specifically to comply with the new Fjord zero emission regulations. They're a mail and cargo ship combined with cruising, having taken some of the contracts that Hurtigruten have with the Norwegian government.
Alaska on Princess was our first cruise for our 25th anniversary 21 years ago. We loved it and have done 5 more cruises going to Norway twice. We did the Norwegian fjord cruise with Celebrity in 2007, loving the fjords, culture and friendly people. My husband loves is 2 Norwegian sweaters, they last forever. A local recommended going to a thrift shop to buy the wool sweaters at a much lower price. In 2019 we went on a Holland America Northern isles cruise to Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Scotland. We went on fjord cruises both times, loving the scenery. The first time on the cruise ship tour, second on a local tour. We have also sailed the sounds in New Zealand, also beautiful! I recommend them all.
As someone's who's first cruise in a while was fo Norway. I need to do the baltics or Iceland next after the canaries etc but I may bump up Norway again ASAP.
@@tipsfortravellers which the canaries or baltics or Iceland? With the canaries, madiera, Southern Spain, sardinia etc finishing in Malta I'm going with P&O ( got a great deal on board and will be member of peninsular club after canaries cruise). With the others though I am looking at other cruise lines as well to find the right one for me..such locations though I probably would need to spend extra for the balcony cabin all the views
I cruised the Baltic this past May, and it was wonderful. We visited every country except Lithuania. Interestingly, while they weren't rude, the Norwegians were the least friendly of the 9 countries.
@@jameswg13 Absolutely! We had a balcony cabin and were on Royal Caribbean. The balcony is so restful, and while you don't see as much from it as you would in Alaska, it's still nice to see the other ships and water. We were supposed to go to St. Petersburg when we booked last year, but RC exchanged Poland and Germany and they were great.
A little tip for those that want to renew their vows on the cruise to Norway as my parents did. Make sure you get them to do it on a day when you are in the fjords or picturesque locations. Cruise lines do like to do it on the sea days but you can specify you want it on days when in picturesque locations. On top of this cannot stress this enough especially with the long excursions make sure you have plenty of time to get back.
I always think it ironic that Norway is seen as a very eco-focused country. If oil-related carbon footprint were attributed to those that extract and sell the stuff rather than those who actually consume it (which is an alternative but not unreasonable way of looking at things), Norway would be one of the world's biggest polluting countries per capita!
They say the best drug dealers know not to partake of what they are selling. That said, the streets of Oslo and Bergen were very quiet owning to all the EV cars, buses, and trams.
I’m currently at the Geiranger Fjord (went on my own, not by ship). It’s lovely, but the town here is tiny and the masses from the cruise ships just feel misplaced. I understand the Norwegians.
What is a good cruise line for basically just staying on the ship? I plan on cruising alone, and due to a variety of issues and concerns, I don't have a desire to disembark at the destination ports. I don't necessary want to NOT have destination ports, so I can take advantage of discounted prices for various things (Spas, restaurants, less crowded buffet, etc etc)
I'm doing my first cruise to Norway next May, so my knowledge is not great. Would you advise booking excursions ahead of time, or is it possible to find options when you get into port?
The environmental impact was one of the reasons I was previously against crusing and why I decided to cruise to Norway while I still could. I chose Iona because it's LNG so it's surprising to hear that LNG is to be banned too. I'm so glad I did it. We did Stavanger, Olden and Ålesund. We were supposed to do Hellesylt and Geiranger but it was too windy to dock. I'd love to move to Norway but the wealth differential with the UK is just too big now.
We have an autistic kid, so cruising allows us to avoid flying planes and actually do some things as a family. We and our children absolutely loved Norway: nature beauty, kids playground in Stavanger, Olden Loen Lift and Olden's farewell being the biggest highlights. We booked everything local. We also managed to enjoy the fjords beauty from our balcony with our special needs kid enjoying himself next to us. We would not be able to experience Norway other way.
Do you have any recommendations for booking locally? Is there websites you hooked through ahead of time, or did you just get off the ship and find excursions day of? I am going in June and not sure how to go about this!
I don't think they care about access - or respect - for disabled people. They have zero clue how hard everyday life is for disabled folks, let alone how difficult travel is for anyone who isn't privileged.
Thanks for the info, I was considering booking a Norway cruise in 2025 to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary but it sounds like restrictions will be introduced by then and that, alongside local opposition to tourists in a number of holiday destinations has me having a major rethink about what to do. Never cruised before and don’t fancy having the occasion spoiled so may go back to visiting other Northern European countries by train or luxury coach as we’ve done numerous times previously and enjoyed. I don’t generally go for all inclusive as I love to try local and regional food and drink as that’s part of our holiday experience.
Thanks Gary for this very informative and concise video. I can imagine the changes in cruising access that Norway is implementing may well be a sign of what's to come in other ecologically sensitive regions.
@@tipsfortravellers Please stop your mindless and destructive promotion of cruise tourism. Do we really have to ban this madness before you understand that you are destroying our natural environment and suffocating our cities with your gigantic cruise ships? Show some respect and travel responsibly.
Have you been to NZ and gone through Fiordland? Not just Mitre Peak, which a lot of cruise ships do go to, but spending time on a smaller boat through Doubtful Sound etc? I have been blessed enough to have done Mitre Peak on MSC Magnifica and it was amazing, but definitely not up to the amazing week I spent down in Fiordland around Doubtful Sound etc on a small tour. I think potentially it was the size of the ship which made the difference. A 16 storey Cruise Ship vs. an upgraded fishing vessel and sailing with NZ Dept of Conservation. Totally different experiences, but the Cruise Ship didn't let me really experience the height of the fiords etc where when we were in the little boat there was no question how small and insignificant we were
Just a tip to tourists that consider visiting Norway. Norway has so much to offer that you will not be able to see or experience from a boat. It is a bit like order an all inclusive at a hotel. You sleep on a boat. Eat your meals on a boat. Get your entertainment on a boat. The best experience you will get on land, maybe by renting a car and traveling around. Eat your meals at Norwegians restaurants and so on. You could easily make a bucket list that you will need several visits to work through.
I went to Voss in July 1962 for my honeymoon. It was a very quiet place then. We stayed in hotel Jaal. I loved everything about Norway. The people were so kind to us, we were only 21yrs so very young. We went to Sognefjord and Hardanger fjord. The ships were not for tourist but were taking essentials to little villages. What an amazing experience. Never forgotten. I hoped to go back this year but unfortunately health got in the way.
Great video. I agree that the large cruise ships take away from the natural beauty and have HUGE ecological negative impact. I support local business at home and will when traveling to Norway 🇳🇴. I had thought about Seabourn but will now look at a land package and focus on the northern passage.
Pro tip: Do NOT bring cash to Norway, it's extremely unlikely you'll need it - instead, use a card, debet or credit. For Americans, make sure you have a card with a chip that needs a pin code entered, simply ask your bank for it if you don't already have it. You can use cards everywhere in Norway. Yes, EVERYWHERE - the only exception is small stands on fairs and such, and street vendors (not that common, though). As a Norwegian, I've never used cash the last 12-15 years. The exchange rate is super-easy right now - for most people, just divide everything by 10, and that's what it will cost in Euro or USD. (1 Euro = 10.14 NOK, 1 USD = 10.30 NOK). For Brits, divide by 12 (1 GBP = 11.82 NOK)
Yes! I never had to change money during our entire 12 day Hurtigruten cruise. I even charged candy bars at the 7/11s I stopped at. I do not even know what a Kroner bill looks like. LOL
Would the ban on cruise ships affect a cruise line like Viking? They're a lot smaller ships, can go to places most cruise ships can't, and are from Norway.
Can you please recommend the SMALLEST cruise line that will tour Norway Fjords to Geiragerfjord, Flam and Naeroyfjord. Also, very best time of year to travel there? Julie
Spent a week in Norway back in the mid 90s, so my observations are a bit dated. That said, while I was wowed by the scenery and friendly people, the thing that made the biggest impression on me was how expensive everything was. It doesn't sound like that has changed much. I'm glad to have been there, and, if money is not a major issue, I really would encourage others to go. But it's easily one of the most expensive places I have ever been to in all my travels and there are other places I'd like to hit for the first time before I contemplate shelling out for a second Norway vacation.
Last December we sailed on the Hurtigruten postal ship from Bergen all the way up to Kirkenes.. that was stunning.. not only for the scenery ( I love snow) but mainly for the breath taking northern lights. . we were lucky enough to witness them 4 nights in a row.. 🤩 It was veeeeeery cold but well worth
Hallo dear mr bambridge Ilike very much to hear and read your impressions. But never heard you talk about p&o ships. As i am planning the norvegian fjords on augost 23.would like to know what you say about p&o.
This is a really great video. I've always wanted to visit the fjords ever since I first saw them in an old movie, but didn't have an idea of the "how." Your video definitely gave me great tips on that. I'm sorry the Norwegians feel that way about cruisers, but it's understandable. Some of us really love scenery like this and wouldn't dare be obnoxious or rude about a visit. I just hope I get a chance to visit the absolutely gorgeous Geiranger fjord before it's off limits.
THank you for this. I love that you mention the scenery is more constant. Is that also true on full sea days? Usually you don't see land on those days. Is it different in Norway?
Just returned. We embarked in Amsterdam and had a full sea day the next day with nothing to look at. But it was so worth that to wake up the second day, step out on the balcony and be blown away at how beautiful the first Fjord was. From there the scenery was constant until the third to the last day headed from Norway to Denmark.
Thanks for another exceptional video Gary. We are off on our first Fjords cruise next month, having had one cancelled in 2020 due to COVID, and this video is incredibly helpful and interesting (as all your videos are 😊).
This is so helpful Tim. With the rail strikes on Friday 1st sept I’m trying to work out which coach to get home. Do you know what time we can expect to have disembarked this fjords cruise?
I live in the mountains in the eastern part of southern Norway, and last summer we had between 20 - 30 degrees all summer. It didn’t even rain, it was problematic actually. My parents live 30 minutes south of Oslo, and they had 25 - 32 degrees all summer. But on the west coast and further north it’s quite normal with rainy days, but the weather changes fast😊
I am looking at cruising with Royal Caribbean on an Arctic Circle which visit a lot of the fjords. Which side of the ship would you recommend I should be on?
thanks for this Gary - very interesting. We have been thinking about a fjords cruise for several years, but never taken the opportunity. Maybe now is the time..Terry
As a person who lives in Stavanger and works in tourism, often with cruise ship passengers, this was really interesting to see/hear. Glad you liked my country though! But I have to add, despite of all that anti cruise ship propaganda you saw at some places, the attitude has changed significantly since the pandemic because the drop of income was a shock to the system at most places.
Norwegians probably also don't understand that most North Americans don't make as much money on average or have as much vacation time as most Europeans. The chance that most of us can afford or have vacation time enough to visit place like Norway on a strictly land based vacation is low. I loved my cruise to Norway and my favourite excursion of all time (from cruise or land based vacation) was in Flam. We took the train up the mountain where we had reserved Mountain bikes and rode down. The scenery was breathtaking. I agree we have to be more environmentally conscious where possible but I am sorry cruising in Norway is coming to an end.
Of course. Smug middle class not affected have no issue creating poverty and unemployment for others when they are not affected themselves by putting in place such rules. Apart from the total ignorance that common sense says that on a planet of 8 billion and needing to maintain the current lifestyle and not step back to 19th century living you can never ever have net zero carbon. Yet the sheep fall for it time after time.
I love Stavanger and your beautiful country.
I loved Stavanger, too. I was there on a beautiful day.
How has the attitude changed and whos attitude? Anti cruise people don't care about the economy and usually don't even have a job. Regular people or businesses who derive an income from the cruise tourism industry will always value cruise tourism.
I'm on the Iona Fjord cruise now and it is fantastic. Some of the scenery brought tears to our eyes it was so Beautiful. The Norwegians are lovely people and are sad we didn't get to know them better.
If you are taking a Hurtigruten cruise, do a little research regarding the local excursions and save a lot of money. There is a four hour stop in Trondheim. Take a cab when you get off the boat and have them take you to the main cathedral. Then walk by the old wharf area and on to the main city plaza. Grab a cab back to the boat. In Tromso with a four hour stop, grab a cab and have them take you across the bridge to the Arctic cathedral and on to the base station of the cable car. You might want to get the cab company's phone number so you can grab a return cab after you come down from the cable car view. Have them drop you off by the old main church on the main business street and walk around a bit. The boat is docked only one or two blocks away.
Thank you for this!
Or take a bus.
Stavanger tips ❤
- local traditional Norwegian pots - pottemakeriet
- Local food products - Idsø
-local souvenir shop - Bernina
- local souvenir shop - Hand printed T-shirts - KANT
- Norwegian coffee - Kokko
- Norwegian beer - Gulating
- Food lunch spot - Hverdagsgodt
Local food in Stavanger/Sandnes, strictly speaking has got to be a half a horn with ham, cheese and piffi, with the cheese melted... :p
We loved our cruise in 2012 with the “ Grand Princess “ - Bergen, Olden, Gerainger, Stavanger…. The people were lovely and the scenery spectacular… we loved Norway 🇳🇴🇳🇴🇬🇧🇬🇧
We are on the Hurtigruten 3-month Pole to Pole cruise., and I think their Hybrid ship will qualify.
Wayne .. what ship will you be on? What month? Viking had a pole to pole but scrapped it
In 2011, we took our adult daughter to Norway. Two goals. Fjords and family. We used Hurtigruten and traveled from Bergen to Trondheim with Geraingerfjord in between. Mostly rain in the fjord, but still beautiful. We flew back to Bergen from Trondheim and took the nearly daylong ferry through the Songnefjord in spectacular weather. We did see glaciers in the distance. We stayed two nights in Flam at an apartment right on the water. Then took the Flamsbana train up the fjord wall to catch the train to Oslo where we spent most of a week with family from my grandparents that emigrated to the US 110 years before. Best trip ever and linked our daughter, the next generation, to her Norwegian family?
As a Norwegian I would highly recommend the north, also in the summer. It is very beautiful and will not be restricted yet.
Except for the bugs.
@@SageOfHeaven If you are in the middle of Finnmarksvidda, sure. Otherwise, no problems. Have had more problems in Greece.
A most informative video about the Norwegian fjords. The best I have seen here, great knowledge and good tips.
All of Havila cruise ships can run 4 hours on battery power. This is the way to go. Beautiful ships with less than 500 beds and eco to boot. They run the same route as Hurtigruten. They’ll be allowed in the fjords he mentions.
I would highly recommend the Hurtigruten, running between Bergen and Kirkenes. It is basically a regular ferry line and goods transportation line for connecting different parts of Norway that are difficult to reach by train or road, with daily departures. But it is also at the same time a marvellous cruising line. Hurtigruten has really succeeded in combining regular transport and cruising. And in my opinion the northern part of the cruise is the most beautiful.
We have been on the Hurtigruten cruise twice. About 300-500 passengers. We have never been on a mega-boat. Much more intimate.
I went on the Hurtigruten from Bergen to Kirkenes and back (12 days) and it was one of my best travels ever.
I completed my first-ever cruise, on Hurtigruden, from Kirkenes to Bergen. The weather changed often, which was expected for late Sept. The seas were a bit rough on the northern segment in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. My cabin was spartan, but I was travelling alone and managed to avoid a single supplement. The purpose of the trip was relaxation and reflection, and I purposefully chose Sept to travel because there would likely be fewer kids. Thankfully there were none. Most of the crowd was mature Germans and Scandinavians. Very few Americans that I could spot, which was another consideration for choosing this cruise. It was a small ship, not glitzy, but it was the kind of experience I expected and desired. A Carribean cruise just really isn't my style at all, and 10 minutes on a Carnival or Disney cruise would kill me.
Agree with everything you say - my wife and I did the Hurtigruten for our honeymoon, from Bergen to Honnigsvaag. We put the car on the ship in Bergen, and then drove back north to south. Fantastic!
Thank you very much for this very informative video. We did a Norwegian cruise just before lockdown and we all said it is the most beautiful place we have ever been and thoroughly recommend it
We did a 29 day cruise on Viking in June and went all the way up the coast of Norway to Northcape. It was by far the best trip we have ever had. While not an inexpensive trip we are already thinking about doing the trip again. It is life changing.
Good to hear. We do this in July
"It is life changing." True, but it is also slooooow depending on your personality. We took it twice to see different things. We are done.
Roll on July!!
@@happytraveller2122k❤
How much for 29 days?
Hurtigruten is great. We taxi drivers in Tromsø love working with them, they always bring us nice trips. And they usually have prime spots to dock their boats. Another company to consider is Havila, they have a handful of the 20ish coastal routes. but they are having a bit of fleet problems these days due to having loans in russian banks. But hurtigruten stepped up and picked up the slack.
Hurtigruten also has a couple of hybrid ships that circumvent the rules for fjord cruising. One goes up to Svalbard, that I know of.
Btw, toss me a line if your ship is ever in my city.
I love Norway in November & December. We’ve done the Hurtigruten coastal run a couple of times in those months. The ship isn’t usually very full, one time we had only 70 passengers! It was so relaxing :)
Shipping line?
@@vicsy426 Hurtigruten is a Norwegian coastal ferry line. It also has expedition ships in the Arctic and Antarctic.
We loved Viking Ocean for our fjords trip. We took the train over the mountains from Oslo to Bergen. On the cruise (which started in Bergen) we went up as far as Honningsvag, above the Arctic circle. One of the highlights on the way back was kyaking in a fjord. I would hate to think that option wouldn’t be available in the future. It is important to care for the environment, so I hope cruising can continue with environmental precautions.
As a cruise ship passenger--I never want to go where I don't feel welcomed. I was concerned this summer when I read about protesters in Norway--but saw nothing--no people or signs on our 14 day Midnight Sun Cruise. The Norwegians are incredibly friendly and proud to have others see their country. Have rebooked again for this summer on a different Norway cruise that includes some of those fjords that will not allow current cruise ships in the future--ty for your informative videos.
Tell me more about future Viking cruises that won't be allowed in some Fjords. I am on a cruise right now but the ship's staff avoids talking about this
We dont protest like people further south in Europe:) We protest in silence:) It is always amusing to see how farmers and other workers in France protest.
What I think you need to know is that yes, some of the small places get completely overwhelmed by tourists, and yes, not everyone is happy about it. Especially since the cruise ships take their cut on both ends. That lovely little restaurant in Stordal you visited as part of a cruise's planned tour? They probably paid the cruise $$$ in order to be in their planned tours, bidding against other possible tour destination, so that in the end they barely make money off it.
But on the other hand, there are small places like Geiranger and Nordkapp (Honningsvåg) that have been international tourist destinations for closing on 150 years already. People there are NOT offended by mass tourism, it's always been part of their life and it's how these societies go around. And museums in Norway are virtually always non-commercial, they won't bribe a cruise company for tours, and they have exhibitions directed at tourists without being exploitative about it (like the souvenir shops are).
My advice to cruise ship tourists is to take some time away from the pre-booked tours and hop-on hop-off buses, and spend more time on shore in the old tourist places (Geiranger, Nordkapp, Ålesund), or in the cities that are large enough that they don't mind (Bergen, Trondheim, Oslo, maybe Stavanger), rather than in smaller places with less tourist history.
@@larryrueff1870 An option is that cruise ships that don't meet emission standards won't be allowed to run with their own engines, but need to use electric tugs for visiting Geirangerfjord. Another is that you may have to dock in Ålesund and take the trip into Geirangerfjord on a smaller boat that's easier to rebuild to be emissions-free (there are several such boats already).
As has been mentioned here, small places are overloaded with tourists at times. And as there are no toilet facilities for tourists in small places, they do their businesses in private (personal!) gardens, right outside peoples windows at times!
The people who are misbehaving have ruined it for everyone, as always.
It's not that there's a hatred for tourists in general, it's that people are fed up with people letting themselves in personal gardens.
The weather in Norway is not bad, it's just different from what you are used to :)
Our last Norway cruise was blessed by the weather! It was so sunny we were wearing T-shirts and shorts everyday.
Which month / day was it?
@@cnw3903 it was June 04 2023. We got burnt at the peaks hiking🙂↔️
In 2019 I did the 11 day Alaskan cruise on the Silversea Muse and a 11 day Bergen - Bergen cruise with Hurtigruten. The Norway trip was far far more memorable. So the Muse has five star luxury and Hurtigruten maybe three. I am glad I seen coastal Norway on a Norwegian ship with a Norwegian crew. Hope to do it again next year.
Just disembarked the hurtigruten ms vesteralen yesterday. What a beautyful country is. Had so much luck with weather and northern lights. Can only recommand to do it.
I did both Norway and Alaska cruises this year on Celebrity. You’re so right Gary, they are very different, but both beautiful! Norway was all about the scenery. We had mostly cloudy days in early May but it was still lovely. Alaska was in August and we had a bit of rain but it got better as we went on. Still beautiful scenery but much more wildlife and the glaciers were amazing!! Do both if you can!!
I agree! Both are a must!
If you could do only one which one would you recommend
@@ains7327 I think I would choose Alaska but both are wonderful!!
I took the Nordled ferry from Bergen to Flam. It was pretty awesome. Then I took the Flam railway train and the regular train to Oslo. It's a beautiful country
After watching Gary’s video and reading your comments, I will plan a land only stay. Thanks for the great tips.
@@heatherhall7898 It's fairly straightforward to arrange. The little hotel is Flam is grossly overpriced but it's basically the only game in town. It's quite peacfeul at night. Bergen is a nice little city for a few days. Oslo is great - very walkable and excellent tram system for when you want to go a little farther afield.
Ex South African, now living in Sweden, taking my first fjord experience in May.
Like anywhere in the World, tourists are just dumb if they plan significant money for trips & have not researched the geography, weather, cost of food, etc.
Norway has 70% of days that are rainy. So....don't expect beautiful clear, blue skied photos & stunning blue water. You WILL probably get moodful shots that are mostly tones of grey. Stunning if you like Scandinavian 'stilren' (clean style) photography & design. You gotta love it or you'll hate it.
For me as a Swede now, 17⁰C is pleasantly warm. Windchill is a factor to consider. Bring something that will break the wind to your body, protects your ears & wear sports shoes which cover the feet & are good for walking anyhow. Scandinavians are supremely practical in their dress code. Wearing layers 'underneath' is impractical. You get too hot inside or when the sun comes out. Wear thin layers over yr basic jeans & T-shirt. 👌 Lighter to pack, easier on the day. Things you can roll up small & shove in small, lightweight rucksack.
Norway is the highest rated country IN THE WORLD on the Gini-coefficient scale (salary vs standard of living). So ....for virtually ALL other tourists, Norway is extremely expensive comparatively. Cruises are hideously expensive. Prices soar along with crowds of noisy, unappreciative tourists during summer - 2nd week June to end July (school holidays).
Bear in mind that Scandinavians ALL take the IDENTICAL 8 week period holidays, so staff to manage resorts, restaurants, museums, etc are stretched thin & are summer student temporary workers. They will typically not be able to give the same level of insight to your questions as the permanent staff. Hit & miss with that.
I have researched & planned an 8 day holiday (as a 60 year old with a recent hip op & post cancer) so that I have a manageable & affordable 'bucket list' holiday.
There are trains & ferries you can take which will give you a variety & options in terms of your own timing, requirements & independence. Research sightseeing that is accessible to yr abilities (Norwegians are in essence mountain goats, tough & physically active people - Vikings, you know.... 😉😅). Dashing 2,000m up a mountain is a weekend afternoon picnic for them.
I fly into Bergen, spend 1 day near Bryggen just cruising the historic area & enjoying the cuisine. I take a train to Flåm (2 trains actually, there is a change at Myrdal) which takes passengers through one of the most spectacular sceneries in the World (if you love train journeys you may have your own favourites to be sure, but Bergen-Flåm is listed as a top train journey for scenery).
I then spend 2 nights in Flåm - the day I have in the UNESCO Heritage area I take a 2hr 'cruise' (a Norwegian electric boat, smaller than those massive cruise liners) to Nærøjfjørd and on to Gudvangen. Lunch there. Cruise back to Flåm another 2 hours. Another option that is really much cheaper is the bus, but it goes through a long tunnel.
Overnight in Flåm & then onto a normal local Norwegian ferry, which takes 5 hours back to Bergen.
3 more days in Bergen to sightsee, take the tram up the mountain (you can hike the mountain. There is another mountain with a cable car - I may do that too), visit a museum or 2, eat fish & local delicacies.
Nothing too heavy for my physical abilities & age. I am travelling alone.
Length of days & scenery differ VASTLY to the average day length most tourists are used to.
I have chosen end of May 1st week June for the waterfalls (snowmelt after winter, so they are at their best), the weather is warm, flowers & Spring greenery everywhere. Sundown is around 22:30pm, I think, so coming into Bergen at 21:00 hours at the end of my ferry trip may be lovely still.
If you want to see Northern Lights be aware of a couple of realities:
1) To see them you need complete darkness, preferably away from city lights. You need to be FAR north, not Oslo or Trondheim.
2) Winter days are short, dark and get supremely cold. Not great cruising weather, much.
3) Norwegian winter storms are a real force of nature. Arctic storm north of Tromsø can be expected. Which will close some ports & activities.
4) Northern Lights hit during high CME emissions & solar storms - you will not be able to plan this in advance.
5) Cloudy weather - 70% of most days/nights - will mean you may see nothing
6) Northern Lights can vary from a few minutes only or hours. Luck of the draw. You need to be prepared to sit out in the middle of nowhere all night & in sub zero conditions.
7) You cannot have warm summer weather & see the Northern Lights. You typically need to be very far north for best viewing & in Spring, Summer & Autumn the nights are short or have long twilight periods - lessens the opportunity for being able to see the Northern Lights at all. Mid-Summer, there is sun all night long - NO chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
8) The further north you can go the better, it will be Winter & sub-zero temperatures. Perhaps even winds around 8m/s to 17m/s (which my daughter experienced recently on the day she sailed on the Hurtigruten). Be aware the Jacuzzi is open air on the top deck....they insisted on having a jacuzzi & had to run barefoot on uneven ice to get in 🤣🤣 & tie their towels to the railing so they would not blow away.
The trail up mount fløien is very, very easy, you don't even notice the elevation.
Can recommend walking up if the weather allows. You'll spend more time walking but it's very pleasant terrain, you'll see a lot the old horse paths that people walk through, and you don't have to queue up the funicular for 30+ minutes due to all the tourists wanting to get up there. Nothing against tourists wanting to get up, but if there are a lot of people there will be a long line.
@@HrHaakon Thanks. I had thought about walking up, but wondered if it would get too tough for me.
My benchmark is Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. 😉😅
The paths to the top of Table Mountain are definitely too much for me.
@@lornalong6468 Old comment but Fløyen is quite a bit easier than Table Mountain, like Lions Head but less steep is probably a good comparison.
Very well done video! I am extremely critical of TH-cam videos and you do a good job my friend. I like the narration behind the video and I also like that you have a good microphone. Also love that you do not play annoying music in the background.
Hi Gary, many thanks for the heads up on the ship ban. I’ve bought forward my plan to return to the fijirds. Have just booked for June going to Geirangerfijord. I Chose Cunard for the particular itinerary and i enjoy enrichment speakers talking about the areas visited.
Hi Gary, totaly agree about what you have said in this video. One thing I can mention though is that in all ports there are local guides, the thing is buying tours onboard are expensive. If you are four to six people travling together it's cheaper, more personal and you get to decide what you want to see. One more thing, never more than three colours in a norwegian sweater, otherwise it get's tacky😉
This was a great video. I am strongly considering Norway for next year and it wasn't on my radar before. We meant to go somewhere warm given we live in Northern Canada. Thanks!
I’m glad we have our fjord trip booked for next summer!
The Petroleum Museum in Stavanger was one of the most interesting museums I have ever seen. It was probably one of my top three ever, along with the Marine Museum in Reykjavik and the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D,C,
We just got back from a fjord cruise, Kirkenes to Bergen, on a small ship with Havila. They have new ships powered with batteries and natural gas. The cruise was beautiful, of course, and we were able to sail into the narrow Trollfjord. Every person we met at places where we stopped was friendly.
What was the experience like to stop at each and every port? Especially at night.
@@user-oz5gi6qk8s Many of the stops are 10-15 minutes to pick up passengers and get mail, and when those happened at night I didn’t even notice. They don’t announce stops at night. But it was during the midnight sun so on a couple of longer stops at night, we got off the ship and walked around town. It’s not a cruise for long stops, though, unless you do excursions. Mostly it was about the fjords, and we stayed an extra day on either end to spend some time in Kirkenes and Bergen.
Havila and Hurtigruta are operating along the traditional line along the coast. It wasn't originally a cruise line, but simply passenger and mail transport for western and northern Norway. So these harbours often only get that one ship twice per day, that they've "always" had, so they're unlikely to tire of tourists, they come in manageable numbers for them.
@@user-oz5gi6qk8s They dont announce the stops at night so unless it was a longer one we planned to disembark on, we slept through it.
We are thinking of taking our first ever ocean cruise to the fjords in 2024. This video, and your linked one, are extremely informative and have helped tremendously to highlight key points. Thank you !
@5:05 you can see exactly why people want it banned (or at least the traffic drastically reduced). The haze we see about to blanket the whole valley, is caused by just one ship. I'm sorry people have started harassing cruise visitors though, it's not your fault.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge about this topic. We are planning to have our cruise and have to make the right choice-Alaska or Nfiord. It’s not easy
Hi Gary! Love your channel. We are cruising to the Norwegian fjords in early September. Any tips for us? We are Canadians but are very excited to be on the P and O Iona. Any advice on clothing, excursions etc? Once again, thank you for all your hard work in bringing interesting and very informative shows to us all.
Great video on Norway cruising, Gary! My wife and I are taking a 14 day Alaska cruise followed by a cruise to Iceland and Norway shortly after, so this was very helpful. My wife was unsure of traveling overseas because of Covid, but decided we should go to Norway this year before cruise ships are no longer allowed.
We did the fjords with P&O a few years ago in early May. Be warned the Flam railway stops at a waterfall half way up. Because the melt was late, the beautiful waterfall was non existent! Also the train is only 50metres from the ship so don’t bother to book the train on the ship as they will charge you an extra £30 to have a reserved seat in a packed carriage
If you want to meet more Norwegians on your trip, and see more places, Hurtigruten is the choice. Just keep in mind that it is a "transport route" so many towns are visited at night-time.
And for only 15 minutes.
....well...that depends on if you are on the northbound or southbound route. Hence those ports which are called at night time on the northbound leg will be called at daytime on the southbound leg.
Hadeland glasswear have Beautiful products that I buy for foreign friends. Also, all winterwear and hiking gear & backpacks, rainwear etc are good buys.
On your Sept cruise. Could you see Northern lights in Norway
Yes, not a lot but we ddi get to see them as was dark fairly early
We saw the Northern Lights in the 1st week in September this year, and the cruise before which was the last week in August saw them better than we did.
Thanks so much Gary. Looks like I’ll be doing Norway very soon.
We found that even in the smaller places like Eidfjord and even Flam, there were some worthwhile 1-3 hour hikes with beautiful scenery that could be done without necessarily paying for an excursion. Though of course, this was dependent on the weather! Even though it was summer, I ended up wearing my single long-sleeved shirt for most of the cruise.
A cruise is probably the less proactive way to visit Norway. We went last June by car. And by our own legs up the Fjord slopes, like the Preikestolen.
Thanks for this. I'm still upset that I had to cancel a Northern Lights trip in December 2013 on Hurtigruten from Kirkenes south and into Sweden due to urgent unexpected back surgery. Tbe surgeon's assistant (visiting from Finland) commiserated with me but also comforted me by telling me that there was a massive polar storm that had swept across the Atlantic. I still dream of trying to go there although I'm more limited physically. Thanks for the warning about grading of excursions. My cousins are half Norwegian half Irish and their father was I high demand in both the UK and Norway as he specialised in central heating!
....so you were about to take Hurtigruten "...from Kirkenes south and into Sweden....". That was a new one...!!! Hurtigruten - the coastal express route - goes along the Norwegian coast only ...between Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen. So were does Sweden come into the picture? The company Hurtigruten run some cruise ships that exclusively goes on cruise, but they have never anything with the coastal express route to do. The name Hurtigruten are used two ways. All the way back since the coastal express route was established in 1893 has it been called Hurtigruten and it was iconic along the coast. Up through the years has several ship companies shared this route that requires 11 ships in order to have a daily service of the 34 ports. There were at most up to 5-6 companies that shared the route. Later years it was only a couple of companies left. When they finally merged into one company they "stole" the name Hurtigruten. That was done when rich people (investors they call themselves) from Oslo bought the company. They are there only for earning money and has no interest in the coast or it's history and culture ....they couldn't care less. When those "investors" saw that they had earned what they wanted they sold their shares again. Most of the company was sold to a British investment fund. That was the status last time I heard about it.... ....a sad end of a iconic history of local/coastal ownership .......it's no longer a Norwegian company..... It is the big money in London that talks and everything is tailored around tourists ... Hence what the real and original purpose was with that route, to serve the coastal population, are less and less important and are lagging behind....it only seems like a joke nowadays....there is no development at all.... We had better service in 1960 than today.
I've been dithering about booking a Bergen - Kirkenes - Bergen trip in February, so this video has given me a push - thanks!
Great to hear!
I did this trip at the end of April. No northern lights, but long daylight, especially above the Polar circle. And most of the ice and snow had disappeared. In Kirkenes we had about 12 degrees Celsius.
1:10 they do strike at a major issue. Cruisers tend to not do a lot of spending that truly benefits the local economy. There may be local spending but much of it will be with affiliated/connected companies like tours or nonsense like diamonds international.
At 1:10 note the handwritten JUW under the print on the poster.
Looks like Joa (abbreviation of the name Joachim/Joakim) to me.
This trip wasn’t really on my list but you have me intrigued. Thanks!
The new Havila ships are designed to run up to 4 hours on electricity, so they will be able to continue to go into the UNESCO designated fjords. They are alternating with the Hurtigurten ships for the trips from Bergen to Kirkenes.
i was in norway in october with the aida prima but unfortunately we didn't see any northern lights and it was warmer than expected.
We went to the Fjords in 2015 and it was lovely. We are going again next summer different places. I hope cruises can continue there.
Havila have ships that can run on battery power for 8 hours, built specifically to comply with the new Fjord zero emission regulations. They're a mail and cargo ship combined with cruising, having taken some of the contracts that Hurtigruten have with the Norwegian government.
Oh, wow. This is awesome news, and a step towards a better world. Thanks!!
Alaska on Princess was our first cruise for our 25th anniversary 21 years ago. We loved it and have done 5 more cruises going to Norway twice. We did the Norwegian fjord cruise with Celebrity in 2007, loving the fjords, culture and friendly people. My husband loves is 2 Norwegian sweaters, they last forever. A local recommended going to a thrift shop to buy the wool sweaters at a much lower price. In 2019 we went on a Holland America Northern isles cruise to Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Scotland. We went on fjord cruises both times, loving the scenery. The first time on the cruise ship tour, second on a local tour. We have also sailed the sounds in New Zealand, also beautiful! I recommend them all.
As someone's who's first cruise in a while was fo Norway. I need to do the baltics or Iceland next after the canaries etc but I may bump up Norway again ASAP.
Thats is a great next itinerary!
@@tipsfortravellers which the canaries or baltics or Iceland? With the canaries, madiera, Southern Spain, sardinia etc finishing in Malta I'm going with P&O ( got a great deal on board and will be member of peninsular club after canaries cruise).
With the others though I am looking at other cruise lines as well to find the right one for me..such locations though I probably would need to spend extra for the balcony cabin all the views
I cruised the Baltic this past May, and it was wonderful. We visited every country except Lithuania. Interestingly, while they weren't rude, the Norwegians were the least friendly of the 9 countries.
@@PeriMedic1 can I ask what sort of cabin you had and which cruise line you went with in the end
@@jameswg13 Absolutely! We had a balcony cabin and were on Royal Caribbean. The balcony is so restful, and while you don't see as much from it as you would in Alaska, it's still nice to see the other ships and water. We were supposed to go to St. Petersburg when we booked last year, but RC exchanged Poland and Germany and they were great.
We are going in August next year...thank you for info....praying for N.Lights...my bucket list...
A little tip for those that want to renew their vows on the cruise to Norway as my parents did. Make sure you get them to do it on a day when you are in the fjords or picturesque locations. Cruise lines do like to do it on the sea days but you can specify you want it on days when in picturesque locations. On top of this cannot stress this enough especially with the long excursions make sure you have plenty of time to get back.
Great tip!!! Thanks :-)
I always think it ironic that Norway is seen as a very eco-focused country. If oil-related carbon footprint were attributed to those that extract and sell the stuff rather than those who actually consume it (which is an alternative but not unreasonable way of looking at things), Norway would be one of the world's biggest polluting countries per capita!
Correct. Greenies everywhere have a unique way of seeing things!
They say the best drug dealers know not to partake of what they are selling. That said, the streets of Oslo and Bergen were very quiet owning to all the EV cars, buses, and trams.
Sad to hear this
I’m currently at the Geiranger Fjord (went on my own, not by ship). It’s lovely, but the town here is tiny and the masses from the cruise ships just feel misplaced. I understand the Norwegians.
What is a good cruise line for basically just staying on the ship? I plan on cruising alone, and due to a variety of issues and concerns, I don't have a desire to disembark at the destination ports.
I don't necessary want to NOT have destination ports, so I can take advantage of discounted prices for various things (Spas, restaurants, less crowded buffet, etc etc)
Doing a Norwegian Fjord cruise with NCL in Sept.
Visiting Geiranger, Olden and Stavanger.
Pilgrim Rock is booked!
I'm doing my first cruise to Norway next May, so my knowledge is not great. Would you advise booking excursions ahead of time, or is it possible to find options when you get into port?
NOK to Euro is not complicated at all.. its one of the easiest currencies to convert. 10 NOK = ~1 Euro
The environmental impact was one of the reasons I was previously against crusing and why I decided to cruise to Norway while I still could. I chose Iona because it's LNG so it's surprising to hear that LNG is to be banned too. I'm so glad I did it. We did Stavanger, Olden and Ålesund. We were supposed to do Hellesylt and Geiranger but it was too windy to dock. I'd love to move to Norway but the wealth differential with the UK is just too big now.
We have an autistic kid, so cruising allows us to avoid flying planes and actually do some things as a family. We and our children absolutely loved Norway: nature beauty, kids playground in Stavanger, Olden Loen Lift and Olden's farewell being the biggest highlights. We booked everything local. We also managed to enjoy the fjords beauty from our balcony with our special needs kid enjoying himself next to us. We would not be able to experience Norway other way.
Do you have any recommendations for booking locally? Is there websites you hooked through ahead of time, or did you just get off the ship and find excursions day of? I am going in June and not sure how to go about this!
I don't think they care about access - or respect - for disabled people.
They have zero clue how hard everyday life is for disabled folks, let alone how difficult travel is for anyone who isn't privileged.
Thanks for the info, I was considering booking a Norway cruise in 2025 to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary but it sounds like restrictions will be introduced by then and that, alongside local opposition to tourists in a number of holiday destinations has me having a major rethink about what to do. Never cruised before and don’t fancy having the occasion spoiled so may go back to visiting other Northern European countries by train or luxury coach as we’ve done numerous times previously and enjoyed. I don’t generally go for all inclusive as I love to try local and regional food and drink as that’s part of our holiday experience.
There’s is a cruise line in Norway
Havila Kystruten AS is a Norwegian cruise company
Nice video.
The Å/å in Norwegian is like the a in ball not the a in a word like bat.
Thanks Gary for this very informative and concise video. I can imagine the changes in cruising access that Norway is implementing may well be a sign of what's to come in other ecologically sensitive regions.
Thanks for watching. yes, I do agree we are likely to see more pressure on this and over tourism
@@tipsfortravellers Please stop your mindless and destructive promotion of cruise tourism. Do we really have to ban this madness before you understand that you are destroying our natural environment and suffocating our cities with your gigantic cruise ships? Show some respect and travel responsibly.
@@SuperMerlin73 same was said about the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria! Welcome to 2023.
Have you been to NZ and gone through Fiordland? Not just Mitre Peak, which a lot of cruise ships do go to, but spending time on a smaller boat through Doubtful Sound etc?
I have been blessed enough to have done Mitre Peak on MSC Magnifica and it was amazing, but definitely not up to the amazing week I spent down in Fiordland around Doubtful Sound etc on a small tour. I think potentially it was the size of the ship which made the difference. A 16 storey Cruise Ship vs. an upgraded fishing vessel and sailing with NZ Dept of Conservation. Totally different experiences, but the Cruise Ship didn't let me really experience the height of the fiords etc where when we were in the little boat there was no question how small and insignificant we were
Just a tip to tourists that consider visiting Norway. Norway has so much to offer that you will not be able to see or experience from a boat. It is a bit like order an all inclusive at a hotel. You sleep on a boat. Eat your meals on a boat. Get your entertainment on a boat. The best experience you will get on land, maybe by renting a car and traveling around. Eat your meals at Norwegians restaurants and so on. You could easily make a bucket list that you will need several visits to work through.
Love your comments. We did southern route on Holland America. We loved it.
Excellent vlog, as always Gary.
I would love to visit Norway. I follow several of their young musicians including Sigrid, Aurora and Moyka 🎤💃🎶
I went to Voss in July 1962 for my honeymoon. It was a very quiet place then. We stayed in hotel Jaal. I loved everything about Norway. The people were so kind to us, we were only 21yrs so very young. We went to Sognefjord and Hardanger fjord. The ships were not for tourist but were taking essentials to little villages. What an amazing experience. Never forgotten. I hoped to go back this year but unfortunately health got in the way.
Great video. I agree that the large cruise ships take away from the natural beauty and have HUGE ecological negative impact. I support local business at home and will when traveling to Norway 🇳🇴. I had thought about Seabourn but will now look at a land package and focus on the northern passage.
this was a very good one, at the same time, nice to see there was a lot of pics from my hometown Aalesund ;) Very informative one :)
Pro tip:
Do NOT bring cash to Norway, it's extremely unlikely you'll need it - instead, use a card, debet or credit. For Americans, make sure you have a card with a chip that needs a pin code entered, simply ask your bank for it if you don't already have it.
You can use cards everywhere in Norway. Yes, EVERYWHERE - the only exception is small stands on fairs and such, and street vendors (not that common, though). As a Norwegian, I've never used cash the last 12-15 years.
The exchange rate is super-easy right now - for most people, just divide everything by 10, and that's what it will cost in Euro or USD. (1 Euro = 10.14 NOK, 1 USD = 10.30 NOK).
For Brits, divide by 12 (1 GBP = 11.82 NOK)
Yes! I never had to change money during our entire 12 day Hurtigruten cruise. I even charged candy bars at the 7/11s I stopped at. I do not even know what a Kroner bill looks like. LOL
No thanks Klaus Schwab.
@@stommx ??
…and divide by two to make realistic
Would the ban on cruise ships affect a cruise line like Viking? They're a lot smaller ships, can go to places most cruise ships can't, and are from Norway.
Eek! I can't find the Norwegian Fjords video mentioned at the end. I searched for it in your playlist. I'll keep trying 😊
Can you please recommend the SMALLEST cruise line that will tour Norway Fjords to Geiragerfjord, Flam and Naeroyfjord. Also, very best time of year to travel there? Julie
Spent a week in Norway back in the mid 90s, so my observations are a bit dated. That said, while I was wowed by the scenery and friendly people, the thing that made the biggest impression on me was how expensive everything was. It doesn't sound like that has changed much. I'm glad to have been there, and, if money is not a major issue, I really would encourage others to go. But it's easily one of the most expensive places I have ever been to in all my travels and there are other places I'd like to hit for the first time before I contemplate shelling out for a second Norway vacation.
Last December we sailed on the Hurtigruten postal ship from Bergen all the way up to Kirkenes.. that was stunning.. not only for the scenery ( I love snow) but mainly for the breath taking northern lights. . we were lucky enough to witness them 4 nights in a row..
🤩 It was veeeeeery cold but well worth
Anchorage has a place called portage glacier.u can touch the blue glacier.outside of Anchorage
We appreciate your channel and the information you provide.
Buy things in Husfliden, they are a bit pricey but autentic and homemade. Buy in the museums. Buy in small local shops.
Hallo dear mr bambridge
Ilike very much to hear and read your impressions.
But never heard you talk about p&o ships.
As i am planning the norvegian fjords on augost 23.would like to know what you say about p&o.
This is a really great video. I've always wanted to visit the fjords ever since I first saw them in an old movie, but didn't have an idea of the "how." Your video definitely gave me great tips on that. I'm sorry the Norwegians feel that way about cruisers, but it's understandable. Some of us really love scenery like this and wouldn't dare be obnoxious or rude about a visit. I just hope I get a chance to visit the absolutely gorgeous Geiranger fjord before it's off limits.
Thank you for sharing a nice travel video with beautiful views of Norway.
Glad you enjoyed it
THank you for this. I love that you mention the scenery is more constant. Is that also true on full sea days? Usually you don't see land on those days. Is it different in Norway?
Just returned. We embarked in Amsterdam and had a full sea day the next day with nothing to look at. But it was so worth that to wake up the second day, step out on the balcony and be blown away at how beautiful the first Fjord was. From there the scenery was constant until the third to the last day headed from Norway to Denmark.
So excited. I’m going in 24 with my family.
Thanks for another exceptional video Gary. We are off on our first Fjords cruise next month, having had one cancelled in 2020 due to COVID, and this video is incredibly helpful and interesting (as all your videos are 😊).
This is so helpful Tim. With the rail strikes on Friday 1st sept I’m trying to work out which coach to get home. Do you know what time we can expect to have disembarked this fjords cruise?
Thanks for the info Gary. You gave me an incentive to cruise Norway soon.
Great! Good to hear!
Loved my Norwegian Fjords cruise on Holland America! Norway is so wealthy because of oil and petroleum exports.
I live in the mountains in the eastern part of southern Norway, and last summer we had between 20 - 30 degrees all summer. It didn’t even rain, it was problematic actually. My parents live 30 minutes south of Oslo, and they had 25 - 32 degrees all summer.
But on the west coast and further north it’s quite normal with rainy days, but the weather changes fast😊
I am looking at cruising with Royal Caribbean on an Arctic Circle which visit a lot of the fjords. Which side of the ship would you recommend I should be on?
I only book week long cruises like across the Atlantic or Pacific. I cruise for the Ocean going experience not to be land locked and not moving.
thanks for this Gary - very interesting. We have been thinking about a fjords cruise for several years, but never taken the opportunity. Maybe now is the time..Terry
Thanks for all your great videos! I am waiting for ships that are running electric so ports are not polluted with the dirty bunker fuel.
You can see the the lights from October to Mars in the North of Norway. And about your facts about temperatures. In Oslo area we have up to 29.