Norway Cruise - Fjords ?

[mlh0500]

My apology if I have overlooked or misunderstood any of the posts I have read.  The more I read the more I come to understand not all Norway cruises sail into the fjords - correct ? Between several boards and Google I still cannot seem to grasp how to determine which cruises actually sail into the fjords. We currently have a reservation on Norwegian Star for a 13 day trip May 2025 sailing from Reykjavik but thinking it will not be sailing into the fjords. Any help is greatly appreciated.  Final payment has not yet been made so it isn't too late to keep shopping. Thanks in advance.

[hallasm]

50 minutes ago, mlh0500 said:

I come to understand not all Norway cruises sail into the fjords - correct ?

Yes, correct

The ports in the three iconic deep fjords are Geiranger, Flåm and Olden. 

No deep fjords in the Norwegian Star May 2025 sailing from Reykjavik - only coastal cities:

Longyearbyen (Spitzbergen),Norway

Honningsvåg,Norway

Alesund,Norway

Bergen,Norway

Kristiansand,Norway

 

Edited July 20 by hallasm

[karatemom2]

We were so glad we did our research and went this year before things started changing. We just got back from our Princess cruise that included Geiranger, Flåm, and Olden. I feel so fortunate we made all three. As I look at next year’s options those places look very hard to find. I’m assuming it’s due to the new requirements going into place on emissions and sizes of ships in the fjords. If you can find a cruise that includes at least two, especially Geiranger, I would jump

on it. 

[mlh0500]

3 hours ago, hallasm said:

Yes, correct

The ports in the three iconic deep fjords are Geiranger, Flåm and Olden. 

No deep fjords in the Norwegian Star May 2025 sailing from Reykjavik - only coastal cities:

Longyearbyen (Spitzbergen),Norway

Honningsvåg,Norway

Alesund,Norway

Bergen,Norway

Kristiansand,Norway

 

Thank you so very much.  You have saved me lots of $ and disappointment !  I really appreciate your time.

 

[mlh0500]

1 hour ago, karatemom2 said:

We were so glad we did our research and went this year before things started changing. We just got back from our Princess cruise that included Geiranger, Flåm, and Olden. I feel so fortunate we made all three. As I look at next year’s options those places look very hard to find. I’m assuming it’s due to the new requirements going into place on emissions and sizes of ships in the fjords. If you can find a cruise that includes at least two, especially Geiranger, I would jump

on it. 

 

[mlh0500]

Thank you very much !  I will look into alternative cruises. We have always sailed Princess but because I thought we had to go to the Cape I discounted them.  Thank you so much for saving us money and disappointment.  I am sure it is all beautiful but my husband's bucket list was going through the fjords.  Thanks again for your time and feedback.

[mlh0500]

Thank you so much to everyone that replied.  I believe I replied to each of you but in case I didn't...  THANKS !  I appreciate you taking the time to educate me 

[karatemom2]

31 minutes ago, mlh0500 said:

Thank you so much to everyone that replied.  I believe I replied to each of you but in case I didn't...  THANKS !  I appreciate you taking the time to educate me 

Glad this helped. I hope you find the perfect itinerary. Here is the review I did of our recent cruise if it helps provide some inspiration or ideas on ports and tours. 
 

 

[mlh0500]

10 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

Glad this helped. I hope you find the perfect itinerary. Here is the review I did of our recent cruise if it helps provide some inspiration or ideas on ports and tours. 
 

 

Thanks !  I will check out your trip report - thank you for sharing.  It appears that Celebrity might be our only option. I'll keep digging 🙂

 

[kaisatsu]

There are some other fjord ports, but those are the three favorites, due to combinations of the scenery and the infrastructure for port visits (tour options, activities, etc).

 

Beyond the changing emissions rules, we’ve also seen a huge increase in traffic to the fjords due to the Russia sanctions causing a huge drop-off in Baltic Sea itineraries. A lot of the northern Europe market has moved to Norway, but the small ports can’t handle a lot of traffic, and a lot of less-popular alternative ports have begun appearing.

 

Skjolden has been courting cruise ships for a few years now as an alternative to Flåm for as Sognefjord.l cruising. A few smaller ships call at Gudvangen, which is even more scenic than Flåm but too narrow for larger ships. Nordfjordeid has a shorter sail-in than Olden but shares some scenery en route. Hellesylt is the final town before Geiranger and will be the farthest many ships can go towards Geiranger once the zero-emissions rules take effect. These kinds of ports are great if you’re more interested in the scenic cruising and don’t care as much what there is to do in port.

 

A useful guide for understanding the Norwegian fjord ports is to look them up in something like Google Maps. The farther from open seas, and the narrower the water channels to get there, the more scenic cruising you’ll have.

 

Among the southern coastal ports, Bergen and Ålesund are the favorites, with Trondheim, Åndalsnes, Stavanger, and Molde in the medium tier (plus Haugesund if you’re interested in WWII history).

 

The cruise you listed includes the Arctic. In northern Norway, Tromsø and Lofoten Islands (Leknes, Gravdal, Svolvær, etc) are the highlights, along with Honningsvåg to visit North Cape.

 

Longyearbyen is wholly unique, and takes you to the high Arctic, where few people live or visit. It’s a unique environment and a destination for expedition cruising to spot wildlife. My first visit was on a traditional cruise, and it was a great chance to see this unusual landscape and lifestyle before going back for a pricey multi-day expedition.

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, mlh0500 said:

My apology if I have overlooked or misunderstood any of the posts I have read.  The more I read the more I come to understand not all Norway cruises sail into the fjords - correct ? Between several boards and Google I still cannot seem to grasp how to determine which cruises actually sail into the fjords. We currently have a reservation on Norwegian Star for a 13 day trip May 2025 sailing from Reykjavik but thinking it will not be sailing into the fjords. Any help is greatly appreciated.  Final payment has not yet been made so it isn't too late to keep shopping. Thanks in advance.

I see you found the forum that I recommended to you. I am happy you seem to be getting the information you requested. Feel free to come back when you find an itinerary that may suit you more and ask for comments.

[mlh0500]

53 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I see you found the forum that I recommended to you. I am happy you seem to be getting the information you requested. Feel free to come back when you find an itinerary that may suit you more and ask for comments.

Yes, thanks again.  I've gotten great information here!

[mlh0500]

2 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

There are some other fjord ports, but those are the three favorites, due to combinations of the scenery and the infrastructure for port visits (tour options, activities, etc).

 

Beyond the changing emissions rules, we’ve also seen a huge increase in traffic to the fjords due to the Russia sanctions causing a huge drop-off in Baltic Sea itineraries. A lot of the northern Europe market has moved to Norway, but the small ports can’t handle a lot of traffic, and a lot of less-popular alternative ports have begun appearing.

 

Skjolden has been courting cruise ships for a few years now as an alternative to Flåm for as Sognefjord.l cruising. A few smaller ships call at Gudvangen, which is even more scenic than Flåm but too narrow for larger ships. Nordfjordeid has a shorter sail-in than Olden but shares some scenery en route. Hellesylt is the final town before Geiranger and will be the farthest many ships can go towards Geiranger once the zero-emissions rules take effect. These kinds of ports are great if you’re more interested in the scenic cruising and don’t care as much what there is to do in port.

 

A useful guide for understanding the Norwegian fjord ports is to look them up in something like Google Maps. The farther from open seas, and the narrower the water channels to get there, the more scenic cruising you’ll have.

 

Among the southern coastal ports, Bergen and Ålesund are the favorites, with Trondheim, Åndalsnes, Stavanger, and Molde in the medium tier (plus Haugesund if you’re interested in WWII history).

 

The cruise you listed includes the Arctic. In northern Norway, Tromsø and Lofoten Islands (Leknes, Gravdal, Svolvær, etc) are the highlights, along with Honningsvåg to visit North Cape.

 

Longyearbyen is wholly unique, and takes you to the high Arctic, where few people live or visit. It’s a unique environment and a destination for expedition cruising to spot wildlife. My first visit was on a traditional cruise, and it was a great chance to see this unusual landscape and lifestyle before going back for a pricey multi-day expedition.

Thank you so much for the great information! I think the maps I had been looking at were not the best and not being familiar with this area at all I wasn't interpreting them correctly.  Looks like I have done work to do today.  Many of the cruises are near capacity or at least there are few desirable cabins remaining so I must hurry ! I understand why but still surprised at the number of early bookings. Thank you for the invaluable info!

[edinburgher]

20 minutes ago, mlh0500 said:

Many of the cruises are near capacity or at least there are few desirable cabins remaining so I must hurry ! I understand why but still surprised at the number of early bookings

It is possible that, as more and more people become aware of the changes coming in 2026, they are bringing forward future plans to sail 2025 instead, and as they anticipate an increase in demand, are booking early.

 

I wouldn't stress too much about the availability of "desirable" cabins as you may find you spend more time outside viewing either on deck or from observation lounges.

Edited July 21 by edinburgher

[mlh0500]

1 hour ago, edinburgher said:

It is possible that, as more and more people become aware of the changes coming in 2026, they are bringing forward future plans to sail 2025 instead, and as they anticipate an increase in demand, are booking early.

 

I wouldn't stress too much about the availability of "desirable" cabins as you may find you spend more time outside viewing either on deck or from observation lounges.

To me, less desirable cabins are the ones with the dining room, theatre, etc. above. Our Baltic Sea cruise had a built in alarm clock - 4:30am the crew began setting up the dining room and even worse, the deck above us. We were surprised how loud it was and that was a newer Princess cruise. This is the problem with HAL at the moment... I'm sure it will all work out !  Thanks again for your help.

[edinburgher]

On 7/21/2024 at 3:17 PM, mlh0500 said:

To me, less desirable cabins are the ones with the dining room, theatre, etc. above. Our Baltic Sea cruise had a built in alarm clock - 4:30am the crew began setting up the dining room and even worse, the deck above us.

i know how you feel.

 

We were one time underneath the pool and promenade deck and heard all the scraping and hosing when that area was being set up with loungers and cleaning early every morning. From then on we chose our cabin in a location which had cabins both above and below us.

[mlh0500]

1 hour ago, edinburgher said:

i know how you feel.

 

We were one time underneath the pool and promenade deck and heard all the scraping and hosing when that area was being set up with loungers and cleaning early every morning. From then on we chose our cabin in a location which had cabins both above and below us.

Exactly ! I will keep looking because I don't want the noise factor again. I am a morning person but 4 - 5am is too early 🙂

 

[Kiwi Afloat]

Check out Havila. A bit different from mainstream lines but local, new hybrid ships and does full coast of Norway. There are YouTube videos on them too. Enjoy your research, I think of it as part of the fun 😁

[mlh0500]

1 hour ago, Kiwi Afloat said:

Check out Havila. A bit different from mainstream lines but local, new hybrid ships and does full coast of Norway. There are YouTube videos on them too. Enjoy your research, I think of it as part of the fun 😁

Thank you.  I was thinking earlier today that I need to venture outside of the lines I am familiar with.  Yes,  I love the planning and research part!

[hallasm]

25 minutes ago, mlh0500 said:

I was thinking earlier today that I need to venture outside of the lines I am familiar with.

Havila and Norway's coastal route is a really nice experience with beautiful scenery and good food, but bear in mind that it is not a traditional cruise line but a ship on a regular schedule with 34 port stops from Bergen to Kirkenes - a number of stops at night where goods and cars loaded and unloaded - avoid the cabin on the port side of the ship.

[mlh0500]

3 hours ago, hallasm said:

Havila and Norway's coastal route is a really nice experience with beautiful scenery and good food, but bear in mind that it is not a traditional cruise line but a ship on a regular schedule with 34 port stops from Bergen to Kirkenes - a number of stops at night where goods and cars loaded and unloaded - avoid the cabin on the port side of the ship.

Thanks !

[linknis]

On 7/20/2024 at 6:38 PM, karatemom2 said:

We were so glad we did our research and went this year before things started changing. We just got back from our Princess cruise that included Geiranger, Flåm, and Olden. I feel so fortunate we made all three. As I look at next year’s options those places look very hard to find. I’m assuming it’s due to the new requirements going into place on emissions and sizes of ships in the fjords. If you can find a cruise that includes at least two, especially Geiranger, I would jump

on it. 

Geiranger - looking for input.    I'm torn between two itineraries.  The one (Celebrity)  cruises to Geiranger, Flam and Bergen  (7 day from Southhampton)    The other is 10 days,  starting in Iceland, visiting Alesund Flam and Bergen, with 3 ports in Iceland.  I love the idea of the 10 days and visiting Iceland,   but I was looking forward to cruising to Geiranger... NCL   

Is there a significant diffirence between Flam and Geiranger?  or are they similar in scenery.  You have been to both,  what are your thoughts?  

 

[karatemom2]

1 minute ago, linknis said:

Geiranger - looking for input.    I'm torn between two itineraries.  The one (Celebrity)  cruises to Geiranger, Flam and Bergen  (7 day from Southhampton)    The other is 10 days,  starting in Iceland, visiting Alesund Flam and Bergen, with 3 ports in Iceland.  I love the idea of the 10 days and visiting Iceland,   but I was looking forward to cruising to Geiranger... NCL   

Is there a significant diffirence between Flam and Geiranger?  or are they similar in scenery.  You have been to both,  what are your thoughts?  

 

Both are beautiful, but yes, there is a huge difference. Geiranger is in a class of its own. Jaw droppingly beautiful - just seeing the Seven Sisters waterfalls was an amazing experience. But the cliffs and waterfalls at every turn are stunning and the scenery at and around the port is unmatched. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. 
 

We almost chose a cruise last year that included both Iceland and Norway, but after fully researching my options we decided to choose Norway only with an itinerary that offered the most fjord ports. Fortunately for us it was a 14 day, so I get your desire for a longer cruise. 
 

Have you considered a back to back option? If you have the time maybe you could do a second full week, especially if you could find one with a slightly different itinerary. Something to consider. 

[linknis]

Yes,  If we choose the 7 day,  we will do 5 day driving tour of Iceland then fly to southhampton to board the cruise ship.   I appreciate your input -  It's rare to find someone who has done both.  and the 2025 -2026  itineraries rarely include both.   Still looking but I'm now leaning towards the the 7 day.  

[karatemom2]

1 minute ago, linknis said:

Yes,  If we choose the 7 day,  we will do 5 day driving tour of Iceland then fly to southhampton to board the cruise ship.   I appreciate your input -  It's rare to find someone who has done both.  and the 2025 -2026  itineraries rarely include both.   Still looking but I'm now leaning towards the the 7 day.  

I think that’s a great decision. Yes, we were very lucky to find this one itinerary on the Sky this year that included Flam, Geiranger, and Olden, as well as the Arctic Circle with Honningsvåg and the North Cape. I have been looking for friends who want a similar itinerary and haven’t been able to find anything like it next year. But your plan sounds really solid!