Norwegian Cruise Lines
I hate to use the term but, Norwegian Cruise Lines are so “on-trend” at the moment. And it’s not hard to see why with their offerings and itineraries. The Baltic sea is surrounded by numerous historic cities. Dating back to the medieval traders of the Hanseatic ports, the Baltic has the cities of Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen all on it’s doorstep. St Petersburg is a city dotted with fairy tale towers and historic treasures from the Tzars of old. Scandinavia is rich in architecture and crisp clear waters lapping on mountainous terrain. You might also like to visit beautiful Gdansk in Poland or historic Berlin. Regular cruise departures from ports in the UK, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Copenhagen will take you on a week-long visit around the Baltic.
Norwegian Fjords
Cruises departing from Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Hamburg and the UK generally are for 7 nights. The Norwegian fjords is hugely popular tour with cruises calling at the cities of Stavanger and Bergen. The cruise then continues into breathtaking fjords with ice mountains towering over picturesque village such as Geirangerfjord and Hardangerfjord. Here you will witness a world of waterfalls, ice mountains and shimmering glaciers.
Iceland and Western Europe
There are numerous routes to choose from. Some may follow the English coast via Wales, Ireland and Scotland calling at the cities of Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh with some lines calling further afield to Guernsey, Jersey and the Scilly Isles. Another popular route is to skirt the coastline of Western Europe calling at major cities such as Amsterdam, London, Barcelona and Lisbon in Portugal. Some cruises go as far as the outer Hebrides, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and also the Irish coastline with visits to Cork and Galway along the way.
Nipping at the heels of the big boys is Norwegian Cruise Line. Not quite there yet, but dogged and determined, Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL for short, are the new kids on the block. They offer a fun filled holiday that just can’t be beaten.
NCL have actually been around since 1966. Starting out as a budget cruise line, the NCL profile was boosted in the late 90s with a make-over and a fleet of spanking new megaships. Nowadays, Norwegian Cruise Line have a fleet to match any of the big players and yet still offer the fun and casual holiday experience which they were originally known for. The look is different to how you might expect a cruise ship to be, with a novel hipster approach to things like lighting and decor. But it’s as much fun and you could wish for with an onboard dining and entertainment experience better than most. There tends to be more young couples and younger families on board a Norwegian Cruise compared to the other cruise lines. Maybe it’s the big kids in all of us attracted to things like the oversized slides, outdoor discos, and luminous bowling alleys. But it’s more likely because of the cheaper prices and the fact the itinerary seems to have been drawn up with young families in mind. Norwegian Cruises have become known for their vast array of dining options as well as their casual cruising approach. The casual cruising thing is trending in the industry with more of an emphasis on casual dining, casual clothing and just a less formal atmosphere in general. Guests can eat whenever they want, with whomever they want. As opposed to having to sit with the same diners each and every night on other cruise lines. There are also a dozen or more different restaurants to pick and choose from on most NCL ships.
