I just recently returned from a wonderful Norwegian jiord cruise aboard the MSC Opera from Kiel, Germany, 20-27 May 2007. Traveling with me was my adult daughter. During the all-too-short cruise we visited Oslo, Stavanger, Flam, and Hellesylt-Geiranger, Norway before ending with Copenhagen, Denmark and the return to Kiel. I had always wanted to see the Norwegian fiords and the Opera cruise met my fondest expectations, particularly the famous Sognefiord. Hopefully I will be able to return to see some of the others in future years. Our general impression of the overall cruise was excellent. Embarkation was painless and we were soon shown to our cabin with our baggage following a few minutes later. Only glitch was the reception clerk assigned us to a restaurant/table/sitting without asking our preferences which required us to change them once aboard. Our cabin was a spacious suite with balcony which gave both of us sufficient room and not get in each other's way or personal space. The cabin staff was very friendly and professional, keeping the cabin spotless and in perfect order. Our dining selection was a window table for two in the La Caravella restaurant, second sitting. Here again, the staff was highly professional and attentive to our every need or desire. The ship's wine package offerings did not impress me so I elected to order each evening from the extensive wine list which may have cost me a little more but let me do the choosing. Much better. The food by the way, was nothing short of excellent. There were the standard two gala evenings and five regular dinners featuring the cuisine of five different Italian regions, Campania, Piemonte, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, and Sicily. We usually took our breakfast in the Caravella and lunch in La Vela cafeteria which offered a good selection of salads and mains. Everything excellent. We didn't have occasion to sample the afternoon tea or the midnight buffet. Entertainment during the cruise was very nice. While my daughter preferred to watch the shows in the huge ship's theatre, I enjoyed listening to an excellent trio in the Piazza di Spagna lounge, pianist, singer, and a fantastic violinist. The gym/spa was also very good and I enjoyed some great massages by a girl from Bali. Regarding excursions, in Oslo, Stavanger and Copenhagen we preferred to go on our own. In Oslo we went aboard one of those "city sightseeing" busses and saw the entire city much cheaper than the ship's tour was. Stavanger is a lovely small town with everything within easy walking distance of the harbor. We particularly liked the pedestrian areas of the old town. For Copenhagen we took a taxi to the city center and walked all through it, including the Storget, the world's longest pedestrian street. At Flam and Geiranger we signed up for the ship's excursions. The first was to the so-called magical cave of the trolls which was nothing more than an old mine in disuse which had been fixed up with lighting effects to make it magical. Didn't see any trolls. We also stopped at Twindle falls which in a country of thousands of waterfalls, was still quite impressive and beautiful. At Hellesylt we embarked on a long bus ride to the Briksdal glacier in the Jostedal National Park. All glaciers are impressive and this one was also. It required an hour's climb up from the bus parking lot but was well worth it. A nice lunch was included in a restaurant by the parking lot. On the return ride to Geiranger we traversed a high mountain road which had just been cleared of snow two days previous. We were most fortunate to see a herd of wild reindeer basking in the weak sunlight on a snowbank. Unfortunately the guide did not tell the driver to stop or at least slow down for picture-taking. This road down to Geiranger was absolutely spectacular for its vistas. All in all, the cruise and the ship were wonderful and highly recommended for all cruise enthusiasts. MSC is relatively new in the cruise business but it was obvious to me that it is trying hard to work its way up to the top of the line. Several years ago my wife and I took an Eastern Mediterranean cruise aboard the old Monterey which was one of MSC's original fleet entries. We both enjoyed that one as well.