7-night Western Europe or 10-night Fjords/Iceland - 2018

[yowcruiser]

I have a hold right now on 3 cruises for Summer 2018 and I am trying to decide which one to go on. So far, I have been able to narrow it down to the above two, giving up on a booking that I have for Alaska in late August 2018 on the Wonder.

What I like about the 7-night Western Europe is the fact that it goes from Barcelona to Dover and weather-wise, it will likely be nice and warm - potentially allowing us to really enjoy most destinations and day at seas. What I am less keen on are the actual destinations - having been to the area a few times

On the 10-night cruise it is pretty much the other way around. I know that Norway/Iceland is relatively damp, even in the summer months and will usually remain quite cool. With several days at seas - and I know that Disney has a lot of entertainment options, having been on a few Disney cruise before - I am a bit concerned that we will potentially spend more time indoor than outdoor and not be able to enjoy the pool and other water activities as much. Proposed destinations however are a bit more unique and could compensate for that

Price wise, the 10-night is a bit more expensive but is actually more affordable on a per-night basis. Not a real factor in my decision.

Anyone with previous experience on like itineraries in the past. Thoughts on the above concerns? Travelling as 2 adults with one kid (age: 7)

 

[LeslieG]

We did the Norway cruise a couple years ago that went to Geiranger. I see the one in 2018 does not go that far north. That was the highlight for us. If you really want to see the fjords, look closely at the itinerary to be sure you know what you're getting.

 

[janiebubble]

I have a hold right now on 3 cruises for Summer 2018 and I am trying to decide which one to go on. So far, I have been able to narrow it down to the above two, giving up on a booking that I have for Alaska in late August 2018 on the Wonder.

What I like about the 7-night Western Europe is the fact that it goes from Barcelona to Dover and weather-wise, it will likely be nice and warm - potentially allowing us to really enjoy most destinations and day at seas. What I am less keen on are the actual destinations - having been to the area a few times

On the 10-night cruise it is pretty much the other way around. I know that Norway/Iceland is relatively damp, even in the summer months and will usually remain quite cool. With several days at seas - and I know that Disney has a lot of entertainment options, having been on a few Disney cruise before - I am a bit concerned that we will potentially spend more time indoor than outdoor and not be able to enjoy the pool and other water activities as much. Proposed destinations however are a bit more unique and could compensate for that

Price wise, the 10-night is a bit more expensive but is actually more affordable on a per-night basis. Not a real factor in my decision.

Anyone with previous experience on like itineraries in the past. Thoughts on the above concerns? Travelling as 2 adults with one kid (age: 7)

We did the Western European in 2015. Admittedly in reverse (Dover to Barcelona) the crossing of the Bay of Biscay (in August) was cold and rough. I wouldn't want to assume good weather on all of your sea days! It certainly wasn't our experience
Once we got to Spain it was warm and calm but this was our sea day experience - empty pools due to cold weather! I'd only taken the pair of jeans I travelled in and had to buy a hoodie and was still wrapped in blankets on deck! Of course the wether may vary!!

 

[yowcruiser]

Yes, totally agree with your Bay of Biscay point... and this is one risk with this particular cruise: rough sea and unsettled weather for the tail-end of the trip. One of the two sea days is right after Barcelona - and this would be the day with "good potential".

 

[yowcruiser]

We did the Norway cruise a couple years ago that went to Geiranger. I see the one in 2018 does not go that far north. That was the highlight for us. If you really want to see the fjords, look closely at the itinerary to be sure you know what you're getting.

I have been to Norway once and did Norway in a nutshell from Bergen to Oslo, via Flam so yes, it would be nice to see the Fjords again, but not a deal breaker. Actual fjord viewing is offered as a port adventure out of Stavanger. A good reminder though and something I will keep in mind!!! Thanks

 

[janiebubble]

Yes, totally agree with your Bay of Biscay point... and this is one risk with this particular cruise: rough sea and unsettled weather for the tail-end of the trip. One of the two sea days is right after Barcelona - and this would be the day with "good potential".

Our final sea day (heading to Barcelona) was glorious, in fact from Vigo onwards it was perfect weather, I just got caught out clothes wise. Luckily I wasn't seasick but lots of people were!

 

[angelinaxox]

Iceland was amazing. We actually had nice weather except for rain in Bergen last July on the cruise. I packed a lot of unnecessary heavy things such as leggings, sweaters and gloves and didn't need them. I ended up being hot most of the time since I was overdressed. I did bring shorts and wore them. Others did go in the pools although I didn't. Can't say how the weather will be when you go, but I was pleasantly surprised by the weather as I was prepared for it to be cold and/or rainy.

 

[yowcruiser]

Iceland was amazing. We actually had nice weather except for rain in Bergen last July on the cruise. I packed a lot of unnecessary heavy things such as leggings, sweaters and gloves and didn't need them. I ended up being hot most of the time since I was overdressed. I did bring shorts and wore them. Others did go in the pools although I didn't. Can't say how the weather will be when you go, but I was pleasantly surprised by the weather as I was prepared for it to be cold and/or rainy.

Thanks for this data point. In the end, no one knows what the weather will actually be like. Given that the cruise this year is in late August - rather than "peak" weather in July is the one thing that has me concerned. That said, that cruise seems to be popular as some cabin categories are already showing fairly light inventory

 

[Pens Fan]

We were on the 6/29/15 Norway/Iceland sailing. It is hands down our favorite cruise we've ever taken. Iceland is incredible. I'd love to just fly there sometime and spend a couple of weeks. From what I can recall, the weather was a mixed bag. It was pretty warm in Norway (I remember being hot and wishing I had not worn a long sleeve shirt in Oslo), but it got cooler up in Iceland, though not unbearably so. We didn't use the pools, but others did. The coldest day that I remember was in Kirkwall, Scotland. It was drizzling and very windy, but it didn't put a damper on that stop. We loved Kirkwall! It was probably just shy of Iceland for being my favorite. I don't know if they are still going there on that itinerary but it was beautiful and fascinating.

 

[angelinaxox]

Good luck deciding. There are some good Iceland reports and previous threads discussing Iceland that you might want to read. Iceland was one of my favorite places to visit.

 

[DahliaRW]

I did the 7 day Norwegian fjords in 2015 (June). Yes, it can be chilly. That being said, they put out blankets and such out on deck so it really wasn't all that bad sitting outside. I just bundled up on the cooler days. My daughter (5 at the time) swam regardless of the weather. We actually had a really beautiful sunny day our last day at sea. We had 7a room with a navigator's verandah which was absolutely perfect for the itinerary. The enclosed verandah blocked a lot of the wind and chill so we could sit out there an enjoy the views.

Even with the chillier weather, it was a great cruise and beautiful. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

[yowcruiser]

Thanks for all the reports and experiences shared. More and more leaning toward the Iceland/Norway trip - which was my initial choice, but started to have doubt given time of year/weather. Currently booked in a 6A cabin toward the back but didn't think of the benefits of a 7A - Navigator's Verandah which could help with the wind...!

 

[shoes99]

We booked the August 16th, 2018 sailing Copenhagen/Dover in an accessible
10A. I'm more interested in the ports on this cruise. We have done the Eastern
European Capitals several years ago in a balcony but will try the inside this
time. DH uses an ECV so just have to find out what port adventures he can book.

 

[GrrArrgh]

I booked the Norway/Iceland cruise because I've done a cruise starting in Barcelona before (going into the mediterranean) and it was so hot. And I haven't seen Norway or Iceland before, so that seemed more interesting to me. Cooler weather will be a nice change for us, coming from California.

 

[Marthasor]

We did B2B DCL Magic Norway and Norway/Iceland/Scotland cruises in 2015 (June and July) and they were spectacular. The weather was surprisingly mild and we swam a few times. Like the PP, I packed a lot of unnecessary layers. The only time we needed gloves was when we did a rib boat tour in Geiranger! Personally, I would do the longer cruise. I, too, find the ports more interesting. Quite honestly, I would LOVE to go to every single one of those ports again and I'm glad to see they put Kristiansand back on the itinerary (go to the zoo!). Also, (I'm assuming you are flying from the US?), I wouldn't take a long flight and not spend as much time as I possibly could exploring the region. A 7-night cruise would be too short for me after that long flight! Honestly, the Norway/Iceland cruise is spectacular and I'm SO glad we did it.

 

[shoes99]

The 10 night Norwegian Fjords & Iceland is going to:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Kristiansgard, Norway
3. Stavanger, Norway
4. Alesund, Norway
5. At Sea
6. Reykjavik, Iceland
7. Reykjavik, Iceland
8. At Sea
9. Ivergordan, Scotland
10. At Sea
11. Dover, England

 

[Ware Bears]

I'm booked on this cruise and although I'm really looking forward to seeing Norway what excites me the most is the over night in Iceland.

 

[ldo]

I would not cruise in Europe to ports that I was not keen on. i loved spain and portugal and would do that again. Did you go to the town with the cathedral in Vigo? that is a nice day. we did a private day tour all around Portugal and everyone thought it was awesome. We did the 7 day Norway cruise june 29, 2016. we had 2 rainy days and excellent warm weather other days. we did watch 5+ movies, but that was fun for our family, as we rarely go to the movie theater at home. we were not bored. no one swam in our group, but plenty on the ship did.