How Norway Made me Fall in Love with Winter

Hey Owlets,

For so many people, the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping is met with a feeling of dread. From as early as the end of August, I hear people talking about how they're not looking forward to the darker nights and shorter days. Honestly, I get it - the world just feels more alive in summer. There are festivals, weddings and social events every weekend, not to mention just feeling the sun on your skin is good for our mental health.

I think for a lot of people, the colder days and darker nights bring a feeling of loneliness, isolation, and maybe even a touch of cabin fever. I try to make the most of everyday, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't felt the same.

Until I went to Northern Norway in winter.

Norway Travel Misconceptions: What Tourists Often Get Wrong

In recent years Norway has enjoyed quite the tourism boom. From cruise ships making weekly visits to regular flights to all parts of the country, it’s suddenly become impossible to scroll through your Instagram feed without finding at least one post about Norway. 

Norway’s sudden rise to fame has resulted in a wide variety of people being attracted to explore this beautiful country, which is a double-edged sword. If you are the kind of person that appreciates the beauty of nature and enjoys hiking up a hill to visit an impressive viewpoint then you’ll love Norway. If you’re the kind of person who likes to tick off tourist attractions like you’re catching Pokemon then you might find yourself feeling a little underwhelmed.

What to Pack for Northern Norway & The Arctic Circle

Visiting the Arctic Circle, whether in Norway or another country, is a magical once in a lifetime experience, but preparing for your trip is a level of overwhelm that I've not experienced since moving house. For someone that resides in a fairly temperate climate all year round, the concept of battling -30ºC doesn't even begin to compute. I found myself in this exact position at the end of November. Having fallen down a rabbit hole of frantic Googling, asked many people more knowledgable than myself for advice and with the benefit of hindsight after living with my mistakes, I'm fairly confident that I can offer you a foolproof guide to getting ready for your trip to the Arctic Circle.

What to Expect on a Winter Cruise

Is Cruising in Winter a Good Idea?

As cruising from the UK continues to skyrocket in popularity, an increasing number of cruise lines are choosing to keep some of their fleet sailing from the UK throughout the year. Considering that, until the last few years, almost every cruise line would do a summer season out of the UK before sending their ships to warmer climbs in October, you'd be sensible to ask if it's worth booking a winter cruise. Personally, winter is one of my favourite times to cruise so I'm here to set your expectations before you book!

Cruise Diary: What to Expect on a Norwegian Fjords Cruise

Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambition, docked in Falmouth UK

This post is in collaboration with Ambassador Cruise Line, but they haven't had any say in what I've written - it's my usual brutally honest opinions!

Hi Friends,

It’s been a while since I’ve done a proper old-school-blogging travel diary, and with everyone watching vlogs again it feels like the perfect time to bring this series back - particularly when I want to share a particularly incredible trip with you! 

Earlier this year I embarked on a 10 night cruise around the fjords for my birthday (and wow, what a memorable birthday it was!) on board Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition. I’ve sailed with Ambassador a few times now and each time is as special as the last. It helps that Ambassador was born out of the ashes of CMV going bankrupt; the “friendly little ship” ethos transferred over to the new company, along with many of the friends we’d made over the years. Stepping on one of Ambassador’s ships feels remarkably like a welcome home, even though it was my first time seeing Ambition. 

With that out of the way, let me show you what taking a Norwegian Fjord cruise looks like, day by day.