Norwegian Fjords or Spain/France Itinerary with Baby

[cdr520]

Hi there,

 

I have cruised before (both Caribbean and Mediterranean), however this will be the first time I have cruised with a child. She will be 11 months old at time of cruising. I am considering Royal Caribbean from Southhampton but am torn between 2 itineraries. One goes to the Norwegian Fjords on May 12 and the other goes to Spain/France on May 19. I am used to trying to see what I can while in port, but I understand that this trip will be different and will be more laid back as I will have a baby in tow. Just looking for opinions on which itinerary/ports would be easier with a baby or if I've completely lost my mind thinking I can cruise with her this young and it be an enjoyable experience? 

 

Thanks!

[MommaBear55]

The only thought I had is that the Spain/France crossing may be smoother. We've done both cruises and the one to Norway both going and coming was very rocky. 

[Loracpin2]

51 minutes ago, cdr520 said:

Hi there,

 

I have cruised before (both Caribbean and Mediterranean), however this will be the first time I have cruised with a child. She will be 11 months old at time of cruising. I am considering Royal Caribbean from Southhampton but am torn between 2 itineraries. One goes to the Norwegian Fjords on May 12 and the other goes to Spain/France on May 19. I am used to trying to see what I can while in port, but I understand that this trip will be different and will be more laid back as I will have a baby in tow. Just looking for opinions on which itinerary/ports would be easier with a baby or if I've completely lost my mind thinking I can cruise with her this young and it be an enjoyable experience? 

 

Thanks!

As a Grandmother of 8, you asked and I will answer..... "I've completely lost my mind thinking I can cruise with her this young and it be an enjoyable experience?" 

[Saab4444]

The smaller cities and ports in Norway are much easier to navigate with a baby, sure a more relaxed experience. Spain/France ports are more industrial and cities are bigger and more crowded.

[Saab4444]

1 hour ago, MommaBear55 said:

The only thought I had is that the Spain/France crossing may be smoother. We've done both cruises and the one to Norway both going and coming was very rocky. 

In general it is vice versa, Biscaya is much more rocky than the North Sea and there sre no waves at all in the Fjords.

[Fouremco]

Not knowing the length of either cruise, or the specific ports to be visited, it's hard to compare the two, but I would have to agree with @Saab4444 and view Norway as the more relaxing choice. We did HAL's 2-week Voyage of the Midnight Sun in 2019 and absolutely loved everything about it. If you've ever taken a tour of Gros Morne's Western Brook Pond and enjoyed the scenery, then you'd be very happy cruising Norway's fjords. 

[cdr520]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

Not knowing the length of either cruise, or the specific ports to be visited, it's hard to compare the two, but I would have to agree with @Saab4444 and view Norway as the more relaxing choice. We did HAL's 2-week Voyage of the Midnight Sun in 2019 and absolutely loved everything about it. If you've ever taken a tour of Gros Morne's Western Brook Pond and enjoyed the scenery, then you'd be very happy cruising Norway's fjords. 

Interesting you say that as I am from Newfoundland and have been to Western Brook multiple times. It's gorgeous of course, but wondering now if it would be more or less the same and not a new experience.

[cdr520]

2 hours ago, Loracpin2 said:

As a Grandmother of 8, you asked and I will answer..... "I've completely lost my mind thinking I can cruise with her this young and it be an enjoyable experience?" 

 

Thank you for being honest! 🤣

[Jasukkie]

2 hours ago, Loracpin2 said:

As a Grandmother of 8, you asked and I will answer..... "I've completely lost my mind thinking I can cruise with her this young and it be an enjoyable experience?" 

I tend to agree with this but it's a personal decision. If you are willing to be 100% engaged in your child's experience over your own, then go for it. It's a good sign that you posted this thread of course.

[wolfcathorse]

May 17 is Constitution Day in Norway (their 4th of July), so a baby might enjoy the flags and parades in port on that day. We're on both sailings and the ship will be in Haugesund on the 17th. There are videos on Youtube showing the ports and how to get around.

[kitkat343]

If I've found the correct sailing in Norway, you have two very strong ports on that itinerary.  I travelled to Norway with a 2 year old and a 6 year old and you can read about our private tours in my cruise review in my signature line.  Both Olden and Geiranger are wonderful ports for children.  

 

Olden has the Loen Skylift, which is a gondola that takes you to the top of fjord.  There's an amazing (but unsurprisingly expensive) restaurant at the top, and lovely easy hiking trails around for your to explore.  You can contact Olden adventures, which runs shuttle busses to both the Loen Skylift and the Briskdal Glacier to see if you can do both.  The Briskdal Glacier is a really scenic 40 minute bus ride (I think but double check the time) from Olden, and you can rent a troll car to take you most of the way to the glacier.  There's a very short hike which my 2 year old made independently (I tried pushing a stroller but the ground isn't paved so it was a bit too hard for me but you might be able to push a stroller over that ground or baby wear to get to the glacier.)

 

In Geiranger, you take a bus to various scenic viewpoints.  Do be aware of the fact that the bus to the highest viewpoint is only accessible after a big annual avalanche, since it isn't safe to open the road before then (we sailed on May 18th and missed the road opening by two days; it opens between mid May and early June).  If you can't get to the highest viewpoint, they usually take you to a. lovely lake where you can skip rocks.  

 

I honestly wasn't brave enough to travel with kids before the age of 2.  RC has as you probably know nurseries for children under 3 on most ships, but they sometimes fill up.  We sailed Cunard to Norway, and there were only about 8 kids on our sailing since it left on May 16th, which was during the British school year.  British parents are heavily fined for pulling kids out of school during the school year, so very few families make that choice.  Hopefully that will keep the numbers of families down on your sailing, and you will get the hours you'd like in the nursery.  

 

 For future reference, Cunard and Carnival and P&O let children participate in drop off kids club programs at the age of 2.  We took a 2 year old to the Panama Canal and a 3 year old to the Baltics and found those cruises to be manageable thanks to the kids club.  We booked private tours in all the ports, and dropped the kids off as soon as we got back on the ship so we could rest.  A lot of people told us we were nuts to take a 3 year old on a Baltic cruise, but he had a wonderful time and now we are really grateful we were able to visit St Petersburg back when it was an option.  And remember Geiranger is one of the ports that is affected by the new laws requiring zero emission ships in the future, so there might be much fewer cruises there in the future.

 

Traveling with young kids is a trip, not a relaxing vacation.  We always chose interesting itineraries so at least we had something to look forward to when wrangling all the needed equipment (including god help us needing stuff to comply with Cunard's dress code).   But I am really glad we've traveled with kids (plus there are no grandparents who will watch the kids so it was this or no travel).

 

 

 

Edited January 23 by kitkat343

[cdr520]

12 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

If I've found the correct sailing in Norway, you have two very strong ports on that itinerary.  I travelled to Norway with a 2 year old and a 6 year old and you can read about our private tours in my cruise review in my signature line.  Both Olden and Geiranger are wonderful ports for children.  

 

Olden has the Loen Skylift, which is a gondola that takes you to the top of fjord.  There's an amazing (but unsurprisingly expensive) restaurant at the top, and lovely easy hiking trails around for your to explore.  You can contact Olden adventures, which runs shuttle busses to both the Loen Skylift and the Briskdal Glacier to see if you can do both.  The Briskdal Glacier is a really scenic 40 minute bus ride (I think but double check the time) from Olden, and you can rent a troll car to take you most of the way to the glacier.  There's a very short hike which my 2 year old made independently (I tried pushing a stroller but the ground isn't paved so it was a bit too hard for me but you might be able to push a stroller over that ground or baby wear to get to the glacier.)

 

In Geiranger, you take a bus to various scenic viewpoints.  Do be aware of the fact that the bus to the highest viewpoint is only accessible after a big annual avalanche, since it isn't safe to open the road before then (we sailed on May 18th and missed the road opening by two days; it opens between mid May and early June).  If you can't get to the highest viewpoint, they usually take you to a. lovely lake where you can skip rocks.  

 

I honestly wasn't brave enough to travel with kids before the age of 2.  RC has as you probably know nurseries for children under 3 on most ships, but they sometimes fill up.  We sailed Cunard to Norway, and there were only about 8 kids on our sailing since it left on May 16th, which was during the British school year.  British parents are heavily fined for pulling kids out of school during the school year, so very few families make that choice.  Hopefully that will keep the numbers of families down on your sailing, and you will get the hours you'd like in the nursery.  

 

 For future reference, Cunard and Carnival and P&O let children participate in drop off kids club programs at the age of 2.  We took a 2 year old to the Panama Canal and a 3 year old to the Baltics and found those cruises to be manageable thanks to the kids club.  We booked private tours in all the ports, and dropped the kids off as soon as we got back on the ship so we could rest.  A lot of people told us we were nuts to take a 3 year old on a Baltic cruise, but he had a wonderful time and now we are really grateful we were able to visit St Petersburg back when it was an option.  And remember Geiranger is one of the ports that is affected by the new laws requiring zero emission ships in the future, so there might be much fewer cruises there in the future.

 

Traveling with young kids is a trip, not a relaxing vacation.  We always chose interesting itineraries so at least we had something to look forward to when wrangling all the needed equipment (including god help us needing stuff to comply with Cunard's dress code).   But I am really glad we've traveled with kids (plus there are no grandparents who will watch the kids so it was this or no travel).

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your response! I'm having difficulty locating your review on your cruise. Where can I get this?

Also, I'm glad to hear Olden and Geiranger are great kid friendly ports. What are your opinions on the other two (Bergen and Haugesund)?

[twangster]

With coming changes for some Norwegian Fjords in 2025 and beyond that might play into your decision as well. 

 

Spain and France will likely be available for many years to come but the emission regulations coming into effect over the next few years will make some Norwegian fjords unavailable for cruise ships looking into 2025 and beyond.  

[kitkat343]

3 hours ago, cdr520 said:

 

Thanks for your response! I'm having difficulty locating your review on your cruise. Where can I get this?

Also, I'm glad to hear Olden and Geiranger are great kid friendly ports. What are your opinions on the other two (Bergen and Haugesund)?

I actually forgot to mention something really important, and that is the government of Norway requires all children to be transported in car seats, and taxis on the street are unable to transport families.  If you contact a taxi company ahead of time, they are required to provide car seats, but if you find yourself stuck somewhere with tired, cranky kids who don't want to walk anymore in the rain you are really stuck.  We sailed from Southampton, and this happened to us in London.  My kids hit their limit and were about to melt down. I hailed a cab and asked him to take me to a nearby pizza parlor.  The very honest cabbie told me it was only a few blocks away and told me I could walk.  I told him I completely understood but the kids were jet lagged and tired and done walking.  We took the ridiculously short taxi ride and ate and the kids got a second wind and were able to tour some more.    In  Bergen, just hailing a cab when your kids don't want to walk anymore isn't an option (in Olden and Geiranger the tour providers who will take you to the sights will meet you near the dock and you won't need to worry about transportation).  

 

I'd recommend posting on the Baltic board, and they will hopefully be able to help you with finding places to visit and transportation for Bergen.

 

Everyone I've ever met who's visited Norway loved Bergen, but we were unfortunately there on a day the ship employees said was the "the worst weather they'd ever seen in Bergen."   Since what we wanted to see was mostly outdoors, we weren't really able to appreciate Bergen as much as most travelers.  You'd need to check where you ship docks, but there is one dock that is a 10 minute walk to the funicular (half beautiful gorgeous walk, half more industrial views).  At the top of the funicular was a lovely playground and some restaurants.  Nearby was an amazing outdoor fish market.  They had excellent heaters, so despite the rain and cold we were quite comfortable eating outdoors.  The ViVite Science Center had strong reviews 6 years ago, but you'd need to arrange transportation ahead of time and your child might be too young for that (you'd need to research that since sometimes museums have stuff for smaller siblings).  Your child might actually just like the public ferry (my kids loved the HOHO ferry we used in Stockholm).    

 

 

I also forgot to note that although the viewing platforms in Geiranger are amazing (especially on a clear day) but there are hairpin roads to reach them, and it could be a little challenging if you are prone to car sickness  

 

We didn't visit Haugesund.

 

Here is the direct link to my review:  https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=616880

[kitkat343]

19 minutes ago, twangster said:

With coming changes for some Norwegian Fjords in 2025 and beyond that might play into your decision as well. 

 

Spain and France will likely be available for many years to come but the emission regulations coming into effect over the next few years will make some Norwegian fjords unavailable for cruise ships looking into 2025 and beyond.  

Their itinerary visits Geiranger, which is likely to be affected by these regulations.  If at all possible, when sailing to the fjords I'd recommend visiting  Olden, Flam and Geiranger (Olden will still be accessible after the 2025 regulations but Flam and Geiranger will be affected).  Normally I'd tell people to sail to Norway for itinerary not cruise line, but the OP has a small child who would be eligible for drop off daycare on most RC ships, and most other cruise lines don't have any daycare for small children.  We did our Norway cruise on Cunard because they were the only line that would take our 2 year old in drop off care and had both Flam and Geiranger (the Loen skylift opened the year we sailed to Norway and Olden also because a much more desirable port).

[Cooper30]

Since I haven’t cruised those itineraries yet, I can only address your last sentence.
 

You haven’t lost your mind at all. We took our kids all kinds of places that people thought would be difficult….and we enjoyed ourselves.  
 

Adjust your expectations and understand that she will dictate what you do every day. Don’t try to do long excursions regardless of itinerary. No rigid plans…you always need an exit strategy to get to a place where you can stop and let your child be comfortable.  Sometimes you just have to stop where you are and appreciate the moment. 
 

We never went on a cruise until our youngest was 19, but we did all kinds of “crazy” things with our three boys.   For example, when the youngest was 10 months old, I took him on a 9 day canoe trip on the Allagash River in northern Maine.  My wife stayed home with his two older brothers.  I had a really good time and would do it again….well….not now that I’m in my mid 50s, but I would certainly do it again if I was 30. 
 

We are taking our middle son, daughter in law, and our two granddaughters on Anthem next month.  They will be 9 months and 3 years old (granddaughters, not son/dil).  We have no hard plans other than enjoying the time together.