I wanted to explore the coast and fjords of Norway. This cruise accomplishes this to the highest degree. This is both a working ship and smaller ship cruise with 500 passengers on average. The ship's course both north and south avoids open ocean travel and follows the fjords and sounds through an intricate complicated shoreline; a coast that was not accurately mapped until the 20th Century.

The ship's tone is casual with no formal dining or events. Food, staff, excursions and service were top-notch. Dining was relaxed and the cuisine inspired by the local fisheries and farms of coastal Norway. Service staff were super attentive, but not intrusive. Deserts were among the best ever experienced. Excursions by foot, bike, bus or boat were well-organized. On-board lectures about the history, people, landscapes and future of the Norwegian coast were well-presented by knowledgeable and enthusiastic expedition staff.

For the most part, getting on-board and off-board was a fairly quick endeavor albeit the dock-level Deck 3 disembarkation area was too small for the number of people trying to exit the boat at popular ports. The main embarkation port was Bergen. Passenger boarding was by a skyway to deck five. There was plenty of room and the boat's passengers easily boarded and left the ship efficiently.