I am looking way ahead to next summer here. My wife and I are taking a Scandinavia vacation in 2004. I want to do the Hurtigruten coastal voyage. The southbound trip is a day shorter and somewhat less expensive than the northbound trip. Is there any particular disadvantage to southbound vs. northbound? Of course this will depend somewhat on which ships are leaving when, but I won't know that until next year. Also I will need one-way airfare between OSL and KKN regardless of which direction I go, so that's not a factor. If you could give me any advice I'd really appreciate it!
I haven't yet done this myself, but one thing I did notice when looking at brochures was that Geiranger is a port in only one direction (northbound, IIRC). Friends and relatives who've done the Norwegian fjords on the Hurtigruten and other cruises say it's worth making sure you get there.
Hope this helps.
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It's really very simple: Just tell the truth and follow the rules.
I am contemplating the Hurtigruten Norway northbound cruise to chase the Northern Lights. Appreciate hearing from anyone who sailed recently with Hurtigruten to share their experience.
My wife & I did the Northbound a few years ago on the M/S Narvik
We both felt that the coastal voyages were much overated
We spent a few days in Trondheim which was the highlight
of the journey along the coast and we did get to see the lights
These trips seem to be primarily to supply the hard to get to
Food & service aboard left much to be desired and we didn't
get to see that much of the shoreline or many fiords
Did see puffins however but that wasn't enough for us to
recommend these trips (otherwise we loved Norway)
This is our concern too. Based on our preliminary research, the Hurtigruten is more appropriately described as a local coastal ferry service rather than a “cruise” that one may incorrectly relate to the Princess, Celebrity and the like. The food and services appeared to be very basic. We don’t mind a limited set menu but we don’t like the idea of “eat or don’t eat” option for dinner. We understand that there is no entrée choice. What if we don’t like the main course? Pay and eat at the café? We are also not thrilled with the notion of “assistance with your baggage is available on request”. The fare is expensive on a “cost per day” basis considering that it does not include lunch, snack, drinks (pay even for water mentioned at some reviews) and no onboard entertainment.
We haven’t decided yet but we are leaning towards other alternatives.
This is our concern too. Based on our preliminary research, the Hurtigruten is more appropriately described as a local coastal ferry service rather than a “cruise” that one may incorrectly relate to the Princess, Celebrity and the like.
It's a bit of both, and facilities vary widely even from ship to ship: there are 400-pax clunkers built in 1956 and then there are 1000-pax jacuzzi-equipped cruise ships built in 2003. The passenger base is similarly eclectic: while American pensioners seem to make up the majority, at least in summer, there are also locals and the odd backpacker in a sleeping bag under the stairs (like me).
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The fare is expensive on a “cost per day” basis considering that it does not include lunch, snack, drinks (pay even for water mentioned at some reviews) and no onboard entertainment.
This is Norway -- everything is expensive. Go to the Caribbean if you want mariachi bands and pink drinks with umbrellas, and take the Hurtigruten if you want to see the fjords.
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We haven’t decided yet but we are leaning towards other alternatives.
My two cents: I'd go stir-crazy if I took a 12-day cruise from end to end, but a day or two is definitely worthwhile.
OK, let's establish some credentials.
I've done the round trip 3 times, once in March 2004 (Nordlys), again in June 2008 (King Harald) and have recently returned from a very late August trip (Trollfjord). So I do know the territory....
Two things should be accepted by any tourist considering the Hurtigruten experience.
1/ These are not cruise ships!!! They are working cargo vessels with a number of passenger decks built on top of the cargo facilities. Any one expecting a Princess, HAL etc experience will be very disappointed
2/ All of Scandinavia (& particularly Norway) is very expensive. So expect to pay similar prices for food, alcohol & souvenirs both on board & ashore. The only "concession" is that duty free alcohol may be freely carried on board and consumed in cabins.
Now, where & when to go....
The trip itself is very weather dependant. Over the winter period, daylight is limited (particularly in the north) and several excursions are not offered. Some people may see the chance to see the Northern Lights as suitable compensation, others may not. The Norwegian definition of Summer differs from a lot of other peoples. Certainly, the peak summer period for Hurtigruten is June & July! August is chancy and September definitely wet!!
And despite the fjords and the ports of call, an element of "cabin fever" can creep in after several days of nonstop rain. The Geiranger Fjord deviation is only done for May - August sailings and while marvellous on a sunny day is pretty ordinary in the rain.
Similarly, excursions are weather dependant in terms of how enjoyable they will be. On my last trip, several were cancelled at short notice due to weather conditions (all the RIB trips from Bodo & the Lofotens on the Northbound voyage). Others, the Geiranger return bus trips to Molde & Alesunde, would have been a waste of time in the rain. Trondheim & Tromso are largely indoor activities so are pretty weatherproof and North Cape is wet & windy all year round (Locals - as opposed to Cruise Staff - say that the odds of getting a sunny day at the Cape and winning the lottery are pretty well equal) but has a lot of indoor attractions. So the best idea is to delay as late as possible before booking to see how the weather forecast is looking.
Meals!! In the first instance, see Point 1 above. Don't expect Surf & Turf or parades of Baked Alaska!! (though there may be a bit of fuss made about Birthdays & Anniversaries). Now, by the actual meals...
Breakfast
Open sitting, available for several hours, Buffet style.
An uneasy blend of Continental (cold meats, cheese, bread, juice) and Hot. Several Hot Dishes with Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Beans, Tiny Sausages the norm. Tea, Coffee, Juice & Milk available from dispensers.
Lunch
Open sitting, roughly 3 hours, and times may be adjusted to suit excursion departure times. Buffet of epic proportions.
To arbitrarily divide the offerings into something resembling courses:
Soup (of the day)
Seafood -- smoked salmon, caviar, poached salmon, herring
Cold Meat -- ham, beef, poultry, salami
Salad -- Large choice of most ingredients and dressings, trimmings & spices
Hot Food - Usually 6 dishes on offer including fish, game, meat Plus several varieties of vegetables
Dessert -- Several choices of Ice Cream, Fruit Salads, Cakes, Custards & Puddings. Also Cheese & Fruit Boards.
Tea and Coffee available from dispensers
Dinner
As earlier posters have noted, a fixed 3 course menu.
What was not noted was the high quality of both presentation and content.
In 3 voyages, I have seen 2 main courses that I did not want to eat (the menu is posted outside the Dining Room 24 hours in advance) and in each case I talked to my waiter & was offered a choice of alternatives. But this is the exception. With mains like Arctic Char, Baked Cod Back, Veal Prime Rib and Slow Cooked Venison you will not be hungry or dissatisfied.
Tea & Coffee served in the Main Bar for a couple of hours after dinner.
Water & Wine
Both of these are offered as "packages" at the start of the voyage when your cabin card is activated. The "water" option entitles you to still or fizzy bottled water with your meal at Lunch & Dinner. However, as a recent development, the bottle must remain in the Dining Room for "Health Reasons" which stops you using it to fill water bottles for Shore Excursion etc.
The Wine Package gives you a bottle of wine per day for the voyage at a discounted price (along the lines of "pay for 10 & get 11"). The cost of a round trip package in August was NK3800 which is typical in Norway for run of the mill wine. However, if you buy the wine package, the Water package is included!! Wine may be purchased by the glass (there is a winelist) and beer is NK65 for 450ml (locally called a Pint).
Coffee
There is also a Coffee package available as an alternative to the above. It is advertised as a souvenir Hurtigruten insulated mug which can be filled as often as you wish. The catch is that apart from mealtimes (when coffee is available anyway), the only place to get a coffee is in the Cafeteria and the coffee from there is definitely inferior to the Dining Room offering. So it's a gimmick to sell souvenirs.
Other Amenities
Most of the ships offer Internet Access on a couple of terminals. The charge is NK50 for 15 minutes. It is much cheaper ashore and most hotels will let you use their computers (some at no charge). The response time is very slow and the connection unreliable. On Trollfjord, it was so bad that they actually ceased charging for access and simply gave out 30 minute time slots on a "best of luck" basis.
Bridge Tours.
I've enjoyed these on previous trips and had looked forward to doing it on my last one. However, Hurtigruten have now introduced a NK85 charge for this.
No further comment except to say that it may not be what it used to be (Wikipedia reports the Hurtigruten Group is in financial trouble) but it is still a wonderful trip if approached in the right way and if the weather is kind!!
And finally, which direction??
Northbound
In Summer, you get Geiranger, Alesunde, Molde, extended Trondheim, Tromso and the better North Cape option. And the RIB expeditions at Bodo & Lofoten as well as the Troll Fjord cruise at 1:00am
In Winter, scratch Geiranger, the RIB and Troll Fjord but add extended Alesunde & Molde
Southbound
In Summer, Stockmarknes (the Hurtigruten Museum), Midnight in Tromso, daytime Raftsundet passage, afternoon Troll Fjord cruise and the Seven Sisters and the Hole In The Mountain.
In Winter, scratch Troll Fjord.
A very tough choice. In Summer (late May, June, July), I'd prefer Northbound but only because of Geiranger. Other times, Southbound.
The only thing to add is that you don't have to buy the water package - what comes out of the tap is lovely water. and they'll happily give you tap water at meals for no charge.
We actually ate so much for lunch that we skipped dinner several times. A fruit basket was in our room and always full and we ate from that for dinner.
One thing to add is that you will often be able to bring a car for free on a southbound trip, while you will have to pay go north, since that is much more popular.
