Norwegian Fjords

I recently returned from a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. I have never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the Fjords so I finally got my chance on the Celebrity Eclipse on the 29th April.
I went with my husband and 2 children who are age 9 and 12. I know it isn’t an ideal destination for kids of their age so I did warn them before we went that it will be mixed weather and not the usual type of holiday they would expect. Their ideal holiday is spent either in a swimming pool or the sea all day long only surfacing for meals and ice-cream.
I didn’t need to worry because we were so lucky to have lovely weather. For the time of year it is really unusual to have such warm temperatures and bright sunshine all day.
The mornings started off a little chilly but by mid-morning it was really warm so once we were back on board they were in the pool and jacuzzi’s and even managed a bit of sunbathing.
I will tell you more about the ship next time but for now will tell you my thoughts on Norway.
Our first port of call was Bergen

We had an outside cabin so when I looked out of my window it was pretty much what I expected to see with little wooden houses scattered about. Bergen is the gateway to the Fjords. There are areas that are commercial then you come across cobbled streets with traditional style wooden shops. There isn’t a lot to do unless you book an excursion but most people did what we did and had a wander round before returning to the ship.

The second port was Flam. This was one of the highlights of the trip. Flam is so beautiful and exactly what I imagined the Fjords to be like. We were surrounded by snow capped mountains in a tiny fjord inlet. There are a few shops and cafes and a hotel. We walked all around Flam before stopping at a small beach area and watched the local children kayaking. After returning for lunch we went on the famous Flam railway. This is just a few minutes walk from the ship and lasts a couple of hours. The best side to sit on is the platform side as you will have the best views from there. This takes you past waterfalls, villages and breathtaking scenery until you reach the snow capped mountains. You have time to stop off at a couple of viewing points for photographs before taking the same route back.

The third port was Geiranger. This was our favourite. The scenery there was stunning. There are steep steps that follow a waterfall which we took to the top. There is a viewing point for photos and a hotel if you wish to stop for refreshments. We went back into Geiranger instead for a few drinks to take in the scenery. Be warned that Norway is very expensive. We had 2 beers, 2 soft drinks and 2 cookies which came to around £35.00 !! It was worth it though for the magnificent views.

The fourth port was Alesund. This was our least favourite port. After the last 2 this was much more commercial. There was a lovely waterfront area with restaurants and cafes but not a great deal to see and do.

The last call was Stavanger. This is a lovely port. Again it is more commercial but still retains a lot of character. There are lots of high street chains which my daughter was pleased about but they were in small traditional buildings so didn’t seem out of place. We stopped for coffees here and the streets had lots of different coloured buildings and was in a very nice setting. There is a lovely harbour area too.

The other side of where the ship docked was a residential area. We walked up into that area and saw the local houses and gardens that has views over the harbour and the ship. There was a small park where the locals had met and a few small ships and bakeries. Stavanger would be a lovely destination to spend a long weekend but you would need to take plenty of money !!