Norway is every bit as breathtaking as I imagined. It has been high on our list of places to visit for some time and we settled on a seven night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords for our first proper family holiday with our 14 month old.
Breakfast with a view
I admit I was always a bit of a snob about cruises, feeling they were reserved for the bingo-loving older generation. But after our first cruise five years ago, I swiftly changed my mind. On this occasion, my family and I were onboard P&O's brand new ship Britannia, a huge, floating, gleaming hotel complete with fine dining restaurants, cinema, theatre and spa. Cruise ships these days are incredible, some ships boast multi million pound art collections featuring works by artists such as Jeff Koons and Anish Kapoor.
We have now been on three cruises and I had never anticipated how calming I would find it being on the water. Sitting on a balcony watching the sunsets, with the gentle sounds of the waves below is unforgettable. On this trip I was able to take a dip in the heated outdoor pool whilst taking in the surrounding landscape of Olden.
I worried if cruising with a baby would work logistically but we had a fantastic cabin set-up with everything we needed and baby food supplies provided. All that was left was to strap our daughter in her baby carrier, fill our lungs with the icy and crisp Norwegian air and set about exploring the ports of Bergen, Andalsnes, Olden and Stavanger. We were not disappointed and will definitely return.
Homes perched around Olden lake
The city of Stavanger
Taking in the sights from one of the ship's many onboard restaurants.