Norway cruise/european summer cruise

[Pensionquery101]

It seems like I might have more free time than I imagined this summer and my mother has suggested she takes me on a cruise!

she would like to go back to Norway as she did a cruise with my late dad many years ago.

I know nothing of cruises but my mother reminds me I have the ‘iPad’ to look things up.

i think we have a budget of about £5000. I would like a smaller ship. (I'm see the P and O Iona had 5000 passengers). I think 7 days would be enough that we don’t fall out!
can I specific a twin room? That would keep costs down.

any advice or suggestions gratefully received. Or somewhere else in Europe to cruise in the summer. But nowhere too hot!!

TIa

Have a look at ambassador cruises, they are smaller ships and adult focussed (usually adults only). My mum and dad have been on them and say they are much more like the traditional cruises with everyone dressing up for formal nights etc. They also have ships which go from different places in the UK. A lot of 2025 ones seem to be sold out but there is a 7 night Fjords from London Tilbury in an outside cabin for under £2500 total on 21st July. The cabin picture had twin beds!

We are going on a norweigan cruise this year, but going with p&o. Take a look on seascanner, it has plenty of filters and will show you all cruises available. I think the vast majority of rooms can we twin or dbl rooms (they just push the beds together).

P&O in the summer holidays is horrendous! I have been on all the P&O ships as well as with other cruise lines! Iona & Arvia are my least favourites. P&O is no longer what it once was in terms of luxury! So, if your mum went many years ago with P&O the. She may notice the cut backs.

Having said that, a weeks cruise on Iona around the Norwegian Fjords is good value for what you will pay especially for two of you in an inside cabin.

You could look at Princess Cruises or as PP says above Ambassador - Ambassador have some good smaller ships.

Norway is my favourite country in the world both on a cruise and off it, a week round the more southern fjords will barely scratch the surface so if I had 5000 to spend I'd be looking at The land of the Midnight Sun cruise with Princess and see further North!

P&O in the summer holidays is horrendous! I have been on all the P&O ships as well as with other cruise lines! Iona & Arvia are my least favourites. P&O is no longer what it once was in terms of luxury! So, if your mum went many years ago with P&O the. She may notice the cut backs.

This. We’ve done P & O, I went on Oriana in 2001 and it was beautiful with a spacious feel. But then they shoved more cabins in at the expense of public spaces. The last P&O we did was the Fjords on Ventura in 2010. It was ok it not a patch on the older ships like Oriana and Aurora. Wouldn’t pay to go with P&O again. Their ships are just too big now.

Definitely look at MSC Yacht Club. We went on one last year and it was amazing. Although the ships are big, you get an exclusive area so hardly see anyone else. And you get priority disembarking

My first was in 1992 on Canberra when I was 9! God it was so fancy & posh and small!! It's great that it's accessible to everyone now but it annoys me that P&O still try to advertise as being 5* when really it's no more than 3 and the sheet volume of passengers means there is absolutely no chance of the personal service you used to receive!

Princess cruises are lovely and a cut above p&o in all aspects imo. Msc Yacht Club is a good shout too, although their shows aren't as good if that is important to you.
I haven't travelled Ambassador myself but have heard poor things about them. An older relative of mine raves about the quality of Fred Olsen.

Thank you this is all useful information and will follow up. I think p and o Iona is too big
pretty sure my parents went on a med cruise is on orianna many years ago.

I think we’re not interested in too much entertainment or pools so something smaller would be better. Don’t want to have formal evenings either. It’s so interesting. You see the base price but by the time you add on bits it’s doubled!