We wanted to visit the Norwegian Fjords...we weren't let down...all ports were excellent, however, cruising Geiranger Fjord, (known as the pearl of Norwegian Fjords), in magnificent weather, in a (relatively) large cruise ship certainly takes some beating? All four ports on this cruise, Stavanger, Bergan, Alesund and of course Geiranger offered something different...a trip along Lyse Fjord with its dramatic cliffs plus the dizzying sight of Pulpit Rock, is a must in Stavanger. Bergen, one time capital of Norway and a World Heritage city, does not fail to live up to the images one sees of its quaint waterfront. Bergen was also the home of Norways most famous composer Edvard Grieg. Alesund presents some fantastic Art Nouveau buildings, all reconstructed following a fire in 1904 that destroyed the town. Then, Geiranger, at the head of the Fjord, a village of around 200, surrounded by snow capped mountains, presents a picture post card image, not to mention the views from Flydalsjuvet and Eagle's Bend lookouts, located both South and North respectively.

Life on board the ship was not diminished by the magnificent scenery it took us to. Serenade falls under the Radiance class of ships in the RC fleet, so does not boast 'mega-class'. It has 890 crew to cater for the the approximately 2490 passengers this equates to less than 3 passenger per crew member, so finding someone to assist is not a problem.

We opted for 'my time' dining for dinner in the main dining room and apart from two evenings we were seated in an area serviced by an exceptional head waiter, his rapport with us and everyone else was second to none. Breakfast and lunch we opted for the buffet or Park cafe. One could never go hungry no matter how fussy an eater you are. Read more