• Norway offers beautiful scenery for cruise ship vacationers.gulfs of norway image by the_pleiades from Fotolia.com
  
  The northern region of Europe, including Norway, Sweden and Denmark, is commonly referred to as the Nordic region or Scandinavia. Cruise lines offer destination trips to these locations, mostly in the spring and summer. Visitors choose a traditional ship, with a few ports of call, or a working vessel with frequent stops in the smaller towns along the coast of Norway.
  
  

Hurtigruten

• Hurtigruten is a small cruise company with a 14-ship fleet servicing northern Europe. The ships hold 100 to 1,000 passengers, and several feature 12-day sailing round trips from Bergen, Norway. These are working ships that make several stops a day to deliver goods to towns along the coast. The ships have dedicated passenger areas with view decks and restaurants, but no live entertainment. Shore excursions are available on several of the longer stops, and the scenery on day nine while passing the island chains of Lofoten and Vesteralen is not to be missed. The ship makes more than 30 stops during the 12-day journey.
  
  Hurtigruten
  Havnegata 2, Box 43,
  8514 Narvik
  866-552-0371
  hurtigruten.com
  
  

Royal Caribbean

• For a more traditional cruise experience, Royal Caribbean offers five-day round trips from Copenhagen, Denmark, aboard the Vision of the Seas. The trips are scheduled in April, May and June and include two port stops in the cities of Bergen and Geiranger in Norway. Bergen is a Viking port highlighting the history of conquest made famous by the Vikings of the region. Geiranger is a vista point where visitors can hike or visit waterfalls hidden within the tall mountains. This ship was built in 1998 and updated in 2003, with a passenger capacity of more than 2,400. Like all vision class ships, the indoor pool has a retractable ceiling and cabins feature 24-hour room service.
  
  Royal Caribbean International
  1050 Caribbean Way
  Miami, FL 33132-2096
  800-398-9819
  royalcaribbean.com
  
  

Holland America

• Holland America devotes several ships to this region. The MS Westerdam offers round-trip sailings from Rotterdam, Holland, visiting six ports in Norway in only seven days. Stops include the town of Alesund, an art nouveau area known for bold architecture, and Flam, a small village that offers homemade knitting and carved-wood souvenirs. The ship was built in 2004 and updated in 2007, holding more than 1,900 passengers. Staterooms feature Internet access, and two-thirds have balconies or verandas. The dining options include a grill, buffet, main dining room, room service and a specialty restaurant featuring Italian cuisine.
  
  Holland America Line
  300 Elliott Ave. West
  Seattle, WA 98119
  877-932-4259
  hollandamerica.com