Itinerary For MSC Cruise To Norway

Sam and I were very excited to embark on our very first cruise! We had no idea what to expect and were completely cruising newbies, but we had the best time! There are so many ways you can cruise, whether it’s dining in all the different restaurants, relaxing in the spa all week, or enjoying the lively nightlife. You can cruise all around the world as well, stopping at many different destinations. For our first cruise, we picked MSC to Norway. Here is our exciting cruise itinerary!

Copenhagen, Denmark

We decided to get to the port city early. We did not want to miss our cruise just because of a delayed flight or some other unforeseen circumstance. Plus it was the perfect excuse to explore Copenhagen, Denmark. We spent two days exploring the city and curing our jet lag. Then, early Sunday morning we headed to the port and embarked on our very first cruise!

I have this bag to carry my passport and essentials. Also, a secure folder with me to keep all my documentation organized and safe. (I also have a screenshot of my passport and vaccine card on my phone, just in case).

If it is your first time cruising, like us, here are a few things to know when embarking:

• Print out tickets and luggage tags. It will be a much smoother process as you board. (We had to ask the hotel for scissors and tape for our luggage tags, thankfully they had some).
• Keep your passport and ticket handy as you board, they will be checked several times when embarking.
• Carry only what you need when embarking. Much like an airport, you will check your luggage before checking in. If you don’t want to carry much, take only what you need. Don’t worry, your luggage will be safely delivered to your room.
• Be firm. As soon as you board, you will be bombarded as the crew will try to get you to upgrade any package you may have.

Day at Sea

Monday, we spent the day in the North Sea, heading to Norway. This is a perfect opportunity to book massages, enjoy the views from the lounge, or relax in a hot tub. We decided to order breakfast and spend the day exploring the ship! After a full day of exploring, we took advantage of the rarely empty hot tube and had the perfect view of the sunset.

Alesund, Norway

We woke up the next day to a stunning view of a picturesque Norwegian town. Alesund is right in the middle of the mountains and the sea. It was incredible to see the many bridges that connected all the small islands. We had the option of booking excursions with MSC, however, we decided to do some things on our own.

Highlights: We took a taxi to the trail and started hiking up Sugar Top Mountain. It has some of the most gorgeous views of the city! Plus, it is free (aside from the taxi fare).

Geiranger, Norway

We woke up to another beautiful day in Norway – this time we had sailed all night through a fjord and were rewarded with the most magnificent views! Geiranger is a city of around 200 people, however, it hosts around 800,000 visitors a year.  This number can be staggering, but after talking with a local, they rely on visitors and welcome them! 

Highlights: We booked a bus tour that took us to three incredible viewpoints: Flydalsjuvet, Dalsnibba, and Ørnesvingen. I highly recommend this; it was our favorite part of Norway and some of the most beautiful viewpoints we have seen!

Hellesylt, Norway

After we had an incredible time exploring Geiranger we hopped back on the boat and snatched a spot on the back of the boat. As we were leaving the port, we saw more incredible views of the fjord. We were not able to leave the ship, once we reached Hellesylt. So, we enjoyed the evening on our private balcony.

Highlights: Seven Sisters, the Suitor, and the Bridal Veil waterfalls. There are many waterfalls throughout Norway, just like in Iceland, but these are some of the more famous ones.

Flam, Norway

Our last morning in Norway. We were so happy to wake up to blue skies and gorgeous weather. Flam is famous for its adventure activities including biking and ziplining! It also boasts it is the most scenic valley in the world. We decided to book a train ride to the top station Myrdal, to see the valley for ourselves!

Highlights: Exploring Flam and eating Norwegian hotdogs at Myrdal station!

Day at Sea

Another day at sea, as we head back down the coast of Norway. This time we book massages and relaxed in the spa area. Our favorite part was the hot stone chairs, we nearly fell asleep in them!

Highlights: Chilling in the TV Studio and Bar lounge and listening to other passengers’ karaoke. And making our own chocolate bar!

Kiel/Hamburg, Germany

Our seventh and final day on the cruise. It was exciting to check another country off our list, but our first impressions of this country were not good. Because of the strict port regulations, we had to be bussed through the port as old passengers were disembarking and new passengers were embarking. We had booked an excursion through MSC to visit the city of Hamburg. It was only about an hour away from the port but took us about two with traffic. Then we were disappointed to learn we only had around 3 hours to explore the city.

Highlights: Miniatur Wunderland. This is a massive warehouse filled with model railways of Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. It also includes a miniature airport that is the largest model in the world. We wished we could have spent more time here, but we took as many photos as we could.

If it is your first time cruising, like us, here are a few things to know when dis-embarking:

• Our one and only tip is: do not leave your luggage out the night before. As you disembark, you will be guided towards a warehouse full of luggage and will have to sort through hundreds of bags before finding your own.

Our first cruise was an incredible experience! We love the ease of leaving our stuff on board, exploring a new destination, then hopping back on as we head to a new one. It makes traveling much easier. We also fell in love with Norway! The scenery is some of the most beautiful in the world! Pictures cannot capture the beauty of the majestic fjords and stunning viewpoints. It is a destination you must experience for yourself. We just got a taste of Norway and hope to be back to explore more of this incredible country!

Thank you for reading! Until the next destination!

If you have any specific questions, do not hesitate to comment down below! Or you can email us!