Norwegian Fjord Cruise

[macaroni]

Looking for suggestions of cruise lines that go further north....would like a 11 or 12 day cruise if possible. Which are the most popular ships that do this itinerary....important to go to the Arctic Circle....

[jenf22]

Looking for suggestions of cruise lines that go further north....would like a 11 or 12 day cruise if possible. Which are the most popular ships that do this itinerary....important to go to the Arctic Circle....

 

RCL has an 11-night Arctic Circle cruise on Serenade of the Seas. I looked at it briefly before decided to just do the 7-night fjord. I bet there are others...

[Ine]

Holland America has a few sailings as far north as Honingsvag (Norway) above the arctic circle, Iceland and even to Spitzbergen on either ms Prinsendam and Rotterdam.

[Dididi]

If you're looking for specific ports or locations, look them up here:

 

http://www.cruisetimetables.com/#destports

 

The Pacific Princess does a 16-day cruise to Honningsvag and Spitzbergen every year. In summer months, approximately 30 ships from a variety of lines go to Honnigsvag in 12-14 day itineraries. Some ships go all the way to Kirkenes (near the Russian border), but I only found a handful of 2015 dates for such cruises. The cruisetimetables site helps you figure out your choices in terms of dates, length of cruise, and cruise line, and then you shop for your cruise elsewhere. We used it to find out cruise choices to Cagliari (Sardinia), and have also used it in the past to figure out how many other cruise ships will be in port the same day as our ship.

[LondonTowner]

Fred Olsen from the UK and Hurtigruten both operate smaller ships and go to the Arctic Circle.

[OceanPrince]

I'm going on the 15-day 'Norway & North Cape' cruise on the Caribbean Princess this June. It's designed to reach the most northern point in continental Europe around the summer solstice which means 24 hours of daylight. It also visits the popular Arctic town of Tromso. But one major reason I chose this cruise is because of Lofoten Island. I plan to drive down to the town of Reine and hike this mountain.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/06/reine-norway-fishing-village_n_6083944.html

[dsrdsrdsr]

P&O and Fred Olsen both do frequent cruises up there. Cruises & Maritime do a few, they're a cheaper line which I haven't tried but a couple we know like them better than P&O. I dare say Cunard send some ships up there too. Maybe Saga if you're over 50.

[dsrdsrdsr]

I'm going on the 15-day 'Norway & North Cape' cruise on the Caribbean Princess this June. It's designed to reach the most northern point in continental Europe around the summer solstice which means 24 hours of daylight. It also visits the popular Arctic town of Tromso. But one major reason I chose this cruise is because of Lofoten Island. I plan to drive down to the town of Reine and hike this mountain.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/06/reine-norway-fishing-village_n_6083944.html

 

There's quite a wide range of dates that would achieve that. Tromso is 24-hour daylight from 19th May to 29th July, and the North Cape is quite a way north of that.

[Splinter]

I am going in May on Hurtigruten (the Trollfjord). Not a traditional cruise line (no entertainment, for example), but highly recommended if you want to really see the Norwegian coast. They have 8 ships, which also serve as ferries and freight delivery ships for the various ports. Traditional cruise ships do not stay as close to shore as these ships do, and stop at fewer ports, although for longer times. I am doing the 11 day round trip from Bergen and so looking forward to it!

[TLCOhio]

Looking for suggestions of cruise lines that go further north....would like a 11 or 12 day cruise if possible. Which are the most popular ships that do this itinerary....important to go to the Arctic Circle....

 

Lots of good suggestions have been made on this thread. As my live/blog connected below details, there are many great potentials along this scenic coast. Below are some of notes on the trade-offs for doing just the Bergen-fjord areas versus going farther up north.

 

One of the special areas along this coast are the Lofoton Islands. Amazing areas. Below are a few visuals from there a couple of area north of the Arctic Circle. Happy to share more, answer any added questions, etc.

 

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 more 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 175,278 views.

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

 

 

As we departed Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands of Norway on a perfect, sunny day, these are two of the green, tree-covered mountains rising up from the sea that we saw with the small out-islands in the foreground.:

 

 

 

This is one of my many puffin visuals, showing their bright orange feet, plus their cute and unique beaks. We had a private boat from the harbor in Gjesvaer near the North Cape at the top of Norway.:

 

 

 

Here is one view of the North Cape as we approached and the clouds started to clear and the sun broke through showing a great blue sky.:

 

 

 

We went to the end of the road as our “adventure” in the dramatic Lofoten Islands with our rental car. We stopped in a village called “A”. In their alphabet, this “A” has a small “o” above the letter. This is a simple name for a charming fishing town with spectacular scenery. We brought along box lunches from the ship and dined on a picnic table on the wooden dock with water and sights all around us. This was our dining view with the busy and noisy birds providing entertainment!!:

 

 

 

As we drove back in the Lofoten Islands along the western Norway Coast, here is a view, among many great ones that we enjoyed.:

 

 

 

From the portside control area, here is the view as our ship sailed up this narrow 300’ wide passage in the Trollfjord as a part of the Lofoten Islands along the scenic Norway coast. :

 

[pmjnh]

We are going on the 14 night Voyage of the Midnight Sun this summer that starts in Harwich,UK and goes up the coast of Norway to Honningsvag on the northern tip, and then back, stopping in many ports along the way. It is on the HAL MS Ryndam.

 

 

Terry in Ohio, GORGEOUS photos! Thanks for posting them!

[TLCOhio]

Terry in Ohio, GORGEOUS photos! Thanks for posting them!

 

Appreciate these kind viewpoint on my pictures for our friend in New England. Glad to know you're a person of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make these generous comments.

 

With your July cruise timing, that will be the "best of the best" for the weather along that scenic coast. Good luck with your "adventure"!!

 

Below is a little more on the Lofotens. Let us know any added questions.

 

Lofoten Island: This 70-miles long island archipelago has natural surroundings regarded to be among the most stunning in Norway, with mountains, peaks, cliffs and white sandy beaches. The remote southern islands of Vaeroy and Rost are rated as world-class bird sanctuaries having nesting places for millions of seabirds along its cliffs. There are 35,000 people living on all of the islands and they are 886 miles northeast of Bergen. In November 2007, National Geographic Traveler rated the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway the third most appealing islands in the world. The Gulf Stream contributes to its seasonal fishing success. In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun) is above the horizon from May 26 to July 17 and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 to January 4.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 20,560 views for these postings.

 

 

An historic seaport and cod fishing center is Nusfjord a few miles east of the main south-bound road in the Lofoten Islands. It is one of Norway’s oldest and best preserved fishing villages (fiskevaer). Here is one of its buildings and its harbor. There is also a cod processing building with various visuals to see for that historic era. The old Fish Oil Mill is used for exhibiting items from the Fish Buying Station or fiskemottak. They show a film called “The people and the fish”. The mill was built around 1910. Here fish oil was produced from fish liver. The fish was retrieved from the Buying Station then, transported by rowboat to the mill. Cod liver oil was a very attractive export product, used in industrial production and for medicinal purpose. We also got some great pictures of its birds perched on a large rock, etc. You can see more details from this website:

http://www.nusfjord.no/EN/nusfjord/index_new_eng.html:

 

 

 

Here are some of the many wooden racks for fish drying on these islands that we checked out during our drive south in the Lofoten Islands.:

 

 

 

Near the main E10 roadway in the southern part of the Lofoten Island is this historic Flakstad Kirke church that was built in 1780. It has a Russian design/look as certain of its materials were donated by those from that country.:

 

 

 

Here is one of our first Lofoten Islands views from a stop early in the trip south as we drove towards "Å".

 

[pmjnh]

Thanks, Terry, beautiful! I wish our cruise was going to the Lofoten Islands.

 

Terry, which bird tour did you take from Gjsaever? We are booked on the small boat tour , the Aurora..8 persons max.

[I-Cruiser]

"With your July cruise timing, that will be the "best of the best" for the weather along that scenic coast. Good luck with your "adventure"!!

 

 

I just have to set things straight here in regards to the quote above taken from another post.

 

Statistically July is a very wet month. June and August has always been the best months for visiting Norway weather wise.

 

 

Also, Trondheim is NOT above the Arctic Circle as quoted here:

 

"...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.."

 

Tronndheim is actually 477 KM or a 7 hr drive from the said circle.

Edited March 29, 2015 by I-Cruiser

[Pluto_fan]

MSC and NCL also both offer cruises north of the Arctic circle. We're going all the way up to Spitsbergen on MSC this summer.

[I-Cruiser]

Lets also not forget the two British cruise lines (Fred Olsen and CMV) doing Northern Lights cruises to Norway on selected months during the winter.

These voyages are hugely popular.