Norway is an absolutely stunning country. After spending several months working on a ship with a Norwegian fjords cruise itinerary, I got to know several of the country’s cities, towns and villages in a way that your average cruise passenger never will. From clapboard fishermen’s houses to industrial warehouse-filled towns, from snow capped mountains and tundra scattered with reindeer to wide open fields scattered with apple trees- this is a country of contrasts that I wasn’t expecting.
If you’re on a cruise ship, there will be plenty of options for cruise excursions in the Norwegian fjords- but what if you want to explore at your own pace? Here, in no particular order, is a very brief guide to every port that we stopped at during my three months living and working on a Norwegian fjords cruise ship.
Bergen
The city of Bergen is often the first port of call on a Norwegian Fjords cruise itinerary, and is therefore the probably one of the busier ports- always chockablock with a combination of locals and tourists. Bergen was the first place I ever saw reindeer meat for sale, and the first place a Norwegian ever struck up a conversation with me (after two and a half months of exploring the country. I don’t think Norwegians are rude, it’s just that they tend to keep themselves to themselves).
A bustling university city (although size-wise its still very much on the small side), most visitors to Bergen head straight for the famous UNESCO site of Bryggen– a little village of colourful wooden commercial buildings, from back in the days when this city was a major Hanseatic port. If you’re on a Norwegian fjords cruise with only one day in Bergen, it’s possible to see the houses of Bryggen and head up Mount Fløyen on the funicular all in the space of a few hours; the city is compact but beautiful.
Related: Exploring the Norwegian City of Bergen
Geiranger and Geirangerfjord
Sailing on a cruise ship through Geirangerfjord to reach the tiny village of Geiranger is a truly magical experience, and for me was the highlight of every Norwegian fjords cruise that we did.
Surrounded by steep mountains on all sides, Geiranger is the inspiration for Elsa’s kingdom in Frozen (don’cha know), and is one of Norway’s most visited ports. When a sunbeam illuminates the silver sliver of a waterfall cascading down the mountainside, or you notice the droplets of melted snow-water dripping over ferns and flowers to your side, there is no denying the beauty of this place. I loved getting off the ship here and heading straight up the mountain in a new direction. The village really is tiny with only a few permanent residents, though I felt as if whilst tourism plays a big part in the economy here, it’s kind of insane to see two or three ships moor in the fjord and deposit several thousand people into such a small space.
Aside from the magic of cruising through Geirangerfjord itself, once the ship is docked in Geiranger the best thing to do is head straight up the mountain, past the stunning waterfalls. If it starts to rain, there’s a museum half way up with a great cafe, don’t panic pals.
Related: Cruising through Geirangerfjord, and a Guide to Geiranger
Molde
Oh Molde. Molde, Molde, Molde. I have to be honest here guys. Molde and I just did not get on. Partly because something bad always seemed to happen when we docked here (starvation due to no food in crew mess but all the restaurants unexpectedly closed/debit card eaten by the ATM leaving me without cash for a month/ bad news just happening to be delivered whenever we were docked here, but really that’s surely not Molde’s fault).
But also partly because I just didn’t see the appeal of the place at all. It was so difficult to find things to do in Molde.
Although in fairness, it didn’t help that we only docked here at around 2.30pm which was too late to really get any further away than the immediate vicinity of the ship. There is a folk museum within walking distance of the port. And apparently Molde is famous for two things- its roses, and it’s jazz festival- which may well be true, but alas, I saw only a high street of drab buildings and the town quickly became known as ‘Mouldy Molde.’ Soz, Molde.
Åndalsnes
The petite town of Åndalsnes is known as ‘The Mountaineering Capital of Norway’, and I can see why; it really is the gateway to many a hiking or climbing route through the mountains. (Plus there’s a Mountaineering Centre within walking distance of Åndalsnes port, which really hammers it home that people really enjoy climbing mountains around here). So the best thing to do in Åndalsnes is get out of the town and into the nature. Failing that, ‘Europe’s most beautiful railway’ runs between Åndalsnes and Dombås so is fully worth a look.
Docking in Åndalsnes was a similar situation to Molde, in that we were only there for a few hours- in this case a few hours in the morning. Meaning that not many crew actually managed to see this port at all. In my final week of our Norwegian fjords cruise route, I finally mustered up the strength to drag myself out of bed, off the ship, and begin climbing uphill, and was absolutely delighted that I did it. Go, me! So pals, the town is nothing special to look at, but the surrounding nature is incredible. And cruising through the Romsdalfjord looking out at the cloud-topped mountains is also nothing short of spectacular.
Have a little look at I Finally Got off the Boat in Åndalsnes!!
Stavanger
I really like Stavanger. The city is small, meaning you can walk wherever you need to go, and you can really get a sense of each different area as you walk. From the rows of white wooden fishermen’s houses lining higgledy-piggledy cobbled lanes, to the very hip-looking and brightly coloured shops and cafes on the other side of the harbour, splashed with the odd graffiti-d Norwegian troll grinning back at you from the walls.
As a real fan of hunting out a good independent coffee shop (seriously I consider it a very important part of getting a non-touristy tourist experience), Stavanger is full of cozy places to grab a coffee and cake, which gets it bonus points in my opinion. The city used to be a key player in the canning industry (strange but true story, they even have a museum dedicated to it), and now its main money-maker is oil. It’s also from Stavanger that we were able to visit the absolutely gobsmackingly incredible Preikestolen- a slab of cliff that towers above the fjord below like a tombstone. It was a hilariously scary hike at points but completely worth it; if you’re up for a challenge this was the best thing I did while docked in Stavanger.
The Colourful City of Stavanger, Norway
Trondheim
The furthest North of our regular ports of call on the Norwegian fjords cruise, this was therefore often the chilliest port even in mid-Summer.
Trondheim contains one seriously old Gothic cathedral, and a whole load of beautiful brightly coloured wooden warehouses. This was another one of the busier ports in Norway, and Trondheim is a great port for shopping. In the winter, the city is a brilliant base for watching the Northern Lights, though in the Summer time when we were docking in Trondheim, this was obviously not a possibility. Alas!
Related: What to do in Trondheim
Eidfjord
Eidfjord is such a beautiful port. . This part of Norway is well-known for growing apples, and I always appreciated getting off the ship here and heading to my favourite coffee shop, getting a locally-made apple juice, and a coffee, and a salad, (also maybe a cake), and just chilling out till the rain cleared. Sorry to bang on about coffee, but if you’re a crew member in Norway of all places it’s important to find your favourite place for a cuppa. Mainly because the temperature can suddenly dip or the rain can suddenly start, hindering all your hiking plans within seconds.
Aside from the little village around the port, Eidfjord is another place on a Norwegian fjords cruise which is perfect for just heading off into the nature and strolling like there’s no tomorrow. Although there are a few uphill climbs around here, I also found open fields filled with lambs and flowers, pine trees closely packed together, and a massive lake which is perfect for chilling out by.
Or swim in, if you’re brave enough.
The following ports are further North and technically no longer in ‘Norwegian fjords cruise’ destinations, but they might be included on a longer Norwegian cruise itinerary. So here ya go- a little Arctic Norway cruise bonus for you!
Honningsvåg
Honningsvåg is the furthest North town on the mainland of Norway, located above the tree line, and is the closest port to the North Cape- another one of those towering cliffs looming over the water below it. In this case, the water is the icy cold North Sea.
It was very surreal to disembark from the ship in broad-but-gloomy daylight in the middle of the night and make our way across the tundra past little gatherings of white reindeer to reach this most Northerly point of Europe. The town of Honningsvåg itself is so isolated that I found the atmosphere here a chilling one (pardon the pun), although- granted- it was literally the middle of the night when we arrived, so would have been even more silent than in the daytime. There is, however, an ice bar near the port if you don’t feel like heading to the North Cape on a cruise excursion.
For an extremely honest account of my visit to Nordkapp: Nordkapp- Expectation vs Reality
Hammerfest
I’ll be honest here. We arrived in Hammerfest the day after my birthday, and having celebrated the night before I wasn’t feeling too fresh on the morning in question. The only real reason I left the ship was to uncover some buried treasure which my pal had hidden for me underneath a rock outside the port. His ship had docked in Hammerfest the week before, and knowing that I’d be there too, he’d hidden a snow globe from Nordkapp, artfully wrapped in a plastic bag, for me to discover with the help of some clues. It’s like a modern-day Arctic-themed Treasure Island, ya know!
Considering that Hammerfest is one of the oldest towns in Norway, I was pretty shocked that anything I could see looked decidedly modern. It turns out that when the Nazis arrived during WWII they were ordered to leave absolutely nothing standing, so practically the entire town was rebuilt from scratch after the war ended. What terrible creatures humans are.
Weirdly considering that there hasn’t been a single polar bear around these parts for thousands of years, Hammerfest is home to the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, and there are references to polar bears all over the small town. This is because back in the old days, Hammerfest port was the starting point for many a hunting expedition to Svalbard, and when the hunters returned with polar bear cubs, they were shipped out from here to zoos across the world.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. What terrible creatures humans are.
Svalbard
Guys. I never actually stepped on land when we arrived at the port of Svalbard. I’m literally putting it here anyway because it’s the furthest North I’ve ever travelled in my entire life. I still think that’s pretty cool, and I still appreciated it even though I wasn’t allowed off the boat that day. But don’t get me wrong, it was rather tricky seeing my pals head off to see some husky puppies while I waved them farewell and made do with walking laps around the top deck in the icy Arctic air.
Svalbard is part of Arctic Norway, and it took us a day to reach it from mainland Norway. No children or pregnant women are allowed to live here because the town is too isolated to receive quick medical care, and the majority of those who do live in this icy outpost are here for scientific research purposes only. The houses are only temporary constructions, because they need to be able to move quickly should there be an avalanche.
Leaving Svalbard on a cruise ship was one of the most beautiful moments ever. The water was like glass, and in the distance we could see clearly the white peaks of mountains, and pathways of glaciers pouring in extreme slow motion into the sea.
What a strange and beautiful world.
The actual cruising bit
If I wasn’t a crew member there is no way in a million years I would ever have booked myself on to a Norwegian fjords cruise. Or in fact, any cruise, to be honest.
But I have to admit there is something really special about sailing through the mountains and fjords of Norway. Especially in the summer where it’s possible to be outside in bright sunshine at midnight (like in the photo of me below). It’s a completely surreal experience, and one that I’d fully recommend. And a bonus of sailing through fjords is that the water tends to be completely flat- so it’s basically impossible to get seasick on a Norwegian fjords cruise!!
It may have been a decidedly cold Summer compared to what I’m used to, but there’s still something kind of magical about this beautiful country which is unlike anywhere else in the world.
Logistical Statisticals
- Currency is the Norwegian krone.
- Cards are accepted pretty much everywhere, but euros are definitely not!
- Whilst sailing down the fjords, the water is eerily calm, but back out in open water it can get choppy even in summer. Be prepared if you suffer from seasickness!
- Norway is a really expensive country. FYI. Expect to spend the equivalent of around €8 for a coffee and a piece of cake.
- If you’re cruise ship crew in Norway, good times for you!! You get free or discounted entry for TONNES of things in this country. Including the tour buses, which have brilliant wifi might I add.
Norwegian ports are definitely something else! I’ve only had the chance to visit a few of the ports you mentioned but looking forward to hopefully visiting more in the future!