The Lofoten Islands in northern Norway — Svolvær’s harbour, the fishing village of Henningsvær, red rorbuer cabins and peaks that fall straight into Arctic water.

Longyearbyen on your own: ships lie alongside at Bykaia, the museum is ten minutes away on foot — and the town boundary, where you may not go without a rifle, is marked.

Hesteyri in Iceland’s Westfjords can only be reached by boat from Ísafjörður — about 70 minutes each way, and only in summer. What is left of the village, how to get there, …

How to do Iceland’s Golden Circle without overspending — hostels and guesthouses in Reykjavík, where to eat cheaply, and whether to rent a car or take a combo tour.

The hike up Vettfjellet above Sandnessjøen on Norway’s Helgeland coast — 360-degree views over the Seven Sisters range, the fjords and the Arctic Circle 100 km north.

Honningsvåg to the North Cape on your own: the local bus from the pier against the ship’s excursion price, what the ticket does and does not cover, and the king crab alternative.

Tromsø above the Arctic Circle — northern lights from September to April, the Fjellheisen cable car, the Arctic Cathedral, and where to sleep and eat without overspending.

Sailing into Norway’s Geirangerfjord — a UNESCO World Heritage site where cliffs rise 1,400 metres from the water and the Seven Sisters waterfall drops beside the ship.