Norwegian Fjord Cruises

Despite the fact that one of the major cruise lines across the world is known as Norwegian cruises, they actually don’t service cruises in Norway. If you’re looking for a great experience touring the Norwegian fjords, expect to find a fantastic deal through one of the three main companies offering cruises in Norway including:

Fred Olsen Cruises
Hurigruten
Costa Cruises

Fred Olsen features an impressive fleet but Hurtigruten surpasses them in sheer number of ships. Costa Cruises is the only cruise company that isn’t based out of Norway among these three: they actually hail from Hollywood, California, but their cruises still represent all the cultural depth that you’d come to expect.

Pristine Waters

One of the reasons why Norway’s fjords are so beautiful is the water reserves that exist in lakes and rivers throughout the country. As fjords are naturally geological formations that are the result of glacial erosion, glacial water deposits can be found in Norway. These bodies of waters are protected from pollution and they’re just as gorgeous as they had been hundreds of years ago. Glacial water is also purportedly healthier than normal water, having key nutrients stored that foster better growth of both people and plants that drink the water on a regular basis. No American beaches or Caribbean cyan-blue sea can compare to the glistening waters of a Norwegian fjord: the water literally sparkles like diamonds in the midday sun and refracts light patterns against the high, sheer cliffs on either side of your watery causeway.

Ports In Norway

If you’re going to be taking a fjord cruise in Norway, there is one port in particular that you’re most likely going to see but different cruise packages may take you to different ports over the duration of your cruise. Because of this, the major ports of Norway are listed below with a short description about them so that you may more accurately find the Norwegian cruise that speaks to you.

Bergen – This is the port that you’ll most likely find yourself at if you’re going to see the fjords. Bergen is like a slice of the past, in the present. It is the cultural center of Norway and the second largest city of the Nordic country.
Trondheim – This was the first Viking capital and it has been known for the Stiftsgarden Palace.
Hammerfest – With a name like Hammerfest, you know it’s going to be a “banging party”. This is the most northern town of the world – tied with Siberia. Luckily because of the off shore Gulf Stream, the town is pleasantly devoid of snow.
Tromso – This is widely considered to be the “Paris” of Norway. Also, if you’re going on an Arctic expedition, this is the gateway through which you will pass before traveling northward.

Why Fjords Are So Unique

Fjords are found in Norway and Iceland but few other places have them. This is because glacial erosion causes fjords to form. During the Ice Age, Norway and Iceland were covered in moving, avalanching glaciers!