Itinerary : departure from Bergen, Norway
The cruise starts in Bergen. The ship remains at the dock until the next evening, which allows you to board calmly and be able to leave the same evening, without being rushed by the departure time. Excursions are possible the next day.
Most trips with Viking begin or end with an overnight stay. This is a valuable practice which offers a little more time to visit the start or end port of the cruise, whereas otherwise, you have to book a hotel on site and manage the logistics accordingly. So a very good point for the company.
At each port of call, Viking offers an excursion included in the price of the cruise, as well as other paid excursions, often more sophisticated. In Bergen the excursion was a walk lasting several hours, accompanied by a guide. Viking provides audio devices with headphones as standard in the cabins which allow you to listen to the guide without being glued to him. Practical !
Bergen is a port on the Norwegian Sea, on the edge of the North Sea and is surrounded by mountains. A funicular leads to a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. The weather was clear and sunny, ideal for enjoying the show.
Market day a few steps from the boat. Fish and shellfish adorn many stalls. Everything makes you want it. Even a paella (with seafood, of course) cooked in front of passers-by attracts a lot of people!
At the end of the second day on site, the ship leaves the port heading north and towards the first fjords of the cruise.
Geiranger
Located at the end of a long fjord, Geiranger offers us a first surprise! Boats are generally not docked at this location (not enough depth at the end of the fjord) and passengers must take a shuttle to and from the port. But the city has invested in a new generation dock, inaugurated with the Viking Saturn during this first use… the Sea Walk is a dock mounted on a float which unfolds and sticks to the ship, instead of the usual opposite. Once in place under the careful observation of many passengers, we were able to disembark thanks to this removable dock! At the end of the day, the quay folds back towards the bank.
The navigation in the fjord upon arrival and departure of the ship is magnificent. The steep scenery, from which numerous waterfalls fall, parade endlessly in front of the cabin.
Today’s excursion will be an (electrical!) bike ride which will take us to the heights to the queen’s seat, a wooden armchair built in her honor with a breathtaking view of the entire valley. The morning ends with coffee and waffles accompanied by traditional local cheese.
Narvik
Narvik is, in addition to being a port, a ski resort in winter. The walk through the city is littered with numerous statues, often surrounded by flowery parks.
Although there is no longer much snow at this time of year (although very far north, we are in the middle of July), cable car remain in operation and give access to a panoramic restaurant and a successions of points of view on the region. There are still a few patches of snow that tourists will see up close.
Another breathtaking panoramic view.
Lofoten
At approximately the same latitude as Narvik but more towards the Norwegian Sea, we are on a mountainous island. Nature is wild but the human presence often recalls the exploits of the pioneers who colonized certain remote corners.
Tromsø
Further and further north, Tromsoe is divided between an island and the foot of a mountain. The snow is more and more present on the heights. The weather remains good, blue skies, ideal temperature between 15 and 20°C.
A cable car takes us to the heights once again. We never tire. We overlook the city and we can see the bridge connecting the two districts.
Honningsvag
Honningsvag is the northernmost town (village…) of the European continent on our cruise. Located on one of the many islands in the region, it is a very pleasant and very quiet fishing port.
But the northernmost point is at the other end of the island, about thirty kilometers away. You therefore have to take a bus to go to the North Cape (Nordkapp). But the visit is worth it. A museum traces the history of the place, of the different conquerors who had the courage to face extremely difficult conditions to settle. A work of art (Children of the Wordl) symbolizes collaboration and friendship. 7 children’s drawings represented on plates, for 7 countries: Tanzania, Japan, Brazil, Thailand, Italy, the USSR and the United States.
Another monument represents the North Cape, in the shape of a terrestrial globe.
Longyearbyen
This time it will be the northernmost stage of our journey, far from the European continent and starting point for numerous expeditions towards the North Pole. We are at 78° North latitude… the highest I have had the opportunity to visit!
A museum traces the life of the pioneers who inhabited the region as well as the local fauna and flora.
Thanks to an ATV tour, you can discover some of the city’s particularities. In particular the vault, a global seed reserve, mainly in the form of seeds. 1.2 million seeds, from 80 countries. Some of the species preserved here have already disappeared from the face of the Earth. The project keeps these seeds in several underground rooms, cold and dry, in the rock.
It’s also impossible not to stop next to a world-famous sign indicating the presence of polar bears. Their hunting is prohibited and severely punished by law. Having a rifle is mandatory to move around in case of attack. Self-defense against a bear is then authorized, but an investigation into the circumstances will take place.
Isafjodur
Magnificent small town in the reinforcement of an arm of the sea in the north of Iceland, you can see the clouds clinging to the peaks of the surrounding mountains. A path which overlooks the houses all along the small valley offers an enchanting spectacle, especially when the sun is out.
Shortly after the Viking Saturn arrived in the bay, at the dock, the clean, clear, sunny air was invaded by the foul-smelling fumes of an MSC ship. I don’t understand why cities like Isafjordur don’t ban these low cost polluters.
Not a photo could escape the polluting presence of MSC.
Glaciers
Throughout the journey, the boat approached glaciers. The very favorable weather throughout the duration of the cruise allowed for long observations which could unfortunately one day only be memories, due to climate change…
Midnight Sun
The journey in this month of July, and with almost without exception magnificent weather during these 2 weeks, above all allowed us to discover the sometimes quite unreal side of the “midnight sun”. For almost 10 days, the sun never set. It barely touched the horizon before rising back into the sky. An incredible experience so magical that we just want to do it again!
Other posts about Viking cruises :
– Around Iceland on the Viking Jupiter (August 2021)
– South Transatlantic on Viking Jupiter (October 2021)
