10 Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE my Norway Cruise

If you're going on a Norway cruise, this is a must-watch! Avoid the common mistakes cruise passengers make on Norway cruises, including the 1 mistake I made & regret!

Norwegian Fjords cruises are amazing, but there are a lot of things you need to know. On my first Norway cruise, I learned a lot & share these Norway cruise tips with you. From being prepared for the weather in Norway, to what to do in cruise ports of call, this video shares what to expect on a Norway cruise as well as important mistakes to avoid.

We recently went on a Norway cruise on Holland America Rotterdam. However, these cruise travel tips will be useful whether you cruise with Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean (or on any cruise ship in the Norwegian Fjords).

Perfect for new cruisers as well as cruise veterans who are cruising to Norway for the first time.

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Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.

ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!

Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
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Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic

[abcabcboy]

In Norway, if someone is loud, they are usually drunk, crazy or foreign...

[HelgeKS]

About Norwegians being quiet. It's a pragmatic notion: If we sit at the same table in a restaurant, we don't necessarily see the need to scream...

[Mnnvint]

As a native of Ålesund, special thanks to cruise tourists who just don't go on the tours the cruise line sets up. A few summers ago, we tried to set up some concerts for the tourists, with Norwegian classical chamber music (Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull mainly) in one of the Art Noveau buildings in our town where we have restored the interior. Those who went said they really liked it, however we didn't have the budget to lobby/pay the cruise ships to put our concerts on their excursions, so many days it was very sparse, we could only advertise on the street.

Also those hop-on hop-off buses are not great. They're pretty dodgy, skirting local regulations as much as they can, causing many problems.

Ålesund is well-equipped to deal with lots of cruise ship tourists. Many smaller ports aren't really, so be considerate. Especially if you go north to Lofoten...

[jamesleighninger]

My wife has mobility issues so we didn’t do lots of walking. The coach drivers are the best in the world and took us down narrow roads alongside the fiords with skill! We got to see lots of countryside and spectacular scenery, including villages and the ancient stave churches. If you have mobility issues, don’t write Norway off. Just plan coach tours instead. Norway is gorgeous!!

[peggytan]

Will be cruising the Norwegian fjords in October. I think I will definitely pack my winter jacket!

[richardgotshall]

Our daughter lives in Oslo. She says Norwegians say there is no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing. So we pack for everything from swimsuits to mittens and use them all!

[sonjab]

I cruised from Kirkenes to Bergen with Hurtigruten in 2017. I agree with you about the people being quiet. It made me proud of my heritage. My mom's family are all like that. The Cruise Director explained the Law of Jante - a Norwegian philosophy in which individuals do not try to stand out above others. Norway only has about 5 million people so it's easier to keep that attitude.

[joannecohen]

I have done two cruises through Norway and it is my favorite place in the world (that I've seen so far). I'm hoping to take a trip (not cruise) there again, in the future, to see more of the interior part of the country. I was so inspired I've been taking lessons to speak Norwegian (not very useful in California though, lol). My main suggestion is to be prepared for all types of weather, it changes by the minute!

[ivarnordlkken]

Hello. Im Norwegian, and I live in Oslo. Welcome to Norway!

[kengodbold]

Their drivers amazed me. When walking, we noticed drivers stopping for us while we were still a bit away from the crosswalk. I am so used to folks accelerating to get past before the pedestrian gets to the crosswalk. Impressive!

[jeffreywagner]

We sailed on RC “Jewel of the Seas” on their 13-night Arctic Norway itinerary (July 5-18, 2024). I think they had one of the best itineraries bc we had the southern & northern Norway Ports. We loved Flam, Olden & Geiranger the best. But it was so breathtaking - watching the ship sail thru the fjords from my bed. Loved the balcony! NordKapp was amazing, sunny but quite windy. On the Blue Puffin tour to NK, we saw Sami Tribe people and their reindeer. We packed in layers (with merlino wool) and got a load of laundry done 1/2 way through the cruise. We only booked 3 excursions with the ship, the rest we did local or hop on/off buses or trains. All 7 of us did Carry-On Only, but 1 guy had to bring his big suitcase. We had quite the surprise on July 19- when the massive world IT Outage happened. 4 of us got stranded in Iceland - it was sunny and almost 70 degrees. 2 were stranded in London; and the other 2 in Amsterdam. Actually, we had pretty good weather for most of the trip. Only used my umbrella once; but used my binoculars every day..🚢🚢

[mkitten]

Norwegian here, the key with clothing is layers. The weather and temperature can be really unpredictable, so being able to add or shed layers to adjust along the way will make you far more comfortable. For our lattitude, our climate is mild, but we are very far north so it should be taken into account. I live in the west, but here's how I tend to describe the months:
January - March = Winter, April is pretend Spring (do not let it fool you), May is bipolar (you can get anything from snow to summer heat in May and you have no idea how the dice will roll on that one), June is milder May (still unpredictable, but at least you're safe from snow), July = Summer (usually your best chance of proper warmth), August = Summer that knows fall is approaching, September is generally fall (can get some residual warmth, but don't count on it), October is colder fall, November is cold fall/winter and December is full winter.

[snapchick]

Really recommend you do a winter cruise with Hurtigruten. It is a fabulous experience into the Arctic Circle and if you go in February/March, you have a good chance to see the Northern Lights which are truly spectactular! You will not have to wonder about which clothes to take - take warm layers and warm, waterproof outer layers/boots and you will be good to go. By the way, the food on the ships is amazing and you can go reindeer sledding with the local Sami people which is also a not to be missed experience. ❤

[janetstrayer]

We went to Norway last summer for 2 weeks and it was very peaceful in all the ports...what a beautiful country! Loved every minute of our trip! We were on Rotterdam from Amsterdam.

[lynnkongkham]

Great points about Norway, Ilana. I did my second Norwegian fjords cruise just after your cruise and the weather had cooled off and there was some rain. I suggest clothes that allow you to layer according to the weather, which can change while you are out on an excursion for the day. I found the Hop On-Hop Off buses to be excellent in some of the ports, whereas other ports, like the major fjords, are best seen via excursions into the mountains, lakes, waterfalls, etc. A mask is definitely a necessity, although I would still find myself waking up in the middle of the night to look out at the wonder of the bright, middle-of-the-night skies.

[andreagallucio]

Just got back from cruise to Norway. What a beautiful country!

[kathrynr]

Yep, that midnight sun! We were on a bus tour in northern Scotland late May. Our overnight in Thurso was at the same latitude as Juneau Alaska. We weren't prepared for the daylight so late ((and early) . The sleep mask is a great idea

[tineditmarunnerup]

Americans are recognized everywhere for speaking very loudly. I'm not sure it's the Norwegians being quiet. :D

[larryrobinson]

Have been to Kristiansand and it was very quiet in the city compared to North American Cities, We only did sountern Norway and now planing a northern cruise much like yours.

[ChristianLehrer]

Beautiful video! We were on Royal’s Anthem from Southampton to the Fjords in May and were surprised with great weather. After packing waterproof shoes, my Norwegian Fisherman’s sweater (which is still in the plastic dry cleaner wrap) and coat, the teenage boys were taking off their T shirts at the Furnicular overlook in Bergen. Had been to Norway before on a land tour of Scandanavia years ago. The Norwegian people are wonderful. Yes, it is super expensive. Denmark is more expensive than Germany, Sweden even more so and Norway the most. Let me add an important update on the upcoming FJORDS CLOSURE! Norway has pushed back the closure to all but zero emission cruise ships to 2035, however, by the original deadline on Jan 1 2026, ONLY LNG powered cruise ships will be allowed into the UNESCO Fjords. Many of the major cruise lines are building these but only a few have entered service. As such there will be far fewer Fjords cruises starting in 2026. Go in 2025 if you are able, Geiranger Fjord is a must see! Thank you Ilana!