Celebrity Apex Norwegian Fjord Cruise Blog – Day 6 – Bergen

Our last stop on our 7-day Norwegian Fjord cruise was Bergen, Norway. The Celebrity Apex was only in port from 7 AM to 2 PM, giving us a relatively short day to explore the fishing town.

Celebrity Apex – Day 6 – Bergen – Overview

• Day 6 Schedule
• Quiet Breakfast Before Bergen
• Docking in Bergen, Norway
• Fantoft Stave Church
• Mount Floyen Funicular (Floibanen) in Bergen
• Bergen Fortress Museum (Bergenhus Fortress)
• Bryggen
• Norwegian Hot Dog at Trekroneren
• Fish Soup at Sostrene Hagelin
• Bergen Fish Market
• Getting Back to Celebrity Apex
• Behind the Podium Series: Introduction to Scandinavia
• Tea at Cafe al Bacio
• General Knowledge Trivia in The Club
• Medical Emergency
• Tuscan Dining Room for Chic Night Dinner
• Evening Entertainment on the Apex

Celebrity Apex Day 6 Schedule

Quiet Breakfast Before Bergen

The day started early again because we only had 7 hours to check out Bergen. I headed to the Oceanview Cafe for a quick breakfast. I didn’t want to fill up too much as I had some major food plans for this stop.

I arrived around 7:15, and the buffet was the quietest I’d ever seen it. Tons of seats were still available all around the buffet, especially in the back. It was a nice change of pace not to have to walk around and find a table.

The same breakfast options were available yet again. I went with waffles with a blueberry compote, a healthy serving of bacon, and some fresh fruit. That’d be enough to tide me over to lunch. I also grabbed a can of Diet Coke on my way out for the upcoming walk.

Docking in Bergen, Norway

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, behind Oslo. It was the largest port we’d visit on this cruise, although the town only holds around 300,000 people.

Bergen has six different piers where your ship can be docked, which are split between two areas: Skolten and Dokken. Skolten is located closer to downtown, while Dokken is in an industrial port and farther from downtown.

The cruise lines themselves don’t do a good job of telling you which dock you’ll be at. For the best idea, visit Bergen’s port schedule, and it’ll have the specific dock you’ll be at. You can then put it in Google Maps to find distances and plan how to get around. We were docked at Jekteviksterminalen near Dokken.

At 7:45 AM, I made my way down to Destination Gateway on Deck 2 to leave the ship. It was pretty quiet at this point, and there weren’t many people making their way off the ship. Most likely, people were getting a late start because much of the town still wasn’t awake yet.

Tip: If you need water, grab one at Destination Gateway before you leave. If you have a drink package, they’re included.

The port was very industrial, but unlike Zeebrugge, we could still walk out of the port ourselves rather than needing a shuttle, which made it easy. I followed the yellow barriers past large shipping containers and exited the port onto a main street.

Tip: If you have mobility issues, a free shuttle is available that takes you closer to the downtown area.

Less than 5 minutes outside of the cruise terminal was an area with several vendors selling tickets for the Hop-On Hop-Off bus that circulates around Bergen. It offers a decent option for those who want a variety of DIY adventures. It visited popular places like the Fish Market, the Mount Floyen Funicular, Nordnes Park, and King Hakon’s Hall.

It was a beautiful day, though, so I just decided to walk. From this cruise terminal, it was about 20 minutes, or 1 mile, to the Fish Market and tourism center. Like most European cities, it was still nearly deserted at 8 AM, with very little open and the streets completely empty. It let me enjoy the city’s beautiful architecture and rustic feel.

For the morning, we split up for independent adventures because of the limited time in port.

Fantoft Stave Church

About 20 minutes outside of Bergen is the Fantoft Stave Church, an isolated but striking attraction. Stave churches are known for timber construction, steeply pitched roofs, and multiple tiers. This one was originally built in 1170 in a nearby town and relocated to Fantoft in 1883. After a fire destroyed it in 1992, it was rebuilt using traditional techniques, sourcing 400-year-old pine trees and crafting most of the parts on site.

The church isn’t walkable from downtown Bergen. It is accessible by light rail, but with limited port time, a taxi was the fastest option. The taxi stand is next to the Fish Market, about a 20-minute walk from where our ship docked. The fare to Fantoft was $36.

At the site, you can walk the grounds to admire the dramatic church set against the greenery, or, during operating hours, pay about $10 to go inside. Learn more about Fantoft Stave Church here.

There aren’t taxis waiting at the church for the return trip, so the easiest way back is via light rail. The Fantoft stop on Bergen’s #1 line is about a 10-minute walk from the church. From there, it’s a 20-minute ride to Byparken, which drops you about 5 minutes from the Bergen Fish Market. The fare was around $10.

Mount Floyen Funicular (Floibanen) in Bergen

The next stop was the Mount Floyen funicular. Built over 100 years ago, this tram takes you 1,000 feet up to the top of Mount Floyen, giving you panoramic views of the city. It’s also convenient to get to, less than a 5-minute walk from the Fish Market.

I’d read about long lines at the Mount Floyen funicular, so I bought tickets online the day before, once I knew the weather would be clear. A round-trip ticket was about $14. They are not timed tickets, so it gives you a lot of flexibility.

When I arrived, only a handful of people were there. The line splits between ticket holders and those buying on-site. My QR code worked at the gate, so I skipped the machines and walked right in. The funicular runs every 10 minutes, and since it was early, the process was smooth and fast, much easier than the Santorini Cable Car I rode last year (read about that cruise here).

Going up the mountain, you don’t see much, so don’t worry about finding the “best” position for views. It’s a quick 3 to 5-minute ride up to the top of the mountain. When you arrive, you walk out onto a massive viewing platform. The air was crisp and clean, and the distant mountains were bathed in light, while a shadow was cast over the town of Bergen itself.

At the top of the mountain is a large park-like area with several buildings. They had free toilets, a restaurant, and a bar, which hadn’t opened yet.

I was surprised by the large number of children’s activities. Right by the exit of the funicular was a cute little playground cut into the landscape. A giant troll watched over and made an excellent picture spot.

Further into the area, there was a huge playground for older kids. The structure provided serious exercise with nets, metal tubes, and more. It was a kid’s dream. Adults, too, as there was a line of people who wanted to try the rope zip line strung between platforms.

You could also walk around the Troll Garden, which was filled with carved and hand-painted trolls throughout the landscape.

On the other side of the area were the local goats. They were all sleeping in the middle of the walking path, and people would stop to pet them.

Also at the top were a lot of natural trails through the densely wooded forest. If you had time, you could explore the different hiking trails. Some of them went to a lake that had paths and footbridges around it. Here’s a list of 10 walks they suggest.

You could also take the funicular up and follow trails down the mountain. It’s a 45-minute walk and a little under 2 miles.

Overall, I spent about an hour at the top of the mountain. The view wasn’t the main attraction for me. It was more about the natural paths through the forest. It was peaceful and relaxing. If I were to do it again, I’d either walk down the mountain when done or allot time for one of the trails.

I headed down around 9:50 AM. When I got to the bottom, there still wasn’t a line to get up, but it was getting busier. If the Floibanen is on your agenda for Bergen, I highly recommend doing it earlier.

Tip: Bring an umbrella. It was a beautiful day when I left the Apex, but around 11 AM, it started to rain out of nowhere. It wasn’t in the forecast. Luckily, it was just a quick shower.

Bergen Fortress Museum (Bergenhus Fortress)

The city was slowly starting to wake up and was noticeably busier as we explored the downtown area. The rest of my plans for the day were food-related, but it was a little too early, so we decided to check out the Bergen Fortress Museum. Most of the online posts described it as free, so we thought we’d give it a shot.

It took a while to find our way in. I saw the large park-like complex in Google Maps, but you had to find the entrance that cut through the thick stone walls. We ended up just walking along the walls until we saw it. Conveniently, it was located right by the other major cruise dock, which had an AIDA ship.

In reality, it was more of a large complex made up of a lot of different buildings. While admission into the area was free, many buildings had an additional cost. For example, Hakon’s Hall, a building dating back to the early 1200s, costs around $12 to see. There wasn’t any signage indicating what was free, what cost extra, or even what museums were available.

The buildings were in fantastic condition for being over 800 years old, but overall, it wasn’t worth our stop here. Perhaps it would have been more impressive if I cared more about military installations or knew more about Norway’s history.

Bryggen

Our next stop was Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you’ve seen photos of Bergen, you’ve likely seen its row of colorful wooden buildings dating back to the 13th–17th centuries. A fire in 1702 destroyed much of the area, so the current structures date from the early 1700s.

From pictures, I expected the buildings to be perched on piers over the water, but they actually sit along the wharf with a roadway in front. At first, I missed the historic alleys, but once I found an entrance, the charm revealed itself.

Bryggen is made up of a collection of 60 or so buildings. A lot of them seemed to be dedicated to art and culture, with art studios, ceramics, jewelry shops, and wood crafts. A couple of smaller restaurants could also be found along with offices and a small museum.

I could practically feel the hundreds of years of history as I walked through the narrow wood passageways. Most buildings were two to three stories tall with separate shops and offices lining the second floors. Many of the buildings almost looked like something from Dr. Seuss or a Tim Burton movie…not a straight line to be seen, lots of warped and tilted structures that would never pass building code today.

The area grew busier as walking tours came through. Most were in other languages, so I relied on public signage to learn about the site’s history and rebuilding. In hindsight, an audio tour or museum visit would have helped me better understand the significance of Bryggen.

Norwegian Hot Dog at Trekroneren

After all the walking, it was time for a snack. We stopped by Trekroneren, just a few blocks from the Bergen Fish Market. It’s described as “the best hot dog in Norway,” and it’s hard to argue with them. While this place routinely has long lines, it was 11:19, and only two people were in line.

They had 10 different hot dog and sausage varieties. We tried the reindeer meat sausage with sweet juniper berry topping and fried onions. The hot dog was sizable, about one-third of a pound of meat. They use natural casing for their sausages, which gives them a big crunch when you bite into it. The venison spices they used worked well with the sweet sauce and the light crunch of the fried onions on top. It came out to around $9, which is quite reasonable compared to other food we’d have in Norway.

Fish Soup at Sostrene Hagelin

Next, I wanted to try fish soup, a Norwegian delicacy I read about in my research for this trip. I heard that Sostrene Hagelin (The Hagelin Sisters) had excellent fish soup from multiple posts and websites. They use the same recipe that they developed in 1929. I figured if I was going to try it anywhere, a place serving a proven recipe that’s almost 100 years old is the way to go.

The restaurant is a quaint little fast-casual restaurant located right off the main street. While some reviews mentioned it caters to cruise tourists, like myself, the only other people who ate there while we were there were locals, or at least spoke fluent Norwegian. That’s always a good sign that it’s not a tourist trap.

I ordered a small cup of fish soup with bread and butter, which cost around $15. When they brought it out, I was surprised by its size. It was quite large for a “small,” so I really hoped I liked it.

The soup was rich and creamy and had large pieces of white fish, haddock, that had a texture that reminded me of a scallop. The seafood flavor was more subtle than I thought and worked well with the buttery notes. A hint of lemon and fresh herbs brightened it and made it less of a heavy-feeling soup. It’d be perfect on a cold winter day at home.

Bergen Fish Market

Our next stop was the Bergen Fish Market. Originally, this was where local fishermen sold their daily catch, but today it feels much more like a tourist attraction. When I passed through in the morning, it was quiet and nearly empty, but by lunchtime, it was crowded.

The Fish Market isn’t one place but a series of separate vendors set up in connecting tents, so you have quite a few options to choose from there. Most places have the same offerings and very similar prices. At the end of the tents is a building with additional vendors and a small grocery store.

We walked back and forth to determine which vendor to buy from. I ended up choosing one I saw previously on YouTube, and it also had a short line. I ordered one king crab leg and one stone crab claw. It was $75 for the two together.

Tip: Prices here are definitely for tourists. For comparison, the king crab leg came out to about $127 per pound. Costco in the U.S. sells it for around $55, and Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau, Alaska, charges $75–$85. Stone crab claws were about the same price as Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami. Fish soup was also 25 – 50% more expensive than what I had earlier at Sostrene Hagelin.

After ordering, I sat in a covered tent while the staff prepared the seafood and brought it out about 2 minutes later. They had pre-cut the crab so it was easy to eat, and both items were served cold.

I had been looking forward to crab since we booked this cruise a year ago. Cold water poured out as I pulled the meat out of the king crab shell. All the meat was very watery, which I had never had before.

A quick Google search said it was a sign of a crab that wasn’t prepared correctly, likely cooked once, refrigerated, and cooked again. The stone crab claw was so much better. It was so sweet, and the meat was delicate. I’ve always wanted to try it and was glad I did. I just wish I had gotten more.

Getting Back to Celebrity Apex

After my seafood lunch, we started our 20-minute walk back to the ship. The walk wasn’t overly interesting, passing a lot of office buildings and residential apartments. Thankfully, it was all level and well-paved. We arrived back at the ship at 1 PM. Even though it was an hour before leaving, there wasn’t much of a line to get on.

As we got back onboard, I saw that the Celebrity Apex was using shore power via massive cables. That meant that while in port, the ship could connect to the local electrical grid and not run its diesel engines while stationed in port. Using shore power doesn’t always mean it’s cleaner. If the energy from the grid uses coal plants, it’d be the same, if not worse, in terms of CO2 emissions. But in Norway, 98% of the electricity comes from renewable sources like hydropower and wind, so while in port, the Celebrity Apex was quite green.

Behind the Podium Series: Introduction to Scandinavia

At 2:30 in The Theater, Celebrity hosted another “Behind the Podium” series. We attended one on day 3 (read about that here) and I found it pretty interesting, so we thought we’d give this one a shot. The topic was all about Scandinavia.

This talk was much less attended. It was silly of them to schedule it just 30 minutes after departure. The speaker went through some of the main cities in the area, the different countries, and some of their leaders. I definitely learned some things about the countries in Scandinavia, but it wasn’t as good as the previous talk we attended.

Tea at Cafe al Bacio

We stopped at Cafe al Bacio for snacks and tea. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I visited the location for their desserts several times during the cruise. The case always had cookies, cakes, and small sandwiches when other venues were closed. My favorites were the oatmeal raisin cookies and a moist yellow cake with strawberries. It was a nice variety compared to the mousse-heavy desserts I remembered from Norwegian Viva.

The cafe spans the starboard side of Deck 4 in the Grand Plaza, with a counter for orders and plenty of comfy seating by porthole windows overlooking the sea. It was busy day and night, and finding a seat could be tricky. Service was usually good, especially when servers from nearby venues helped out, though waits sometimes built up since only a few staff could make drinks.

This space was busy almost the entire cruise, day or night. On the other side of the Grand Plaza were the Craft Social Bar and Le Grand Bistro restaurant. During the mornings and midday, they’d retask servers from those venues to help take care of tables for Cafe al Bacio. That flexibility really improved service, but sometimes it could still take a while, as there were only so many people who could make drinks at one time. In addition, finding a seat could be a challenge.

That afternoon, I ordered cake and tried an iced tea from Tea Forte’s “Tea Over Ice” line. It arrived in a two-part carafe: hot tea on top, ice on the bottom. After five minutes of steeping, I poured it over ice for instant iced tea. The Green Mango Peach blend had a strong green tea base, subtle peach and mango, and a refreshing peppermint finish. It tasted refined, more like a specialty tea than the sweetened bottles you’d find at home.

Tip: While it’s not on the menu, you can get a hot chocolate from Cafe al Bacio. It’s perfect for cooler-weather cruises.

General Knowledge Trivia in The Club

After my snack, we headed to The Club to try Celebrity’s general knowledge trivia. This event had a good turnout. I’d estimate it was roughly 70% full, about 200 people. This event was a typical cruise trivia format where you get a sheet of paper, fill out the answers for 20 questions, and score yourself at the end.

The trivia was tough, much more challenging than some others that I’ve done. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, though, with people of all ages participating. On the ground floor, a group of teens was playing, and I was surprised at some of the questions they were able to get. I’d never noticed groups of teens at trivia on other cruises I’ve been on. Maybe it’s because they have more dedicated teen programming on other cruise lines.

Throughout the event, waiters circulated offering drink service. It was impressive how attentive the drink service was, considering that they don’t actively push for tips. Unlike Carnival, you don’t have to sign a receipt with a tip line, and a lot of people get a drink package with their cruise fare, so I wouldn’t expect it to be a huge revenue generator.

Medical Emergency

As we finished trivia, we were walking back to the cabin and saw a group of Celebrity staff surrounding a senior woman who was on the floor near the photo desk. We kept walking so as not to create a scene, but a minute later, the captain came on and called a “Code Alpha,” a medical emergency.

About 20 minutes later, the captain came on the speakers again to thank the staff for responding so quickly and said the woman needed to be evacuated for a medical emergency. The Norwegian Coast Guard sent a helicopter to evacuate the woman and take her to shore. He explained the Apex does not have a helicopter pad, so the helicopter would have to hover and winch onto the ship, raising the guest via cable. For me, that’d be worse than the medical emergency.

Because they didn’t know where the helicopter would need to winch, they emptied all the upper decks for 30 minutes while they took care of the guest. We heard the helicopter roar from our cabin, and then the captain announced the guest was going to the hospital and all decks were open.

Tuscan Dining Room for Chic Night Dinner

Tonight was the second “Evening Chic” night, which replaces the formal nights that used to be on most cruises. Celebrity describes it as looking glamorous in cocktail attire, dress pants, or designer jeans, with suits and ties optional. While people were generally more dressed up than usual, it felt less special than the first chic night. I kept it simple with dress pants and a button-down shirt, skipping the tie I wore earlier in the week.

We had a new waiter but the same sommelier, Russell, who impressed me by remembering our off-menu drink orders from previous nights. He checked in often with a smile and his catchphrase, “More wine, more fun.”

Tip: When staff go above and beyond, jot down their name. You can recognize them in the post-cruise survey or through the QR code in the daily schedule. I submitted feedback for Russell and even received a thank-you call from the hospitality manager.

Dinner service was slower than usual, likely because lobster night draws more people to the dining rooms. I couldn’t decide between Beef Wellington and lobster, so my waiter encouraged me to try both. The Wellington was tender and flaky, like something from The Great British Bake Off, while the lobster was a decent portion but not memorable.

Unfortunately, because of Russel’s constant topping up of my wine glass, I forgot to take pictures of the dinner menu. I did remember to take pictures of the dessert menu. I got a classic Baked Alaska which was delicious but I don’t know if it topped the apple pie dessert from other nights.

Around 8:30, the chefs and waiters paraded through the dining room to applause. Unlike other cruise lines that add singing and dancing, Celebrity kept it simple, and I appreciated the recognition for their hard work. “Sweet Caroline” played as they walked, the first time I’d heard it this sailing since the Apex doesn’t have a piano bar.

Overall, the food was excellent again, though the 90-minute service felt a bit drawn out.

Evening Entertainment on the Apex

The entertainment options felt a bit light this evening, so I bounced between different events.

Headliner in The Theater

In the main theater, they had their headliner, Nicola Loud, a British violinist who was named BBC Young Musician of the Year at the age of 15.

I’m not really a fan of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean’s use of headliners for nightly entertainment. It feels like a cheap way to provide entertainment versus full-fledged productions by the cruise line made for the cruise ships.

These people don’t work for the cruise lines per se, like other entertainment staff, but are brought on to showcase their skills. Their contracts are typically much shorter than the cruise line entertainment, so they rotate out based on sailings and itineraries. For example, since our ship was out of Southampton, all the headliners were British.

Their skill set can vary from comedy to opera to cello, but because they change frequently, they don’t have elaborate sets on stage. Thankfully, the vibrant LED screen in the theater on Apex can serve as a substitute and still provide a visually interesting background.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see Nicola’s performance because Celebrity didn’t know how to sell it in the material. I ended up standing in the back so I could slip out if needed without being noticed. She played songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Sway” by Dean Martin with a six-piece band backup. The theater was about 60% full, less than the productions we’d seen so far. Her performance was good, but not my cup of tea for main evening entertainment.

Karaoke in The Club

At the same time, karaoke was going on in The Club. The staff set up a microphone in the middle of the dance floor where the performer would stand and face the LED screen to read the lyrics. The venue felt a bit large and impersonal for karaoke, and performers wouldn’t actually face the audience, which was odd. Still, it had a good turnout, as most of the seats on the first floor were filled.

DJ Martini Beats in Grand Plaza

Oddly, they didn’t have much going on in the Grand Plaza at 9 or 9:30. They had “DJ Martini Beats,” which was basically filler or elevator music while people sat around. It was such a waste of an entertainment space. People were all around talking with friends, having cocktails, and playing cards, but the “DJ” just stayed in the corner and hit play on a playlist. It was lackluster.

Thankfully, the energy picked up during the nightly Martini Bar show, where the bartenders impress guests with their flair bartending skills.

Casino

The casino was another entertainment option, but it was pretty quiet. Less than half the seats and tables were full, and the same for the slots. Part of the problem was that the minimums for table games were fairly high. The space felt more deserted than buzzing nightlife activity.

The drink service was also not great. It took 20 minutes to get a drink while at a table, and the servers never circulated at the slots. The bar cart at the far end of the casino also didn’t have anyone staffing it.

80’s Flashback at The Club

After karaoke finished at The Club, it switched to “80’s Flashback.” The first 40 minutes of this event were structured as a contest, getting the crowd going with favorite ’80s hits. People were singing along and dancing. The energy level was super high, probably the level of a Carnival cruise party, which is a compliment. Say what you will about Carnival, but they have some of the most energetic parties at sea.

The only downside happened when the Celebrity cast dancers were brought out to fill time while the judges deliberated on the winner. It kind of ground the energy to a halt, as the audience was no longer participating but watching.

Still, after that, it successfully transitioned to a dance party. The music opened up to more than just 80’s music. This DJ, different from the ones I’d been unimpressed by in the Martini Bar, actually mixed songs together, creating good mashups and keeping the energy flowing. It was actually a solid event.

Wrapping Up Night 6

Overall, it was a good evening, but it could have used more. Then again, looking at my other cruise blogs, nights 5 and 6 always seem to be the weakest for cruise entertainment. You’ve tried most of the bars and lounges, nothing is glitzy and new, and they’re saving their best production for the last night of the cruise.

Still, I was surprised they didn’t bring out “Silent Disco” for another night, as that seemed incredibly popular with guests.

I finished up at the 80’s party around 11:30 PM, even though it was going strong, but I was tired. Thankfully, the next day would be a relaxing day at sea.

Related posts:

Celebrity Apex Norwegian Fjord Cruise Blog – Day 1 – Southampton Celebrity Apex Norwegian Fjord Cruise Blog – Day 5 – Geiranger Celebrity Apex Norwegian Fjord Cruise Blog – Day 3 – Sea Day Celebrity Apex Norwegian Fjord Cruise Blog – Day 4 – Flam