Talk to me about Norwegian Fjord Cruises!…

This seems to be on the agenda for next year. Been on our minds for years but after watching Gone Fishing and Sandi Toksvik progs visiting Norway appeals to both of us – but I’ve always always feared cruises. I have this image in my head of posh Butlins at sea, trapped with insufferable people! But a cruise seems to be obvious way to see them. So…

• Are they a good way to see the Fjords?
• Is it worth it!?
• Does everything cost a fortune onboard?
• Will a cruise be a nightmare!?
• Is there still an etiquette to cruises – or is that just the posh ones?
• Is there a best time to go?
• Is there a best company to use?

Can only do 7 seven nights due to work.

Sell it to me – or a better option if there is one! :-)

Did Hurtigruten, classic I think it was, up only. (Gf did up and down previously, said it was a bit the same on the way back)

I enjoyed it and would probably go again (but suspect a max of 10 or 11 days for me)

Stuff was expensive (you can buy booze in a supermarket and smuggle on it’s still exp3nsive).

Good scenery but ours was more up coast than fjordal.

Good relaxed environment, great nosh(buffet), esp if you like fish, basic gym (1 rower, 1 bike, 2 runners I think), we did trips (extra), but I loved the dog sledding (*book early as some stuff has very limited spaces), and we got off at every possible stop, walk around, coffee etc. (*you can apparently taxi it to the next port as well but I suspect that would be two arms and a leg) Staff were really good. Cabin was fine (we were at the less luxurious end), I enjoyed sitting in the lounge , eating cakes, drinking coffee and watching the mainly attractive but sometimes rather white and bleak world go slowly past.

We are going on one next year with P&O from Southampton.
We have been on a few cruises now, with Marella (TUI) and Royal Carribean.
The latter were much better for the kids , but the former were generally cheaper so we had various suites.
I would say you want at least a balcony room to get the views of the Fjords from the comfort of your room.
There are all sorts on board. Anything from Onslo to Hyacinth ( if you get the reference).
Most people we have interacted with have been nice genuine people, though we pretty much keep ourselves to ourselves. First time we went, we were worried we would be put on a large table with a load of strangers, but it was never the case.Food is generally good and there is always something for everyone.
Never felt “trapped” on board . Part of that was having a decent size room , and we would often get a “takeaway” and a few drinks and sit outside on the balcony watching the world go by.

Marella we’re all inclusive , so nothing to pay extra. RC , we had basic drinks package to pay on top ( would just pay for individual drinks next time as didn’t drink anywhere near what you needed to get your “moneys worth”. It all goes on a card which you can check , then you pay it the night before you leave .

I drove round to Kristiansand in a Mondeo. That had cruise control.

We did one with Fred Olsen last year. More of a traditional cruise than (my impression of) Hurtigruten. Ours was from Newcastle which was part of the appeal as we’re in the far north and ‘no-fly’ was attractive.

4 days were spent on route on the North Sea and we had 4 ports, plus a couple/few sightseeing fjords. Excursions were expensive so I would only pay for ‘activity’ ones and either guide yourself or pickup a guide locally in towns (FO add quite a markup – but also carry the risk of itinerary changes, which I gather aren’t unusual).

I think that most cruises are fairly relaxed these days – FO had 2 ‘formal nights’ where some people wore black tie but mostly it’s just a collared shirt and not-jeans for dinner, or go to the buffet.

We paid for the ‘drinks package’ which worked out ok as it covered GnTs, and wine with dinner, spent very little on board.

Be wary if you have dietary requirements. Despite their brochure/website promise, and us including a request on our booking and twice more before boarding, it still took a couple of days before they started to properly sort out vegan food (and on the last day, I had to send back a ‘vegan’ dish which included feta). I gather that Hurtigruten promise a full vegan menu but have seen reports that they don’t deliver.

In towns we didn’t find cafes as eye watering as we expected – eg 2x coffee and cake was c£18 in non-chain places – which was nice.

Very keen to go back to Norway.

We did a cruise around some of the Scottish islands this year, quite a small boat. Weather was crap and the week felt like quite a bit longer. No real etiquette on board apart from two formal dinners. Booze was all included and we did hit it reasonably hard.

I would never go on a cruise again based on that experience

Bookmarked. We were literately talking about this yesterday for a different 2024 holiday and exploration of my Norwegian roots!

I went on a cruise once to support my wife looking after her ill mother, around the Baltic Sea. Oslo, Copenhagen, St Petersburg, Tallin, Stockholm etc.

Expensive, constraining (no itinery flexibility as you’re ‘tied’ to a boat), 110000t Royal Carribean cruise liner felt like a cross between Butlins and a shopping mall, who gives a toss about the planet anyway…..

Summary – for grave dodgers who don’t mind an elevated risk of catching the flu and don’t care about the environmental cost of their holiday.

I’ve cycle-toured in Norway a couple of times, using the coastal steamer to head north out of Bergen, getting off early the first morning and then cycling back to Bergen over 2 weeks.

We did many of the crinkly bits (fjords in Norwegian) by ferry. Breathtaking.

The coastal steamer goes from Bergen to the far north and back over a couple of weeks.
They run day excursions for those using it as a cruise.

I want to do the mountain huts next.

Top work @mert, I’m more of a Vauxhall man myself!

Thread hijack. Anyone done a river cruise on one of those long thin Rhine cruisers? Thinking of this instead of Norway. Anyone done both. I’m not a cruise person but we need an easy break.

A cruises in Norway less bad for the environment then they are anywhere else in the world .

Diode ships are nasty horrible environmental nightmares

(Probably worse than wood burning stoves)

Did one with P&O from Southampton on the Azura for my 60th, it was flipping awesome! Had some great excursions too.
Didn’t go quite as far North as I’d have liked so we’re saving that for next time. I really want to get up to the North Cape as a bucket list entry.
I was a bit ‘Meh’ about cruising, didn’t fancy being in a floating hotel full of dicks but it’s not like that at all. There’s loads of places on board to get away from it all. Plus a good gym with bikes of the exercise variety so you can shed some lard after all the readily available 24 hour food & drink.
Go for it.

Dumb question: are dogs allowed on cruises?

Norwegian fjords intrigue me but not so much that I need to find a dog minder for three weeks or so!

Cruises not my bag. My wife did this last year and loved it.

https://www.muchbetteradventures.com/products/8226-adventures-hike-kayak-and-wild-camp-the-norwegian-fjords/

Horrible environmental impact from several aspects of cruise ships; they are (mostly) so damaging that they should probably be banned worldwide.. Look for example, at the practice of ‘washing’ the engine exhaust with sea water spray within the funnel and then dumping the effluent into the sea to disguise the manky black soot and sulphur, which reacts with sea water to make dilute sulphuric acid.
Numerous ships of major cruise lines have been found out to have modified sewage systems to secretly dump percentages of their untreated material straight over the side, saving money.
And then there’s the consumption of resources at every level, building and running them. They use the nastiest heavy fuel oils that no one else wants but as the exhaust is mostly released far out at sea, few care..
Sorry for the rant, especially if the bluntness upsets but sometimes it is right to be blunt.

Did P and O to Norway this year (not the same co as P & O Ferries, and an LNG powered ship). Good way to see the Fjords, but there is a day at sea either end which does cut into your week.

Stunning scenery, plenty to keep you busy, and fairly reasonable price. We did a couple of excursions which were well worth it. Stavanger was nice for a wander around, as were the fjord stops. One stop offered a downhill mountainbike excursion, but it turned out to be on tarmac at little more than bimbling pace so I didn’t bother.

P and O drinks prices are in GBP rather than dollars and tips are factored into the base holiday price unlike the bigger lines so its much easier to budget. Food and service not up to the level of RCI etc. but OK.

@Tired pick wisely and there will be a daily bike ride (easy stuff). Herself can stay aboard and enjoy the free tea and coffee or ride an e-bike. The Viking boats are huge and quite expensive for what they offer.

Do a roadtrip and see the fjords thst way.
Last time we went we drove to Copenhagen for my sisters wedding, then took ferry to Oslo and drove up to Dovrefjell to see the Muskox.
Then down to Bergen and Stavanger.
Was supposed to have been on ferry from there back to Denmark but it had broken down so ended up driving down the coast to Kristiansand and got the fast ferry from there.

View of fjords from Preikestolen

Well said @highlandman, unfortunately no-one’s listening.

Most people in Stavanger would prefer it if cruise ships were banned. I’d imagine it’s the same in most towns.

They bring nothing to the local economy other than the fees for docking and pollution.

Apart from that they are a huge eyesore and result in town being full of tourists wandering around and not spending any money.

Plenty of other ways to visit Norway.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/when-a-cruise-ship-is-as-big-as-its-port?mbid=social_facebook&utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=tny&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0TZ5roQH3y6XevPke17UfR3dYO5TbZzuk5IhIvI9gbYcyixMjvjVHmQVw

+1 Highlandman. Utter fetid floating environment killing sh*t shows full of w⚓️S

https://www.norwaynutshell.com/

Non cruise but planned trips so you don’t miss the best bits.

Many many years ago, I did a couple of work trips to Bergen and when the boat we were working on was unavailable our contact gave us a tour down the coast, by road and ferry. Stunning place.

We were in Norway around 5 years ago hiking, camping and traveling on the ferries, trains and buses. I was surprised at the anti-cruise ship signs that we saw in some of the towns and villages, but when a ship came in at Flam when we were there I can see why. It was awful! The fumes from the ship were trapped in the fjord and 3000+ people descended in to a small town to aimlessly wander and take over everything for the afternoon before they cleared off again.

I’ve never done a cruise and not likely too, but for me you’d be better flying to Bergen, finding air BnB or whatever accomodation and seeing the fjords from the ferries, trains and buses.

We were due to go back to tour about again, but I got the call for my knee replacement, and then covid etc …. One day we’ll be back

I think there’s a difference between the smaller ships that cruise around the coastal regions, and the horrible floating hotels complexes that most think of.
I wouldn’t be seen dead on one of those, but the small, more compact vessels that run the Scandinavian and Alaskan Arctic cruises are more aware of the issues. I’d love to do an Alaskan cruise, not just to see an extraordinary part of the world, but I’m very interested in the art and culture of the indigenous First Nations people, so it would give me an opportunity to visit a variety of different tribal communities and see their art and museums.

full of w⚓️S

Or people like my parents, who are in their eighties, and cruises are a way for them to visit places they’ve never been in a safe and supported way.

But, yeah, feel free to call my 82 year old mother a ****.

Diode ships are nasty horrible environmental nightmares

Are they the ones that only go in the same direction as the current?

And as above my octagenarrian patents have done a few cruises but they go for smaller boats rather than floating villages. (they’ve done a couple of river cruises too for whoever was asking – last summer’s was a bit of a struggle as the water levels were so low and the itinerary was hacked around)

Hurtigruten is great because they’re working ships so regular folk get on and off for short hops. Cargo gets loaded/unloaded too. We sailed from Bergen to Nordkapp; the best parts were up to Tromso, after that it gets pretty bleak! Lofoten was incredible.
Personally I found being onboard for a week a bit much and kept wishing we could hop off and get into the landscape rather than just looking at it. If we went again I’d take a tent, travel as a foot/bike passenger and hop on and off as required. There’s a boat each way every day.

Hurtigruten is great

I’d love to do Hurtigruten cruise right to the top of Norway, pricey though. In fact any trip into Norway is pricey, for food & drink anyway.

I’d love to do Hurtigruten cruise right to the top of Norway, pricey though. In fact any trip into Norway is pricey, for food & drink anyway.

Yes it’s pretty dear but not outrageous for what you get. If you book a cabin with no view you can save money, we spent as little time as possible in there because the panorama lounge was fantastic. We stuffed ourselves at the breakfast buffet each morning and a few items may have fallen into our pockets which made sandwiches for lunch. There are plenty of opportunities to hop off and visit a local supermarket, even if the ship is only in port for an hour. We avoided alcohol and either had supermarket picnics in our cabin or ate at the not-so-posh restaurant. It’s 14 years since we did this so not sure what if anything has changed since.

The Hurtigruten has been running as a coastal steamer for over 100 years, and still serves local communities along the coast in addition to providing a cruise ship function. It’s not my cup of tea, but it’s really not a dreadful cruise liner. Incidentally, from 2026 two of the most-visited fjords will only be open to zero-emission ships, although I suspect that will mean hybrid rather than full battery power, at least initially.

Personally, if I were looking for a short trip to Norway to include seeing fjords I’d probably:

1) spend a couple of days in Oslo
2) take the train from Oslo to Myrdal
3) then take the funny little Flåmsbana train down to Flåm
4) take the express ferry from Flåm to Bergen along the Sognefjord. If you’re tight for time you can do it all in one go, but I’d suggest…
5) stopping for a night at the Kviknes hotel in Balestrand, having booked a fjord view room in the old part of the hotel
6) then take the ferry on to Bergen, which is well worth a couple of nights
7) if you’re up for another boat trip Cornelius restaurant is on an island, and a fun place to visit, but there are plenty of good places to eat in the city
8) then take the train back to Oslo before returning home. If you just want to return home from Bergen you can watch the 7 hour film of the train journey to see what you’ve missed…

Was lucky enough to do a few fjord trips in the RN, notable visits to Tromso, Narvik, Stavanger and Oslo.
The scenery is mindblowing especially if theres a flat calm.

Its on my bucket list.

Incidentally, from 2026 two of the most-visited fjords will only be open to zero-emission ships,

https://www.ship-technology.com/features/future-fuel-the-pros-and-cons-of-lng-cruise-ships/

I’m with you @esselgruntfuttock, but the Norwegians will be requiring fully electric ships, albeit not initially.

The ferries across the fjords are already increasingly electric – most of those we used this summer just blast in the charge while the cars are loading.

Anyone done a river cruise on one of those long thin Rhine cruisers? Thinking of this instead of Norway. Anyone done both. I’m not a cruise person but we need an easy break.

Yep, my parents did them a few times in their seventies. They sounded slightly less awful than the sea cruises, but not very exciting.

Basically: Utter fetid floating environment killing sh*t shows full of the type of people that are attracted to cruises. Fair enough when you’re 80 I guess, but not before.

Plus a good gym with bikes of the exercise variety

The day I extol a holiday based on the fact that there are exercise bikes in a gym is the day I want you to shoot me. Please.

Lorax has some pretty good suggestions. There is a speeded up 5 minute video of the Hurtigruten sailing which gives an indication of the more interesting bits.

We drove into Flam when a huge cruise ship was there – it looked totally out of place, like someone had dropped a multi storey car park in the fjord. By coincidence a work colleague was there the next day in a tiny old cruise ship from Scotland which was much more appropriate for the location and didn’t overwhelm the facilities in the village.

The day I extol a holiday based on the fact that there are exercise bikes in a gym

Yeah, like that’s the only reason on earth I’ve done one.
I’d rather take my bike on holiday but sometimes it’s not feasible.
I was just pointing out you don’t have to be a fat bastid on a cruise, like a lot of people are.
I also pointed out that cleaner ships are available to book on nowadays, & not before time I might add.
Electric ferries will be the future but Christ knows how big the batteries would be on a floating hotel.
Hydrogen at some point?

Good resources about cruising: on YouTube emmacruises and tips for travellers

Emma also has a very good website on cruise ships, lines and different ships.

She has done a couple of river cruises.. one a viking river cruise type, another which was a biking river cruise where each day you rode from one overnight mooring point to the next with additional excursions