Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Norway cruise next summer, tell me everything!

34 replies

WYorksTemp · 11/10/2025 19:17

Chatting about where to go next August and suddenly DH said "I've always wanted to see the Norwegian fjords and we've never been on a cruise!" and neither of us know anything about both these things, so I am throwing myself on the mercy of MN.

  • What are the must-see destinations/ must-do excursions in Norway?
  • Can we set off from (say) Hull, or do they all depart from Southampton?
  • What cruise line?
  • Is there a family-sized cabin for 2 adults and 2 late teens, or do we need 2 cabins?
  • Is the food nice and sufficient, or should we bring supplies?
  • Most importantly, how much is it (roughly) for a week?

Many thanks in advance!

OP posts:
mondaytosunday · 13/10/2025 13:43

You are so wrong @samarrange! The towns/cities in Norway are fascinating and me and my young teen kids had a fabulous time.
Ok OP so my number one recommendation is don’t go in August! That’s when we went and it’s very much Autumn there with lots of fog - a few views were compromised due to this! Earlier in the summer or late Spring is better.
And I’d only go on Celebrity Cruises. We did a short one with P&O and the food was mediocre to poor and the ship was dirty, frankly. Anyway we weren’t there for the ship (didn’t do any of the shows etc, though my son did go to the gym), though on Celebrity the food was great.
We booked every day in port to do something different. Highlights were the walking tour of Bergen and Mt Dalsnibba (foggy but our bus broke down on the trip back down the mountain which provided some excitement - the brakes failed!!); visited a fascinating museum on one day and goodness know what else. Fabulous trip. Just not in August.

ThatLadyLady · 13/10/2025 13:48

I’m so jealous!!! I’m headed to Oslo next year because a fjord cruise is out of reach for me right now! A sauna on the fjord is a must by all accounts

YetiRosetti · 13/10/2025 13:59

I’ve done the fjords on sky princess. I actually really recommend princess as if you get their premier package it adds to the costs but works out good value and makes it feel like luxury. It includes everything - we had onboard credit but didn’t spend it as literally everything was included in our package. This meant we could get drinks delivered to the room for no extra charge - I had a 7:30am champagne when sailing into Olden! - it includes all of their speciality dining which is excellent, it includes WiFi which is really expensive on cruises (and your teens may wish to have!)

I think P&O has a cheaper price when you book but doesn’t include as much. That’s fine if you don’t want WiFi or to drink very much, but if you want to go all out consider princess and their packages. Sky Princess is a beautiful ship - Iona is nice too, but less special in my opinion.

the main thing is whichever company you go with, get a balcony cabin. Sailing through the fjords is spectacular. You actually don’t get such good views from most of the public spaces on cruise ships, as they’re floor to ceiling glass.

You’ll have a wonderful time, whoever you go with!

sonjadog · 13/10/2025 17:24

ThatLadyLady · 13/10/2025 13:48

I’m so jealous!!! I’m headed to Oslo next year because a fjord cruise is out of reach for me right now! A sauna on the fjord is a must by all accounts

You will have a great time in Oslo. The sauna by the fjord is great, definitely do it. You can also take a boat out the islands and further down the Oslo fjord if you want a watery trip. The underground takes you up behind the city so you can go walking in the woods if you want to get out of the city. Otherwise, there is lots of historical and cultural sights to see in the city.

Oslo is a good choice for a holiday. I am sure you will have a great time. :-)

ButterPiesAreGreat · 13/10/2025 21:37

ThatLadyLady · 13/10/2025 13:48

I’m so jealous!!! I’m headed to Oslo next year because a fjord cruise is out of reach for me right now! A sauna on the fjord is a must by all accounts

Our cruise next year includes the fjords and Oslo (and a couple other places)! It will complete the set of Scandinavian capitals for me.

JustMarriedBecca · 13/10/2025 22:44

Just throwing in a non cruise idea. We flew to Copenhagen, trained to Stockholm, trained to Oslo and then through the Fjords to Bergen and flew home from Bergen.
Interrail is free for kids under 12. We stayed in Air B n Bs. Much preferred Sweden to Norway. Norway was full of cruises and Americans.

Sweden far more authentic. The people are just BEAUTIFUL.

keepsmiling20 · 18/05/2026 23:24

HundredMilesAnHour · 11/10/2025 20:38

Have a look at taking the Hurtigruten instead (so fly to Bergen and join there for the trip up the coast).

www.hurtigruten.com/en-gb/about-us/voyages/why-cruise-with-hurtigruten

We did this in February and we absolutely loved it. It was cold (dropped to -22 when in Kirkenes) but you don't feel the cold as long as you have wind/waterproof jackets and wear layers. Snowy scenery was wonderful. Planning to go back again in Summer or possibly over Christmas.

If you've cruised the main lines (P&O, Royal Caribbean), it is a very different experience - no comparison. No entertainment on board, fantastic staff, mix of passengers from all over the world. Food was amazing (all local - they pick up food from their various stops). It is also the ferry and postal service - 34 stops on way up (some for only 10 mins and some in the middle of the nights). There's usually one port a day where you stop for a reasonable amount of time so you can get off and explore. Seas as flat as a pancake - much to hubby's disappointment - calmest ever winter crossing he was told!

Going in Spring/Summer would be a very different feel with lots of greenery and waterfalls and you would go down Geiranger fjord which is stunning. Even in Summer would still take gloves/hat (and be prepared for rain).

keepsmiling20 · 18/05/2026 23:52

Lucky enough to have been on a couple of Norway cruises from Southampton plus a Hurtigruten Coastal Express cruise.

If you are looking for a departure port up North, may be book via a TA as they will know all the options. Have seen Fred Olsen sail from Newcastle and there's possibly a couple of others from time to time.

We've done 5 cruises crossing the North Sea for Norway/Baltics and it's been as flat as a pancake every time (hubby not happy!).

If you think you may suffer from seasickness, would suggest take a tablet on the day of boarding and listen to the updates from the bridge. They will give you advance warning of when they are expecting rough seas and this is when to take the tablets. If you leave it until you are starting to feel unwell, it's too late. Absolutely worst case, if you are suffering, you can head down to the medical centre for an injection. It will cost but have heard it works according to parents friend! Whilst mum/dad are good travellers, their cruising buddies aren't and they've done the above for the last 35 years and as long as they've taken their tablets, they haven't suffered.

If your budget stretches to it, would go for a balcony. If you've more than 2 people in a cabin, it will either be pullmans (they drop down from the ceiling) or a sofa bed. Someone commented that the sofa beds block access to the balcony but it's never stopped us using it (we still managed to get out on the balcony) - it does stop you from opening the fridge though!!

Ports: Bergen & Stavanger are the larger of the ports. Very picturesque and lots to see. (if you are into Gardens / photography can recommend visiting Flor og Faere from Stavanger - cruise ships usually call this the Tropical Gardens of Norway). It's a little island a boat ride away and they plant the island up each year and it's a stunning floral display. You would usually need to book via a ships excursion as the timings don't work usually out to book privately.

Flam - stunning scenery. Can take the Flamsbana train (can book yourself or via cruise ship). Just make sure you're back in time to catch the ship!

Geiranger - small town at the end of a very pretty fjord. Make sure you are up on deck 45 mins before arrival as you pass the Seven Sisters and "Johnnie Walker" waterfalls. Another waterfall in town with path you can walk up to the Visitor Centre. You can also do a trip up Mt Dalsnibba. If clear day you get stunning views over the fjord. When we went, we left Geiranger in brilliant sunshine ... at the top of Mt Dalsnibba we encountered blizzard conditions and could barely see the rails let alone any view (this was early June!!). The chap wearing shorts and flip flops didn't get off the coach! We did get stunning views on the way up.

Olden - tiny town, very pretty. Trips to walk to the Brikdal Glacier or the Loen view point

Andalsnes - small town - trip to the top of the Trollroad

Alesund - large town with fantastic architecture. If you've kids, recommend the Aquarium. Can get bus or taxi there - far cheaper than ships trip. Can climb the400+ steps to the view point (or get a taxi there and walk back down).

Have fun deciding which Norwegian cruise to book!

D842AFR · 19/05/2026 04:18

Our first cruise was to the Fjords and now my OH wants to go on a cruise holiday every time! We booked with Cruise Circle. Small business but super helpful and very knowledgeable, they've helped us find the right fit every time, even when we fancied a river cruise too!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page