I’m often asked where is my favourite place to cruise. That’s a very difficult question to answer, but when it comes to the best natural scenery, a cruise to Norway is difficult to beat. Despite this being the third time I’d visited the village of Geiranger on a cruise, the view of my ship in the fjord was still awe inspiring. With the rocky, tree lined mountains towering above, it’s easy to understand why Geirangerfjord was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

As we gently cruised down Geirangerfjord, passing cascading waterfalls and hilltop farms, I couldn’t help but feel lucky. This was genuinely one of those experiences that you know you can only get in a handful of places around the world. But then, Norway is blessed with natural scenery on an epic scale and taking a cruise here presents many opportunities to visit places that take your breath away.

We’d departed on our cruise from Southampton on board the newly refurbished Norwegian Jade. The 10-night itinerary took in a week’s cruising in the Fjords before dropping down to the visit the capital Oslo for an overnight stay.

2017 has seen NCL return to sailing from the UK for the first time since 2010 and brings a welcome addition to the cruise lines sailing out of the UK’s cruise capital. With it’s exciting, casual and unstuffy approach to cruising it is sure to be popular with those looking for a less formal cruise experience.

Our first port of call was Stavanger, known as the gateway to the fjords. The city has grown rapidly over the last 50 years with the growth of Norway’s oil industry, however, it still manages to retain a quaint feel. The harbour is lined with colourful wooden buildings and Gamle Stavanger (Old Stavanger) is located right next to the main cruise ship berth.

Stavanger is an easy place to stroll around and grab a coffee or lunch at one of the harbour side cafes. It also provided us a first chance to access the fjords, and a trip down Lysefjord to view the magnificent Pulpit rock is a highlight. Standing over 600 metres above the fjord, it is possible to hike up to the rock, though most will choose to take in the views from a boat down below!

Further opportunities for adventure are available throughout a cruise to Norway and shortly after docking at our next stop in Gerainger, we were fascinated to watch some of our fellow passengers in kayaks head out into the fjord for a quick paddle. I couldn’t help but think that that’s the beauty of a cruise to Norway; if you want adventure, the natural surroundings offer unique opportunities, however, with the scenery all around you, if you prefer a more leisurely pace you won’t miss out.

Our next port highlighted this contrast as we arrived in Flam. This small village at the inner end of Aurlandsfjord is again surrounded by stunning vistas. Should you wish to take it easy, a short walk from the cruise dock will bring you to the Rallartoget roadtrain. Running every hour in the summer, it takes you on a short tour of Flam passing the 17^th century church and Brekkefossen waterfall. The round trip took roughly 45 minutes and also provided a great opportunity to get some good photographs of our ship.

For the more adventurous a Fjord Safari offers the chance to take a high speed trip down the fjord in a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat). Travelling at speeds up to 30 knots it’s not one for the faint hearted! The highlight of Flam though has to be Flam Railway. The route climbs up through spectacular scenery to Myrdal Station situated 2,845 feet above sea level and has been named “The world’s most incredible rail journey” by Lonely Planet Traveller.

All of these activities were just a short walk from our ship and upon re-boarding Norwegian Jade we grabbed a coffee in the stunning refurbished atrium. Norwegian Jade was originally built in 2006 as Pride of Hawaii before being renamed in 2008. The refit has seen the original bright Hawaiian colours of the ships décor make way for a fresher, more sophisticated look with teal and cappuccino accents.

Across the ship, $40 million has been invested and, having travelled on Jade previously, the upgrade is a resounding success. NCL has always been known for the variety of food offered on its ships with numerous speciality restaurants offering you the chance to try something new each evening. O’Sheehan’s Irish bar has been added to the ship and offers a new complimentary food offering in addition to the main dining rooms and the Jasmin Garden Asian Fusion dining venue.

There are a number of other for fee restaurants. The Teppanyaki Japanese Hibachi is great fun with live cooking and as a lover of steak I particularly enjoyed both Cagney’s American-style steak restaurant and the Moderno Brazillian steakhouse. Both have been refurbished and are fantastic venues in which to eat.

Although the upgrade of the ship has led to a more sophisticated modern look, Norwegian Jade continues to be a ship that has a fun feel and the variety of music and entertainment across the ship was good.

On arrival in our next port of call, Alesund, one of the first things you notice is the Aksla Mountain overlooking the town. The viewpoint at the top of Aksla offers a fantastic panoramic view of the town centre, the surrounding archipelago and the nearby Sunnmore Alps.

The climb to the viewpoint from the town park is 418 steps, so much easier coming down than going up! If you’re feeling more leisurely most cruise lines offer excursions that visit the viewpoint or you can take the City Train up to the viewpoint. The view is spectacular and however you get up to there it’s worth the effort.

On departing Alesund, via a call at Haugesund, we headed towards the capital Oslo. The cruise down Oslofjord in to Oslo was a surprising highlight of our trip. We sailed slowly past the picture postcard villages dotting the fjord and our captain, a Norwegian himself, took some time to tell us about the history of the Oscarsborg Fortress as we passed by. This really was a time to get a good vantage position on deck and watch the world go by.

Our ship docked in the early afternoon, in beautiful weather, ahead of an overnight stay and the city had a real buzz with people making the most of the sunshine. Oslo is a city that continues to fuse the new with the old. The iconic new landmark of the Oslo Opera House is at the heart of the city’s rapidly developing waterfront and, aptly for Norway, has a somewhat glacial look.

Oslo is a compact city and it is a fairly easy walk from the ships berth next to the Akershus fortress towards the city centre via the harbour. A walk from our ship down the harbour took us past the imposing City Hall and The Nobel Peace Center.

City sightseeing buses pick up directly from the cruise terminal and offer a good opportunity to quickly view the city on a loop that brings you back to your ship. This loop takes you close to many of the museums that make up the capital’s vibrant museum scene with a number of museums across the city covering topics such as modern art, viking history and skiing to name but a few.

As we set sail from Oslo for the short trip back to Southampton I couldn’t help but reflect on how Norway is a land of contrast. A place of serenity and relaxation on one hand, but fantastic adventure and excitement on the other. A country fusing the history of the Vikings with modern Scandinavian culture.

If you’ve not been to Norway it needs to be on your bucket list! The scenery is unparalleled in Europe and is worth the trip alone. If you’ve already been like me, you’ll already know that it’s so special you can’t wait to return.