2015 Norway itineraries

Pluto_fan · March 7, 2014

Thank you for the input, everyone!

SnowshoeCat, I'm glad to know it's not just me. :) We're also more interested in itinerary (and hopefully a "reasonable" price), so I'm trying to make sure I leave no stone unturned.

Oceandog, we are also considering trying to include Iceland with our Norway cruise. For 2014, I see one itinerary on RCCL, three on Celebrity (two on Infinity, one on Eclipse), and one on Costa. I'm interested to see what comes up as more 2015 itineraries are released.

I-Cruiser, I didn't realize Celebrity had released anything for 2015 on UK sites. Thank you! I hope more itineraries will follow from them.

Terry, thanks for your input. I think it was your pictures that inspired me to move Norway up to "must-do" status on our wish list! I realize that it is going to cost a bucket of money, and we're prepared to break our record of "most expensive vacation" set on our Baltic cruise a few years ago. We're a family of five, so that makes it additionally challenging (a friend who also has three children commented to me, "If we had realized earlier how much we enjoy cruising, we would never have had the third child!" ;)) We are seriously considering trying to go beyond a standard 7-day fjords cruise to continue farther north (or to Iceland)...we'll have to see what itineraries turn up at what price options.

Melody, I'm keeping an eye out for Princess. Please let us know if you see anything!

Elmartellama, I'm also looking forward to seeing MSC's itineraries. I really like the 10-night on the Opera this year which includes Leknes. We have enjoyed MSC in the past and find it a good "bang for the buck". But as you mentioned, they tend to publish their itineraries later than most.

Please keep the information coming! Thanks!

prish · March 7, 2014

Thank you for the input, everyone!

SnowshoeCat, I'm glad to know it's not just me. :) We're also more interested in itinerary (and hopefully a "reasonable" price), so I'm trying to make sure I leave no stone unturned.

Oceandog, we are also considering trying to include Iceland with our Norway cruise. For 2014, I see one itinerary on RCCL, three on Celebrity (two on Infinity, one on Eclipse), and one on Costa. I'm interested to see what comes up as more 2015 itineraries are released.

I-Cruiser, I didn't realize Celebrity had released anything for 2015 on UK sites. Thank you! I hope more itineraries will follow from them.

Terry, thanks for your input. I think it was your pictures that inspired me to move Norway up to "must-do" status on our wish list! I realize that it is going to cost a bucket of money, and we're prepared to break our record of "most expensive vacation" set on our Baltic cruise a few years ago. We're a family of five, so that makes it additionally challenging (a friend who also has three children commented to me, "If we had realized earlier how much we enjoy cruising, we would never have had the third child!" ;)) We are seriously considering trying to go beyond a standard 7-day fjords cruise to continue farther north (or to Iceland)...we'll have to see what itineraries turn up at what price options.

Melody, I'm keeping an eye out for Princess. Please let us know if you see anything!

Elmartellama, I'm also looking forward to seeing MSC's itineraries. I really like the 10-night on the Opera this year which includes Leknes. We have enjoyed MSC in the past and find it a good "bang for the buck". But as you mentioned, they tend to publish their itineraries later than most.

Please keep the information coming! Thanks!

Pluto-fan, we debated between the Arctic Circle and Iceland+fjords itineraries and finally did the latter on the Eclipse summer 2012, a fantastic experience, Iceland was out of the world. But not cheap, as you say! Still hope to go up to Nordkaap one of these days...

sammiedawg · March 8, 2014

I would suggest you watch for the Holland America Ryndam to post their schedule. We did a 14 day Artic circle trip round trip out of Dover for a reasonable price last June and they have a similiar trip this June. Airfare to London is also reasonably priced as compared to other ports.

We did no ship tours or transfers which saved a ton of money. Once you have the itinerary this board is a treasure of information for DIY and if your search for info comes up short just ask about a specific port.

Pluto_fan · March 12, 2014

Princess has released their itineraries! I'll post an updated list below.

Pluto-fan, we debated between the Arctic Circle and Iceland+fjords itineraries and finally did the latter on the Eclipse summer 2012, a fantastic experience, Iceland was out of the world. But not cheap, as you say! Still hope to go up to Nordkaap one of these days...

Prish, what tipped the balance in favor of Iceland over the Nordkaap? I'm really torn, assuming we can stretch to more than a 7-day fjords, which "bonus" to include.

Sammiedawg, I'm anxiously awaiting more itineraries from HAL. We'd probably lean toward the Rotterdam over the Ryndam, just because the departure port is more convenient for us and they seem to do very similar itineraries. We are definitely do-it-yourselfers in port...I've already bookmarked several threads here for when we know which ports we're going to visit!

So here's what I've found so far:

Azamara: one sailing on the Azamara Quest in July, 14 nights

Celebrity: two sailings on the Eclipse, June & August, 14 & 8 nights

Cruise & Maritime Voyages: six sailings on the Marco Polo, February-May, 6-14 nights

Crystal: one sailing on the Crystal Symphony in July, 18 nights

Fred Olsen: four 8-night cruises on Balmoral, May-August

Holland America: six itineraries on the Prinsendam, June-July, 14-35 nights

Hurtigruten: too many to count!

Norwegian: three sailings on the Star, May-June, 7-14 nights

Oceania: four itineraries on two ships in July, 20-50 nights

P&O: seven sailings on two ships, March-August, 7 or 12 nights

Phoenix Reisen: eight sailings on three ships, May-August, 13-18 nights

Princess: five sailings on two ships, June-August, 7-16 nights; also, several Baltic itineraries which include Oslo, and several Transatlantics which include some stops in Norway

Regent: two sailings on the Seven Seas Voyager, June-July, 20-30 nights

Royal Caribbean: five sailings on two ships, May-August, 7-12 nights

Saga: four sailings on two ships, February-March, 12 or 15 nights

Silversea: 11 sailings on three different ships, May-August, 7-17 nights

Voyages of Discovery: one sailing on the Voyager in March, 15 or 28 nights

Still awaiting: possibly more from Celebrity, Costa, possibly Disney, more from HAL, MSC...who else should I be looking out for?

prish · March 12, 2014

Prish, what tipped the balance in favor of Iceland over the Nordkaap? I'm really torn, assuming we can stretch to more than a 7-day fjords, which "bonus" to include.

Pluto-fan, it was a tough choice, but what finally swung it in favour of Iceland was the departure port Southampton, we spent 12 days in the UK pre-cruise. We also do plan to go up to Nordkaap, maybe in 2016? :)

I-Cruiser · March 12, 2014

Celebrity has added a 8 nights cruise to Norwegian Fjords in May 2015.

I am not sure of the date but will check when the itineraries opens for Captains Club members tomorrow.

melody hounddog · March 12, 2014

Thanks so much for starting this thread! Such wonderful information all in one place!

Oceandog · March 13, 2014

We just booked a 12 day cruise on RCL's Brilliance sailing, July 29, 2015 out of Harwich, with stops in Bergen, Alesund and Geiranger, Norway, Klaksvik Faroe Islands and Reykjavik, Iceland :D

melody hounddog · March 14, 2014

We just booked a 12 day cruise on RCL's Brilliance sailing, July 29, 2015 out of Harwich, with stops in Bergen, Alesund and Geiranger, Norway, Klaksvik Faroe Islands and Reykjavik, Iceland :D

That sounds like a nice one. Please post back here (next year!) when you return and let us know how you like it. We are looking at doing Norway sometime down the road.

I-Cruiser · March 16, 2014

Princess has released their itineraries! I'll post an updated list below.

Prish, what tipped the balance in favor of Iceland over the Nordkaap? I'm really torn, assuming we can stretch to more than a 7-day fjords, which "bonus" to include.

Sammiedawg, I'm anxiously awaiting more itineraries from HAL. We'd probably lean toward the Rotterdam over the Ryndam, just because the departure port is more convenient for us and they seem to do very similar itineraries. We are definitely do-it-yourselfers in port...I've already bookmarked several threads here for when we know which ports we're going to visit!

So here's what I've found so far:

Azamara: one sailing on the Azamara Quest in July, 14 nights

Celebrity: two sailings on the Eclipse, June & August, 14 & 8 nights

Cruise & Maritime Voyages: six sailings on the Marco Polo, February-May, 6-14 nights

Crystal: one sailing on the Crystal Symphony in July, 18 nights

Fred Olsen: four 8-night cruises on Balmoral, May-August

Holland America: six itineraries on the Prinsendam, June-July, 14-35 nights

Hurtigruten: too many to count!

Norwegian: three sailings on the Star, May-June, 7-14 nights

Oceania: four itineraries on two ships in July, 20-50 nights

P&O: seven sailings on two ships, March-August, 7 or 12 nights

Phoenix Reisen: eight sailings on three ships, May-August, 13-18 nights

Princess: five sailings on two ships, June-August, 7-16 nights; also, several Baltic itineraries which include Oslo, and several Transatlantics which include some stops in Norway

Regent: two sailings on the Seven Seas Voyager, June-July, 20-30 nights

Royal Caribbean: five sailings on two ships, May-August, 7-12 nights

Saga: four sailings on two ships, February-March, 12 or 15 nights

Silversea: 11 sailings on three different ships, May-August, 7-17 nights

Voyages of Discovery: one sailing on the Voyager in March, 15 or 28 nights

Still awaiting: possibly more from Celebrity, Costa, possibly Disney, more from HAL, MSC...who else should I be looking out for?

Celebrity added a 7 nights cruise to Norway on the Eclipse May 9 2015.

Pluto_fan · March 17, 2014

Thanks, I-Cruiser, I'll add that. I've been following the thread on the Celebrity board and see that 2015 Europe itineraries should be on the website and available to the general public tomorrow, 18 March. I'm a bit disappointed that they are only offering three sailings to Norway, when for 2014 there are at least seven on three different ships. :confused:

Oceandog...congrats, that sounds fabulous! I had gotten a price quote on that one for a family oceanview--slightly less than booking two oceanview cabins, but still over $10k for the five of us. :(

The latest update:

Azamara: one sailing on the Azamara Quest in July, 14 nights

Celebrity: three sailings on the Eclipse, May, June & August, 7-14 nights

Cruise & Maritime Voyages: six sailings on the Marco Polo, February-May, 6-14 nights

Crystal: one sailing on the Crystal Symphony in July, 18 nights

Fred Olsen: four 8-night cruises on Balmoral, May-August

Holland America: six itineraries on the Prinsendam, June-July, 14-35 nights

Hurtigruten: too many to count!

Norwegian: three sailings on the Star, May-June, 7-14 nights

Oceania: four itineraries on two ships in July, 20-50 nights

P&O: seven sailings on two ships, March-August, 7 or 12 nights

Phoenix Reisen: eight sailings on three ships, May-August, 13-18 nights

Princess: five sailings on two ships, June-August, 7-16 nights; also, several Baltic itineraries which include Oslo, and several TAs which include some stops in Norway

Quark Expeditions: one sailing on the Ocean Nova, May, 13 nights

Regent: two sailings on the Seven Seas Voyager, June-July, 20-30 nights

Royal Caribbean: five sailings on two ships, May-August, 7-12 nights

Saga: four sailings on two ships, February-March, 12 or 15 nights

Silversea: 11 sailings on three different ships, May-August, 7-17 nights

Voyages of Discovery: one sailing on the Voyager in March, 15 or 28 nights

Still awaiting: Costa, possibly Disney, more from HAL, MSC...who else should I be looking out for?

I-Cruiser · March 17, 2014

I agree totally. I am very surprised X cut out the Artic cruises and the longer Fjord cruises. I wonder why. For sure it wasn't because they were not selling.

SnowshoeCat · March 20, 2014

I just put a deposit down on RCI's May 9 cruise. Since I travel solo, I just look for the best deal. The fjords have been on my list since about 1981. It's time :D (And, to be honest, I really can't wait, so I booked airfare to Oslo for September, since the ship doesn't go there)

Edited March 20, 2014 by SnowshoeCat

goldiemom · March 20, 2014

Hi SnowshoeCat!

My DH and I booked the Serenade OTS for the May 9, 2015 cruise last week. It will be the first week of our b2b cruise on her. We have sailed the Serenade many times before and love her. We are really looking forward to this cruise as we have never been to Scandinavia or the Baltics before. Join us on our roll call. One has already been started.

SnowshoeCat · March 20, 2014

Thanks, goldiemom! I've been to Sweden and Denmark, and it was only a matter of time before I made it to Norway. Since the cruise doesn't go to Oslo, I thought I would go a few days early, but I cant wait. That's why I'm going in September.

cruising kirby · March 20, 2014

I am looking at the Ocean Princess 16 night itinerary ex London, ports are Bergen, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Tromso, Longyearbyen, Honningsvag, Alta, Lofoten Islands, Stavanger. Will that itinerary cover most of the "best" ports in Norway? Any advice sincerely appreciated!

I-Cruiser · March 20, 2014

I am looking at the Ocean Princess 16 night itinerary ex London, ports are Bergen, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Tromso, Longyearbyen, Honningsvag, Alta, Lofoten Islands, Stavanger. Will that itinerary cover most of the "best" ports in Norway? Any advice sincerely appreciated!

Sounds like a great itinerary to me. For more info about each port there are lots of information at this forum.

Pluto_fan · March 21, 2014

Congratulations to everyone who has recently booked! I am jealous. We're still waiting for the more budget-friendly options to appear. :rolleyes:

On that note, thanks to some posters on the MSC board, I found a French travel agent site that has some of the MSC itineraries listed. I won't be surprised if they add a third ship, but I'll add the two so far to the list.

The latest update:

Azamara: one sailing on the Azamara Quest in July, 14 nights

Celebrity: three sailings on the Eclipse, May, June & August, 7-14 nights

Cruise & Maritime Voyages: six sailings on the Marco Polo, February-May, 6-14 nights

Crystal: one sailing on the Crystal Symphony in July, 18 nights

Fred Olsen: four 8-night cruises on Balmoral, May-August

Holland America: six itineraries on the Prinsendam, June-July, 14-35 nights

Hurtigruten: too many to count!

MSC: 14 sailings on two ships, May-September, 7-14 nights. Three of the sailings on the Splendida go all the way up to Longyearbyen, if anyone was looking for that.