On This Page
- Days 1 and 2: Bergen, Norway
- Day 3: Geiranger, Norway
- Day 4: Molde, Norway
- Day 5: Sea Day and Crossing the Arctic Circle
- Day 6: Tromso, Norway
- Day 7: Honningsvag and North Cape, Norway
- Days 8 and 9: Leknes, Lofoten Islands, Norway and Sea Day
- Day 10: Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland
- Day 11: Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland
- Day 12: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Days 13 and 14: A Sea Day and Greenwich, London, England
Come with us on this journey (it's also offered in the reverse direction), as we provide a day-by-day report on the experience, and find out why we think Viking Ocean Cruises has this destination nailed. And yes: In the days ahead we're hoping to work on our tan after midnight in the land where the summer sun never sets!
Days 1 and 2: Bergen, Norway


Day 3: Geiranger, Norway


Day 4: Molde, Norway
Built on timber and textiles, we're told the coastal town of Molde was a trading port as far back as the Middle Ages. Molde has a nickname, the City of Roses, for the fragrant blooms abundant in spring and summer, especially along the Town Hall roof. Today this city of 26,000 wears a cosmopolitan aura, and it is best known for its annual summer jazz festival. Van Morrison and David Sanborn are scheduled to arrive over the weekend, along with a roster of Norwegian jazz acts. 

Day 5: Sea Day and Crossing the Arctic Circle
Today we are following the coast of Norway north, wending between highlands and islands and headed to the furthest reaches of Europe. The captain seems to be choosing the most scenic route possible and all day we delighted in a steady backdrop of sheer granite and a procession of tiny coastal villages, each more remote than the last. But today will be a sea day unlike any other, as we'll be crossing the Arctic Circle this afternoon, and the ship's newsletter promises an unusual participatory ceremony today at 2 p.m. -- an initiation rite for the Order of the Blue Nose.

Day 6: Tromso, Norway


Day 7: Honningsvag and North Cape, Norway



Days 8 and 9: Leknes, Lofoten Islands, Norway and Sea Day
Arrival to the Lofoten Islands the next morning was glorious. There was not a cloud in the sky, the wind a bare whisper, and seabirds accompanied our slow, delicious crawl into the harbor. Reaching southwest into the Atlantic, the Lofoten archipelago is like a fantasy straight out of the South Pacific -- sharp peaks blanketed in green, white sand curling into coves and hamlets with houses painted in deep bright colors. We didn't have long here -- just six hours in the port of Leknes -- but it was enough to tempt us to come back some time, with a camera at the ready for the fabulous play of light and shadow and color Lofoten exhibited for us.

Day 10: Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland
This morning, Viking Sea landed in Shetland, one of two archipelagos situated just north of Scotland, places that always looked cold, distant and remote on a map. Now, compared to the far reaches of Norway, these Northern Isles seem quite accessible. Of course, they are still not the warmest, sunniest places -- measurable rainfall comes 243 days a year in Shetland, we were told, but there's a pleasant maritime climate so the temperature in mid-July is pretty agreeable. There are actually about 100 islands that are part of Shetland, only 16 of which are inhabited, and we landed at Lerwick, the main town on Mainland, the main island of Shetland.
Day 11: Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland



Day 12: Edinburgh, Scotland


Days 13 and 14: A Sea Day and Greenwich, London, England
Our journey south through the North Sea took us into a seascape of offshore platforms and drilling rigs, all mining the sea's bounty of oil and gas reserves. But at lunch in The Restaurant on this sunny sea day, we were just about to bite into linguine al pesto Genovese when a black shape appeared in the calm sea off the starboard side.Could it be a whale? Our answer came quickly enough as, well off in the distance, another shape appeared on the horizon and plunged back into the sea with an enormous splash. They were whales indeed, breaching cheerfully, and over the course of the next 20 minutes we watched them come up repeatedly at various distances, indicating perhaps a half-dozen or more of the creatures nearby. Alas, by the time we settled back into our seats, the linguine was cold, the Ægir IPA warm. Our server, equally distracted by the show, happily brought new supplies.

**Intrigued by cruises in Northern Europe and Scandinavia? Read more on Cruise Critic: **In Search of Norway's Midnight Sun: Join Us on Viking SeaRock Star Ports of Northern Europe: Where to Visit from Bergen to BerlinLove Scandinavian Design? You'll Adore these ShipsExotic Norway: Why a Cruise Is the Best Way to Travel
*A native of San Diego, David Swanson has sailed on all of the big-ship cruise lines, but most enjoys the undiscovered ports and offbeat journeys of smaller cruise vessels. His writing and photography has been featured in the pages of National Geographic Traveler, American Way and the Los Angeles Times for more than 20 years, and he has served on the board of directors for the Society of American Travel Writers since 2009.*
Updated October 10, 2019
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