Country: Norway
Language: Norwegian
Local Currency: Norwegian Krone
Disembarking:
Disembarking was really straight forward. After leaving the ship there was no further security to go through. There was a tent with a shop in but nothing else. I disembarked later than most people and by that point there were no crowds at all.
The only challenge with disembarking was the stairs from the ship which were awkward to walk on (video below)
Things to do in Oslo:
As the capital city of Norway, there is plenty to do in Oslo. Unfortunately, I was there on a Monday and lots of things were closed so be sure to check before you set your heart on seeing something specific.
The port is pretty far from most attractions but there is a fort with beautiful views and the resistance museum close by. Further afield there’s lots of museums and historic buildings, including a palace. My personal highlight was visiting the Nobel Peace Centre.
Public Transport:
Public transport was not great. The port is far from the city centre (it took me 40 minutes to walk) and when I looked up buses, none of them stopped close to the terminal.
When you’re in the centre there are plenty of buses and there are also boats to take you to other parts of Oslo or for tours.
If I go to Oslo again, I will probably do an organised excursion because it was just too difficult to get from the ship to the places I wanted to see.
Embarking:
When I arrived back at dock someone checked my cruise card but other than that all security took place on the ship.
Autistic friendly?
Overall I would say Oslo is an autistic friendly city. It is quite spread out and there aren’t that many people there, even with the cruise ships, compared to other European capitals. There were crowded areas but these are easily avoided. There are lots of green spaces if you need to retreat somewhere.
Norway is known for being autistic friendly and during my short time there Oslo seemed like an accepting, inclusive place. I felt very comfortable there which is unusual for me in a new city. With a few exceptions, most people were very helpful.
Travel Autistic 