Norwegian fjords

number
I still haven't booked our flights to Norway, having been on tenterhooks about my mum, but tomorrow I plan to just do it and hope for the best. We hope to be there for the Independence Day celebrations on 17th May. Yippee!

Sorry, meant to add, the other day, whilst having my hair done, the girl who was cutting it asked where we were going on holiday. I said we were cruising the Norwegian fjords, she said "Where`s that then?"

Greenfinch, any feedback on your Norway trip in February?

Perfect. Just relax and enjoy it. You are the customer after all.

I`ll put my worries on the back burner, but think we`ll still be avoiding the formal night/s, as no way will hubby take a tie, even a jacket is pushing it! I`m planning on wearing trousers and boots in the daytime, and ordinary dresses with sandals in the evenings.

Sorry .It should say number please.

My daughter did that walk, through the goat farm Grannya. It was in the days before I started tagging along with her on her travels. Perhaps I'll have to persuade her to do it again!

LullyDully we're Norwegians at heart so we love the brown cheese at home too - in fact just a fortnight ago I paid nearly a fiver locally for a tiny block for my husband.
The Flåm Railway journey from Aurlandsfjord (a tributary of the Sognefjord) to Myrdal has been described (quite rightly in my view) as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. If you are able to do it the walk down from Myrdal is a spectacular journey and takes you alongside the river through a goat farm and down to the lovely church in Flåm village, passing spectacular scenery and waterfalls along the way. On the way up to Myrdal the train makes several stops, the most famous of which is at the Kjosfossen waterfall where there is a performance by the 'Huldra' - a mythical enchantresses who sings and dances.
I'm actually writing this when I'm supposed to be checking the flights for our trip to Norway later this year.

I think are should be is ?

Please don't worry*numberless*.A jacket and tie will do. Peoples interpretation of formal are very broad. You won't be out of place. One couple on our table forgot it was formal night and nobody took any notice.

number I've never cruised but I know people who have.

I think a 6-day cruise to Norway is not likely to be too formal and you'd only be expected to look clean and fresh at mealtimes!

I would hope 'smart casual' would suffice - hate to think of you hiding away and not enjoying yourself after paying good money!

Nonio, it`s a 6 day cruise. I thought there were 3 stop offs at first, but the online itinerary says that Ulvik is only for an hour, so that looks like a no-no.
Greenfinch, I`m still worrying about dressing up! Hubby only wears his one suit for really special occasions, last time was nearly 5 years ago, ditto with ties, so I see problems, I think we`ll be making use of the poolside snack bar, wrapping up warm of course!
Thank you everybody for your input.

What a lovely holiday, and such excitement.

Enjoy the brown cheese, it tastes a bit like toffee. It tastes good in Norway but never works when you bring it home. A bit like cheap French wine.

I've just checked Marco Polo. Your itinerary should specify which nights are 'smart' and which are 'casual'. If it doesn't phone up Cruise Maritime and ask them to email you details. From the messages on CruiseCritic.co.uk it looks as if 'smart' is generally interpreted as a smart dress, cocktail dress for women and a jacket and tie for men. It's no big deal to pack one decent dress or evening trousers and a smart top and a bit of jewellery. Also part of having a good holiday is trying to do some things differently and going with the flow.

It looks as if some people break the dress code..but it is generally thought not polite to do so, as part of the deal is to observe the codes.

Most cruises have alternative dining options for those who really do not want to dress up. On the Cunard ships it is the Lido or Kings Court...or meals taken in the cabin. Just ask Cruise Maritime what is available on Marco Polo.

You might find it useful to join Cruise.co.uk or Cruisecritic.co.uk and search for a roll call for your cruise (click on Cruise Maritime/ Marco Polo/ Roll Calls (may be in different order) and then join the roll call for your cruise. That will give you the chance to 'chat' to other passengers and some are likely to have sailed with Cruise Maritime and Marco Polo before and give you better information).

Do you only have two ports of call? Is it a very short cruise? There's a great little railway at Flamm (walking distance from where the ships dock), but you would do well to book and buy your ticket in advance (all easy online). Then you avoid the long queues to buy tickets and join specific tours. There's likely to be a ship's tour but they tend to cost quite a bit more and this one is easy to do on your own.

Similarly the town of Bergen is walking distance from the docks and there is plenty to see and do there on your own. We walked through the town and had lunch in the fish market by the port- excellent. Then we walked up through the higher residential streets. Very pretty indeed.

On the whole I found the coffee to be pretty mediocre (tho' a couple of places had Italian coffee machines and generally OK) and very expensive, as is alcohol. Apart from the lunch in Bergen we found the food to be pretty mediocre, too...but then we didn't have time to seek out the best places. We tended to make sure we had a really good breakfast on board ship then ate lightly until our evening meal on board ship. Cheaper and better.

Sailing through the ffiords is such a great pleasure! Not to be missed. Both ports are below the artic circle so not in the parts where we had really cold, snowy weather in May.

numberplease you will find the cruisecritic website forums a mine of information on your ship, dress code and ports of call. You can read without registering but if you want to ask a question you do need to register. It's free so no problem. Cruise.co.UK is useful too.

So many lovely places I can't remember their names!
I'm the same with films and plays and tv. Never know who was in them.
Do remember that this was the Blue Lagoon in Icceland

Norway?

We are cruising to Norway in February and we also will be stopping at Flaam.Last time we stopped there we found there was not a lot to do there unlike Bergen and Stavanger so this time we have booked to go on the Flaam railway. This gets very booked up so you need to book early.

We did the round Britain cruise on the Marco Polo and really enjoyed it. The only thing we didn't enjoy was going frm Tilbury as we travel by public transport though I did find people very helpful with my case. We prefer to go from Southampton which is nearer for us so would choose P &O.

Do not worry about dressing up too much.You will find folk wear a variety of attire. Something smart is all that is needed. A suit for DH and maybe a long skirt or smart trousers for yourself. There is no need to worry about cocktail dresses and DJs. Some wear them and some don't. A pretty top is all that is required.

You will thoroughly enjoy it from beginning to end and will soon be booking your next one. Bon Voyage.

Where were those taken Galen?

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A couple from my cruise

Enjoy!

Oh, how exciting number! Could I stow away in your suitcase please?

Thank you Nonio. My only worry, and to me it`s a big worry, is whether they dress for dinner, as hubby and I aren`t dressy people, least of all him, and I don`t want folk looking down their noses at us for being ordinary. My daughter says I`m daft to worry. Our stop offs are Flam and Bergen.

Hi there, numberplease

We cruised to Norway end May/early June. We had a brilliant time. There are some truly gorgeous towns and cities. I remember my first morning that we sailed into Norway and a fiord. A) I woke up at c 4 am, opened the curtains and it was light (not sure about April).... And just looking at the fiord and saying "Wow! Wow! Wow!".

The southern half of Norway was pleasantly warm in May and we wore light trousers, summer dresses and cardigans. However once we got to Tromso it was cold and raining (but still very interesting...the Artic Cathedral and the Polaris museum where we saw seals and they had a brilliant 3Dish film on artic wildlife) and we needed warm clothes and good waterproofs. In Honnigsvaag, near the very north it was snowing hard. My sister and I have a two photos each taking a photo of the other at the same time laughing through the driving snow.

However, our first port of call was Stavanger and there they had a great market (check days of arrival). I bought a great Norweigan woolly hat and gloves that were perfect for the colder north. I really REALLY recommend down jackets/coats. They provide a good level of warmth and I use them as 'tissue paper' for packing as they squash down small but provide anti-crease protection. A decent proper waterproof too.

I've not sailed with Cruise Maritime, but have just checked online. It carries c 800 passengers maximum so is classified as a 'small' ship. This is good in Norway as you'll be able to get into and dock in the smaller, narrower fiords. You might find it a bit 'bumpier' crossing the North Sea than some of the bigger newer ships. That wouldn't bother me at all as I like a few waves.

It looks as if it's style is a bit more informal than some of the bigger cruise lines. I hope you have as good a time as we did.

I will.