bethr_20 Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 Hiya, we (2 adults, 3 teenagers) are heading on our first cruise next July onboard Anthem of the Seas to the Norwegain Fjords. We're really excited so we've been researching into excursions for our itinerary, and the one which really takes our fancy is the Briksdal Glacier excursion in Olden; we've watched lots of videos of the Anthem cruises that visited there last summer, and we know that it's a popular excursion choice, so we're hoping to book it ASAP to avoid disappointment. However, upon searching separately to find an identical excursion at a cheaper price (because the RCL price would be £400 for the 5 of us), we discovered that we could book it through Olden Adventures for £37 each; this would save us over £200 in total for what seems to be an identical experience (minus refreshments which are served in the café after the tour, but that isn't the be-all-or-end-all for us!). This leads me to my main question: is there any real benefit to spending double the price to get the RCL excursion, versus through a tour group in Norway? Has anyone used Olden Adventures - it's a long shot, I know - who can reccomend them, so that we know that it's a worthwhile saving? Or should we just spend the extra to get the reassurance that RCL will give us an incredible experience, with less fear that something major could go wrong, although at the double the cost? Equally, if we book through Olden Adventures, they have two daily tours (9:30 and 11:30). Our ship is scheduled to dock into Olden at 8:30am (I think), so would it be pushing it to choose the 9:30 tour so that we can explore Olden in the afternoon before the ship departs? Or would it be better to pick the later option in case the ship docks late and means that we miss the bus? Sorry if this is a lot of questions, but we want to get all of the technicalities out of the way in advance so that we can have a relaxing experience without worrying incessantly over the small details surrounding things like this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fa-li Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 I can't speak to Norway specifically, as we are doing that cruise in 2024, but we frequently book with private companies, especially in Europe. Good general practice is to email directly with a rep for the company rather than just booking the online form. Often they can have a guide pick you up at the cruise port. They will be able to advise the best time to book as well. You will want to find out if they have a "back in time" guarantee, and you will want to read reviews on trip advisor and/or yelp to make sure no cruisers got stranded by them. Generally in Europe, we feel it is worth the very small risk of missing the ship (very small because cruise tourists are their life blood and they don't want to mess that up) because it is relatively easy to get from one place to another so in theory we could meet the ship at the next call if absolutely necessary. Obviously, we would never want to do that, and thus always book with companies that promise to have us back in time, and have the reviews to back that up. But it is a tiny risk, versus the cruise excursion, where they will wait for you. We don't often feel that this one thing is worth the extra cost of booking through the cruise line. bethr_20 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 Hi @bethr_20 and welcome to the boards. It looks like you're on the same sailing as my daughter and me (7th of July). I don't have access to my stuff at the moment, but I can tell you right now that you absolutely don't need to book Royal's excursion to do Briksdal. It's definitely DIY-able. That said, it may not be your best option given the time of year, as the glacier shrinks in summer. Take a look at the Loen Skylift as a possible alternative. I'll try and get back to you tomorrow to give you some suggestions. And feel free to ask any other questions you might have. There are loads of very knowledgeable peeps here who simply love to share. bethr_20 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 5, 2023 Report Share Posted January 5, 2023 @bethr_20 Just wanted you to know I've not forgotten. I'm simply snowed under at work right now. I promise I'll be back to you soon to share my pre cruise research bethr_20 and KristiZ 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rova Posted January 5, 2023 Report Share Posted January 5, 2023 @FionaMG we're also on this cruise, waiting for your input! FionaMG and bethr_20 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethr_20 Posted January 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2023 7 hours ago, FionaMG said: @bethr_20 Just wanted you to know I've not forgotten. I'm simply snowed under at work right now. I promise I'll be back to you soon to share my pre cruise research Thank you so much, there's no rush though! FionaMG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctriopelle Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 We are also sailing on July 5 2024, and looking for option for excursions. We have always booked thru royal, but based on the start of this thread we may want to rethink that here. We have also visited glaciers in the summer before and they were still awesome to see, looking forward to hearing thoughts on other ideas! bethr_20 and FionaMG 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelguyjeff Posted January 12, 2023 Report Share Posted January 12, 2023 Following, July 2024 but on the Jewel 13 nights. A lot of port days could get out of hand quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 So, finally have a bit of time to share my thoughts. Starting with Olden and the Briksdal Glacier since that was @bethr_20's original question. I said in my original reply that Briksdal might not be the best bet for a July trip. This is because the glacier is reportedly shrinking and while it might still be quite impressive early in the season by mid-summer it could be disappointing. I haven't been there myself yet but these are taken from another board: "Don't visit the Briksdal Glacier. After a long and exhausting walk we saw it across the valley and there was hardly anything to see." (Hampshirelad on CC). "Olden offers some more fjord sailing in/out, and the skylift has replaced the climate-change-decimated Briksdal Glacier for scenic shore excursions." (kaisatsu on CC). "Here’s the Briksdal glacier (what’s left of it):" (plus photo) (gumshoe958 on CC) However, if you do still want to do it, the Olden Adventure people should be reliable (their livelihood depends on it). From what I can gather, they're right there by the dock, so the 9.30 departure should be feasible, assuming you can get your teens out of bed that early. However, since the total length of the trip appears to be 3.5 hours, you would still be back in time to do a bit of exploring in the town. One thing I did notice on their website is this: "There is continuous service throughout the day when the cruise ship is in port.", which would suggest to me that you may not be strictly limited to the 9.30 and 11.30 departure times and, consequently, probably don't even need to book in advance. There is also a local bus to the glacier which is reportedly much cheaper. Last year's timetable is listed on Briksdal's own tourist site here: https://www.briksdal.com/travel-here but I couldn't find an updated one or a price list. From what I can gather, being a local bus, you wouldn't book in advance but this summer's information doesn't appear to be available yet on the bus company's website. So far, they're up to the 15th of May: As well as mentioning the local bus, Briksdal's own website https://www.briksdal.com/briksdal-glacier provides a wealth of information about the glacier and the surrounding area, including the troll cars, if that's something that might interest you. Those come at an extra charge and look like fun but unless someone in your group is mobility-challenged, would probably not be necessary. And, of course, you can purchase the same food and drink at the lodge as that included in Royal's excursion and likely still come out ahead. bethr_20 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethr_20 Posted January 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 Thank you so much for your feedback! We were prepared for the glacier to be 'shrunk' in the summer, but honestly it still looks incredible - we've never been to a glacier before so either way it'll still be a new experience and amazing to behold. We looked into the Loen skylift, but it seems very expensive for the sake of an hour (maximum) experience, hence the glacier still comes out on top. The teenagers are thankfully up for anything so getting them out of bed shouldn't be too much of a problem (our 18 y.o daughter is planning on being up at 8am most mornings to get to the gym early, to put it into perspective, and they're all hoping to make use of the '24 hour' aspect of the café and Sorrento's at 1am!!) The public bus does seem to be a very interesting option; if the timetable were to be akin to last year's then we could likely time it quite well to be back at the harbour for around the same time as we would be otherwise. However, at least if we get a tour bus, we'll probably have less of a chance of missing it (although that's probably my travel anxiety talking there)! That said, we won't rush to book the Olden Adventures bus and instead we'll wait until the public bus timetable has been finalised so that we can see whether its viable. Again, thank you so much for your help! Hope you and your daughter have an amazing cruise, too! (Ps. I just realised that I wrote 'next july' in my first post; I very much meant the 7th July 2023 sailing, but my brain obviously wasn't computing that we were in 2023 at the time of me writing my post ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 17, 2023 Report Share Posted January 17, 2023 2 hours ago, bethr_20 said: Thank you so much for your feedback! We were prepared for the glacier to be 'shrunk' in the summer, but honestly it still looks incredible - we've never been to a glacier before so either way it'll still be a new experience and amazing to behold. We looked into the Loen skylift, but it seems very expensive for the sake of an hour (maximum) experience, hence the glacier still comes out on top. The teenagers are thankfully up for anything so getting them out of bed shouldn't be too much of a problem (our 18 y.o daughter is planning on being up at 8am most mornings to get to the gym early, to put it into perspective, and they're all hoping to make use of the '24 hour' aspect of the café and Sorrento's at 1am!!) The public bus does seem to be a very interesting option; if the timetable were to be akin to last year's then we could likely time it quite well to be back at the harbour for around the same time as we would be otherwise. However, at least if we get a tour bus, we'll probably have less of a chance of missing it (although that's probably my travel anxiety talking there)! That said, we won't rush to book the Olden Adventures bus and instead we'll wait until the public bus timetable has been finalised so that we can see whether its viable. Again, thank you so much for your help! Hope you and your daughter have an amazing cruise, too! (Ps. I just realised that I wrote 'next july' in my first post; I very much meant the 7th July 2023 sailing, but my brain obviously wasn't computing that we were in 2023 at the time of me writing my post ) My pleasure! I'm planning on trying to post some more links and suggestions for our other ports, if time allows (work has a lousy habit of getting in the way). From the research I've done so far, it looks like you can get a lot out of all the ports with DIY exploring rather than expensive ship-sponsored excursions, especially for active people who enjoy scenic walking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 20, 2023 Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 Continuing with Olden, here is a useful blog post from UK blogger Emma: https://emmaonline.co.uk/olden-port/ I mentioned the Loen Skylift in one of my earlier posts and I have to admit to being rather surprised that Royal aren't offering an excursion to it. Maybe they will add one at some point. But in any case, this is the link to the Loen Skylift's own website: https://www.loenskylift.com/ There is lots of information on there, including how to get there. The same people that do the Briksdal shuttle also run a shuttle bus service to the Skylift: https://www.oldencruise.com/shore-excursions/loen-skylift-including-transfer/ It's a bit pricey but the ticket includes transport from the port and back, as well as the tickets for the Skylift itself and the bus appears to run continuously throughout the day. The distance between the port and the Skylift is to be about 6 km (a bit less than 4 miles), so it's really a bit too far to walk. My research suggests that there may not be many taxis around so even if it might be cheaper by taxi than by taking the shuttle, it could be a bit of a risk if you can't get one to bring you back. Delving further into the website, there are details of several different hikes that can be done from the cable car station at the top, so this might be a good option for anyone who wants to combine scenic sightseeing with some physical activity. There is also a shop/bar/restaurant facility at the top. bethr_20 and 12thman 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted January 30, 2023 Report Share Posted January 30, 2023 Here are some ideas for Bergen. There is lots of information on their visitor site here: https://en.visitbergen.com/visitor-information/brochures, including a brochure about the port itself, here: https://en.visitbergen.com/dbimgs/Port-of-Bergen-Cruise-info-2018-brochure.pdf Although this is out of date (2018) but it does have maps and suggestions of things to do. There are other guides on the site that you can also download. If you're looking for an easy day, the pretty town centre is within walking distance of the port. One of the main attractions in Bergen is the funicular to the top of Mount Floyen: https://floyen.no/en The site has details of the various activities that can be done on the mountain and there's food and drink available too. It's in walking distance from the port too and you can do a round trip or one-way up/down, walking the other way. It's wheelchair accessible and you don't need to buy tickets in advance. I also found this useful blog post with details for a suggested self-guided walk (again, it's from 2018, but it looks like everything will be still be relevant to our dates): https://navigatethejungle.com/europe/norway/bergen-city-walking-tour/ bethr_20 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fa-li Posted February 4, 2023 Report Share Posted February 4, 2023 Thanks @FionaMG for all this great info! This is getting me excited about our May 2024 cruise! And giving me some great places to start researching. I really appreciate you spending the time! FionaMG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted February 7, 2023 Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 Geiranger should be one of the real highlights of our cruise, weather willing. I have read that you should be up on the top deck around 4.30 am to enjoy the sail into the fjord. I'm not sure I'll make that but perhaps I'll make the effort. You get the same scenery sailing back out again in the afternoon but of course the light will be different and that can be significant especially for anyone looking to do some serious photography. This site here has some gorgeous photos and videos, just to give you all a taste: https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/fjord-norway/the-geirangerfjord/ The town itself appears to be very walkable from the ship, as you can see from this map. The website shown on the map above has lots of helpful information, including another great map for anyone thinking of doing some independent hiking. It's a two-page PDF file that you can download here: https://www.visitgeiranger.com/hiking-map. DD and I are thinking of hiking up to Westeras Farm on our own. This site here offers a number of suggestions and photos: https://www.komoot.com/highlight/219354. It looks like it is perfectly doable without paying Royal $89 each to do it as an excursion. Geiranger Fjord also has its own official website here: https://www.geirangerfjord.no/english. It has lots of suggested activities, including tours at considerably cheaper prices than our Cruise Planner. Just to give one example, the Mount Dalsnibba Summit tour, which looks great if you want to enjoy scenery from a high-up vantage point but don't want or aren't able to walk far, is currently selling in the CP at $92.99 per adult. You can book it on the Geiranger Fjord website for 430 NOK, which is about $38. I checked the timetable for the date we are in port and there are two departures, the first of which, at 10 am, would work nicely. There are also a couple of panoramic bus tours that look to be very similar to Royal's offerings and, again, at much cheaper prices. I couldn't see any indication of whether or not they were accessible, though, so anyone needing that facility would be best to contact them and check. Freegirl, KristiZ, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HugoBoss344 Posted March 8, 2023 Report Share Posted March 8, 2023 Following this as I have some similar question: We are going into Olden and doing the 8:30am tour to the glacier through RCL's shore excursion agreement. It's to last 4 hours per the booking. We plan to, if time, freshen up on the ship. Then we will catch the shuttle to Loen to take the sky-lift and have lunch at 2pm. If lunch is a nice hour that gives us another hour and a half to walk around before trying to catch the shuttle back to the ship around 4:30-5pm for a 6pm ship departure. Does this sound to ambitious and we're pushing our luck? The shuttle/skylift to Loen is only supposed to be 30 min total so I feel we have a enough buffer. We are in our late 30s so don't have mobility issues and can run if needed lol. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted March 8, 2023 Report Share Posted March 8, 2023 4 hours ago, HugoBoss344 said: Following this as I have some similar question: We are going into Olden and doing the 8:30am tour to the glacier through RCL's shore excursion agreement. It's to last 4 hours per the booking. We plan to, if time, freshen up on the ship. Then we will catch the shuttle to Loen to take the sky-lift and have lunch at 2pm. If lunch is a nice hour that gives us another hour and a half to walk around before trying to catch the shuttle back to the ship around 4:30-5pm for a 6pm ship departure. Does this sound to ambitious and we're pushing our luck? The shuttle/skylift to Loen is only supposed to be 30 min total so I feel we have a enough buffer. We are in our late 30s so don't have mobility issues and can run if needed lol. Thanks! It sounds ambitious but not overly so. I read on another site that it should be possible to fit both into a single port day. Just be sure to watch your time closely for getting back to the ship at the end of the day. All aboard is normally 30 minutes before departure and if you're doing your own thing it's usually best to plan to be back at the ship an hour before as that provides a buffer in case you get delayed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HugoBoss344 Posted March 10, 2023 Report Share Posted March 10, 2023 @FionaMG Thank you! I think we just think of Loen as a lunch destination and just get there, have lunch, leave while enjoying the sights as we are in motion we should be ok based on your advice. Any experience dining in Norway? Lunch shouldn't be more than an hour I hope which means 3-4pm could be just some time to enjoy the views and then 4-5pm back to the ship (in case a shuttle is full or something). If it looks overly busy we can just hit the shuttle at 3pm and have a good two hours to return. Thanks for your thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted March 10, 2023 Report Share Posted March 10, 2023 34 minutes ago, HugoBoss344 said: @FionaMG Thank you! I think we just think of Loen as a lunch destination and just get there, have lunch, leave while enjoying the sights as we are in motion we should be ok based on your advice. Any experience dining in Norway? Lunch shouldn't be more than an hour I hope which means 3-4pm could be just some time to enjoy the views and then 4-5pm back to the ship (in case a shuttle is full or something). If it looks overly busy we can just hit the shuttle at 3pm and have a good two hours to return. Thanks for your thoughts! My pleasure. Sounds like a good plan to me. I don't have any experience of independent dining in Norway. The last time I was there was over 40 years ago () and it was an organised group. One thing you might (or not) like to try is the brown cheese. It looks like fudge. I'm still traumatised by it all these years later. Apparently, it's one of those things that you either love or hate! https://www.lifeinnorway.net/the-norwegian-phenomenon-of-brown-cheese/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 Well, am I glad I posted my research on this thread? My computer died and I lost EVERYTHING! So, finally, Haugesund. As far as I can gather, this port is a fairly recent addition to Royal's Norway itineraries. I remember reading a live or semi-live review about this port last year and the person who was doing the review said that only a handful of excursions appeared on Royal's website and very much at the last minute. That reviewer booked the Akrafjord and Langfoss Waterfall tour without doing any research into it but said it turned out to be a good tour. It's currently showing sold out for my sailing (7th July) but might be an option for others on different sailings. Although perhaps not as well known to the cruising community as places like Bergen and Geiranger, it does appear that you can easily spend some pleasant time ashore in Haugesund. There are various monuments that can be visited, including Norway's national monument (https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/norways-national-monument-haraldshaugen/1591/ ) and there are the usual boat trips in the fjord and plenty of walks and hikes. There is also an apparently renowned cupcake shop (https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/jåblom-bakst-cupcakehuset/212333/) which I suspect I will be unable to resist paying a visit to. Anyone looking to do an excursion with a local supplier can take a look at this page: https://govikingadventure.com/cruise, which lists excursions by ship and arrival date in the port. The prices are obviously much cheaper than Royal's. According to the information on the site, this company has a booth just by the port exit. They also offer the option of cancelling for a full refund at least 24 hours ahead of the excursion and a refund if the cruise call is cancelled or the time is changed to the extent that it impacts the excursion. Note that I have not used this company, so I'm not recommending them, just pointing out their existence to assist everyone with research. The komoot site again is a good one if you're looking for walks and hikes: https://www.komoot.com/guide/664244/hiking-around-haugesund And here are a couple of general ones that suggest a range of things to do. The visitnorway one, in particular, has some great images: https://www.fjordnorway.com/en/destinations/haugesund-haugalandet https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/fjord-norway/haugesund-haugalandet/ I hope you'll all find this useful and it will help you have a great time on your cruises. Rackham and KristiZ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristiZ Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 27 minutes ago, FionaMG said: My computer died and I lost EVERYTHING! Boo! That is never fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 17 minutes ago, KristiZ said: Boo! That is never fun So true. And I had been planning on getting one of those external discs to back everything up for some time but just never got round to it. Lesson learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethr_20 Posted April 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2023 It's taken us a while, but we've finally booked our excursions! Unfortunately, it now seems like my husband has to have 2 major operations in the weeks' prior to our cruise (7th July), so we've had to amend some of our plans to cater to his mobility issues. We had intended to hike to Briksdal Glacier (so we'd just pay for the bus segment), however we decided that it'd be better to get the troll cars instead. We went with Olden Adventures in the end, following many thoughts about booking the RCL itinerary, as it was a lot cheaper and the departure time was 10am so we wouldn't have to be rushing in the morning to leave for the excursion as early. We also wanted to hike one way up to Mt Fløyen in Bergen but, again, we've now booked the funicular both ways to ensure that he'll be able to manage the rest of the cruise. Worst case scenario, he'll just stay on the ship when we're in port (we've made no plans for Geiranger or Haugesund just yet as a contingency). Thank you all so much for your help FionaMG and Rackham 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted April 19, 2023 Report Share Posted April 19, 2023 It makes it all seem more real once you have firm plans made, doesn't it? @bethr_20, wishing your husband all the best for his operations and a speedy recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethr_20 Posted April 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2023 12 hours ago, FionaMG said: It makes it all seem more real once you have firm plans made, doesn't it? @bethr_20, wishing your husband all the best for his operations and a speedy recovery. Yes, it really does! We were excited before but now we're constantly watching itinerary videos of YouTube and looking at photos of the beautiful Fjords. Also thank you so much, his first operation is tommrow and his second one is scheduled for the start of June so we're all a bit anxious at the minute but he should () be feeling ready by the time that we travel WAAAYTOOO and FionaMG 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowhiteheather Posted May 13, 2023 Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 I'm going on the May 12th '24 on anthem. So excited! I'm used to carribean cruises where I have been so many times I don't bother getting off the ship. FionaMG and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedricmr Posted May 29, 2023 Report Share Posted May 29, 2023 We were at the beginning of May this year on a cruise on the Jewel. We made all our excursions with the local agencies in Norway. "Olden adventure" to Olden and "Norway excursion" to Geirenger, Alesund and Molde. Much cheaper than RC. They are accustomed and adpatent schedules to cruise ships. In Geirenger, we were one hour late beacuse the manoeuvres of an AIDA boat. The buses waited. In Alesund, we left earlier than planned. The tour was scheduled (email and SMS the day before). There are always correspondents in the various ports. Norway is very organized:-) Mr.Cruiser and FionaMG 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Cruiser Posted November 1, 2023 Report Share Posted November 1, 2023 @cedricmr That sounds good. Can you tell which local tour operators you‘ve chosen and can recommend? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedricmr Posted November 1, 2023 Report Share Posted November 1, 2023 Norway Excursions: Best Tours, Acitivities & Things To Do In Norway Olden Cruise | Olden Norway Shore Excursions Mr.Cruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedricmr Posted November 2, 2023 Report Share Posted November 2, 2023 we are waiting for the RC 2025 program to return to Norway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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