The world-famous Norwegian Fjords is a must-visit cruise destination for many holidaymakers. This mesmerising destination has it all, from towering waterfalls that cascade down jagged cliff faces to shimmering blue waters that meander through lush, imposing landscapes.
Cruise.co.uk Consultant Adrian Partridge had the joy of seeing and experiencing the grandeur and beauty of the Norwegian Fjords for himself, during an exclusive Escorted Fjords & Waterfalls Of Norway voyage with Sky Princess.
Read his in-depth blog below to find out more about his cruise experience…
Day 1 – Southampton
When I arrived in Southampton to board Sky Princess for my Norwegian Fjords cruise, I was quickly handed my very own Princess Medallion and enjoyed a very easy boarding process, thanks to the Princess Cruises app. With my Elite status, I was whisked past the other people queuing to get on the ship and it was seamless through the security.
Once onboard, I had some lunch in the buffet (Mexican wraps with potatoes, salad and couscous), then headed to my room, deck 15 M121, to change before heading up to Take Five Lounge Bar to meet some other passengers I was cruising with that week. Afterwards, our group headed to the juggling show, which was really funny!, and dinner in the restaurant after.
At dinner, I had a Seafood Bisque which was creamy and really flavourful. I then had Mushroom Risotto plus a Prawn Cocktail (which was great). To finish, I opted for a Princess Heart dessert, which was on the smaller side.
Day 2 – Sea Day
I woke up early and went to the gym, had 30 minutes on the cross trainer and went to the jogging track. The equipment in the gym is excellent with a good selection of entertainment on the screens including live TV or recorded shows to watch while working out.
After a morning of chatting to some other passengers, we enjoyed a nice lunch of Steak and Kidney pie and a premium dessert (an ice cream with a brownie and caramel) which is included with the Princess Plus package. We then went to the Rock Opera show in the theatre which was truly amazing.
There were lots of great singers in the show, and the choreography was brilliant. The songs were even being done in Macceton sign language as well. What a great idea to be inclusive!
After the show, we had a little look at the Afternoon Tea selection, had a coffee and changed for dinner. We had dinner in Soleil’s Dining room, and had a very tasty three-course meal.
I had the French onion soup for starters, which was full of cheese and flavour. I then had a duck curry, which was terrific, and a to-die for cheesecake to end! We ended the day by listening to the band Asian Soul in the lobby on deck five.
Day 3 – Bergen
Today, we did not arrive in Bergen until 12pm, so to pass the time in the morning we had a backstage tour organised by Louie, the Events Supervisor. We met at the Take Five lounge and at 10.45am Richard the Senior Production Manager managed the tour of his area.
He was great and the three crew who took the tour were knowledgeable, helpful, and went above and beyond to make it a great tour of the stage and dressing room areas. There were so many great comments and questions from the group and they all seemed to really enjoy it.
After a spot of lunch, we went ashore at about 1pm and visited the local fish and cheese market. We saw the Edward Greig statue and went to the Hall of the Viking Kings as well as Bryggen.
Upon our return, we had some relaxing time before the Laura Broad show. She was a runner-up in Britain’s Got Talent and is an amazing vocalist. We then ate in Cielo restaurant with a great view of Bergen as we sailed away.
Day 4 – Skjolden
I set my alarm for an early rising to go on the open deck at 6am. The sail-in was spectacular and it is a wonder that more people do not set alarms on cruise ships and get out to enjoy the scenery they paid to come and see!
After this wake-up call, I opted for breakfast and got off to explore Skjolden. I walked 3km to a nearby waterfall, took some pictures and bought some Reindeer Salami!
It was a sunny day and back on the ship all of the sun loungers were out and people were out on deck enjoying the sun. I had some of the pulled pork on the open deck from the Salty Dog Grill and a slice of tuna pizza from Slice which was quite spicy and tangy.
After a quiet afternoon on deck, I returned to my room and headed out to dinner at Cielo. I had the Grand Vol au Vent followed by lamb and chocolate cheesecake for dessert. An amazing meal followed by an enjoyable evening of dancing in the Atrium and Vista Lounge.
Day 5 – Olden
This morning I woke up a bit later and had a big brunch with juice, coffee, a smoothie, eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausages, mushrooms and beans followed by a blueberry Danish. The food was terrific and so was the service in the buffet.
After getting changed for a hike, I met with some other passengers at the main restaurant and got our stickers from the Shorex team onboard. We then got off the ship and boarded the coach to Briksdal Glacier.
The hike was a real success and everyone really enjoyed it. The weather was kind and although it was not sunny, the cloud cover was not bad and the glacier was visible and it was mostly dry.
Our guide Julia was very knowledgeable, she’s a ski instructor in the winter in France and guides in the summer in Norway, and gave a lot of local information. Altogether even the rain on the coach coming down the valley and the downpour beside the ship didn’t ruin the day!
After heading back to the ship we relaxed and then got ready for dinner in Estrella. I had a seafood combo starter, and the pear and blue cheese starter, followed by the prawns in a stir fry for the main. Dessert was Jam Rolly Polly and custard which was just delicious.
We then sat in Bellinis and tried some different drinks before heading to bed. I had a Bloody Mary, Baked Alaska, Budweiser, a bottle of water to stay hydrated, and a Sunrise Daquiri, which was a mocktail.
Day 6 – Stavanger
I woke naturally at around 8.25am and put on my shorts for a run and a chat with some other passengers. We ran a few laps and then headed for breakfast in the buffet.
I went to the open deck and did some more laps followed by a burger and fries at Salty Dog. I can also recommend the BBQ pulled pork and the guys serving were friendly and efficient.
I went ashore and had a wander around Stavanger and was back on the ship just before all aboard. At 5pm I went to the Take Five lounge with some other passengers for a very nice cocktail party accompanied by a live Sky Princess band. The musical director onboard is a Bass guitar player and we had a chat about how good the live music was on the Sky Princess.
The Food and Beverage Director also invited the group to the senior officers’ cocktail party. We enjoyed a cocktail and it was a chance for the group to see all the senior officers and hear the Commodore of Princess Cruises’ fleet chat a little and introduce the passengers who had the longest number of nights with Princess. This was a couple with over 1000 nights onboard!
After some photos, we went to dine in the Estrella restaurant. I had Escargotte in garlic butter, which was just awesome, and for main surf and turf with lobster tail. We had Ben and Jen as our waiter and wine waiter, who were both fun and efficient! I finished with a Creme Brulee, which was amazing, had great flavour and a crispy caramelised topping.
After dinner, we headed to the Spotlight Bar to listen to a singer, who had terrific vocals and did some dancing. The shows have been some of the best at sea. We then went to the Atrium to listen to Asian Soul and had some drinks, including the Dunes cocktail, light and refreshing, and the Sicilian Kiss, which is a Baileys-type drink.
Day 7 – At Sea
I woke at 7.15am this morning but couldn’t face the gym or open deck for walking. I skipped breakfast and just had coffee in the Atrium, where I chatted to some other passengers.
That afternoon I went to the open deck and walked around the jogging track as well as sampling some of the pizzas from Slice. In the evening, we went to a variety show, which was excellent. The performers were top-notch with male and female vocalists performing everything from Robbie Williams to opera performances too.
We dined in the Estrella restaurant for our last evening meal onboard. We had Scandinavian seafood soup, a seafood crumbed fish cake with an egg on the top and lamb shank for my main. The food was well flavoured and had a really great texture with the lamb falling off the bone. I skipped dessert as I had already eaten too much this cruise!
After dinner, we listened to Asian Soul for a while and then headed to bed before waking up in Southampton to disembark Sky Princess. Overall, Escorted Fjords & Waterfalls Of Norway cruise was terrific, I met some really lovely people and had a lot of fun!
