Is a Norwegian Fjords Cruise Worth It?

Why the Norwegian Fjords?

It was my friend Sara's special birthday and she had wanted to see the Norwegian fjords since she was 15. So we looked into the different options available. We wanted a small ship that could travel as far into the Norwegian hinterland as possible, without crowds, children and (sorry, as I do actually know some nice) Americans.

Fred Olsen ticked all those boxes, plus the ship sailed from Newcastle, just a wee trek up the A1. This gave us the added bonus of mixing with friendly northerners on our trip. Being busy bees, the timing gave us some consternation and the outcome was April 2026 or else next year. Mmmm. Was it going to be too cold for this wuss, would we see the northern lights, would there be snow?

The only way to find out would be to book it and go. So we did. What about extras, alcohol, balcony, tours, exercise classes or spa treatments. I wanted a balcony and was fortunately talked out of this - who wants to stand on a balcony, in the freezing cold? We did pay for a picture window as a compromise instead.

Itinerary

Briefly, we sailed on day 1 from Newcastle, arriving day 3 in Skjolden. We booked a coach trip inland which took us into the mountains of Jotunheimen, home to Galdhopiggen, the highest mountain in Norway and Northern Europe at 2469 metres.

Day 4, we arrived at Olden took a boat trip across the lake Oldevatnet and onwards to see the Jostedalsbreen glacier.

At Andalsnes, we went by (electric) ferry over to the famous Atlantic Road linking the offshore islands with the James Bond bridge (more later).

Finally, after spectacular sunsets up in the Langfjord and Eresfjord we arrived in Alesund on Day 6 for a great tour round this beautiful art nouveau town ending at the top of the hill with spectacular views over the Atlantic.

Skjolden - the End of Norway's Longest Fjord

Waking up in the morning after sailing through the night, we opened the curtains and what a view. The extra we paid for the picture window was absolutely worth every penny. Our view was across the fjord, towards huge snow capped mountains, with a few, traditional farm houses, nestled at the bottom in the sunshine. The reflection in the calm waters was unbelievable. It truly brings out the David Bailey in you.

The village itself was very quiet (shoulder season) with no other boats or tourists. The coach trip took us along sleepy lanes, with very little traffic and our guide pointed out the typical Norwegian farm houses. Apparently, all good cattle farmers allow their cattle to roam the mountains in the summer, looking for lush foodstuffs. Rather than bringing the cows back down to milk, the farmers walk up the valleys and have historically built small dairy sheds.

Fortuitously, these have been turned into summer holiday cottages, either for family use or let to sturdy adventurers rambling the steep slopes in the summer months. A good additional form of income for the dwindling farm returns.

The viewpoint for the Galdhoppiggen mountain was rather foggy, so the views weren't as spectacular as we had hoped. However, there were copious amounts of snow around. As Brits are used to two inches at a time, several people, veered off the tourist track and stepped unexpectedly into huge, waist high snowfalls. This created a lot of merriment and compensated for not seeing the mountain tops.

Our trip included a photo opportunity of a waterfall. However a gorgeous group of Highland Cattle stole the show as they strolled around their field, play fighting with each other.

On the way back we started to see the traditional grass roof buildings which are dotted around the more rural areas. Our guide explained that the old roofs were composed of layers of birch bark with grass and moss grown on top. (Maintenance includes taking out the trees that grew haphazardly on the roof). Modern technology, used for bus shelters, village halls etc use new plastic constructions with grass and moss put on top. These are longer lasting, leak resistant and need less maintenance than the traditional rooves but are still very pictoresque.

Olden and the Briksdal Glacier

Our first view of Olden was the little yellow train that will take you on a one hour trip round the town, taking in the old and new churches, the waterfall, tat tourist shops and the Floen Lake. However, we were much more adventurous than that. We boarded the bus and set off on the lakeside road, along the valley for a boat ride. The boat travels across the Oldevatnet Lake with its beautiful turquoise water, past spectacular mountain views and the odd farm building.

Interestingly, as the annual avalanche hadn't yet happened and was due, we couldn't access the normal route to get close to the glacier. Not always the most cautious of people, this time it seemed a good idea to view the Briksdal glacier from a distance. It was still amazing to see the blue of the ice at the top of the glacier.

Tsunamis in Lovatnet

The population of Olden is 525 people and our guide appeared to be related to all of them. Her Dad steered the boat, her uncle drove the coach and her Mum ran the lakeside cafe, serving local home made waffles, jam, cream and coffee.

The area suffered two massive Tsunamis in 1905 and 1936, when part of the mountain side broke off into the Lovatnet lake. This caused huge tidal waves of 40 metres and 74 metres high respectively, killing 61 and 74 people. It destroyed low lying villages and farms and as a result, people rebuilt elsewhere in more stable locations.

Andalsnes and the Storseisundet Bridge

The trip from Andalnes showed us a few surprising aspects of Norway. Norwegians are brilliant at building bridges and tunnels. These serve to link islands along to the coast line with each other and allow access to the towns from the tiny communities dotted around. We set off to Romsdalsfjorden where we boarded the electric ferry and crossed the fjord. We joined the spectacular Atlantic Ocean road, built in 1989 and 8.3 kms long, connected by causeways and 8 bridges.

The best part is seeing and crossing the spectacular Storseisundet Bridge. It was in the James Bond film 'A Time to Die' and depending on the angle it seems to drop off half way.

Hydro Electric Power

Besides being the world's experts in tunnelling and bridge construction, it is interesting to find out that Norwegians are totally reliant on hydro electricity. They produce 90% of their total electricity requirements from hydroelectricity, which accounts for the fact that over 50% of cars are electric. The large oil reserves that Norway owns, are sold mainly to Europe and money received is invested in the Government Pension scheme. Talk about smart planning and future proofing their population. - impressive.

Bud

After crossing the bridge, we called in at Bud. No, not the home of Scandinavian lager, rather a small village which was Norway's most important cod fishing port. You can see the fortifications built by the Germans between 1941 and 1945 and wander round the preserved coastal defences. More interestingly are the remnants of the large wooden racks where the fishermen dried the cod in the cool, salty Atlantic air. There are also lovely views over the Atlantic and small islands nearby.

Alesund - Norway's Beautiful Art Nouveau Town

Our final destination was the Art Nouveau town of Alesund. It was a prosperous town in 1800s based on the cod and herring fisheries. In 1904 a huge fire swept through the town, burning 850 wooden houses. This rendered around 10,000 people homeless. (Yes, the houses were full to the rafters). However, only one person died (from a heart attack). The town was rebuilt in stone and brick instead of wood, in the Art Nouveau style. Kaiser Wilhelm II, who had admired the wooden town, sent ships with food and building supplies to help the residents and became a local hero.

The buildings today are elegant and well maintained, painted in a myriad of different colours. There is a busy fishing harbour and for the more energetic tourist, there are 418 steps to climb to the top of Mount Aksla for a birds eye view over Alesund. (Or the totally uncool tourist train will take you).

Life Aboard a Norwegian Fjord Cruise

So, you fancy seeing the majestic mountains and fjords of Norway, however a week on board with a bunch of strange Geordies is a little formidable. A walk round the ship gives you your bearings, ie the pointy end which goes forward and port and starboard. These are important when docked as you may wish to see fjords and water whilst eating breakfast, or you may want to look out over the village/town.

Our first item on the to do list was to visit the pool and jacuzzi. April in Norway is around 5 degrees centigrade, so the pool was out of the question but the hot tub was fabulous, especially when looking out over snow capped mountains. This became more popular as the week went on as other people realised how relaxing it was.

The food was good and wine included with both lunch and dinner, which was a pleasant surprise. Dining was pre-organised. As a couple we were matched with other ladies, of a similar age and expected to eat at the same table every evening. We were less than enthusiastic about this. However each evening we changed seats and sat next to someone different. We actually ended up meeting some really interesting people with great stories. So, in retrospect it was a very successful dining experience.

We found the card room and enrolled for the bridge lesson and game. There was a communal jigsaw table as well, for when you feel like some quiet time to yourself.

For the more active individuals, there was a fully fitted gym, yoga and pilates classes (massively over subscribed so be quick), and a daily one mile walk, four times round the ship to use up those extra calories that have sneaked in.

Cultural activities that we couldn't resist included a photography lesson, a talk on Norwegian infrastructure, another on Norwegian myths and legends (including troll stories) and how to make martinis. There were shows put on by a troupe of young, enthusiastic, wanna be entertainers, a magic show, bingo, karaoke, classical violinist and pianists and many more varied activities. I defy you not to find something that appeals.

Practical Tips for a cruise in the Norwegian Fjords

• Timing. Due to busy schedules, we booked mid April. We did not go expecting to see the Northern Lights, which was handy as we didn't see them, although some of the sunsets were fabulous. There was still snow on the mountain tops so the views were clear and stretched far into the distance. It was really quiet, completely out of the tourist season which was a lovely added bonus.
• Expected weather. Cold weather and I are not great friends. I expected to be really cold and miserable. We had a couple of cloudy days, however we had some lovely sunny days too and found ourselves shedding a layer or two on a couple of days
• Clothing - depending on how much of a cold weather wuss you are, will determine how many warm weather clothes you need. The boat itself is warm so you need regular clothes on board. For the day trips, I took thermal leggings and vest, walking socks, boots, walking trousers, long sleeved base layers, a padded jacket, gloves and a ridiculous furry hat that I haven't worn since skiing days. Additional clothes for dinner included 2 posh frocks (for the welcome and departing dinners) and smart clothes for the other dinners.
• Day trips - some cruises you can organise your own activities with the aid of google and Trip Advisor. In this instance, the excursions by coach would not be possible to do yourself. Walking around Olden or Alesund however, is easy to do if you want a quiet day or time to yourselves.
• Norwegian prices - we all know or believe costs of everything in Norway to be expensive or prohibitive. This is probably true. Fortunately, our trips included prepaid lunch, snacks and coffee. There was food available on board for around 16 out of 24 hours so, sadly for the local shop keepers, there was no need to spend any money. Aside from a few tacky souvenirs, we only paid for a coffee which was reasonably priced in any event.
• Wifi - as with most cruises, this is extra and not cheap. You may be able to get wifi from cafes or restaurants you visit or just enjoy time away from 'doom scrolling' etc.
• Picture window - although tempted to get a balcony, after realising we would not be lingering outside in 5 degrees of cold, we paid extra for a picture window instead. The first morning, on arrival at Skoldjen, we opened the curtains and were rewarded with a spectacular view of the fjord, with the mountain behind and farm houses reflected in the water. This view more than paid for the cost of the window.

Is a Norwegian Fjords Cruise Worth It?

The answer is a resounding YES. A few caveats :- go with Fred Olsen's Balmoral as she can travel further into the narrow fjords and closer to the spectacular scenery. I would definitely book trips where possible. There was a kayaking trip, which was over subscribed that sounded great too. Not all the evening activities were to my taste. However it was great fun to try something different each evening. Definitely worth going.