Norwegian Fjords...in June? Cruising!!?

Question

How warm....how cold?? What do we pack???

Answer 1

We did a cruise to the Baltic countries a couple years ago in May and the weather was kinda cool, but not cold.  It was very much like a cruise to Alaska.   Our cruise stopped in Oslo, Norway (we cruised through the fjords for about 2 hours on the way there) and other places like St Petersburg, Russia and Tallen, Eastonia which are as far north as Norway.  The weather was pleasant during the day, about 65 to 70 and on a couple occasions there were showers.  So what you need to pack is very similar to an Alaska cruise.

It will be pleasant on ship while you are in inside area but breezy and chilly on open decks.  But the way to dress is layer your clothes so you will be warm enough when its cool but not too hot when you are in warmer areas. Instead of a ski jacket, take a lighter one that you can wear comfortably over a sweater or hoodie. Take some long sleeved shirts and slacks.  Think of dressing each day this way; underclothes, shirt, sweater, jacket.

Most ships that do the cool climatecruises have areas where you can see things without being outside. They also generally have a solarium, a glass covered pool and hot tub area. And of course the ship will have a gym. So you can take things to enjoy these activities on ship.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take:

- swim wear,

-sun glasses and sun screen, lotions,

-a warmup suit or sweats to relax on ship in,

- a hoodie and a jacket that you can wear over it,

- a plastic poncho (from the dollar store) because there may be showers

-a book if you are a reader,

-your music player,

-sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, -good walking shoes,

-your camera, and binoculars,

-other personal toiletries.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool towels. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand. They do not provide tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions. They DO provide a hair dryer.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc. Don't over pack , take clothes that you can mix and match tops and bottoms and plan to wear each piece twice.

Your cruise will have a formal night when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. You will not be denied entry to the main dining room if you decide not to dress up, as long as you are at least sports casual. But most people do dress up; a suit or tux for men and a gown or party dress for women. Women should take a shawl or other wrap for the formal dress.

Some other packing tips:

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage.

-Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- If you want to use the pool, hot tub, or gym as soon as you get on the ship, take clothes for these in your carry on bag because your checked luggage will likely not get to your room until much later in the afternoon, maybe by @ 6:00 PM.

- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer and/or hand wipes. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

- Take a can of air freshener for your cabin bathroom; it has no exhaust fan.

Answer 2

Think London in April.  

Also, remember it's always breezy (at least) at sea.

Answer 3

I just came back from a Baltics cruise.  The weather was sunny but the temperature ranged from mid 50's to high 60's.  It was chilly only if the day was windy.

I suggest layer your clothes to include a sweater or jacket for the cooler days and bring a scarf (or buy souvenir scarfs at the different ports of call) for windy days.

Answer 4

In Norway it will be like an early spring day in the UK, but don't forget that when at sea the wind will make it feel much colder.