Norweigian fjords, an overnight in Reykjavik, and a stop on the Faroes were the selling points of this itinerary in late June from Harwich. Our family booked this while onboard the Jewel on her usual Baltic run in 2011. We all enjoyed the calm, cool weather and spectacular port scenery as well as the amenities of the lovely Jewel of the Seas.

We spent an overnight in Gatwick at the airport Hilton, then made our way via Gatwick express and a taxi to Liverpool Street Station, where we picked up our pre-purchased tix for Harwich (66 GBP for 6 of us, great groupsave deal and kids cost 1 GBP). We needed to change at Manningtree and drag our bags up and down some stairs, but it worked out fine. Soon we were on board (after some "extra security screening") and at the Windjammer eating some chicken curries. Bags and rooms were ready on time and we were off to Bergen.

Except for one rough day coming back from Iceland, we had calm seas and 60-70 degree F weather, perfect for deck jogging, and hiking that we had planned. Read more