While many parents take their children on Mediterranean cruises, Norwegian Fjords cruises are gaining in popularity with families as well. Family travel to Norway skyrocketed after the release of Disney’s blockbuster movie, Frozen. Norway is filled with incredible natural beauty and memorable experiences. In every port of call, families will find children’s playgrounds, great kid-friendly museums, exciting attractions, and a wide variety of outdoor activities the whole family can enjoy. In addition, the relaxing pace of Norwegian Fjords cruises can be a welcome change from demanding Mediterranean cruise schedules.
Norwegian fjords cruises offer opportunities to experience stunning landscapes and amazing excursions. Kids love trains and the Norway’s Flam Railway has been named one of the world’s greatest railway trips. Riding on the steepest standard-gauge railway in the world provides families views of massive mountains, dazzling waterfalls and splendid vistas around every turn. Families visiting Bergen will want to take the Floibanen Funicular ride to the top of Mount Floyen for great hiking opportunities, beautiful views, and family fun with photogenic goats that seemingly love to pose for pictures.
Voyages through Norway’s fjords are offered by several family-friendly cruise lines including MSC Cruises. MSC Cruises’ Norwegian Fjords cruise holidays are well designed for families. These Norway family vacations offer the best of all worlds, both on land and at sea. Here are five great reasons to take your family on a Norwegian Fjords voyage with MSC Cruises:
- Great Family Vacation Value. Traveling by land within Norway is pricey. According to a recent survey, Norway is one of the top five most expensive countries in the world. Cruises provide a reasonably priced way for families to experience the beauty and culture of Norway without breaking the bank. Instead of paying for hotels, meals and transportation in Norwegian Kroner, families can save lots of money by sleeping and dining at their floating resort hotel. MSC Cruises offers special discounts for families on select Norwegian Fjords sailings. Children ages 11 and under cruise free when sharing the cabin with two adults, with taxes and fees additional. The cruise line also offers exclusive savings for military personnel and civil service members. See MSC Cruises’ website for complete details.
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Family-Friendly Ships. Top family-focused ships offer attractions for every interest and age group. That’s one of the many reasons why cruising is such an excellent option for Norway family vacation. MSC Cruises’ combination of amenity-laden ships, strong family focus and exciting itineraries adds up to a perfect Norwegian Fjords vacation for both parents and kids. MSC Cruises has a wide variety of kids and teens programs on their Norwegian Fjords cruises. There’s MSC Baby Time for little ones under 3, Mini Club Sailors for children ages 3-6, Juniors Club Pirates for kids ages 7-11, Y-Team for young teens ages 12-14, and the MSC Generation Teen Club for kids 15-17. Engaging activities are offered each day and are fully supervised by the ship’s experienced multilingual children’s entertainment staff. In addition to separate programs for kids and teens, fun activities for the entire family to enjoy are offered as well. Parents can take advantage of MSC’s late-night “Kids Around The Clock” program from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., letting them enjoy a great evening out while kids play with their friends. Parents and kids rave about MSC Cruises’ special programming including the LEGO Experience, MSC for UNICEF Day, DOREBRO sports program, and Kelly & Kloe OnBoard themed activities and auditions. Special kids’ menus are available at restaurants onboard and the cruise line’s Happy Dinners and Fun Time Dinners programs let kids dine and have fun while parents enjoy relaxed evening meals together.
- Exciting Outdoor Activities. Memorable outdoor adventures are one of the top reasons to take a Norwegian Fjords cruise. Fun-loving families can enjoy kayaking on mountain lakes, taking Rigid Inflatable Boat rides along Norway’s deep blue fjords, mountain biking, and hiking to stunning waterfalls. MSC Cruises offers shore excursions specifically designed for families on their Norwegian Fjords cruises. These tours come with special family-friendly pricing as well. MSC’s kids programs also offer extended opening hours when the ship is in port, allowing parents to spend long days exploring Norway’s enchanting ports of call while their kids are cared for by the experienced Youth Staff.
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Opportunities For Cultural Enrichment. While cruising in Europe, families can learn more about the cultures of Norway and other European countries. MSC Cruises offers families the chance to fully experience Europe on both land and at sea. MSC Cruise voyages have an appealing international flair. On an MSC Norwegian Fjords cruise, both parents and kids will make new friends from all across Europe and around the world. The cruise line’s family and entertainment programs also help guests to learn more about other countries and cultures. MSC’s superb hands-on cooking program for kids, DOREMI Chef by Carlo Cracco, teaches kids how to make tasty Italian dishes. MSC Cruises also offers festivals onboard their ships, including a traditional German gala featuring delicious Bavarian foods, traditional music and fun games for the entire family.
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Easy Access And Maximum Flexibility. When choosing your cruise itinerary, look for departure cities that offer excellent flight connections, good airfares, a wide variety of hotel options, and plenty of attractions to explore. MSC Cruises offers a number of great embarkation options for their Norwegian Fjords cruises, both in Denmark and Germany. Copenhagen is an excellent embarkation port for a family cruise to Norway. The city is served by a number of low cost airlines and direct round-trip airfares are reasonable when compared with flights to other European ports. In addition, Copenhagen has a wealth of historical spots and attractions for families to visit before or after their cruise. MSC’s Norwegian Fjord cruises also depart from three ports in Germany – Warnemunde, Kiel and Rostock in Germany. The cities are all easily accessible from Berlin by train, so families can fly into Berlin a few days prior to their cruise to fully experience all Germany’s capital has to offer or spend some time enjoying the beach in Warnemunde.
If You Go:
For more detailed information on MSC Cruises’ family-friendly Norwegian Fjords voyages, visit their website at www.msccruisesusa.com.
Photo Credits: Nancy Schretter
