Gaze at sheer cliffs as you sail down the fjords

Norway has marketed itself as "the most beautiful cruise destination in the world" for many years, and the country does indeed offer some of the most scenic places in the world, with majestic fjords, waterfalls dropping thousands of feet down rocky cliffs, and tiny farms clinging to the side of mountains. When you're on a cruise liner, the wonderful clouds, floating across the sky, sometimes fluffy and white, sometimes black, and some infused with bright spots where the light shines through, shimmering on the water, are incredible. Cruising across the Norwegian fjords is never boring.

If you're feeling daring, you may follow the shoreline all the way north into the Arctic to spy on polar bears, abandoned mines, and the midnight sun. The size of Norway's fjords needs to be seen to be believed, the product of epic glacier action over millennia. Cliffs rise on each side of these ice-carved waterways, some with sheer rock cliffs, others with gentle slopes, rich flora, and farmhouses. Hundreds of meandering fjords snake inland from the sea up most of Norway's coastline, and they're an important part of seeing this beautiful area of Scandinavia. The most spectacular views, however, are centered in the west and southwest, accessible from Bergen and Stavanger. The 203-kilometer-long (126-mile-long) Sognefjord, the otherworldly Lysefjorden, and the Unesco-listed Geirangerfjord will leave you dumbfounded.