Norway Cruise Reviews

A thoroughly enjoyable experience, from taking off at Heathrow, to touching down again at Heathrow again. Transfers, tickets & information were all perfect, and the ship once we boarded at Bergan was impressively clean, modern & warm, the staff helpfull & polite.  Our cabin, although small, was clean and very neat, with sufficient storage for a weeks clothes, and the large window was nice & clear.

The voyage was enjoyable from start to finish, the scenery like a rolling picture postcard sliding slowly past, and we have some magnificent photographs now to remember Norway by (a good digital camera is a must). Information broadcast over the ship's PA was informative but not boring; enough to let you know what was coming up but without disturbing the peace for too long. Crossing the Arctic Circle was also memorable, King Neptunes ceremony will not be forgotten in a hurry.

The coastal towns and villages visited are charming, even the bigger towns have plenty to see and the excursion into Trondheim was well worth the expense. I was able to visit the Aircraft museum in Bodo, (again well worth the expense and a very interesting place to visit) while my wife toured the countryside around on the coach.

Nights spent on board were quiet, but the occaisional calls into ports provided natural interludes and kept things interesting. Even at night though, the scenery can amaze you, especially when cruising through a narrow fjord, when you as much sense the closeness of the massive cliffs as see them.

Our extra night and day in Tromso were good too; the dog sledding tripwas fascinating, and the town of Tromso fun to explore.

 Overall, nothing dissapointed us, and much exceeded our expectations, and there's not a lot these days that we can say that about; if you are thinking of going, then do it, you won't regret it.

Excellent service from Heathrow to Oslo, I used the fingerprint check-in at Oslo airport, which was great, got to the gate and wandered past the queues pressed my finger as before and I was through and in my seat.

Arrived in Tromso and was pleased to see mountains of snow. Transferred to the dog sledging excursion, which was out of this world. A 45 minute sledge ride with 10 huskies pulling through snow covered hill-tops. Perfect. Our group then went for into the Lavvu (a Norwegian teepee) next to the fire with our lamb soup and lamb broth which was nice and warmed me up. We then transferred to the ship the MS Polarlys and embarked about midnight. My cabin was an L grade on deck 5; it was comfortable and offered a good view out of the window.

The next day i went on the Harsted city tour and through to Sortland, which was very interesting and offered an insight into the vast history of Norway and this section of the coast. The rest of my day was spent in the observation lounge and out on deck taking in the wonderful sights and sounds of the surrounding area. Docked in Svolvaer and visited the ice bar and gallery there, which was amazing, the ice sculptures and ice bar were great to see.

Day 3 was spent simply relaxing and marveling at the coastline and many ports of call along the way, i spent a little time in each port simply having a wander around and seeing the varying towns and villages.

Day 4 was my last onboard the MS Polarlys, we docked in Trondheim at around 9am and i was booked on the Trondheim city tour, lead by another local guide who shared her extensive knowledge about the area and its history, we had a walk through the city and to the magnificent cathedral which was unfortunately closed but it gave us time to look at the many intricate carving and sculptures on the outside. It was then time to say goodbye to the friends we made onboard and travel home via Trondheim and Oslo airports. Back into Heathrow early evening with no trouble.

A fantastic holiday, allowing the option of a relaxing holiday simply watching the world go by or being active and getting off in every port and seeing Norway at its best.

The excursions were well worth the extra, especially the dog sledging which i would recommend to anyone and everyone.

Superb food on the ship, buffet breakfast and lunch giving many choices and also second or third helpings.

Very helpful staff onboard and information on ports can be found from the cruise director and each port embarkation and disembarkation times are announced giving you enough time to get to your cabin, get a warm jacket (which you WILL need.) and be ready to make the most of each port of call.

Thank you.     

After arriving in Tromso and flying over the beautiful snow covered mountains we met our carriage pulled by 14 friendly huskies. This was a majical experience being taken for miles over the white snow. We met our cruise ship MS Polarlys and set sail.  The food was excellent and lots of choice, even for breakfast. I

t was great just sitting in warmth and comfort watching the  beautiful scenery pass by.  The thing that amazed me was how smooth the ship docked at each port, sometimes we saw children waving from the shore at us. There were lots of opportunity to take a stroll from the ship in the beautiful Norweigian towns to sample the local hospitality. We took a guided tour of Trondheim which is a lovely town viewed from high on hillside with lots of history and culture. well worth a visit.

This was our first "cruise experience"...& it won't be our last!

In no particular order,

We thought the decor was lovely, not too over the top but much better than a typical ferry

We thoroughly enjoyed the food, especially the buffet nights!

Our cabin was comfortable & more spacious than expected, with a very nice en-suite.

Tha staff on board were extremely polite & helpful, & our tour leader was  most helpful .

All in all, from a very slick check-in at Bergen, to leaving at Kirkenes we were so pleased that we chose the voyage North for our first sailing experience.

Although we did not see the Northern Lights, the cruise through the spectacular fjords was worth every penny paid. The weather was a little colder than England. Tronso was clean and friendly and I felt safe walking by myself. However, the walking tour was fun and the group was friendly.

Boarding the ship was quick and efficient, and my single cabin was more than adequate with a good size window. The public areas of the ship were beautifully designed, with marble, artworks and comfortable seating.

I cannot fault any part of the trip. If we had seen the Northern lights, it would have been a wonderful bonus. Next time, I would like to sail from Bergen all the way to the Russian border.

This was a beautiful way to see some spectacular scenery, the ship was lovely, the food terrific and the views breath taking.  All well organised our flights and transfers were easy.  We stayed an extra night in Tromso to go on the polar evening excursion - a walk with huskies: this was terrific the people at the husky farm were enthuiastic and could not have been nicer and though we did not see the northern lights it was a real pleasure to be up on the hill as far removed from city life as you could imagine. 10 out of 10.

As a birthday suprise present for my wife Sue I booked a 5 day Northern lights trip departing from Tromso and taking in the North Cape. Our flights from Heathrow via Oslo were on time and we boarded the MS Trollfjord at Tromso. The quay area here is open to the elements but the weather was kind to us (see photo). Once on board we were quickly allocated our cabin (compact but very good). The MS Trollfjord has excellent facilities including fine dining and an excellent bar area. Views from the upper deck were breathtaking but equally good views could be had from a (warmer) vantage point on the ships upper viewing gallery. There were no problems with our voyage and apart from a little rough patch around the North Cape the weather remained mostly calm.

I have included a few photos of points of interest on our trip Hammerfest, the North Cape and passing the MS Lofoten. We had such a good time I would in particular recommend the North Cape Excursion - but make sure you have warm / waterproof clothing for this. Tromso rewarded us with a stunning display of the Northern lights on our return and we have promised ourselves a return trip this year.

Thanks to everyone at Blue Water for an excellent break.

My husband and I decided to go away for a few days over New Year which is something we hadn't done before. The 5 night trip sailing from Bergen to Tromso was a perfect break and it was a great way to blow the cobwebs away from Christmas and return fresh for the New Year!

The travelling to Bergen was problem free, self service check in, great connections, flights all on time with SAS. We did have to wait a while for our room after we boarded the M/S Trollfjord but we were happy to walk around the decks and explore the viewing areas and the lounge/bar areas. The price or drinks was more than we expected at approx £7 for a glass of wine or a beer. There was a wine & water 'drinks package' which could be purchased but we felt it was too much.

Our cabin was compact but comfy and clean. There were 2 single beds and an ensuite shower/toilet including hairdryer. We paid extra for an outside cabin which was great as we loved being able to look out at the scenery whenever we wanted.

The ship was great, lots of space and seating areas. The panorama lounge was the ideal spot to sit and watch the scenery as we sailed up the coast and between the mountains. There were 2 outside decks for strolling but wear appropriate winter clothing and footwear as it can be quite cold and icey! If you are feeling brave, I would certainly try the open air jacuzzi on the top deck and the 'ceremony of baptism' with King Neptune after you cross over the Arctic Circle!

The restaurant was lovely, staff were very friendly and the service was excellent. The food was amazing, lots of choice and good quality. Breakfast was buffet style, evening meal was set menu. There is also a small snack bar on board if you want to purchase any other food/snacks. Breakfast was served until 10am and the first sitting for dinner was at 6.30pm.

There was ample opportunities to get off the ship each day to explore the area or go on an excursion. The information and assistance on board was excellent as well.

In the evening there was a singer in the bar area otherwise no other entertainment. The atmosphere was very relaxed and dress was casual except for New Year's Eve where we did take smart outfits. The crew had decorated the ship with balloons and there was a New Year's Eve buffet, complimentary champagne at midnight and a firework display on the top deck.

During the trip we didn't see The Northern Lights at all but it didn't spoil it for us as there is so much to look at from the minute you board in Bergen.  The amazing scenery is enough just to watch as it drifts past during the day and evening. The weather was clear and cold but as long as we were wrapped up it was enjoyable.

On the last day we disembarked in Tromso and stayed overnight at the Rica hotel on the quayside which was very nice. As it was winter, there is only a few hours of daylight and even that is fairly dim so that was an experience. Most of the other people went off on excursions and we would have also gone but we hadn't pre booked there were no places left. I would certainly like to book the dog sledding next time!

The next morning after a wonderful breakfast we joined a walking tour which was led by a local lady called 'Audrey' who was fantastic. Our transfer was at 12 noon and all travel back to the UK went smoothly.

Our holiday was truly memorable, a fantastic experience. The travel arrangements were like clockwork and the accommodation both aboard ship and in the hotel in Tromso was very good, as was the food (although the cost of alcohol was eye-wateringly expensive!) November was a brilliant time to go to the Arctic Circle, because although the sun was only above the horizon for a couple of hours around midday, the morning and evening twilights lasted for several hours & the sunrises & sunsets were achingly beautiful.

The star constellations were phenomenal- we couldn't believe how many stars we could see. One of the many highlights was sailing into the Trollfjord at night with the ship's searchlight illuminating the sheer cliffs & then seeing the Northern Lights when we were out on open sea again. Only the freezing temperatures reminded us that it was reality, not a dream!

When we docked on the Lofoten Islands we visited the magical ice-sculpture exhibition on the quayside. Another surreal experience. We were fortunate to see the Northern Lights a second time on our last night in Tromso, when we were driven out to the dog-sledding farm (sadly the snow had not yet fallen, so we couldn't go out on sleds), but we ate delicious traditional reindeer stew in an Inuit round tent and then sat outside on reindeer skins & watched the celestial display in silent awe.

This was my first experience of cruising, and I enjoyed it immensely. I deliberately chose a trip that wasn't too long (this one was about 4 days) and that had things to do. We had three lectures from our "tame" astronomer, and he was also available on deck at night to help us with the night sky and spotting any auroral activity.

The ship, the MS Trollfjord was huge to my eyes, but my more experienced travellers said it was really quite modest as cruise ships go. The ship was clean and well appointed, and ran pretty much to schedule. The crew were very helpful and friendly. The food was fantastic. I had an inside cabin, which was fine for one, but would be a bit of a squash for two. The bathroom facilities were excellent and the cabin itself was clean and well maintained.

Prices were much higher than I was expecting, but that was true of Norway in general. The ship prices were pretty much what you would pay on the shore. I was warned of the high prices before I went, but it was still a shock to pay the equivalent of £6.60 for half a pint of lager - in Tromso.

Our tour guide, Eskil, was very good. I went on one excursion, to the Russian Border at Kirkenes. Again, very good guide and pleasant trip. There were plenty of excursions on offer. I tend to just like to wander round on my own, so one excursion was fine for me.

All in all, a very good introduction to cruising and I would recommend this cruise to anyone interested in astronomy or to anyone who just wants to see a really beautiful part of the world.

We did the extended itinery (so including the north cape) northern lights voyage.  The first night in the ice hotel at Alta was absolutely spectacular.  The staff were lovely, the food was great and the hotel itself was just amazing.  We were lucky enough to see the northern lights too.

Most of the excursions we did were fabulous, I thoroughly recommend the horse drawn sleigh ride, the dog sledding and the king crab + bathing the barents sea excursions.  They were all brilliant.  Our night in Kirkenes was greta too, lovely rooms and a nice way to end the holiday.

I probably could have done without the night on the boat.  It was noisy and boring but it did get us from A to B.  The North Cape excursion was also a little disappointing but the journey up there was beautiful as long as you could ignore the commentary.   

The good bits more than made up for the bad bits.

When family and friends found out we planned to escape the UK winter by cruising up the coast of Norway, in January, they, perhaps understandibly, thought we were crazy. But even we didn't know just how right we were. Norway in winter is beautiful, serene, fresh.

Any fears I had about floating around in perpetual darkness quickly seemed ridiculous as we spent all day everyday sailing up the coast in the soft blue arctic twilight. Our outside cabin onboard MS Polarlys was clean and comfortable with ensuite and plenty of hanging space. The food on board was plentiful, very well prepared and of ample variety ... pre-cruise nightmares of 6 days chewing on herring, herring and more herring quickly became nothing more than something to laugh about later on.

The ship seemed about half full, which suited us perfectly. Most passengers were either European or UK. Go in summer if you prefer Americans.

For five pence of free advice I would advise you to walk right passed the long queue of passengers signing up for unlimited supplies of 'bottled water', at not inconsiderable cost, and simply ask for the 'tap water'. Both 'varieties' arrive at your table in the same style of bottle and both have no discernible taste - typical of water that has passed through a desalination plant.

The highlight for us was a standout. 14 Alaskan Huskies and a sled on the snowy plains out back of Tromso, at night, with the Northern Lights dancing in the sky overhead was as far from winter in the UK as the planet provides. 

Fantastic holiday. Excellent food. Helpful staff. Amazing scenery. We had a great Christmas with this cruise

I took my 84 year old Father, his friend and my partner on the costal cruise from Bergen to Kirkeness in March of this year on the digital photography themed cruise.  It was brilliant despite the Norkapp breaking down and us being stuck in port for two days.  Our tutor Keith McCelland gave us extra tution to while away the hours.  The crew kept us regularly informed and provided free excursions.  The part for the ship needed to be flown in from Germany so the photography group were expertly transferred to the next ship North which was the Polarlys.  We were automatically provided with upgraded cabins and full board. We had a fantastic time visiting the North Cape, Husky Mushing for 8 kilometers by the lake and standing on the North Cape.  The best bit was seeing the Northern lights for 4 consecutive nights and thanks to Keith' s tution were were able to photgraph them.  I would definitely recommend this trip.  Breathtaking scenery from the comfort of a ship.

My husband has always wanted to see the Northern Lights and with his 60th birthday this year we decided this was the time to go.  We decided on the Northern Lights Festival cruise to make it more interesting and exciting.  This also meant that there was excellent musical entertainment on board the ship and in Tromso.  We sailed on 20 January which is a good time of year in terms of the hours of daylight; the incredible sunsets and sunrises; and the beautiful snow capped scenery.  The ship (Trollfjord) provided a wonderful (and beyond expectation) environment in which to sail the fjords.  The accommodation; service and food were faultless (the cost of drinks exhorbatant though!).  We had a tour guide who also gave on board lectures that were most interesting.  The two nights in the Rica hotel, Tromso were a brilliant finish to the holiday and we saw the Northern Lights on our last night (sitting on reindeer skins in the snow at the head of a frozen fjord - an experience not to be missed).

Blue Water Holidays arranged everything for us and I cannot fault the service they provided.

A brilliant experience that will stay with us for a lifetime.

Wonderful cruise for relaxation and soothing light. Excursions are costly but worth the price. A full moon during the cruise will reduce the likelihood of seeing the northern lights. The ships are great - warm, comfortable, friendly crew, good food, high cleanliness, good cabins. Not a cruise if you are a really bad sailor!!   

The usual route to Bergen to pick up M/S Finnmarken is via Heathrow but, living in Leeds, we chose to avoid that particular problem and fly from Leeds/Bradford for a nominal amount extra. Transfer to the ship by coach was easy and quick although the location of the stand for the Hurtigruten coach isn't too obvious: it's just to the right of the exit from Arrivals.

Arriving late afternoon in February it was just going dark and so we were unable to see anything of Bergen on the short transfer to the ship. On arrival at the port luggage is left in the luggage hall immediately after alighting from the transfer bus and cabins are allocated once on board the ship. Be sure to ask to be woken should the Northern Lights appear.

Food on board is varied and good but drinks, alcohol in particular, are very expensive. A litre of wine costs in the region of £37. Even with the slightly reduced costs which the drinks package offers you may wish to have a few alcohol free days.

As far as entertainment is concerned, there is none. It's not that kind of cruise. However, having said that, a very competent organists and singer did provide music in the bar during our cruise.

Once you have left port there is always plenty to see. The scenery is beautiful and it's possible to go ashore at several of the stops. If you choose an escorted cruise then you may be lucky and get a guide like ours who will take you on an 'unguided walk' around the towns where an 'official' tour is unavailable.

As far as the Northern Lights are concerned, there are no guarantees. We were lucky and saw them on three nights. Possibly not the best display as, at the time of our cruise, they were close to their minimum, they were never-the-less quite impressive. Photographing them was, at first, a little hit and miss but using a digital camera with exposures of around 30 or 40 seconds at f2.8 with an ISO equivalent of 400 produced some acceptable results. Using an extra wide angle lens and something to keep the camera still improved the results.

Having flown from Leeds/Bradford meant that we automatically had to spend an extra night in Tromso rather than flying back immediately we had disembarked. This wasn't a problem as we wanted to go on the dog sledding excursion. Being pulled on a sledge through the snow covered landscape by 12 huskies in the dark should not be missed: highly recommended.

Overall impressions of the cruise? Not inexpensive, but well worth considering and a very pleasant change from the warmer parts of the world we have previously visited.

May I firstly congratulate Blue Water Holidays. Each part of their involvement in our Norway Coastal cruise worked flawlessly. They suggested a flight time of 11.30 from our local airport. We opted for a 6am flight, in order to explore Bergen. We arrived Bergen airport at 11.00 and discovered that the first bus to Hurtgruten Quay was 14.30. We could have paid £30.00 to use the airport bus and then a taxi. We therefore missed our Bergen exploration. Our fault.

Once on board the Ms Polarlys, we were issued with a personal boarding card, cabin keys and found our luggage outside the cabin door. All in about ten minutes. We were most impressed with the Polarlys, the efficiency and cheerfulness of all staff.

We were extremely lucky that the weather was pretty good, no storms! A word of warning, a strict diet or fitness regime prior to boarding is recommended, unless you have an iron will. The food and staff are excellent .We found that the ship tour organizer was very good at keeping everyone fully informed about trips, ports of call and films available whilst aboard.

My wife guessed within a few seconds, the time we crossed the Arctic circle. She was the first to meet Neptune and have a soup ladle of iced water down her neck. At least she received a nice prize. Very few English volunteered, quite a few Germans did, strange.

I would point out that the daylight hours are quite restricted during November. When we next go, it will be when there is more daylight. We felt we had missed quite a lot of scenery during the early darkness. We missed out on the booked dog sled trip at Tromso, due to lack of snow. We changed to the trip to the North Cape. We could see very little due to a blizzard, just our luck!

On the return journey we had a terrific coach trip from Harstad to Sortland in the Lofoten Islands. The timing of the coach to cross the bridge with the Polarlys passing underneath was impressive.

The same night we had a tannoy during dinner to let us know that the northern lights had been sighted. The dining room was emptied within seconds. I was fortunate to get several photographs and spent the next few days bragging about them.

In conclusion I would thoroughly recommend the Norway cruise, do not be put off with the 68 ports of call. The ones during the night we were not aware of. At all stops, should you wish, you could get off and have a walk.