Cruising to the Norwegian fjords is one of the best cruises I ever took, but there are a few things I wish I had done differently or changed.
Regardless of where you sail, every cruise has its own approach. Even if I avoid the common cruise mistakes that would create major problems, there are still things that I wish I had done otherwise.
Across my 7-night sailing on Independence of the Seas to Norway, I walked off the ship with a lessons learned and new tips I'd share with someone trying it for the first time.
Hopefully these experiences will benefit you before you head to Norway for an equally amazing cruise.
How impactful the midnight sun is on sleep
You can read all you want about how there's so much daylight in Norway, but it's jarring every time you get ready for sleep and it looks like 4pm.
Balcony and oceanview cabins have curtains, but they are not blackout curtains.
It's an adjustment for sure, but I dealt with it better than others in our group. Our brains are conditioned to expect certain conditions for sleep, and it can be difficult to fall asleep swiftly if it's not met.
I don't regret booking a balcony cabin for my Norway cruise, but if someone were a light sleeper when it comes to light, I'd recommend an inside cabin.
While it's a shame for missing out on the views, I'd argue there are plenty of viewing opportunities from around the ship's public decks. And a good night's sleep is worth something.
Weather forecasts are almost useless
After the first or second day, I started ignoring the weather forecasts.
The first sign they weren't very useful was when we'd all look up the forecast for the next day and get high temperature and precipitation predictions that never agreed.
But when we went into port and the sun shined most of the day and never rained, I started seriously doubting them.
My advice for anyone cruising the Norwegian fjords is to plan for all weather.
I wore a t-shirt, and brought a fleece jacket with me. If the weather forecast called for more than 50% chance of rain, I might bring my rain jacket but I often took a gamble with not bringing it.
I found it could be chilly in the morning, especially in the shade. But being able to take off or put back on my fleece kept things comfortable. Plus, we did a lot of walking so as soon as we walked for a bit, I'd warm up naturally.
Just like Alaska, the weather is unpredictable so don't write off a day or assume any weather. Have a backup plan, but go ahead with your excursions or walking, and make the best of it.
You're going to need a small backpack
After one port, I knew we needed a backpack.
I didn't pack a backpack or day bag, but it came in so handy to have somewhere to put a bottle of water, rain jackets, and perhaps a snack.
I just mentioned how important being able to put on or remove a jacket is, and it's a lot easier if you have somewhere to store them.
You should bring a packable backpack that can be stuffed in your luggage, but used during the sailing.
Water and drinks are very expensive
I knew Norway was an expensive country, but what really surprised me is how expensive soft drinks are.
Maybe I'm used to prices in the USA, but I thought 3.5 Euros or more for a bottle of water or soda was quite excessive. That was the price at a convenience store or take-out restaurant. Sit down restaurants would easily charge more.
Plus, there aren't really free refills at restaurants.
I'm guessing the higher prices are the result of taxes, tariffs, import fees or something else, but it changed how I otherwise go out.
Almost immediately we started bringing bottles of water with us off the ship, which were essentially free thanks to one of my favorite Crown and Anchor Society perks.
Booking independent shore excursions was so much better than in the Caribbean
There are pros and cons of booking shore excursions through the cruise line or on your own, but it seems to heavily favor independent tours in Norway.
I booked excursions through both Royal Caribbean and on my own, and overall, was happier with the independent tours.
The tours I did on my own or with a third party had far less waiting.
My bus tour with Royal Caribbean had a report time of 12:10pm, but between waiting in the theater for the tour to start and the bus taking forever to load everyone, we didn't actually depart until 1pm.
On the other hand, the Loen Skylift in Olden that I booked through an independent company had ticket pickup at the pier and buses running every 10 minutes.
Speaking of the Skylift, do it. It's the best excursion we did during our cruise.
We not only wasted far less time getting going, but we beat the cruise line excursions that came later. That meant less time waiting for the cable car.
There are good reasons to book a tour with Royal Caribbean, but I think the third-party tours worked better.
Fjords are best seen from a tour
Your ship will sail in and out of fjords, but I think you're best off seeing them on a tour rather than trying to enjoy them from the ship.
With the exception of perhaps Geiranger, the best views of the fjords aren't where the ship docks for the day.
In fact, most times our sail into the fjord occurred in the middle of the night. And if you thought, "I'll see it on the sail out", usually dinner or a show conflicted.
I'd recommend booking excursions that take you to scenic vantage points, such as by boat, bus, or hike.
The North Sea can be rough
I've been on enough cruises to know sea conditions are unpredictable, but the North Sea has a well-deserved reputation for being rough.
The likely worst part will be when your ship crosses the sea between the English Channel and closer to the coast of Norway.
Winds, waves, and rain move in and out quickly. I never got seasick, but the crew distributed seasickness bags around the ship. That's usually a sign others weren't so lucky.
I wouldn't skip booking a fjords cruise because you have to sail through the North Sea, but I would be prepared for the worst, just in case.
Plan to shop and walk cities in the afternoon
Other than the tourist shops filled with souvenirs, most shops in any of the towns and cities we visited did not open until later in the morning.
As we walked through Molde and Haugesund, it became clear shops, restaurants, and stores opened mid-morning or later.
In fact, many bars and restaurants did not open until 2pm or later.
My advice is spend your morning seeing a historic site, going for a hike, or some other excursion and save the walking the streets for the afternoon when most things are open.
