NORTHERN EUROPE
With its startling landscapes, scenic cities and picture-postcard villages, usually viewed through sparklingly clear air, it’s no wonder that so many cruisers are turning their heads northwards for that summer sojourn. Your camera will never leave your side as you continue to be amazed by the vista from the ships deck or your balcony.
If you don't know about the Northern Fjords, shame on you. This is truly a amazing experience and one you will remember for a lifetime, or at least longer than dancing with Glen Brooks.
If you don't know about the Northern Fjords, shame on you. This is truly a amazing experience and one you will remember for a lifetime, or at least longer than dancing with Glen Brooks.
ITINERARY
Southampton, United Kingdom - Le Havre, France - Stavanger, Norway - Bergen, Norway - Olden, Norway - Alesund, Norway - Hamburg, Germany - Southampton, United Kingdom
Northern Lights
The Northern Lights are one of nature's great displays, a free, multicoloured light show that is most commonly seen in the Arctic regions. Every performance is different, a beautiful, shifting dance of nocturnal rainbows that many viewers find a humbling and spiritually uplifting experience.
The mesmeric lights are formed from fast-moving, electrically charged particles that emanate from the sun. These are driven towards the Poles by the Earth’s magnetic field and their varying colours are a result of the different gases in the upper atmosphere. In the northern hemisphere they are known as the aurora borealis and hang above the planet in an oval-shaped halo. The lights also have their southern counterpart above Antarctica, the aurora australis, but the principal audience for this is penguins.
Disclaimer: The northern lights are a natural phenomenon and sights can never be guaranteed. The Northern lights vary in strength and beauty during the varying seasons, and what we get to see is highly up to chance. There are varying factors which contribute to the Northern Lights which include and are not limited to weather conditions, visibility, moon state, sea state, levels of light, port departure times and essentially being in the correct place at the correct time. Please note Ceroc/Fusion Cruises give no warranty or guarantee and will not be held responsible in the event of a no show for this naturally occurring phenomenon.
The mesmeric lights are formed from fast-moving, electrically charged particles that emanate from the sun. These are driven towards the Poles by the Earth’s magnetic field and their varying colours are a result of the different gases in the upper atmosphere. In the northern hemisphere they are known as the aurora borealis and hang above the planet in an oval-shaped halo. The lights also have their southern counterpart above Antarctica, the aurora australis, but the principal audience for this is penguins.
Disclaimer: The northern lights are a natural phenomenon and sights can never be guaranteed. The Northern lights vary in strength and beauty during the varying seasons, and what we get to see is highly up to chance. There are varying factors which contribute to the Northern Lights which include and are not limited to weather conditions, visibility, moon state, sea state, levels of light, port departure times and essentially being in the correct place at the correct time. Please note Ceroc/Fusion Cruises give no warranty or guarantee and will not be held responsible in the event of a no show for this naturally occurring phenomenon.
Le Havre, France
A Unesco World Heritage Site since 2005, Le Havre is a love letter to modernism, evoking, more than any other French city, France’s postwar energy and optimism. All but obliterated in September 1944 by Allied bombing raids that killed 3000 civilians, the centre was completely rebuilt by the Belgian architect Auguste Perret, whose bright, airy modernist vision remains, miraculously, largely intact. Attractions include a museum full of captivating impressionist paintings, a soaring church with a mesmerising stained-glass tower, and hilltop gardens with views over the city. Le Havre is a regular port of call for cruise ships.
Stavenger, Norway
There's a reason this coastal town has been twinned with Houston and Aberdeen: it's sometimes known as Norway's 'Oil City' for its importance in oil exploration in the North Sea since the 1970s (Norway's largest oil company, StatOil, is based here). But while much of the outskirts are modern, you won't find too many skyscrapers – Stavanger's old centre has some of the most beautiful and best-preserved wooden buildings anywhere in Norway, many dating back to the 18th century. It's all very pretty, and in summer the waterfront comes alive in the best port-town style.
Bergen, Norway
Bergen's oldest quarter runs along the eastern shore of Vågen Harbour (bryggen translates as 'wharf') in long, parallel and often leaning rows of gabled buildings. Each has stacked-stone or wooden foundations and reconstructed rough-plank construction. It's enchanting, no doubt about it, but can be exhausting if you hit a cruise-ship and bus-tour crush.
The current 58 buildings (25% of the original, although some claim there are now 61) cover 13,000 sq metres and date from after the 1702 fire, although the building pattern is from the 12th century. The archaeological excavations suggest that the quay was once 140m further inland than its present location.
In the early 14th century, there were about 30 wooden buildings, each usually shared by several stuer (trading firms). They rose two or three storeys above the wharf and combined business premises with living quarters and waregouses.. Each building had a crane for loading and unloading ships, as well as a schøtstue (large assembly room) where employees met and ate.
The wooden alleyways of Bryggen have become a haven for artists and craftspeople, and there are bijou shops and boutiques at every turn. The atmosphere of an intimate waterfront community remains intact, and losing yourself in Bryggen is one of Bergen's pleasures.
The current 58 buildings (25% of the original, although some claim there are now 61) cover 13,000 sq metres and date from after the 1702 fire, although the building pattern is from the 12th century. The archaeological excavations suggest that the quay was once 140m further inland than its present location.
In the early 14th century, there were about 30 wooden buildings, each usually shared by several stuer (trading firms). They rose two or three storeys above the wharf and combined business premises with living quarters and waregouses.. Each building had a crane for loading and unloading ships, as well as a schøtstue (large assembly room) where employees met and ate.
The wooden alleyways of Bryggen have become a haven for artists and craftspeople, and there are bijou shops and boutiques at every turn. The atmosphere of an intimate waterfront community remains intact, and losing yourself in Bryggen is one of Bergen's pleasures.
Olden, Norway
Gateways to the glaciers.
Wishing you a warm welcome to The Nordfjord. Olden is a small pleasant village at the end of the Nordfjord. A ten minutes walk from the quay will bring you to the centre of Olden, with shops, outlet stores, cafés, ATM and a post-office. The beautiful Olden Valley stretches approx. 20 km in between 1.700 metres tall mountains at the edge of Jostedalsbreen Glacier in the middle of Jostedalsbreen National Park. Olden – Nordfjord Cruise Port consists of the following ports: Måløy, Selje, Nordfjordeid, Sandane and Olden.
Wishing you a warm welcome to The Nordfjord. Olden is a small pleasant village at the end of the Nordfjord. A ten minutes walk from the quay will bring you to the centre of Olden, with shops, outlet stores, cafés, ATM and a post-office. The beautiful Olden Valley stretches approx. 20 km in between 1.700 metres tall mountains at the edge of Jostedalsbreen Glacier in the middle of Jostedalsbreen National Park. Olden – Nordfjord Cruise Port consists of the following ports: Måløy, Selje, Nordfjordeid, Sandane and Olden.
Alesund, Norway
"Ålesund could be the backdrop for a Nordic fairytale – with a modern plot twist”, according to National Geographic.
The home base for Norway's largest cod-fishing fleet, Ålesund sits on a narrow, fishhook-shaped sea-bound peninsula. Despite its primary source of income, this is no regular Norwegian port. After a devastating fire in 1904, the city was rebuilt in curvaceous Jugendstil – art nouveau – style and today remains Scandinavia's most complete and harmonious example of the era
The home base for Norway's largest cod-fishing fleet, Ålesund sits on a narrow, fishhook-shaped sea-bound peninsula. Despite its primary source of income, this is no regular Norwegian port. After a devastating fire in 1904, the city was rebuilt in curvaceous Jugendstil – art nouveau – style and today remains Scandinavia's most complete and harmonious example of the era
Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg's historic label, ‘The gateway to the world’, might be a bold claim, but Germany’s second-largest city and biggest port has never been shy. Hamburg has engaged in business with the world ever since it joined the Hanseatic League back in the Middle Ages. Its role as a centre of international trade in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought it great wealth (and Unesco World Heritage recognition in 2015), a legacy that continues today: it's one of Germany's wealthiest cities.
Hamburg’s maritime spirit infuses the entire city; from architecture to menus to the cry of gulls, you always know you're near the water. The city has given rise to vibrant neighbourhoods awash with multicultural eateries, as well as the gloriously seedy Reeperbahn red-light district. Hamburg nurtured the early promise of the Beatles, and today its distinctive live- and electronic-music scene thrives in unique harbourside venues.
The city's attractions are only matched by its inherent tempting spirit. Come, Hamburg says, have a ball.
Hamburg’s maritime spirit infuses the entire city; from architecture to menus to the cry of gulls, you always know you're near the water. The city has given rise to vibrant neighbourhoods awash with multicultural eateries, as well as the gloriously seedy Reeperbahn red-light district. Hamburg nurtured the early promise of the Beatles, and today its distinctive live- and electronic-music scene thrives in unique harbourside venues.
The city's attractions are only matched by its inherent tempting spirit. Come, Hamburg says, have a ball.
