An Elegant Viking Voyage Through Norwegian Fjords, the Arctic Circle & the United Kingdom

Oh where to begin—the ease of embarkation for Viking Ocean Cruises was the best I have experienced. We were grandly welcomed and, due to our suite category, had our bags within an hour of embarkation. We had an Explorer Suite on the back of the boat, and it was incredible for our 15 day cruise—the Scandinavian decor, our housekeeping staff, the valet laundry, our wrap-around balcony with lounge chairs, and our bathroom were above anything we could have imagined.

Picture of Viking Saturn, the cruise ship we were on, from the top of Fjellheisen, Tromso Mountain.

Sailing around North Cape, the northernmost point in Continental Europe.

The food on the Viking Saturn was absolutely incredible and accommodated allergies (I’m gluten-free and never had an issue as long as I informed the staff and waiters). Our favorite meals were at Manfredi’s and The Restaurant—incredible gluten-free options and delicious daily specials (the gluten-free tiramisu was to die for). We ate at The Chef’s Table twice, with two different menus: Korean and Californian. The Californian was our favorite, and we cancelled our last reservation (British) as the menu did not appeal to us. The buffet was also delicious, and if you are gluten-free, please ask for the gluten-free pizza at lunch—you will not be disappointed.

As we visited Honningsvag, we saw a Sami family’s summer home with one of their reindeer.

View from the top of the Tromso Cable Car (Fjellheisen).

Viking’s included tours at each port exceeded our expectations. We had only purchased one additional tour, which was cancelled at the last minute due to high winds and inability to cross to Mousa Island in Shetland, Scotland. The guides that Viking uses for their included panorama and walking tours were incredibly knowledgeable and informative. We highly recommend doing most of the included tours through the boat. We did one tour on our own (outside of Viking) in Geiranger and only recommend it if you have little to no risk of missing the departure time.

Shetland Islands, Scotland. We stopped to visit Shetland ponies on an included Viking tour.

View of Viking Saturn from the shores of Geirangerfjord.

Viking Saturn’s entertainment was so very entertaining! We did not actually attend a lecture or a show, but their guitarist, Allen, and The Viking Band was a nightly event! We met so many friends while listening to the music and dancing to the jams. We really loved the nightly visits to the Torshavn and Explorers Lounge to listen to the great music, and they took requests—everyone should request "Africa" from Allen.

View from our included Viking tour in the Lofoten Islands as we sailed around the Arctic Islands.

View of the fishing houses in Reine, Norway, from our fjord cruise (an included excursion).

We spent four days in Bergen prior to the cruise, and we absolutely loved the experience and wandering around while settling into the time change and vacation mode.

Go visit the Nordic Spa–it has an included hot tub, sauna, and snow grotto, which were amazing (you don't need to pay for services to use those amenities). We also loved our Arctic Cure and Swedish massages (additional purchases). The spa is above most we have experienced on cruise ships.

We loved getting ready for dinner before we set sail every night, heading to the Explorer lounge to listen to Allen (the guitarist) and watch us set sail out of another incredibly beautiful port and place. Additionally, we left dinner at The Restaurant early to see us sail around the North Cape, and it did not disappoint. If you are on this cruise itinerary, run to the sports deck or outside when the captain announces this event.

Read the Viking Daily—it was super useful and had fun experiences and education in it to prepare you for your next port.

As you sail into Geirangerfjord (or any of the fjords you visit), wake up early and have room service delivered so you can watch the ship's arrival into the fjord while sitting on your balcony—it did not disappoint.

The Order of the Blue Nose Ceremony should not be missed. We had an absolute blast and a once-in-a-lifetime experience when we crossed from the Arctic Circle to the Norwegian Sea. It includes jumping in an ice-filled pool (they use the hot tub filled with ice), taking a shot of Aquavit (they offered ginger ale for those that don’t drink alcohol), and getting your nose “painted” blue. It was a fun event and I highly recommend you at least watch, if not participate.

We had perfect weather but had a rain jacket and waterproof pants to protect us from the wind.

Lastly, bring motion sickness medicine if crossing the Norwegian and North Seas. It was a really tough crossing (due to a storm we went through), but we survived and Viking was super accommodating.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our cruises page.