Norwegian Fjords

Hi all

I am looking to plan a trip to see the Norwegian Fjords and it is proving to be quite the task.

I am looking for a cruise which will not break the bank and is no more than 7 night long either from Copenhagen or Amsterdam strictly to the Norwegian Fjords. We are looking for Jun -Jul 2017. Can anybody recommend any cruises to the fjords excluding Disney?

If a 7 days cruise is not available can you recommend any smaller cruise ships or cruise excursions you have been on from Oslo or Bergen for example? I am thinking maybe we just go to Amsterdam (stay a couple of days) then fly to Bergen and see the fjords and then back.

Any feedback/advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance

D.

I am looking to plan a trip to see the Norwegian Fjords and it is proving to be quite the task. I am looking for a cruise which will not break the bank and is no more than 7 night long either from Copenhagen or Amsterdam strictly to the Norwegian Fjords. We are looking for Jun -Jul 2017. Can anybody recommend any cruises to the fjords excluding Disney? If a 7 days cruise is not available can you recommend any smaller cruise ships or cruise excursions you have been on from Oslo or Bergen for example? I am thinking maybe we just go to Amsterdam (stay a couple of days) then fly to Bergen and see the fjords and then back. Any feedback/advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. D.

Tell us more as to your exact budget range when you note that you are seeking a cruise that does not "break the bank". As background, Norway is not that "cheap". Sorry! Why? Their travel season is fairly short just during the summer period and Norway is a country with high labor costs and significant taxing levels. This is NOT the Caribbean or what you might find in the Med with their longer tourism seasons, etc.

Have you checked some of the "usual suspects" such as HAL, Celebrity, Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean, etc.? What works or not with them and their offerings?

Any way to get more time for this trip? It is a long way getting there and back. Plus, it is good to have some time to enjoy the opportunities to see some of the great options in either Copenhagen or Amsterdam. Both are charming and very historic cities.

For you and others considering Norway, yes, it is beautiful with an interesting range of port options. See much more below from my live/blog with many visuals and port options to consider. Also below are some trade-offs to consider on a longer versus short visit along this scenic Norway coast.

KEY NORWAY COAST CHALLENGE/QUESTION: Your major issue is whether to just focus on the lower Norway fjords, Bergen, etc. Nice and wonderful. BUT, there is the option of going up, UP farther north, above the Arctic Circle, seeing such great places as the Lofoten Islands, the North Cape, interesting cities such as Tromso and Trondheim, etc., in taking more time to go farther north. Only doing the lower portion requires less time, has more sailing/ship options and costs less. That’s very good! BUT, if you can take the added time, seeing farther up this Norway coast can be very special and unique. Especially, if you really love/seek nature, great scenery, wildlife, etc. Your choice!!??

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 208,758 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Thank you for your reply.

My preference is no more than a week long cruise. I did check the major cruise lines however the cruises are longer than 7 days. I am looking for something around 1200-1500$ pp for seven day cruise (balcony).

Since we have never been to the fjords I think southern part or the better known places in Norway will suffice. We will be in Europe for three months so travel to and from the departure port is not a problem. We cannot afford more time though on this trip because we have other trips in the works.

Also, we will be traveling with a 5 year old so cannot venture into more detailed travel. I know Disney is the best in our situation but a balcony on Disney is around 3000$ for adult :(

Thanks

D.

If it is not imperative you depart from Amsterdam or Copenhagen, there are lots of 7 night cruises to the fjords from the UK.

If you are willing to travel out of Bergen, you can take a Hurtigruten cruise for 7 days to Kirkenes, then fly back to your home location from there. Alternatively, you can do the reverse. There is a Hurtigruten ship leaving Bergen daily, but I am afraid you are going to find it more than your price limit, esp. during the summer season, esp. if you require a balcony. I was perfectly happy with an inside cabin, esp. since with the midnight sun I didn't have to try to block out the light to sleep at night. Many people with small children use this line. They have a small play room on most of the ships, but no other formal children's programs.

The best option is to find a Holland America, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Costa or Celebrity cruise out of either Copenhagen, Amsterdam or Southampton - might be more options for cruise lines or departure ports. But will be less expensive than Hurtigruten from Bergen to Kirkenes - will also add cost of flights to the costs.

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Princess has a 7 day Norwegian Fjords (1 in July and 1 in August) from London.

Holland America appears to be running 7-night cruises on the Koningsdam out of Amsterdam. The June 4, July 2, and July 30 departures all visit Eidfjord, Ålesund, Geiranger, and Bergen, which is a pretty good fjord itinerary for a 7-night sailing.

There are also some 7-night options out of Copenhagen on MSC and Costa, but I'm not a big fan of either cruiseline. For a 7-night fjord trip, I would recommend one that visits Bergen and either Geiranger or Flåm (or both).

If you opt to fly to Norway for a few days, look at the Norway in a Nutshell trip. It's not a cruise, but it's a one-day overland trip that includes Flåm (and the famous Flåmsbana railway and a ferry cruise through the Sognefjord and Nærøyfjord) as well as the scenic rail journey between Flåm and Oslo. You can either do it as a roundtrip in one day or preferably as a one-way trip between Oslo and Bergen, so you can fly into one city and out of the other, giving you a chance to visit both. It's also possible to stop off overnight around Flåm if you want to spend more time in the fjords.

Thank you so much for all the replies I will research now all the suggestions

Princess has a 7 day Norwegian Fjords (1 in July and 1 in August) from London.

Strictly speaking they are from Southampton which is 2 and a half hours from London [emoji6]

P&O do 7 night cruises to Norway (1 sea day out, 1 sea day back) every week in June/July

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HAL and other cruise lines offer a good choice for cruises, as the other posts have stated. You might want to look at the website visitnorway.com for other options--car ferries, smaller cruise possibilities, etc. I have driven from Oslo through Norway to North Cape and have found the roads good and had the flexibility of stopping where I wanted. Renting a car is an option, depending on what you want to see. The country is gorgeous and people friendly, although a bit expensive. We had some incredible experiences, like camping overlooking the fjords, etc. Good luck with your planning!

Strictly speaking they are from Southampton which is 2 and a half hours from London [emoji6]

 

P&O do 7 night cruises to Norway (1 sea day out, 1 sea day back) every week in June/July

 

 

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Princess are also doing a number of sailings from Southampton around the time that the OP is requesting. We are doing a fijord cruise leaving 1st July. It was cheaper than P&O when we booked as they were doing very low fares for children. Not sure if that offer is still on.

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