Discover Remote Isles Steeped in Viking History, Fascinating Geology, and Jaw-Droppingly Good Music

“What is the purpose of your visit?” the passport control officer asks as I hand over my document, words I haven’t heard since the beginning of the pandemic. Like nearly everyone else on my flight, I tell her I’ve come to take a cruise. She stamps my passport and hands it back with a welcoming smile.

This year United Airlines inaugurated direct flights from Newark to Bergen, Norway, in the heart of the fjords, the biggest cruise port in Norway since the 19^th century when people first wanted to see the fjords and the striking coastline. Because local infrastructure in Norway was so poor at the time with so few decent hotels or restaurants, a well-appointed floating hotel offering well-planned shore excursions, excellent dining, and comfortable suites prompted people to take a cruise.

Bergen feels like a small town, with cobblestone streets in its historic center, houses built among forested hills, and a picturesque harbor that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. But because the city is spread out, tucked in-between fjords, hills, and seven mountains, the layout conceals that Bergen is Norway’s second largest city — its university alone has 20,000 students. Walking around the town I’m struck by how many electric or hybrid cars are on the street, even taxis. Today nine out of ten cars sold in Norway are plug-ins as the government doesn’t charge sales tax on them. This huge incentive works — 25% of all cars in Norway are now plug-ins, the largest percentage per capita in the world.