Cruising the Fjords in Winter

Norway Part 2 - January 2024

Fjords have always fascinated me. The first chance I had to see them in person was during my trip to the South Island of New Zealand. The rainforest like ecology combined with cascading waterwalls and picture-perfect scenery. I always thought about cruising the fjords of Norway in summer. But the fjords have its own majestic beauty in the winter. During the polar nights, when the sun never rises above the horizon. When there is 4-5 hours of light presents its own beauty.

The best cruise line to see the Norwegian fjords is Hurtigruten. They have polar expedition style vessels hold less than 500 people and have operated a scheduled service along the Norwegian coast for more than 130 years. These ships provide a valuable service to small coastal communities. I boarded MS Polarlys in Bergen for a 5-day cruise. Destination Tromso.

Day 1 -Depart Bergen

After a final morning in Bergen, it was time to get to the ferry terminal and board my vessel. And set sail at 20.00.

Day 2- Alesund

Ålesund is renowned for its beautiful Art Nouveau architecture. We spent most of the day there exploring the city center and climbing the hill for a vantage point. I also found a great micro-brewery to have lunch.

Day 3 - Trondheim

The city of kings and palaces, Trondheim was founded by Viking King Olav Tryggvason in 997 A.D. and is now Norway’s third-largest city. It features a mix of historic buildings and a lively student population. A must-see site of the city is Nidaros Cathedral, nicknamed ‘Norway’s Notre Dame’ for its Gothic architectural style. It is considered the most sacred building in all of Norway.

Day 4 - Crossing the Arctic Circle

I woke up early and made my way to the windy and rainy deck to witness one of the highlights of the cruise, crossing the arctic circle. At 66 degrees and 33 degrees North, Norway is one of the few easily accessible places to cross. The ships spotlight shown on the monument as we toasted the sight with champagne. With rain fog and warm temperatures for out port call in Bodo, I decided to stay inside.

Day 5 - Tromso

Alas the voyage came to an end as we arrived in darkness at 14:00PM. Time to disembark and walk over to my Airbnb for the next 5 nights.