Is an April 26 to early for a Norwegian Fjords cruise

[Eno]

I would prefer to travel in the summer - July, but due to vacation scheduling for 2025, an April 26 cruise may be the only one that works.

Sky Princess 7 night sailing from Southampton. Is this too early in the season to go?  Other option would be to wait until 2026

[kaisatsu]

This depends a bit on your preferences and expectations. It will almost certainly be cooler, and weather in May can be hugely variable. Seasonal roads at higher altitudes will likely still be closed, as will seasonal tourist activities. If there weren’t seasonal activities I had my heart set on, I’d consider a trip that early (but I’m used to the climate).

 

Looking at the itinerary (Haugesund, Skjolden, Olden, Stavanger):

• Haugesund doesn’t have a lot going on during peak season, so it’s always a bit underwhelming. The time of year wouldn’t matter much here.

• Skjolden is fairly small without a lot of infrastructure. Independent tours are less available, and at that time of year you probably will need to book a ship’s excursion.

• Olden is a much-loved port, and the Loen skylift will be open.

• Stavanger is my least favorite of the bigger southern coastal cities, but it has a few things to recommend it. However, calling on 1 May be sure to check for closures due to the holiday. Also, it’s quite early to attempt the Preikestolen hike unless spring comes very early to clear the snow.

 

[kitkat343]

I sailed on May 18th (we had a 2 year old and needed to sail Cunard for daycare).  Start planning your excursions early - some small tour operators didn't have the infrastructure in place in mid-May and need extra time to plan (we visited a goat farm, and they needed a month to design the tour since the goats were still at their winter farm, which doesn't usually get visitors).   

 

In Olden, check with Olden Adventures - they run busses to both the Loen Skylift and Briskdal Glacier.  If you have a longer day in port, you can do both.  Check and see if the troll cars are running if that's something you need for the Briskdal Glacier.  I was at the Loen skylift when it had only been open 3 days (and it was a cloudy day) so there were no crowds, but have read on these forums that it can get backed up at the height of the tour season, so going early that might be one advantage.  

 

We couldn't carry our 2 year old, so Pulpit Rock was not an option for us.  Without that, we didn't find anything that was a must- see in Stavanger.   A Rodne cruise is a pleasant boat ride to see the scenery, but certainly not a  must do on a Norwegian cruise.  You can check to see that they are running on the day of your arrival.  

 

 

The waterfalls will be quite full and lovely, and there will be lots of snow pack.  I also was very impressed with the snow clearing equipment they have - their plows look much more substantial than anything I'd ever seen in NY (but I'm from the city, not upstate and maybe upstate they have better snow removal equipment).

Edited February 5 by kitkat343

[Eno]

Being from Canada I am used to the cold, don't like it but am used to it.  Main focus of this cruise would be the sailing through the fjords. Watched some videos of the sailing of Skjolden/Sogenfjord and Olden. Glad to hear that the Skylift would be open - was worried early in the season it wouldn't be. Like to walk/hike so will look into hiking at the other ports. This cruise is with princess and put down a refundable deposit so can always cancel.  There will be three of us (my adult daughter is coming) and Princess had a good price with 3rd person free.  Celebrity has a good itinerary including Olden, Flam and Bergen or one with Flam and Geiranger but no Olden but prices for Celebrity are much more especially with a refundable deposit and paying for the 3rd passenger.  Will keep an eye out on the prices should they change.

[Eno]

Didn't realize there were so many options, noticed the Norwegian Fjords topic at the top of this page so will post this there also.  Main purpose of the cruise is to see the Fjords, will find something to do at the various stops.

Options for 2025

1. Princess - April 26 - May 3rd - Southampton, Sea Day, Haugesund, Skjolden/Sognefjord, Olden, Stravanger, Sea Day, Southampton - Best price for 3 adults in the room, booked with a refundable deposit

 

2. Celebrity - May 10 - May 17 - Southampton, Sea Day, Nordfjordeid, Flam, Geiranger, Sea Day, Bruges, Southampton. - Higher price, includes both Flam and Geiranger, like that it is mid May but don't think there will be much of a difference in the three cruises.  Non-refundable deposit unless paying 1,400 CDN more.

 

3. Celebrity - May 3 - May 10 - Southampton, Sea Day, Bruges, Olden, Flam, Bergen, Sea Day, Southampton - Both Celebrity cruises similar in price, includes Olden, Flam and Bergen. Non-refundable deposit unless paying 1,400 CDN more.

[fabnfortysomething]

Having visited Flam and Geiranger they are well worth seeing-we went ed May but sail in/out spectacular

[kaisatsu]

7 hours ago, Eno said:

Like to walk/hike so will look into hiking at the other ports

It’s very early season for any kind of mountain hiking. I’ve hiked Preikestolen on an unusually nice day in mid-May and there was still snow on the upper stretches of the trail. I wouldn’t count on that being a great option that early in the year. If you’re looking to hike in early season, stick to lower altitudes and be prepared for wet and muddy conditions.

 

In Bergen the trail down from Mt.Fløyen is usually fine by May, but I wouldn’t count on doing some of the higher trails without some research into the conditions at the time.

 

In Geiranger, I’ve done the hike up to Vesterås Farm and over to the viewpoint in mid-May with no problem, but doing the trail up to Løsta in early June proved muddy enough that I think we scandalized our fellow QE2 passengers when we arrived back at the ship! 😆 
 

[kitkat343]

Olden, Geiranger and Flam were my 3 favorite ports on my Norwegian cruise.  You'd definitely want to do more of them if you can because the views are spectacular on a clear day, but harder to appreciate when it's cloudy.    Maybe try to research photos of the Flam railroad, the Loen skylift photos and the Geiranger viewpoints photos to help you pick between those three destinations.  Please note that the road to the highest viewpoint in Geiranger is seasonal, and opens after the big annual avalanche.  We sailed May 18th and missed it by 4 days (but we arrived 3 days after the Loen Skylift opened  so overall we did quite well since I had no idea that the Loen Skylift was about to open when I booked my cruise and it was so new there weren't even cruise excursions going there yet).  There are other really lovely viewpoints in Geiranger and you can also visit a nice lake if you can't get to the highest viewpoint.

 

One thing to note is that Geiranger is a lot of driving on curvy, winding, hilly roads to access the different viewpoints, so if you are prone to motion sickness that might be something to consider (I loved Geiranger but my kids were definitely done with the car by the end of our tour). You drive for a little while, get out and explore and then drive to the next viewpoint so there are breaks from the driving built in to this day.    

 

In Olden, you have a long drive to the Briskdal glacier, but it's a beautiful drive and was quite straight and flat.  The Loen Skylift is really close to Olden, and the Flam railway is within walking distance of the port.

Edited February 9 by kitkat343

[Eno]

Made my decision Option 2 - . Liked the ports - Geiranger and for my Husband the train at Flam sealed the deal