Norway's feast for the senses

Along with our two full days at sea, we had four days to explore Bergen, Ålesund, Flåm and Stavanger, not to mention the spectacular scenery sailing up the fjords. And our coach driver's handling of 26 consecutive hairpin bends on one excursion was just as thrilling as any of Disneyland's roller coaster rides.

Getting there

A seven-night cruise of the Norwegian fjords on P&O's Arcadia costs from £699 per person for an inside cabin, departing June 11, 2017. Visit www.pocruises.com for more details.
Russell Kett's mini-suite package included free valet parking and no supplement for kosher food.

Only the pouring rain and low cloud in Bergen qualified as a disappointment, taking a funicular train journey up a mountain to discover it was obstructing any meaningful views. But Bergen itself has plenty to offer - whether it is Troldhaugen, where the renowned composer Edvard Grieg once lived, or for history buffs, the Hanseatic Museum, with interiors dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

The open-air fish market was taking place on the day of our visit too, with individual fishermen selling their catches, as well as a nice line in smoked salmon and gravadlax.

The highlight was another train ride, the fabulous mountain railway,

spectacular fjords and waterfalls of Flåm. Set at the inner end of a branch of the world's deepest fjord, Sognefjord, and surrounded by steep mountains and powerful waterfalls, the area is a nature lover's paradise.

The Flåm Railway itself is one of the world's most spectacular. Our trip took us from sea level, having been dropped by tender on the quayside, up the side of the 900 metre mountain at a gradient of one in 18.

There was an alternative cycle tour - up is only for real Bradley Wiggins aficionados; freewheeling down looked a more attractive option.

The historic fishing town of Ålesund is spread across several islands, and is best known for its Art Nouveau architecture, having been rebuilt in 1904 after a fire destroyed most of the buildings. Best seen from above, there are spectacular views from Fjellstua, which you can reach on foot, bicycle or, thankfully in our case, coach.

Finally to Stavanger, the third largest city in Norway, which celebrates its maritime connections in style, ranging from speedboat trips around the adjacent fjords to the petroleum museum which recognises Norway's importance as a major oil and gas producer.

There's even a salmon safari where you can swim with the fish in their natural habitat - who needs dolphins? Meanwhile Old Stavanger features 173 white wooden cottages, faithfully preserved from the early 1700s but now home to a variety of shopping options including traditional handmade woollen garments. With 21st-century prices at around 10 kronor to the pound, you're unlikely to find much in the way of bargains though.

Back on board Arcadia, there's no danger of being bored with a nightly variety of entertainment in the Palladium theatre as well as several smaller venues, a casino and a screening room for cinema enthusiasts.

Those in need of pampering have an extensive spa with various treatments including hydrotherapy, as well as indoor and outdoor pools. There's even an impressive art gallery.

For those with any special requirements, the 850 staff on board couldn't do enough to make sure everyone was well looked after.

Our own special requirement - inevitably - centred on food. We had requested kosher meals and a few weeks before departure were invited to select our menus from a broad range of alternatives, provided by Hermolis.

So our lunches and dinners came "gift wrapped" and heated to perfection and served by the attentive restaurant staff. As "semi-experienced" cruisers, our biggest surprise was that these came at no extra charge - and that they were so enjoyable.

For those who are happy to eat fish or vegetarian, there are plenty of options available to ensure you don't go hungry from the more formal Meridian dining room, offering breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and both fixed and flexible dining times, to the extensive self-service buffet of the Belvedere, which seemed never to close.

For a supplement, you could also dine in three other restaurants: Marco Pierre White's Ocean Grill, the Asian-themed Sindhu and the Neptune Grill.

And if dressing up on holiday suits you, you will love this cruise - two out of the seven nights were designated "black tie" and the (other) passengers took it very seriously, with most opting for penguin suits and cocktail dresses. Some went the whole hog with ball gowns, white tuxedos and even kilts.

Having mistakenly assumed there wouldn't be such a take-up, we had opted for "smart casual" which meant we were prevented from using most of the bars or our usual restaurant on the black-tie evenings. My advice? Take your glad rags - after all, there's no limit on the luggage you can bring.

And if you only do one excursion, choose the Flåm railway. You don't have to be an anorak… but you might want to have one in your backpack.