Discover The Top Secret Norwegian Fjords Cruise Hideaways.
Scheduled to visit 5 of Norway’s most popular ports, first up was Bergen famed for having one of the highest rainfalls of any city on earth and on our arrival it did not let us down, so with a courtesy umbrella from the ship we headed off to find the ‘Fisktorget’ (fish market) and I was amazed at the size of the fish for sale nothing like what our supermarkets offer, long gone now are the days of proper bustling markets so I really enjoyed checking out all the stalls, next item on our agenda was to find the Floibanan (funicular) to take us up over a 1000 ft. above the city for a spectacular view, a bit windswept but back at sea level found a bar to sit outside complete with overhead heaters and seat blankets.
Flam was our second port and is best known for the worlds steepest railroad which climbs up 2800 ft with a stop off at the Kjosfossen Waterfall, some friends of ours went Kayaking on the Aurlandsfjord whilst getting back on board the ship we were offered a lovely hot drink of chicken consommé which was gratefully received.
Superlatives fall way short when trying to describe the stunning beauty of Geraingerfjord and to ensure I got the best of it I was up very early at 6am to witness our sailing into what has to be one of the most spectacular places I have seen and it was still a few hours before we docked in Gerainger Whilst I was researching our 3rd port of call I came across a company that hired out electric cars which allowed us to navigate the hairpin bends and rise way above sea level to Eagles Point, simply stunning.
The port of Alesund is surrounded by numerous islands and is home to Norway’s largest cod fishing fleet however on the day of our visit it was a bank holiday and most shops, bars, places of interest were shut so we just strolled around the streets marvelling at how clean everywhere is, back on board greeted by a hot beef bouillon this time.
Final port was Stavanger and the weather was glorious now so, together with some friends I hired a private taxi (buying excursions from the cruise line can be very expensive)to take us to an historical place of interest Harsfjord where Sverd I fjell (swords in rock) where an epic sea battle took place it felt a bit like ‘Game of Thrones’ then back into town where all the pavement bars and cafes were teeming with locals and fellow passengers soaking up the sun and a few beers then when we got back on board time for a well-earned Jacuzzi.
All in all Celebrity Cruise has improved as a brand and it was pretty spectacular when I first cruised on the Eclipse 5 years ago, advancements to Wi-Fi and internet connections made staying in touch with family and friends via social media very easy as well as being able to watch premiership football in the sports bar.
On our first day before we set sail we had already booked our next Celebrity cruise a 14 night South China Sea itinerary as the deals are so great – free drinks package & $300 on board credit and on our last day Michelle got lucky on the roulette and won $400 as well as a $2500 Necklace & Earing set in an exciting draw where 10 people had a chance of picking a key to open the glass case – she was ninth in line!!!