On the evening of July 4^th, Seabourn Sojourn threaded the narrow entry to the tiny Trollfjord, a two-km-long side branch of the Raft Sound that snakes between the Lofoten Islands and the Vesteraalen islands. The entry is just 100 meters wide, and nearly invisible until you are just in front of it.

The entry requires a tight turn and there is an apocryphal story about a captain who was giving a tour of the fjords to a member of the European royalty. As he steamed confidently toward the apparently sheer granite cliff, a nervous royal bodyguard drew and cocked his pistol and held it to the captain’s head. Once the opening came into view, and the captain began his turn into the breathtaking fjord, the bodyguard quietly un-cocked the pistol and put it away.

Because it is so narrow and the peaks are so high on either side, it is a high point of the journey along the inside passage of Western Norway. Note the sunlight shining on the peaks—this is 10:30 PM!  Thanks to Assistant Maitre d’Hotel Arek Przytula for the photos.

In the Hall of the Mountain King

Threading the fjord

Little House on the Fjord: not much to speak of, but the driveway is awesome!

Seabourn Sojourn is cruising the Fjords of Norway, and Cruise Sales Specialist Pierre van Breda sent us a few photos of the region’s stunning scenery. According to Pierre, “the scenery is amazing – snow-capped mountains with lush green pastures at the bottom and then the gorgeous sun has been making for some beautiful scenic cruising.” Enjoy these photos from Olden!

Seabourn offers an array of active, heart-pumping excursions allowing guests to experience local cities “in motion” – from trekking and biking to paddling and speed. During his Seabourn Sojourn cruise, Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle takes an “in motion” excursion to explore the village of Flåm, Norway.  Check out his video as he bikes his way through the beautiful countryside with spectacular views of waterfalls, mountains, and the valley.

On June 6, 2010, Seabourn Sojourn debuted in London and then set out on her Maiden Voyage.  Dubbed the North Star Sojourn, the 14-day cruise included Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Seabourn’s Destination Services staff created very special shoreside events during the voyage, exclusively for Maiden Voyage guests. At the port of Reykjavik, Iceland, a special venue outside of town welcomed guests into a re-creation of a Norse settlement in the early days of the colonization of Iceland.  After seeing this and meeting the inhabitants, Seabourn guests were seated in a tent for a multi-media presentation recounting the saga of Iceland’s history through music and dance. At the conclusion of the event, each guest was given a small box containing a piece of fresh lava rock from the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, and the promise that for each Seabourn guest who visited, a tree was planted in the rich new soil of Iceland, to add new life and beauty to the country and the world.