Author Note: This is the second part of a voyage on Celebrity Apex to Norway. The First part describing the Celebrity product in their newest category ships appeared in the Coastal Breeze News on December 18, 2025.

There are few cruise itineraries more spectacular than the Norwegian Fjords. I have been fortunate enough to sail on several of these awe-inspiring wonders of nature cruises since the maiden voyage of the first Silversea ship, the Silver Cloud, in 1994 but this was my first time travelling all the way to the Nordkapp, the most northern point on the European continent situated at 71.1709 N, 25. 47. 04 E. One can drive to this over one-thousand-foot-high rock by car on Europe’s most northern highway E69. However, sailing here, traveling in and out of the most famous fjords on the Norwegian Coast, is exhilarating and yet so peaceful.

We began our journey in Southampton, England with a short stay in Zeebrugge, Belgium, gateway to one of Europe’s last remaining and fully functioning Medieval cities.

Flam is a charming town at the end of the Aurlandsfjord, which is a side arm of Norway’s longest and deepest fjord. This is the starting point of the Flam Railway, one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world, taking visitors on a scenic ride from the base at sea level to Myrdal at almost 3,000 feet over 12.4 miles in about an hour. The train climbs 80% at a 5.5 % incline, featuring majestic views of waterfalls and the mountains, passing through a myriad of tunnels and making a stop by the thundering sounds of the Kjosfossen waterfall. Originally built for freight transport before WWII, the train eventually became one of Norway’s major tourist attractions.

Captain Nikolas made a special event of crossing the Arctic Circle and presented every passenger with a certificate signed by him. The city of Tromsø, “Gateway to the Arctic,” was our next destination. One of Norway’s larger cities with almost 80,000 inhabitants, its city center has a large concentration of wooden houses, some built as far back as 1789.

It also is home to the world’s most northern university, UiT The Arctic University that supports numerous Arctic Research projects, as well as auroral light research. In the summer, the sun never goes down, and from mid-November to mid-January, the people here deal with almost perpetual darkness. The sun does not rise above the horizon. For a short period around midday, it is not completely dark as there is a hazy blue light. At such times, it is perfect to observe the natural light display of the Aurora Borealis.

Many ships will navigate on the outside of the series of islands to the next port of call, but Captain Nikolas guided his large cruise liner, with precision, through the inside passage to our most northern port of call, Honningsvåg. The small town was established as a base for the nearby fishing grounds. With its ice-free harbor, it is a logical starting point for visits to the Nordkapp, Europe’s northernmost point. The strong fisherman traditions are prominently displayed in the bounty of seafood dishes listed in menus outside each restaurant lining the water’s edge. Interspersed between restaurants are racks of drying fish, also featured in every menu.

The next day, our captain proved again how important customer service is to him. Arriving by sea below the giant thousand-foot cliff of the North Cape, he maneuvered the Celebrity Apex into a full 360-degree turn to give every passenger on board a perfect view of this massive rock crowned by the globe of the world at its peak. Steel rings create lines of latitude and longitude, and I was told that the axis is aligned parallel to the Earth’s axis. Italian priest Francesco Negri was the first to visit here as a tourist in 1664. In 1988, famous Norwegian writer Simon Flem Devold organized to have seven children from different counties and completely different lifestyles brought in for a week to stay with families near the North Cape. The children from Brazil, Japan, Tanzania, Russia, Italy, and the USA each created their interpretation of cooperation, joy, hope, and friendship in clay relief. These were later covered in bronze and framed in granite and stand today as a monument called the “Children of the Earth.”

Just like Cape Good Hope, known as the southernmost point in Africa, when in fact the actual “most southern point” is a few miles further at Cape Agulhas, I discovered a similar situation in the northernmost point in continental Europe. The northernmost point in continental Europe is Knivskjellodden, a few miles further north. This is still 1,306 miles away from the North Pole, and the only land between the two points is the Svalbard Archipelago, which is part of Norway. However, they have a treaty with several European countries allowing access. The Russian land border with Norway is sixty miles away at Kirkenes, and today this is the only place in all of Scandinavia where families are allowed to cross to visit each other. One designated Sprinter Van is the only vehicle to cross once a day. Although Scandinavia has several crossing points, including Teriksroysa cairn tripoint in the Pasvikdalen Valley between Finland, Norway, and Russia, and is the only place in Europe with three time zones, the border here is closed as well. Many years ago, I crossed the border from Finland into Russia further south in the middle of the winter on an adventurous trip with my own car when exploring routes to St, Petersburg for a tour operator, but even this border is now completely closed and Finland has gone as far as building a 124 mile fence between the southern part of Finland and Russia in the ongoing political turmoil.

Our comfortable home away from home, the Celebrity Apex, took a couple of days to travel back south to Norway’s best-known fjord, Geiranger. This is home to the majestic Seven Sisters waterfall, endless verdant green mountains and steep cliffs from which numerous tiny waterfalls trickle down, shining like diamonds in the sunlight.

Once again, our captain made sure everyone experienced the perfect views as he made his now legendary 360-degree turns with the Apex. Together with our last two ports, Ålesund and Haugesund, we were treated by Captain Nikolas to continuously stunning views. In between the endless waterfalls, which you felt you could reach out and touch, our ship navigated close to rock walls, and charming small villages with roughhewn wooden homes covered with grass, also called sod, or turf roofs. This is a climate-friendly method for insulation, cooling in summer and heating in winter.

As we passed one of these tiny homes standing isolated at the water’s edge, our captain tooted his horn and made one last 360-degree turn to honor a retired Norwegian colleague and captain friend of his. We marveled at farms high up above us and under the snowcapped mountain peaks and single summer cottages at water level with their own natural private harbors. Returning to the North Sea again, we passed the occasional super tanker and one of the oil rigs that have made Norway so prosperous.

We do thank Captain Nikolas for his kindness, professionalism, and humor, and his officers and crew for a wonderful time. Despite the few details that could use improvement, as mentioned in the first part of my story, the Celebrity experience is still outstanding value for money.

Ewout Rijk de Vries and his wife, Jill, brought America Travel Arrangements to Marco Island 40 years ago. They specialize in high-end adventure tours and small safari groups for clientele all over the world, but also are experts on high-end cruises with the help of longtime assistant and friend, Michelle Wegman. In combination with his writing and photography, Ewout has visited over 100 countries.