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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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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34 Comments
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The best cruise in Norway is on the Hurtigruten
Northern light is seasonal, but the chances to see it increases the further north you go. There are northern light in south of Norway too – but it is rare and not the sameas in the north. In fjord cruise, i would not expect to see it. If that is a central expectation – bgo to Tromsø or thereabout.
if u want to see Northern lights in Norway do cruises From trondheim and further north in the Winter. Norrthern lights are more common the higher up you are. And in Winter half of the year Much of northern Norway has no daylight at all so u can see Northern lights 24/7 when it actually happens. But during summer much of Norway has Daylight again alot of the time. And Northern Norway only has daylight or long sunset in summer. Being from Trondheim in Norway Bergen is actually much darker in summer.
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!
June is the time for midnigthsun
Norwegian studies have shown that cruises are the most polluting type of tourism (per dollar spent in norway). so, when you chose to visit our beautiful country and nature, please have that in mind. please dont only give all the money to the cruise companies if you're determined to explore our country in the most polluting way possible. do research on the ports you will visit, there are lot's of sites that guides tourists to activities and sights in norway. go on activities by yourself and not only through the cruise company. spend money at local stores and restaurants. buy locally made items and not imported norwegian trolls from china. buy less things/trinkets and spend money on activities/experiences. use the local tour guides. chose less polluting activities. kayaking is a perfect example of this and as Ilana says it is a fantastic way of experience nature. let future generations also enjoy the beautiful norwegian nature. please.
I can tell you something more: don’t support big cruise ships into our fjords- it poors pollution and leaving only shit !!!
And your “ tips “ makes just my point
– you don’t know anything about the places you visit. Its a disgusting form of vacation 😡😡😡😡
So why come at all? – Norwegian dont like cruise tourists- stay home and watch a few about Norway, or what ever 🥵
we always know who are american tourists or not, bcus they are so damn loud!
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.
Finally booked our trip to Norway on HAL. May 2026 for 21 days.. So excited. Do you recall how early excursions were posted? HAL could do a better job at notifying passengers when excursions and speciality dining become available. Enjoyed the video snd thanks for sharing.
Pro-tip: just buy a sleep mask in the country you're visiting.
as a norwegian… be prepeed for 4 seasons in mai-september xD HAHA
Please don't go on a cruise in Norway. We don't want you or your ship 🙂
Be aware there might be establishments in Norway that are not very happy to take cash. Also, please don't give any Norwegians (guides etc) Euros or US dollars. Some might find it OK, but they're not usable in Norway.
Also, no midnightsun before you've crossed the Artic circle at roughly 66° north. Even though the circle isn't actually a physical line, you need to get a bit further north than for example Ålesund.
It appears the Norway excursions listed as "Strenuous" are indeed strenuous, so, I gotta train for the Olympics to enjoy Norway. Half-kidding.
There's this two-glacier hike I want to do, and I'm going to have to train for walking several km uphill on uneven terrain. Some comments about the excursion were along the lines of, "I normally hike 18 mi a week and thought this was difficult" and "some young people couldn't finish."
I bet they sell sleep masks in Norway, and on the cruise ship.
Booked a cruise for August 2026. I travel with a wheelchair for long distances and walk for shorter distances with crutches. I have a strong teenager with me and we are looking forward to see the beautiful nature of Norway.
JJ Cruise released their Norway video and they mentioned some of their fellow cruisers were unable to spend their euros at the ports. It may not be the same at every Norwegian port. I think it's prudent to have Norwegian kroner.
That’s why i’m going to Norway! The quietness and good behaviour! And beautiful places!
Please do a winter cruise and report on that
We have done 5 Alaska cruises. We are booked Fjords( Princess) in late April. I can not wait to experience the beautiful scenery and compare to AK. Thanks for sleep mask tip.
Can you rent arctic wear as it seems a lot of money to invest in items you never need again…ie: thermal pants, coat, gloves etc. We want to go in winter to see the Northern Lights
I have been to Norway 3 times and returning next May . Love the atmosphere, the quietness and lifestyle. Travel extensively worldwide and continue to love the northern countries.
How similar is a Norway cruise to Iceland, Greenland in terms of scenery and excursions. If we have done an Iceland, Greenland cruise will it still be worth it to do a Norway fjords cruise? Thank you.
If I may, for the real experience you should have cruised on the Hurtigruten and not HAL. HAL is not bad at all, but Hurtigruten is on a whole other level
A none too bright and exceptionally loud US American ~ much too painful to watch.
Did you see the Northern Lights?
Do we have to be above the arctic circle to see them?
We have done the Viking Cruise line 14-day Norway trip twice and believe it's the best trips we have ever done. We sailed in late June both times and had 24-hour sun, which requires you to shut the drapes. Prices in Norway are expensive (like London). So, plan for expensive meals on shore (lunch runs about $40 per person)
As a European, parts of this video are hilarious. Culture section summary: Norwegians aren't as unhealthy/unfit or as loud as Americans. Her observations are the exact opposite of what Europeans note on visits to the US.
I did my junir year abroad in UK (I'm American). When I returned to NA the voices in the airport (and the vulgarity) hurt my ears!
The currency is the Krone, not Crone. It's also pronounced Kroner, not crone.
We’re going to Norway on Celebrity in August and I’m curious about the temperature on board ship, particularly at night. Will they keep the interior fairly warm or will the A/C be blasting? I’ve heard cruise ships are typically chilly.