One Girl, One Stateroom, Seven Nights Through the Norwegian Fjords: A Solo Cruise Adventure!

Posted:  Cruises Trip Reports

This summer, I had the chance to check another item off my travel bucket list and visit one of my dream destinations – Norway!

A wooden building with a green turf roof sits under a cloudy sky with snow-capped mountains and forests in the background in Olden, Norway.

I sailed with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line on the Independence of the Seas from Southampton, UK, through the Norwegian Fjords, and long story short, it was awesome! I took the trip solo and saw stunning sights, made unforgettable memories, learned a lot, and I want to share all of it with you in this blog! 

The white siding and portholes of a cruise ship are seen as it floats through a Norwegian Fjord with mountains in the distance.

As I’m sure you can guess, flying from Canada to the UK these days isn’t the least expensive thing ever, so I wanted to make the most of my trip across the pond! To start things off, I decided to spend a few days in London ahead of the cruise. I flew into Heathrow Airport, took the tube into Central London, and spent my time ahead of the cruise exploring museums, shops, palaces, and saw some incredible shows in the West End. Of course, I also had to stop into the Disney Store while there!

Two stuffed teddy bears are displayed at the Disney Store in London, England, and are dressed in costumes based on Mary Poppins and Bert from the movie musical.

When the time came, I took the train from London to Southampton. It was super easy to navigate (in all honesty, easier than I expected!) and the journey took about an hour and 20 minutes or so. One thing I will share is that if you’re planning on doing this, keep your luggage in mind! There was no designated luggage storage space on the train apart from the small racks over the seats for backpacks. My 26-inch suitcase definitely wasn’t going to fit up there! Thankfully, the train car I was in wasn’t too crowded, so I was able to roll my luggage into the space next to me, but if it’s busy, finding a spot for your bags might be challenging! 

A screenshot of a digital train ticket traveling between London and Southampton England.

I arrived in Southampton the day before my cruise and really enjoyed my time there! It was less than a 10-minute walk from the train station to my hotel, and there’s no shortage of things to do in the city. My hotel was right across from a huge shopping and dining center, and there are also historical spots to visit, like the Tudor House & Garden and the SeaCity Museum which has a very interesting Titanic exhibit.

The bright red entry way into the “Southampton’s Titanic Story” exhibit is shown at the SeaCity Museum in Southampton, England.

The cruise terminal was also quite close to my hotel, but as I wasn’t too sure of where I was going exactly, I pre-booked an Uber. It took maybe 5 minutes to arrive at the port! I had never sailed from a port outside of North America before and didn’t really know what to expect, but the boarding process was quick and simple. From the time I dropped off my luggage at the designated spot, went through security, and boarded the ship, only about 6 minutes had passed! This terminal team had it down to a science! 

The exterior of the Horizon Cruise Terminal in Southampton, England. Terminal crew and guests are seen outside of the glass doors.

The exterior of Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas is seen from the Cruise Terminal in Southampton, England under a cloudy sky.

I was warmly welcomed onto Independence of the Seas and immediately headed to my designated muster station. I always like to get that requirement taken care of straight away! 

About 2 days ahead of the sailing, I received an email from Royal Caribbean saying that the ship was experiencing some issues with engine propulsion, and we wouldn’t be able to gain enough speed to make it to our first port. While disappointing, this sort of thing can happen, and Royal Caribbean offered onboard compensation to make up for the last-minute change. Since we were now going to have an extra day at sea, I decided to put my shiny new onboard credit to good use at the spa! More on that later!

Cruise passengers enjoy the pools, hot tubs, and sun loungers on Independence of the Seas under a sunny, blue sky.

Once I had my spa treatment booked (and had gotten a tour of the facilities), I set off to explore the ship. The sun had come out, and lots of guests were enjoying the pools, FlowRider, and waterslides, but my stomach had other plans! Off to the Windjammer!

A large cake decorated with the words “Welcome Aboard Independence of the Seas!” in seen in front of guest tables at the Windjammer Marketplace buffet.

The Windjammer Marketplace buffet was stocked with a wide variety of tasty offerings, and I settled in for the first of many meals there. When I cruise solo, I typically prefer to eat dinner in the buffet versus the main dining room. It’s quicker, usually has similar options available, and I can sit with a view of the water while I eat. The Windjammer crew members are always so friendly, and they would often stop by to chat once they knew I was traveling alone.

Trays of various foods and desserts are seen along the buffet counter of the Windjammer Marketplace.

As I was finishing lunch, it was announced that staterooms were now open for guests, so I made my way to deck 8 to get my first look at my cabin. As I’m not one to spend a lot of time in my stateroom, I prefer to stay in an Inside room when traveling solo. I’ve never dealt with motion sickness while sailing, and a window or verandah isn’t a dealbreaker for me as long as I get to be on a cruise! It’s also more budget-friendly, especially when factoring in a solo supplement to the cost.

An Interior Stateroom with two twin beds, a large circular mirror, a green sofa, glass coffee table, and vanity with chair. The walls are cream colored with green patterned carpeting.

There was more than enough space for me, and my tip is to keep the bedding arrangements to two twins if you can. Then you have more space to lay out luggage and clothes and stay organized! Believe me, after spending 5 nights in a budget hotel in London, my stateroom felt enormous! Another benefit? When visiting Norway in early July, you get the chance to see the midnight sun, which is super cool but may not be ideal for sleeping for those with portholes and balconies. With an Inside stateroom, however, it’s no problem!

The living space of an Interior Stateroom onboard Independence of the Seas. Part of the two twin beds can be seen, as well as the TV, vanity desk and chair, sofa, full length mirror, and closet.

After getting settled into my new home at sea, I made my way back up near the pool to enjoy the Sail Away party. It was sunny and hot as we made our way out to the English Channel, and it was lovely to watch the British fields pass by as we headed north. 

The waters of the English Channel, smaller watercrafts, and green fields outside Southampton, England are seen under a blue sky from onboard the cruise ship.

Over that first night and the following two days at sea, I had the chance to explore more of the ship, meet some fellow passengers, and enjoy a lot of activities and entertainment. I saw fantastic performances in the Royal Theater (if you get the chance to see the band The Boulevards on a Royal ship, take it! They were fantastic!), checked out the Studio B Ice Rink show, played trivia at the Schooner Bar, read out on the deck in the sunshine (though it did start to get a little chilly once we hit the North Sea!), and even took a cupcake decorating class! My frog creation may not be the best, but I had a great time!

A cupcake decorated with a green fondant frog in seen in a plastic container along with a certificate of completion for a cupcake decorating class.

Ice skaters in red costumes perform a lift maneuver during a show at the Studio B Ice Rink on the ship.

As it turned out, there were a lot of other Canadians on the sailing, so the Cruise Director even arranged a little reception for us with complimentary cake and champagne as we sailed over Canada Day! 

A large cake decorated with red and white icing to look like the Canadian flag is seen at a Canada Day celebration onboard Independence of the Seas.

I also headed back to the Vitality Spa for my appointment! After changing into a comfy robe and enjoying some lemon water, I was led to my treatment room by a very friendly team member to get started. I had booked an aromatherapy seaweed wrap and massage, which left me feeling pampered and relaxed. I was fully ready to begin exploring Norway the next day!

Two massage tables arranged with skincare supplies and silver foil are seen in a dimly lit treatment room of the Vitality Spa.

We made 3 port stops in Norway, the first being Molde. Molde is known as the city of roses and was a wonderful way to meet the country I’d dreamed of visiting for so many years! As we pulled into port in the morning and I got my first glimpses of the fjord and mountains, I couldn’t help but shed a few joyous tears. 

Scenic green fields and mountains are seen along the sides of the water under a cloudy sky near Molde, Norway.

That morning, I also took my first excursion, to the Bergtatt Marble Caves. As we pulled up to the side of the mountain, you could see lots of mining equipment outside. It’s still a functioning marble mine, which is cool, but the even cooler thing is that there is an underground river inside! We rode wooden rafts over the water and had the chance to learn more about the marble, mining operations, and the history of the area. They even tapped water from inside the mountain for us to taste (to me, it tasted like pennies!)

Passengers in hard hats sit on a wooden raft as it floats across the under-mountain waters in the Bergtatt Marble Caves. The interior rock formations of the mines are lit with purple and white lighting.

Afterwards, I took the chance to explore Molde further. I walked through town and made my way to the Romsdal Museum, which features historic buildings, artifacts, and more from the area. It was really cool! 

Red, yellow, and dark wood buildings of the Romsdal Museum in Molde, Norway are seen under a sunny sky and the Norwegian flag flaps in the breeze

I even tried my first local food here, svele, which was delicious! It’s a pancake topped with butter and brunost (a brown cheese that tastes kind of like caramel) and is then folded like a taco. It was a beautiful day, and I didn’t want to leave, but sadly, it was almost all-aboard time.

A hand holds a serving of svele, a Norwegian snack made of a pancake topped with brown cheese and butter that is folded like a taco.

Thankfully, I was treated to some awe-inspiring views as the ship set sail again and passed through the fjord past the majestic mountainous landscapes.

Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas is seen docked along the waterfront of Molde, Norway under a sunny, blue sky. The town’s buildings can be seen, along with mountains in the distance.

That night I had my one and only dinner in the main dining room, which was very tasty! I enjoyed my fettuccine alfredo and then headed to the theater for the night’s show. 

The main dining room of the Independence of the Seas. Guests are seated at tables with white chairs on multiple floors as a large, elegant crystal chandelier hangs overhead.

To cap it all off, I crossed an item off my bucket list: seeing the midnight sun! The photo below was taken just before 12am:

Shades of yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue fill the sky as the sun begins to set just around midnight above the Norwegian fjords.

The next morning, we called into Olden, Norway. This was my favorite port! It’s a small, quiet town, with one of the most awe-inspiring landscapes I’ve ever seen. It was pretty chilly and rainy, but that didn’t stop me from venturing off the ship to explore a bit before my late-morning excursion. The VIP of my suitcase and something I would recommend everyone bring on a Nordic vacation? My waterproof/windproof jacket!

DVCR Team Member Stacy smiles in a selfie in front of a snow-capped mountain landscape in Olden, Norway.

Mountains fill the background of a scenic view of Olden, Norway. There are white, red, and green buildings seen along with vivid green fields and the waters of the Nordfjord.

The excursion I had booked was a bit delayed due to the weather, but once the rain and fog cleared, it was a beautiful day! I boarded a motorcoach with some fellow passengers, and we drove around the Nordfjord, neighboring towns, and had the chance to visit some local viewpoints to soak up as much of the otherworldly scenery as we could. 

The Nordfjord, green foliage, and snow-topped mountains are seen under a cloudy yet blue sky in Norway.

I had never driven through a mountain before, so that was a super cool experience, as was seeing Hornindalsvatnet Lake, the deepest freshwater lake in Europe (it’s 1686 feet deep!) After stopping at a local hotel for cake and tea, we began the journey back to the ship. 

Mountains are seen in the distance in a photo of Hornindalsvatnet Lake near Olden, Norway.

Here’s something to note: remember how I said our excursion got off to a late start? Well, this also meant we were late returning to the ship and arrived back at the dock about an hour after all-aboard time. Thankfully, I’d booked the excursion through Royal Caribbean directly, so the ship waited for us. If you book your excursions privately through a third party, the ship will not wait! The excursions might cost a bit more, but having that security is why I always book through the cruise line!

The exterior or Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas is seen from the port of Olden, Norway, with mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.

It started to rain again as the ship began to depart through the Nordfjord, but it was still so beautiful that I couldn’t resist hanging out on the deck as we sailed away. Soon enough, the rain let up, and we were treated to a glimmering rainbow as we headed towards Haugesund. 

A rainbow shines over the mountainous landscape surrounding the Nordfjord and its waters near Olden, Norway.

Haugesund, Norway, was our final port, and I was very excited for the excursion I had booked. It was a misty morning, but a motorcoach was ready to take us to nearby Avaldnes, where we would dive into the region’s history at the Nordvegan History Centre. 

A display at the Nordvegan History Centre in Avaldnes, Norway features mannequins dressed in historical garb as well as the end of a Viking longship and a stuffed reindeer.

We also visited a reconstructed Viking village and St. Olav’s Church on Karmoy Island. The church dates back to the 1200s, and still has the original stone walls from when it was constructed! The history of the area is absolutely fascinating, and I loved seeing it come to life through the interactive displays and local guides.

The wooden interior of a recreated Viking longhouse is lit by a large fire in the center of the room. Benches for seating and other artifacts from the time period are seen around the space.

After the excursion wrapped up, I explored more of Haugesund. There are tons of shops and dining options near the cruise dock, so it’s easy to walk around and enjoy even without an excursion. 

A pedestrian street in Haugesund, Norway with a statue, shops, visitors, and the steeple of a church in the distance are seen under a blue sky

After picking up some souvenirs, I enjoyed a snack in a waterside café and begrudgingly made my way back to the ship. The time had come for us to say our goodbyes to Norway.

A pink, oversized deck chair with a sign reading “Enjoying life, Haugesund, Norway” is seen in front of Independence of the Seas as passengers board the ship in port in the background.

That night, we also finally got our first showing of Independence’s Broadway production: Grease! A brand new cast had just come aboard for the production, and they were terrific! I loved tapping my toes to the classic tunes, and it’s probably my favorite show I’ve seen at sea so far. The actors put a lot of heart into their performances, and it showed!

The cast members of Grease perform a number during the show. They’re dressed in denim and black leather jackets, as they sing and dance in a prop car on stage.

We had one final day at sea as we made our way back to Southampton. I spent it sleeping in, taking in another 2 showings of Grease (yep, I really loved it!), and unfortunately, packing. The tags for bag collection had been delivered to my stateroom, and I sadly placed my luggage outside my stateroom that night for debarkation.

A white towel animal is arranged to look like it’s reading a form with cruise debarkation information on a stateroom bed, with green luggage tags on the side.

The next morning, it was time to disembark the ship, but I wasn’t heading to the airport just yet! I had booked one final excursion which would take me to Windsor Castle, and then to Heathrow Airport. Our group was called to depart at 8am, and we were quickly guided through customs and security to board our motorcoach, along with our collected luggage.

A hand holds up a cruise excursion ticket in the Royal Theater. The ticket is for a visit to Windsor Castle in England, followed by airport drop-off.

This excursion offered limited time at Windsor Castle, but I still enjoyed it and had a couple of hours to explore before heading to the airport. If you have a later flight, like I did, debarkation day excursions are a great way to not only kill time before your travels, but also to get in some last-minute sightseeing before heading home. It was also a convenient way to get back to the airport near London from the port in Southampton without needing to make other travel arrangements!

A statue of a rider on a black horse is seen in front of the light brown brick exterior of Windsor Castle in England.

The motorcoach dropped me and my luggage off at Heathrow. Before long, I was on my flight back to Canada with millions of Norwegian and Independence memories already dancing in my head.

Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas cruise ship is seen docked under the sun by the waterfront of Molde, Norway.

As you can tell, I had a FABULOUS time on this trip! Royal Caribbean is a great cruise line for those who like an upbeat voyage full of fun, and if you love stunning scenery and history like I do, I’d also highly recommend visiting Norway! I’m already dreaming of a trip back in the future!

Let me know what you think my next solo adventure should be!

~Stacy 

David’s Vacation Club Rentals Team Member Stacy smiles in a selfie in front of the Independence of the Seas cruise ship in Southampton, England.

 

DVC Rentals Magical Hat