ROL Cruise: How to Super-Charge Your Norway Cruise
A magic box of unbelievable shore excursions can turn your trip to the fjords into the adventure of a lifetime
Adventures come in all shapes and sizes, and Norway’s sparkling fjord lands have them all. A glittering playground for explorers, its icy peaks, snow-slathered plateaus, semi-frozen waters, and remote beaches once walked on by Vikings, all collide to create an unimaginable Arctic beauty.
With more than 34 ports of call dotted along Norway’s unspoilt coastline, cruisers can sail past 100 fjords and thousands of majestic mountains, warming up with a hot mug of Gløgg in picture-perfect coastal towns along the way.
ROL Cruise, the UK’s number one independent cruise specialist, has the inside knowledge on the little-known local experiences that will elevate your Norwegian cruise to something truly sublime.
Working with all the major cruise lines, ROL can help you cherry-pick the perfect shore excursions for your trip – from dog-sledding in Tromsø to kayaking past puffins and dolphins amidst stunning Arctic scenery – to make choosing between the myriad options a breeze. While your time at sea is a huge part of the fun, the activities you’d like to enjoy on land might just tip the balance when it comes to selecting the right cruise for you.
Choose Cunard, for example, and you could join a thrilling hiking excursion around Lysefjord, the most southern of Norway’s major fjords. Formed more than 10,000 years ago during the last ice age, this granite pocket spliced with a wide stripe of sparkling water stretches for 40km through the frozen wilderness, traversing hairpin bends and mountain crevices.
Scale its rocky sides and wooden staircase, passing cascading waterfalls until you reach the sky-high Pulpit Rock, which juts out over the fjord, providing epic views. This incredible shore excursion is available on Cunard’s seven, nine and 11-night Norway cruises, as well as its longer 'Northern Lights' and 'Great Norwegian Explorer' voyages.
Alternatively, cruise to Tromsø with Hurtigruten and you could be treated to a magical midnight concert in the city’s iconic Arctic Cathedral.
With the cavernous illuminated chamber providing an incredible purity of sound, professional choral groups sing haunting folk songs and harmonious melodies under the midnight sky for a musical experience that’s sure to bond you to this enchanting land forever.
Listening to the beautiful voices rising up to the rafters while you reflect on the wondrous sights you’ve seen that day is sure to give you the sweetest dreams of your cruise yet.
Join a voyage to Norway with P&O Cruises and you may call at the port town of Flåm, with the chance to ride one of the most spectacular railways in the world on a ‘Scenic Flåm Rail Ride’ excursion. Passengers depart from Flåm station and admire views of craggy cliffs, emerald hillsides and shimmering lakes as the famous track climbs 2,800 feet into the mountains.
There are countless photo opportunities as the train slows down at key sections of the journey, and at the Kjosfossen waterfall, there’s a chance to hop off and watch the raging waters plunge 300 feet into the rocks below.
Arriving at the railway’s loftiest station, Myrdal, explorers are able to gaze down at the knock-out views before descending back to the valley floor. It’s a great way to see more of Norway’s bewitching scenery in a short time, as the rail ride packs in some of the nation’s most extraordinary views into just two and a half hours.
Countless other cruise lines will connect you with a host of exhilarating excursions to take your Norway cruise to the next tier. From snowmobiling through arctic mountains and cross-country skiing through snowdrifts to gazing at intricate ice sculptures in a Snow Hotel, these outings will take you into every corner of the mystical fjords.
There are guided hiking trips to Hjørundfjorden, one of the most beautiful mountain regions in all of Norway. And to watch the rapidly swirling waters at Saltstraumen, home to the world’s strongest tidal current, where water speeds reach a daunting 22 knots. Fancy cycling through the medieval city of Trondheim, or hanging out with huskies and learning how to mush? ROL Cruise can make it happen.
As the leading independent national cruise specialist, ROL Cruise is delighted to share its experience, knowledge, and expertise to help you find your perfect Norway shore excursion.
With 25 years’ experience in cruising, ROL offers a huge choice of extraordinary experiences for 2021 and 2022, perfect for celebrating your return to travel. Working with all the major cruise lines, you can be assured of first-rate hospitality on board. All you need to worry about is who you’d like to take along with you for the journey.
