Looking for short cruise thorugh Norway's fjords

I'm starting to plan my 25 year wedding anniversary for 2018. We're considering Norway for 8 or 9 days. I'd like to do it when the kids are in school...so May or Sept/Oct.

As part of our time in Norway I'd like to get an up-close look at some fjords for several days on a cruise. Are there any that you'd recommend for such a short duration? I'm thinking 2 nights/3 days. Is there anything like that....or are they all longer? I realize we could hop on some type of day-cruise but I'd prefer something that includes a relaxing evening night as well.

We'll be in the south end of Norway, possibly flying in/out of Oslo. So the cruise would need to be somewhat accessible from there. Maybe out of Bergen?

For such a short cruise, Hurtigrutten is probably the only option. You can choose where to board and where to disembark.

https://www.hurtigruten.us/find-a-trip/#sort=recommended&asc=true

We did the short Hurtigruten cruise as part of a three week land-based Scandinavia trip. It was a great way to see the fjords. Our ship had comfortable staterooms, a good restaurant, great outside viewing decks, and sailed closer to the scenery than larger cruise ships. We embarked in Bergen and disembarked in Trondheim. There are good transportation options, both air and train, from both of these cities. Hurtigruten also offers excursions, an extra cost. We enjoyed this short cruise and would cruise with Hurtiguten again.

Thanks so much for the quick responses...just what I was looking for.

Although...as I look at their website I can only find cruises of 6 days or longer. It's strange, I can find several paragraphs that describe a 2 day cruise...but I can't find any info about it on their website.

You need to search for port to port to get the required days you want.

Thanks so much for the quick responses...just what I was looking for.

 

Although...as I look at their website I can only find cruises of 6 days or longer. It's strange, I can find several paragraphs that describe a 2 day cruise...but I can't find any info about it on their website.

I don't know if this will help but anyway: Find a voyage -> select where you want to board (from) like Bergen, and where you want to Disembark (to), like Trondheim.

Bergen to Trondheim will take approx 48 hours and will sail via Geriranger.

Oh...I see. So it appears this is more of a ferry trip (I've got to get from point A to point B) vs. a cruise. I guess that should be expected for such a short duration. Thanks

A good option might be:

Train from Oslo to Bergen

Hurtigruten to Trondheim

Train from Trondheim back to Oslo

Both train journeys are very scenic and would complement seeing the coast from the ship? https://www.nsb.no/en/frontpage

Norway is on my bucket list. IMO, Hurtigruten does not really do the fjords. I have thought that I would like to stay in the Lofton Islands for several days and Hurtigruten would be a way to "ferry" there.

There are several cruises that include Flam and the Sognefjord.

From June to August, Hurtigruten ships sail into the Geirangerfjord on the second day from Alesund (and that takes the whole day, sailing in and out). You can exit the ship in Geiranger and take a bus excursion back that will take you on Trollstigen. In September and October, instead of Geirangerfjord the ships sail into Hjorundfjord (probably as beautiful as Geiranger, just less hyped).

So if you do Bergen-Trondheim with Hurtigruten between June and October, with 2 nights on board, most of the full day of sailing is actually dedicated to sailing in and out a beautiful, spectacular fjord. The rest of the time, the landscape you can see from the ship is also quite nice.

I think gaelsail's advice is quite nice.

Norway is on my bucket list. IMO, Hurtigruten does not really do the fjords. I have thought that I would like to stay in the Lofton Islands for several days and Hurtigruten would be a way to "ferry" there.

 

There are several cruises that include Flam and the Sognefjord.

How can you say that Hurtigruten does not "really do the fjords"??? It is absolutely the best way to see all of the Norwegian coast (including fjords) north of Bergen! It does not include the southern fjords, but goes to many, many locations that the big cruise lines do not, is always in sight of land, and stops at many tiny towns and ports that you will never see on a regular cruise ship.

You can certainly break-up your Hurtigruten trip to take extra time in areas like the Loftons. When I went there was a couple who rented a car at the Bodo stop, put it onto the Hurtigruten ship (yes, it does also serve as a ferry) and then got off in the Loftons for a week driving trip. They returned the same way, dropping the car off in Bodo on the way back to Bergen on a southbound ship (not the same one).

There is a Hurtigruten ship leaving Bergen every day. Stopping at Trondheim or the Loftons will leave out some of the most beautiful parts of this voyage though. Many people take the 6 day from Bergen to Kirkenes and then fly back to Oslo or Bergen from there (or fly into Kirkenes from Bergen or Oslo and take the 6 day trip back to Bergen).

Personally, I flew from LAX to Oslo (Norwegian Air) and then took the beautiful train trip from there to Bergen (6 hours). After my cruise I took the train back, but stopped in Myrdal and took the train to Flam and back. You can also do a "Norway in a Nutshell" trip this way if you really want to see Flam and the Sognefjord, since they are not included in the Hurtigruten cruises.

How can you say that Hurtigruten does not "really do the fjords"... ...Many people take the 6 day from Bergen to Kirkenes and then fly back to Oslo or Bergen from there.

the question was....

As part of our time in Norway I'd like to get an up-close look at some fjords for several days on a cruise. Are there any that you'd recommend for such a short duration? I'm thinking 2 nights/3 days.

 

We'll be in the south end of Norway, possibly flying in/out of Oslo. So the cruise would need to be somewhat accessible from there. Maybe out of Bergen?

Oh...I see. So it appears this is more of a ferry trip (I've got to get from point A to point B) vs. a cruise. I guess that should be expected for such a short duration.

You are on the same ship as does the 12-day coastal voyage, just disembarking early. It is a working ship but the experience is of a cruise ship where the entertainment is the scenery and ports.

The ships can be found here- varying from the historic to the modern.

https://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/our-ships/#destinations=1583&sort=header&asc=true

A good option might be:

 

Train from Oslo to Bergen

Hurtigruten to Trondheim

Train from Trondheim back to Oslo

 

Both train journeys are very scenic and would complement seeing the coast from the ship? https://www.nsb.no/en/frontpage

This plan, in September/October, is a perfect answer to the OP's query. I would choose maybe late September/early October to have the autumn colors (not late October when the leaves may already have fallen off). The ship will sail into Hjorundfjord which is a spectacular fjord.

Instead of just the train from Oslo to Bergen, you can do the Norway in a Nutshell itinerary which includes a sailing on the Naeroyfjord. http://norwaynutshell.com/

You don't say where you are coming from. There are several 7 to 10 day cruises to Norway's Fjords from the UK or from Holland. They would be on larger ships than the Hurtigruten fleet.

The Hurtigruten ships are not really the working ships they used to be. Norway has massively improved its transport infrastructure on its west coast so that the ships are not much used these days for transporting goods and people in the way they were 40 years ago. The modern Hurtigruten ships are almost entirely given over to tourism. They do have that advantage of docking right in the town centre at their various stops whereas bigger Cruise Ships might well be some distance away.

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I'm not sure if it's better to revive this thread or start a new one...so I'm reviving. All the specifics above are still valid and we're getting ready to firm up travel. We want to start our time on the Hurtigruten ship in Bergen and get off several days later in Trondheim. But I can't find any way on the web site to just buy that portion of a cruise. I see where I can start longer cruises out of Bergen, and there are plenty of options for Sept 2018. But they're all in the £1,300 range for a week or more. How do I book for just 3 days of a longer cruise? I was hoping to find something similar to train web sites where I said I want to go from City A to City B on a specific day...but I can't figure that out. Do I have to call them?

Thanks

You can only book partly at Hurtigruten.no - here you can specify from to. not at web outside Norway. Also notice that prices tend to be lower at the Norwegian web than the others. Only problem is in Norwegian language. Best alternative would be to call you local Hurtigruten office. Find them at Hurtigruten.com.

It might very well be more expensive with a partial tour than the full Bergen to Kirkenes.

I did Bodø to Kirkenes last year - let me know if I can assist.

My review at http://midtnightsuncruise.blogspot.com

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