Norwegian fjords for 1st time

[Lolou127]

Hi there, first time poster on here, we’re thinking of cruising to the Fjords in 2020, it will only be our second cruise having previously cruised on DCL Dream for 2 nights in concierge, I know we won’t be able to afford that for this cruise.

 

we are a 50+ couple not bothered about dressing up and formal evenings, our budget in total would be @5k, which cruise line would you recommend and which itinerary, we’d sail from either Southampton or Dover, also how choppy can the North Sea get in the summer months?

[CruiserBruce]

Seas can be smooth or rough anytime. They are not predictable. If you have an issue with seasickness, you need to be prepared every day you are on a ship.

[Essiesmom]

Got to www.cruisetimetables.com and choose either your departure port, or a Port of Call you would like to visit.  It will tell what ships are sailing and their itineraries.  It is best to choose an itinerary and then narrow down by which ships offer that.  You might also invest in a copy of Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports to help narrow down the ports you want to visit.  EM

[jocap]

P&O's brand new ship, Iona, has her maiden voyage in May 2020, and then does a full season in the fjords.

[SPacificbound]

Just a quick check I found a couple of cruises, there are certainly more cruises and different dates, but here are a couple.

 

9 nights Royal Caribbean.

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/itinerary/9-night-norwegian-fjords-from-southampton-on-independence/ID09Q005

 

If you have the time available here is Celebrity, 14 nights.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary-search?dates=2019-06&destinations=EUROP&departures=STH

 

Hopefully these two will give you a start planning your Norwegian cruise.

 

 

[KmomChicago]

A couple of hidden costs to keep in mind are your flights and shore excursions.  I would search flights now for 2019 for roughly the same dates you're considering for 2020 to get a ballpark.  Flights can easily run $500-1000 to Europe and would take a serious bite out of your budget of $5k.  There could be a significant difference in flight costs to different departure ports.

 

We've also started looking into this destination and it seems ship excursions are often very expensive for Norway.  When choosing your line I recommend looking at their excursion offerings and prices.  There are private operators at more competitive prices but it can still add up.

[Lolou127]

Thanks everyone, this has given me lots to think about and research 

[dsrdsrdsr]

On your first trip to Norway, you don't need to splash out on excursions.  Especially now you can do internet research - first time I went, my mother had to write to all the tourist offices and get them to send things on paper!

 

At Bergen you will either dock or be taken by bus to a place near the city centre; at Stavanger you will dock actually in the city centre.  Geiranger, Flam, Olden and Andalsnes are all rural and you can just get off the ship and go for a walk to look at the scenery.  No need to travel inland.  The Flam railway, assuming you can get a ticket, starts 200 yards (if that) from the harbour.

 

Other places in Norway are similar.  There are few places where excursions are a must-do.

 

As for cruise lines on a budget, Fred Olsen or Cruises and Maritime are the two relatively cheapest.  Both have few frills but IMO do not miss out on anything that's worth the extra money.  That's because essentially I go for the ports and scenery, and as long as the ship provides good food, comfortable beds, and a little bit in the way of entertainment, I'm happy.  Look on their various boards on here for details.

[hallasm]

Below a video for inspiration - I did no ship excursions  - in Flåm I took the train and ho-ho bus in Geiranger.

 

[KmomChicago]

1 hour ago, hallasm said:

Below a video for inspiration - I did no ship excursions  - in Flåm I took the train and ho-ho bus in Geiranger.

 

 

 

Wonderful video! The villages and fjords are gorgeous!

[Lolou127]

Thanks again, Hallasm, interesting that your sailing was from Copenhagen, I hadn’t thought of that, which ship were you on, video is fab btw 

[Essiesmom]

Right at the beginning he says Vision of the Seas (Royal Caribbean).  EM

[hallasm]

Thank you all for your comments - yes, Vision of the Seas - Serenade is sailing in 2019. Several Norwegian Fjord cruises from Copenhagen. B2B option for a Baltic Cruise.

[Lolou127]

Thanks again everyone, now Xmas is over I’m back in research mode, Jocap mentions the Iona, but as she’s not sailed yet I can’t look at any reviews of cabin types etc, which of P&O’s fleet could I look at to compare?

[evandbob]

A less expensive alternative to the sailings already listed is Carnival Legend in June 2020, departing from Dover and porting at Olden, Trondheim, Molde, Alesund and Stavenger.

[jocap]

The nearest to Iona would be Britannia... Iona is even larger. I should imagine that the cabins will be similar.

Dsrdsrdrs mentions Fred Olsen and Cruise and Maritime; both use older, small ships but are clean and comfortable- they can reach the smaller fjords which the large ships have to avoid. These are our preferences for Norway, but I was thinking of new and shiny after your experience with Disney, which was why I mentioned Iona. 🙂

From the UK and Denmark there's a wide choice of larger ships.

[Heidi13]

16 hours ago, Lolou127 said:

Thanks again everyone, now Xmas is over I’m back in research mode, Jocap mentions the Iona, but as she’s not sailed yet I can’t look at any reviews of cabin types etc, which of P&O’s fleet could I look at to compare?

The Iona is a completely new class of ship and is also being built in a different shipyard. It will be considerably larger than the Britannia, which is similar to the Princess Royal/Regal Class of ships.

 

Hard to say how close the cabins will be to other P&O ships.

[MicCanberra]

May have to wait until the ship has done it's first cruise or take a punt and go with it any way.

[Lolou127]

Hello again everyone, I’ve found 2 Saga cruises, one in June the other September, both on one of their new ships sailing from Dover, both seem lovely and the ships are smaller, would anyone offer any advice on which month might be better to visit the Fjords? 

[hallasm]

I’ll vote for June. Do not know the itinerary but in a June you’ll for sure have late sunset and if going above the Arctic Circle chances for midnight sun.

Septamber weather can be fair but I’ll expect weather in a June to be better.

[naturelovergirl]

Lolou127
A good rule of thumb about Norway is to know that the outrageously beautiful nature there is truly the Star Of The Show. (I have described Norway's nature as feeling like you are "wow"ed around every corner)
So when thinking about excursions, whether they are cruise-sponsored or set up independently, make sure that you put seeing some of the natural wonders as a priority. Get transportation to viewpoints above the fjords, looking down, as well... the sights are breathtaking!