One of the better days of my recent cruise onboard the Azamara Quest was to Svolvaer and the Troll Fjord in the same day. I had been looking forward to checking out the Lofoten Islands or the Lofoten Archipelago and the natural beauty was undeniable. While I wouldn’t say that Svolvaer is amongst my favorite places, at least compared to Bergen, Flam or Geirangerfjord-it was certainly pretty and the Troll Fjord was phenomenal!
We arrived early into Svolvaer and I had signed up to do a RIB boat tour. RIB stands for rigid inflatable boat. These are high performance, fast, stable boats and to be honest they’re pretty freaking awesome! The only issue is we had some seriously cold weather in Svolvaer and it was raining on and off so that made it freezing.
The 90-minute boat tour, where you’re fully geared up in Antarctica style gear, starts at the gorgeous harbor in Svolvaer and then heads out into the Lofoten Islands. You pass a lot of what looks like the same thing over and over as the clouds make it tough to see the tops of the jagged rocks that Svolvaer is known for.
The boat made a few stops but to be honest it was hard to hear from the noise of the boat and then by the time you got your camera out to take a photo we were already off. So basically, I wouldn’t recommend the RIB boat tour on a cold and rainy day. But there were some cool waterfalls and also the fishermans wife statue above was really cool coming back into the harbor.
The thing I really wanted to do was do the jump at Svolvaergeita, pictured above. That’s more on par with Kjeragbolten or Preikestolen. This is the famous shot that is on many of the postcards you’ll see around town. Unfortunately, I didn’t plan it properly and it’s basically a full day hike with a guide and of course a ton of paperwork. So this picture will have to suffice for me!
After pulling out of Svolvaer, the weather was clearing up a bit and the clouds were lifting, as we cruised to the Troll Fjord. I was pretty excited to experience the Troll Fjord! It didn’t disappoint.
On a cruise ship, entering the Troll Fjord gives you about 10 feet on either side from the edge of the fjord. It’s pretty wild being that close on a ship as big as the Azamara Quest. You can see from both views; the top deck, to right outside my stateroom balcony, the Troll Fjord was imposing.
The captain did a really cool 360-degree spin to go back out and then everyone was able to experience both sides of the Troll Fjord. The whole experience was about an hour or so but well worth it.
While it would be cool in any boat, I think seeing it from the cruise ship at such close proximity was the best way to experience it. It’s a cool Norwegian experience not to be missed.
After the Troll Fjord, as the sun pretended to set, we saw some of the most amazing sunset colors I have ever seen. It was essentially the gift that kept on giving and these pictures were taken around midnight. Norway is amazing and this cruise was truly incredible!
Svolvaer and the Troll Fjord, Norway
August 4, 2015 by 5 Comments
We used a different cruise line but the captain also did a 360 degree turn in the troll fjord which everyone was impressed by. I wonder if they have width restrictions on cruise ships to enter the fjord? They must or it could be Titanic all over again.
Amanda, that’s actually a great question about the width…I assume they do but I don’t know for sure. I didn’t realize all the ships did that move but it was definitely appreciated.
Great photos! I’ve been to Svolvaer and had great weather so a slightly different take. I didn’t do a cruise and actually stayed there for a week. The issue was there as nothing to do aside from mountain or water activities.
There didn’t seem to be a ton to do unless you like mountains
The pictures that you have are really amazing. I’d never regret going there because of the things that I can see that is like food for my eyes. If ever you wanna visit the Philippines and want it to be hassle free when it comes to acquiring a visa, there are Philippine visa consulting firms here that can do it for you.