Cruising South to North in Norway - Does Cabin Position (left vs right) really matter?

[Letudo]

Hi All - Hubs and I are cruising up the coast of Norway next year (from the very bottom to the tippy top) and are super excited!  Since the ship is going in only one direction - South to North - I would assume that it is best if the cabin we book is on the left so that our balcony faces the coast.  However, we have only been able to grab a (lovely) cabin on the right.  But I am wondering... for those of you who have cruised up the coast of Norway, does the ship even sail close enough to the coast so you can enjoy the views or does it go so far out that the coast all but disappears? 

Thanks in advance!

 

Leslie

[TheOldBear]

If you are heading south to north [e.g. Bergen to Tromso] when not between islands or in a fjord - the coast will be somewhere off the starboard [right] side of the ship. The scenic parts will be in fjords or in or passages between islands.

[hallasm]

I lack details about ports and time for the best advice, but basically it doesn't matter which side of the ship - part of the route can be between islands - for example the Lofoten Islands - other places through fjords - and on longer stretches quite far from the coast.
 

[dsrdsrdsr]

On 9/12/2023 at 8:01 PM, Letudo said:

Hi All - Hubs and I are cruising up the coast of Norway next year (from the very bottom to the tippy top) and are super excited!  Since the ship is going in only one direction - South to North - I would assume that it is best if the cabin we book is on the left so that our balcony faces the coast.  However, we have only been able to grab a (lovely) cabin on the right.  But I am wondering... for those of you who have cruised up the coast of Norway, does the ship even sail close enough to the coast so you can enjoy the views or does it go so far out that the coast all but disappears? 

Thanks in advance!

 

Leslie

For one thing, if your cabin is on the left as you head north, then you'll be looking at Greenland.  You need a cabin on the right to see Norway.

 

But more importantly, it makes no difference.  If there is plenty of sea room, the ship stands out to sea and travels in a straight line; it does not follow the coast.  Therefore it makes no difference which side, you will only see the sea.  If there is not much sea room, it's because you're in a fjord or between islands, in which case, again, it makes no difference which side you're on because there is land on both sides.

[kaisatsu]

Are you traveling on the Hurtigruten/Havela coastal route or a traditional cruise or expedition ship? 
 

If you’re on a cruise ship, they will sail most distances in international waters, where you will not see any land from the ship outside of sail-in/-out of ports. Those times can be spectacular, but as mentioned, there is land on both sides. In the long, iconic fjords, you will sail in one direction and sail out the other, so both sides of the ship will get both sides of the scenery.

[Letudo]

On 9/14/2023 at 6:36 PM, dsrdsrdsr said:

For one thing, if your cabin is on the left as you head north, then you'll be looking at Greenland.  You need a cabin on the right to see Norway.

 

But more importantly, it makes no difference.  If there is plenty of sea room, the ship stands out to sea and travels in a straight line; it does not follow the coast.  Therefore it makes no difference which side, you will only see the sea.  If there is not much sea room, it's because you're in a fjord or between islands, in which case, again, it makes no difference which side you're on because there is land on both sides.

 

[Letudo]

That is exactly what I was hoping - that the ship would not hug the coast when it was sailing and so it would not matter what side my cabin is on.  Thanks for validating that!

[Letudo]

11 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

Are you traveling on the Hurtigruten/Havela coastal route or a traditional cruise or expedition ship? 
 

If you’re on a cruise ship, they will sail most distances in international waters, where you will not see any land from the ship outside of sail-in/-out of ports. Those times can be spectacular, but as mentioned, there is land on both sides. In the long, iconic fjords, you will sail in one direction and sail out the other, so both sides of the ship will get both sides of the scenery.

 

[Letudo]

Thanks, Kaisatsu for validating what I was assuming/hoping!  - that since I will not be on a ship like Hurtigruten or Havela, (I am cruising on Oceania) it will not really matter what side of the ship my cabin is on.  By the way, I do hope to take a port-to-port Hurtigruten cruise from Bergen to Trondheim at some point.  The Oceania cruise I am taking zips from Bergen to the Lofoten Islands on its way to the North Cape, skipping Alesund, Trondheim, etc.