Cruising the Norwegian fjords!

The fleeting glimpse of the dorsal fin out of the corner of my eye was unmistakeable, it was an Orca!

I looked around to see if anyone else saw it but remembered I was all alone, my colleague in the gift shop having departed for his lunch break and most of the guests also partaking of the midday meal.

I laughed to myself, just a few short months previously I was leaving the office in my boring 9 - 5 job when a colleague made a comment about a friend of his who had just got a job on a cruise ship. Never before had I acted so impulsively, that night I went online, fired off my CV to a recruiter and before I knew it I was getting ready to leave home for a new adventure that would ultimately change my life.

So there I was on my very first cruise having departed Southampton and with a brief stop in Scotland we were now sailing through the Norwegian fjords and Orcas were swimming past me while I gazed from the window of my new office!

 I would spend 3 years working on cruise ships with a couple of brief interludes and it would end up being my gateway in to a career in travel that would end up defining me.

Looking back on it now to that moment over 20 years ago, Norway still holds a special place in my heart being the first cruise that I ever did at such an exciting time of my life.

It also has to be said that regardless of the special meaning it has for me, Norway is a truly magical destination.

I had the privilege of working a number of Norwegian routes on a number of occasions and it never failed to blow me away.

 Norway's second city Bergen is the gateway to the fjords, it's harbour and the UNESCO World Heritage listed Bryggen wharf area are rightly world famous. From there cruises head north to the impossibly picturesque Flam, nestled in the midst of the dramatic Aurlandsfjord and famous for the railway which connects it to Bergen and Oslo.

 The Geirangerfjord is one of the region's smallest and most breathtaking fjords, cutting well inland and marked by impressive waterfalls the most famous of which is the seven sisters and overlooked by the imposing Jostedalsbreen glacier.

 Further north the Arctic city of Tromso is famous for it's unique architecture, the surrounding rugged landscape and wildlife such as seals, dolphins, eagles and of course Orca while the offshore Lofoten islands boast towering fjords and remote fishing villages that belong in a fairytale.

 Norway brings so many magical memories for me, standing on glaciers, riding cable cars to the highest peaks which provide unrivalled views over the landscape, cosmopolitan cities, quaint towns, obscure fishing villages, country walks among beautiful landscapes of wildflowers while rivers fuelled by impossibly blue glacial waters rush past as they make their way to the ocean and fjords which could have been handcrafted by Slartibartfast himself.

If you don't know who Slartibartfast is then pack a copy of The Hitchikers guide to the galaxy on your Norwegian cruise!

Speaking of which, if any of this floats your boat so to speak then get in touch and we'll have you experiencing a Norwegian cruise in no time.