Queen Mary 2 Norwegian Fjords Cruise: 7 Days from Southampton

Some itineraries become icons. For many, that icon is the Norwegian Fjords, but to see them from the teak decks of Queen Mary 2, the last of her kind and the final great ocean liner, is something else entirely.

Stepping back on board felt strange. She was the first ship we ever cruised on, fourteen years ago, and we have spent more than a hundred nights on her since, but our last voyage here was in 2021, a trip we still call the Omicron Cruise, when this beautiful ship became a beautiful prison. We were not deterred. We came back for the full, glorious version of Mary, and to see the fjords on her for the first time.

After checking into our room, we did what we always do: we strolled. Even after all these years, Mary throws you off, hidden corridors, an odd flow, sheer overwhelming scale. Our last Cunard voyage had been the inaugural World Voyage on Queen Anne, all the newness of the brand. Coming back to Mary was a return to the original. The deep woods, the rich colours, and the promenade. Queen Anne is magnificent in her own way, but the promenade deck and the Queens Room on Mary remain untouchable.

That first night we kept it simple, fresh pizza and pasta at Kings Court rather than the main restaurant, and went to bed ready for the journey ahead.

One day at sea before Norway, and the North Sea was kinder than expected: sunny, calm, clear. A perfect day for steaming toward Scandinavia. This is where the promenade deck shines, whether from a hot tub, a lounge window, or the open deck itself.

Coffee at Carinthia, then a pub lunch at the Golden Lion, before more exploring and reminiscing through the afternoon.

That evening was the first of two formal dinners. Dinner at the Britannia Restaurant, looking out over the ocean, followed by music and dancing in the Queens Room, the ballroom packed just as in cruising's golden era.

We arrived in Stavanger on Syttende Mai, the most important date on the Norwegian calendar. Everywhere, people in Bunads, the traditional outfits representing different regions of the country. A day of parties, parades, and joyful noise, bars overflowing, flags waving, the whole city in bloom.

Because it was a national holiday, most restaurants were fully booked, so we headed back to the ship for lunch at the Britannia before returning ashore to keep exploring as the crowds and the atmosphere grew through the afternoon.

That evening brought an invitation to the Captain's cocktail reception in the Queens Room. As Diamond members with more than 250 nights on board, we assumed we were fairly seasoned, until one couple was recognised for over a thousand nights. Not all Diamond members are created equal.

We finished the night at Nordlys, a specialty pop-up restaurant on board, with reindeer pie, fresh salmon, and duck.

After the party atmosphere in Stavanger, Skjolden was a complete change of pace, a tiny town at the head of the Lustrafjord with no plan, no bookings, no excursions. Waves melted into ripples, the sea became fjord, and even the colour of the water changed.

We walked without a plan, further from the ship, deeper into forest and waterfalls. A small cabin in the distance turned out to be the former home of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Another cabin, a small hut on legs by the Eidsvatnet, turned out to be a viewing hut, complete with blankets for a cosy escape.

Making our way back, Queen Mary 2 sat in the distance, small yet grand against snowcapped mountains and turquoise water.

Back on board, it was time for Afternoon Tea in the Queens Room, white gloves and a live band, an experience that combines food, music, and White Star service into something that feels like a different era entirely.

Breakfast on Queen Mary 2 is flexible: the Britannia Restaurant for Eggs Benedict or Salmon Royale, the Carinthia Lounge for something lighter, or the buffet for a build-your-own approach. Fuelled up, we headed into Olden for the Briksdal Glacier, our only booked excursion of the trip, given the remoteness of the area.

The 60 minute uphill hike began calm, water trickling through cracks in the rocks, turning to streams, then waterfalls. Then the rain arrived, turning the walk into a soaking mission, but we pushed on, and the forest opened onto Briksdal Glacier, ice melting into a turquoise pool.

We splashed in the water, watched the glacier flow down the mountain, ice that has existed for thousands of years passing through our fingers on its way to the lakes below. The rain returned on the way down, and back at basecamp, tea and cake. 20,000 steps and 54 floors later, mission accomplished.

Back in Olden, a final stop at the local supermarket for Norwegian chocolate before another stunning sail-away.

A day of scenic cruising through Hardanger Fjord began with an unusual announcement from the Captain: a fellow guest needed urgent medical attention ashore and would be disembarked by helicopter. All open decks closed, balconies off limits, until the operation was complete. A reminder that Queen Mary 2 is not just an icon, but a living, breathing community where things can go wrong. The passenger was safely picked up and Mary continued on her way.

The ship pushed deep into Maurangerfjord, waterfalls close enough to flow into the same water around the ship, before performing a full 360 degree turn at the very end of the fjord.

Inside, our paths diverged for the day. ShangTing attended an art talk and watched the ballroom dance class in the Queens Room. Lee went to Illuminations for a talk on dark matter, and looked into rumours that the ship's Planetarium, the only one at sea, may not be returning after this cruise.

After mulled wine and a burger on deck, the afternoon split again: ShangTing to a lecture on Lady Chatterley's Lover followed by tea and scones at Kings Court, Lee to a classical guitar performance and a DIY afternoon tea from the buffet, watching the sunny fjords turn into the foggy North Sea from the balcony.

That evening, the second formal night, we returned to the Britannia Restaurant for Beef Wellington, Baked Alaska, and the parade of chefs, before finishing in the evening shows, the Carinthia Lounge, and the Commodore Club.

Our final day saw Mary steaming through the North Sea, past the east coast of England on the long run back to Southampton. The morning began at the spa, the pool, sauna, and steam room an escape within an escape.

Lunch was at the Verandah Steakhouse, the ship's second specialty venue, known as Sir Samuel's on the newer Queen Anne. Chowder, steak, short rib, sides, cheesecake and trifle, full indulgence for the last day.

The grey North Sea fog lifted into bright sun and smooth water as we passed the wind farms and rigs seen six days earlier, joined by a procession of other vessels making their way home.

Fourteen years ago, our very first cruise was a 28 night Queen Mary 2 Grand Caribbean Celebration. It is because of her that we kept sailing, and eventually went on a world voyage with Cunard. For ShangTing, cruising offers a different relationship with time, the chance to slow down in a way modern travel rarely allows. For Lee, this felt like a redemption cruise, a chance to reclaim a ship that Omicron had once turned into a distant memory. Rough edges and all, twenty three years into her life, Mary has passed into a new phase of grandeur, and the fjords gave her a stage worthy of her.