10 Things You MUST Think About if You’re Cruising to Norway
If you’re planning to cruise to Norway, there are so many things that you need to think about. Cruising to this region is very different to most other parts of the world for so many reasons - there are so many things that you can get right, but there are also so many things that you can get wrong…
Today, I’m sharing with you 10 things that you really need to think about if you’re planning to cruise to Norway. Some of these things will allow you to have the best possible experience on your cruise! After all, that’s what we all want from a cruise, isn’t it?
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Okay, let’s get started…
1. It’s really important that you think carefully about the cabin/stateroom type that you book for your cruise.
If you’ve been browsing brochures of Norway cruises, I can almost guarantee that you’ll have seen photos of passengers sitting outside enjoying the scenery from their own private balconies. After all, of all of the cruise itineraries in the world, it’s cruises to Alaska and Norway that often sell the most balcony cabins the quickest.
If you’re considering a lower grade of cabin, it’s worth remembering that cruises to Norway will often feature a large amount of ‘travel time’ to get there, especially if you’re cruising from a port like Southampton. Depending on which part of the country you’re visiting, Southampton-departing cruises can either have one or two sea days on either end of the itinerary, to allow the ship enough time to travel to/from Norway. This might be enough to tempt you into booking that balcony cabin…!
Personally, I’m always happy in an inside cabin. After all, if I can spend less money on my cruise cabins, then I can book more cruises - it’s simple maths to me! One of the reasons that I’m happy to cruise a region like Norway in an inside cabin is that so many cruise ships are specifically designed for cruising in colder (and more scenic) climates. You’ll find that these ships will often feature beautiful observation lounges, indoor solariums, and public spaces with lots of glass. These venues really do encourage you to spend time looking outside - I love the ships that are designed with colder weather in mind!
You’ll usually be able to tell if a cruise ship has been designed for colder weather itineraries by the simple check if it has an indoor pool or not. If it does, there’s a decent chance that it’s been designed to suit those seeking the colder and more scenic itineraries.
Inside, Oceanview, Balcony or Suite grade cabin? The choice is yours, but there’s a lot to think about before you decide which to book!
2. It’s SO important to complete some basic budgeting before you take your cruise to Norway.
Generally speaking, Norway is known for being a relatively expensive place to visit. In my own experience, I have found this to be the case, with even a basic coffee usually costing in excess of £5 ($7). When you cruise to Norway, you won’t need to pay for things like overnight accommodation - your costs are going to be much lower.
The key thing to think about here is Shore Excursions. I’ve visited some regions in the past where I can book onto a decent excursion for £40-£50 per person, but I’ve found this to be almost impossible for Norway. It’s worth checking excursion pricing before booking your cruise, especially if there’s something in particular that you really want to see while you’re out there!
For most excursions on my recent cruises to Norway, I’d expect to pay over £100 per person. This is really different to what I’ve seen previously for, for example, Caribbean excursions.
A piece of advice I’d give here is that - yes - cruise line excursions are great. However, they’re not the only way to see a port of call. Sites like ‘Viator’ offer you the ability to book excursions with local providers - these are usually at a significantly reduced rate vs those bookable on the ship. Click here to learn more about Viator (AD - Affiliate).
Lots of the excursions available on Norway cruises are absolutely amazing, but you should expect to pay for them…!
3. Think about your itinerary, and think about what this means for key elements of the onboard experience.
This one’s easier than you think. Lots of the ports in Norway are incredibly picturesque, and therefore the sailaway views are well worth being out on the open decks to enjoy. If you book onto a set dining time which will mean you’ll be in the dining room every evening at 6pm, there’s a high chance that you’ll miss a lot of these sailaways (unless you’re seated by the window, of course).
Now, this one is very much down to personal preference - I’d always rather be out on deck enjoying the views instead of sitting at a dining table, but the opposite might be your view.
Whichever side of the fence you sit on, it’s one to be aware of!
You should also consider the possibility of ‘Scenic Cruising’, which is something that’s offered by lots of the mainstream cruise lines out there. This is a part of the cruise that will feature some truly incredible scenery. On a few Norway cruises that I’ve taken recently, my ship has left a port at around 4pm, and then we’ve completed several hours of scenic cruising. On those evenings, I usually plan to eat dinner in an informal venue, or even at the onboard buffet, in order to allow me to get outside much easier to enjoy the views!
The views on Norway cruises are often to die for!
Even when the weather’s not amazing, the views probably will be!
4. It’s SO important that you get your packing right!
Okay, you knew this one was going to make this list. I meet so many people on cruises to Norway who simply don’t pack the right clothes for their trip. My general advice is that the weather in Norway can be incredibly unpredictable and highly changeable.
For this reason, I’d suggest that you aim to pack more than you think you’ll need. Even in Summer, you’re probably going to want to pack a waterproof jacket, and maybe even waterproof trousers. Okay, you probably won’t need a wooly hat or gloves at that time of year, but if you’re travelling over Spring, Autumn or Winter, you’re going to want to pack all of these!
5. Footwear - think about walking boots vs sports shoes!
This one is very specific to you, and what you want to do when the ship’s in port. If you’re visiting cities on your cruise, then you’re probably going to be absolutely fine to wear sandals or sports shoes. However, if your cruise is taking you to the world-famous Fjords (most Norway cruises will), then you may want to consider packing a pair of walking boots.
Some of the best photos you’re going to get during your cruise may be from the shore of the Fjord, but some of my best have been after scrambling up a public footpath (in walking boots) to reach a spectacular viewpoint. It’s not worth risking injury to get to a viewpoint - if you think you might need proper boots on your feet, pack them!
If you’re cruising from the U.K., luggage limits on cruises to Norway are often incredibly relaxed, so you have the ability to pack a little heavier if you’re not travelling to the ship using a flight.
Some of the best photos I’ve taken on Fjords cruises have been from viewpoints perched high above the villages!
That said, there are still some awesome views to be enjoyed from the bottom of the hills!
6. Always pack travel sickness medication if you’re cruising to Norway!
Believe it or not, I’ve never had to use any motion sickness medication on any cruise, but yet I still pack it into my suitcase every single time I cruise without fail. In my opinion, I’m always ‘better safe than sorry’ - I’d be miserable if I didn’t pack it and then I did feel ill onboard.
The body of water that you cruise across between the U.K. or Northern Europe to reach Norway can be very unpredictable: sometimes you’ll go out on deck and it’ll be beautiful and peaceful, and other times the opposite could be said.
You can find so many motion sickness remedies on Amazon, so there’s no excuse for you not to order something! Head over to my Amazon store now, where I’ve popped your options into a handy list for you - simple! Click here to go there now.
The water approaching Norway can be beautifully calm (like this), but not always…
Remember - when you reach the Fjords, the water state will usually change. This is due to the fact that you’re much more protected from the elements once you’re inside the Fjords themselves. So don’t worry if you don’t feel great during the cruise north - you’ll hopefully be absolutely fine once you get there!
7. Try to support the local economy while you’re visiting Norway on your cruise!
One of the biggest arguments given by those who oppose cruise ships is that cruise ship passengers tend to not spend much money when they visit a port of call. That means that the cruise ship docks, thousands of people leave the ship for a look around, and then it leaves some hours later without much money being spent locally.
I do understand why this must cause frustration for locals, and so I do try to make it my mission to support the local economy in (at least) a small way when I visit. If I don’t take an excursion to visit somewhere, I’ll usually try to buy a coffee or a snack while ashore. Granted, it doesn’t change the world if I buy one coffee, but can you imagine if 4,000 passengers on a large cruise ship all spend a couple of £/$/€’s ashore? That could really change the life of a local shop owner!
Like we needed an excuse to stop for coffee and cake, right?!
Why not make a point of stopping at a local cafe, or restaurant, to support the locals?
8. Be very mindful of the traffic in the ports that you’re visiting!
Over the last few years, I’ve taken several cruises to Norway. This point wasn’t too relevant for my earlier Norway cruises, but it’s become much more of an issue over the last year or two. Norway is an incredibly ‘green’ country (from an energy point of view), and one of the ways that they demonstrate this is through their uptake of electric cars.
I’ve been really surprised on my recent visits to see so many electric vehicles on the roads. These range from cars, buses, trucks, trams and even electric scooters!
While these vehicles are great from an environmental standpoint, they’re a bit of a nightmare from a ‘road noise’ point of view, largely due to the fact that they’re so quiet! It’s much easier to step out onto the road and accidentally step infront of an electric vehicle due to the fact that they’re much quieter than their fuel-consuming counterparts. It’s important that, when you’re doing something like crossing the road, you look twice - better safe than sorry!
9. Looking for the Northern Lights, or the Midnight Sun? Book your cruise at the right time of year!
This is something that SO MANY people fall foul to when they cruise to Norway. I was even guilty of this one!
Norway is famous for two natural phenomenons: the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun, with people travelling for thousands of miles to catch a glimpse at either of these (or to try to, at least!).
It’s worth noting that you stand the highest chances of seeing the Northern Lights during the Winter months, and the Midnight Sun during the Summer months. It’s a no-brainer - if you want to see the Northern Lights, you want the sky to be pitch black - you don’t need the sun above the horizon at midnight!
There are some cruise lines that offer specific Northern Lights cruises, where it’s almost the mission of the ship to locate the Northern Lights while you’re onboard. One cruise line I’ve found to be particularly good at these is Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines - you can find out more information on these cruises by clicking here (AD - Affiliate).
Want to see the Northern Lights? Avoid cruising to Norway in the Summer!
10. Be sure to know how to work your camera while you’re cruising to Norway!
It’s no secret - Norway is an absolutely STUNNING part of the world to visit by cruise ship - it really is spectacular. I’ve met so many people who buy a new phone or camera before the cruise, and then they don’t actually know how it works when they’re onboard.
This can result in their quality of photo/video being low, and it can also result in frustration when they thought they took a photo but it hasn’t saved! Can you imagine anything more frustrating than going home, telling your friends and family how amazing the scenery was, and then not being able to show them?! Argh!
It’s worth investing a bit of time pre-cruise to understand how your kit works, in order to avoid being annoyed when you’re on the actual cruise itself!
Be sure to know how to work your camera - that way, you can show everyone at home what you’ve seen!
I’ll NEVER be able to forget views like this as we cruised up a Fjord - remarkable, isn’t it?!
That’s it - 10 things that I think it’s important for you to think about if you’re planning to cruise to Norway.
If you enjoyed this video, then there’s so much more on this website that I hope you’ll find interesting! You can also see the above tips in video form over on my YouTube channel - the link’s below!