Book a cruise to Norway before they're gone?

[woostergirl]

I just listened to Gary Bembridges latest podcast episode: These 7 Things Throw Norwegian Fjord Cruisers Every Time!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/essential-cruise-tips/id786541438

 

And he said that Norway on Jan. 1, 2026, will begin a ban on cruise ships powering through the Unesco-listed heritage fjords on anything but zero-emissions propulsion. So that the number of cruise ships going to Norway will be severely impacted. So of course now Norway is on the top of my cruising list! On the podcast Gary also mentioned that Norway is like Alaska on steroids but without animals.

 

Our family (with two kids 11 and 7) just did a 9 night Alaska cruise this past summer and really enjoyed it. We went inshore fishing and ate our fish in Ketchikan, saw brown bears and whales at Icy Strait Point and saw sea otters, seals and mountain goats cruising through Glacier Bay National Park.

 

But I'm wondering if Norway is a good destination for kids? Are excursions just as expensive in Norway as they are in Alaska? It would be great to hear from families who cruised to Norway with their kids.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[kaisatsu]

Have you watched his YouTube video with the same content? I think the visuals help highlight the differences.

 

We are already seeing cutbacks in cruises visiting some of the ports. Re: the UNESCO-listed fjords, it’s a bit of a grey area since the UNESCO entry is for the entirety of the Norwegian fjord system, but only two are mentioned by name: Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord.

 

Most cruiseships never fit through Nærøyfjord in the first place, and the passenger/sightseeing ferries mostly switched to electric years ago. The bigger change is in Geirangerfjord, and we are already seeing ships stopping short in Hellesylt. However, like visiting Nærøyfjord from Flåm, there will likely be sightseeing options covering the protected area.

 

The bigger changes won’t be coming from these environmental regulations but more from public pushback, which I think Gary also mentioned. Some ports are putting more limits on cruise visitors already, but these things change from year to year.

 

I don’t have kids, but I would say that the Alaska itineraries are generally more kid-friendly because they are more typical cruise ports with lots of excursion companies serving the market. Norwegian towns are much smaller and much less focused on catering to the cruise industry. You can certainly find a kid-friendly itinerary, but you will need to look specifically for which places would be of interest and what to do there. The primary draw of the Norwegian fjords is to sit back and admire the scenery.