What to wear on a Bergen fjord cruise
Picking a boat?The three Mostraumen cruises sail the same water. What differs is the guiding, the price and which quay you walk to.
Compare all sixDress for the deck, not the forecast
Air temperature in Bergen runs from a mean daily maximum of 4.7°C in January to 19.6°C in July at the Bergen–Florida station, with 11.1°C in April and 11.7°C in October. That is measured standing still on land. On a moving deck with wind across it, take a layer off that in your head. A reviewer of the cheapest listing wrote that it was freezing on the main deck but the scenery was worth it, and added the useful half of the sentence: you can still see most of it from inside the boat.
So the working kit is a long-sleeved base that is not cotton, a fleece or a jumper, and a windproof hooded shell over both. A hat in any month with an R in it. Shoes you do not mind getting damp, because the deck is wet whether or not it is raining. If it is raining properly, the boats sail anyway and the waterfalls get bigger.
The cabin is not a consolation prize
These boats are both things at once: large open viewing decks and a heated cabin with panoramic windows, plus a licensed kiosk with hot drinks, waffles and skillingsboller, toilets, changing tables and free Wi-Fi. Most people spend the transit inside and go out for the strait and the waterfall, which is the right way round. You do not need to be cold for three hours to have done it properly.
The RIB is a different proposition
The open RIB safari runs about two and a half hours and supplies a flotation suit, goggles, gloves and a hat. Arrive fifteen to twenty minutes early to be fitted. It is the only boat here that lends gear, and it is also the one with real restrictions: not suitable for children under eight, for people with back problems, or for wheelchair users. Wear your own warm layers underneath the suit anyway — the suit stops wind and water, not cold.
If you are weighing the open boat against the enclosed ones, that is the whole of the Mostraumen comparison.
Open boatBergen: Mostraumen Fjord Safari — by Premium RIB Boat
Most bookedFrom Bergen: The Original Fjord Cruise to Mostraumen
Live guideBergen: Mostraumen Fjord Cruise with Live Guide
Frequently asked questions
What should I wear on a Bergen fjord cruise?
Layers with a windproof outer shell, and a warm jacket in winter — that is the operator’s own guidance, since you can be on the open deck at any point in the trip and warm up in the cabin between. A hat helps in every month except high summer.
Do fjord cruises provide blankets?
Not in Bergen. No operator here advertises loan blankets or ponchos, so bring your own layers. The RIB safari is the exception: it supplies a flotation suit, goggles, gloves and hat, and asks you to arrive fifteen to twenty minutes early to be fitted.
Is it cold on the boat?
On deck, yes, in every month, because wind over open water takes a lot off the air temperature. Inside it is not — every boat has a heated cabin with panoramic windows. Month-by-month temperatures are here, and the rain question is separate.