We loved it! My wife and I recently took a small ship cruise with G-Adventures along the Norway Coast from Tromso in the north to Bergen in the south. The ship, The Expedition” can accommodate 134 guests and is small enough to get into many of the shallow, narrow fjords that large cruise ships can’t enter. That gave us the opportunity to see sights many cruisers can’t. Travel from ship to shore was often by 10-person zodiacs, which seemed a bit scary to some guests at first, but the crew is so good at loading, unloading, and driving the zodiacs that guests quickly lost all concerns.
My wife and I and other guests were exceedingly impressed by the credentials of the G-Adventures expedition staff, which became even clearer during the interesting and informative talks they provided on Norwegian climate, geology, history, birds, culture and other topics. We also appreciated late afternoon briefings on the next day’s adventures. There were only two things I can criticize. One of the first on-shore activities for those wanting a rigorous hike was limited in number of guests, which was fewer than the number wanting to participate. The sign-up process turned in to a bit of a scrum and ended with several unhappy guests, especially when the same thing happened the next day. To their benefit, the staff took care of the problem and everyone was able to participate in their desired activity that second day and all later days. The other issue involved rude guests who would push and step in front of others who were trying to view or photograph something of interest. I think at least some effort should have been made at the afternoon briefings to remind people to be courteous.
G-Adventures has three cruises that encompass the Norwegian coast. Besides the one we were on, there are ones that include Edinburg, Scotland, and extend farther north. G-Adventures provides all guests on these trips with a very warm parka for when temperatures are chilly; for us that was not often the case. All three cruises provide spectacular scenery, fun excursions, and comfortable on-board ship life. I would recommend any of them to someone who wants to visit Norway.