National Geographic Traveler recently rated the Norwegian Fjords as the best destination in the world, and one of the best ways to view the fjords is aboard one of Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s smaller ships. In 2010 Fred. Olsen offers 19 different itineraries that take travelers through the most breathtaking of Norway’s fjords. Itineraries range from 7 to fifteen nights and are sometimes paired with calls to top-of-the-world North Cape and Spitsbergen, realm of the polar bears.
The line’s sleek and “human-scale” vessels, with capacities ranging from 807 to 1,350 passengers, can slip deep into narrow passages where the scenery is often most spectacular.
The 856-passenger Boudicca, for instance, offers an 8-night Norway departure from Liverpool (UK) on May 13, 2010, that delves into the fjords of western Norway and features a voyage through the Sognefjord, the world’s second longest fjord that branches into the Naeroyfjord, a World Heritage Site; it also leads to Flaam, famous for the railway that winds dramatically into and out of rugged mountain tunnels. On this cruise emerald green water spills from various waterfalls down the towering sides of each fjord, adding motion to the otherwise sturdy cliff faces all around. In passenger evaluations the words “stunning” and “awesome” are commonly used to describe their journey.
Fred. Olsen’s 929-passenger Braemar departs Dover (UK) on August 12, 2010, for a 7-night Fjordland Summer cruise that includes Eidfjord, Hardangerfjord and Bergen, which is packed with cobblestone streets and alleyways and colorful wooden houses, as well as a bustling Fish Market, and 18th century wharf loaded with outdoor cafes and bars. The 13-night North Cape Navigator cruise on Boudicca sails from Newcastle (UK) on August 19, 2010, and proceeds up the coast of Norway with forays into several deep, crystal clear fjords (such as Nordfjord, Romsdalfjord and Storfjord) en route to Honningsvaag (North Cape), which is the realm of reindeer and the indigenous, colorfully-clad, Lapp people that tend to them.
