RSF Cruiser

You have a couple of options, you can stay at a hotel by the airport, most have a stay and cruise package where they shuttle you to the ship the next morning, is included in the price, and then take the light rail into downtown Seattle to sightsee.

I checked several of the Marriott airport hotels and didn't see any cruise packages. What airport hotel offers transportation to the port?

Friends of mine took the trip in the fall, and there wasn't much snow in the mountains. They thought spring would have been better - snow in the mountains, daylight and night, and warmer temps

Thought I'd pass on the observation. I've been to Norway in the summer and winter. Took Hurtigruten only in Dec-Jan and hope to do it again some March or April.

I thought I was excited before I saw your pics and read your commentary...now I'm really, really keen to go. Loved your entire blog. Disappointed to read about rude people. I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip! It looks, too, that I may need to invest in some warmer clothes. Thank you for sharing!

Layers are most important. I always wore long underwear while outside, a beanie and sometimes, a fur hat over the beanie when on deck, and then liners under my gloves. I generally wore liners under my socks, too. With layers, you always have the option of removing some of them if it gets too warm.

Thanks for sharing. Your blog brought back many wonderful memories. I, too, was surprised with how pale the Northern Lights really are to the human eye, but none the less, they were incredible to watch.

We flew American/British Air between San Diego and Heathrow, and I forget which airline we had to Oslo - SAS? We made the reservations through the AA website. Not sure how it will work with one of you on the west coast, and the other on the east coast. Two of the people in our party came from New Jersey and they flew United non-stop to Oslo.

I guess it depends what you like if the Viking Feast is worth it. There were six of us including two Norwegians, and everyone had a nice time. The dinner is a re-enactment of a Viking feast, so it has a Disney-like feel to it. The food was good and interesting, and our "hosts" were gracious, so it's probably worth doing once. I was the least keen on our group about going.

We had previously done a dog sledding trip in Juno, Alaska, and the experience in Kirkenes was different. First off, we got to the dogs by bus and not a helicopter. The ride was during twilight since the sun was not above the horizon - made for interesting views as we rode around the frozen lake. I was interested in seeing the ice hotel and really enjoy sled rides. There's also a sled ride in Tromso, but it got cancelled for our trip - not enough snow or something like that. I don't know how that excursion compares, but there isn't an ice hotel there.

Oh, and we went to the ice sculpture display in Svolvaer. It's right at the dock and very interesting.

Hurtigruten provided a guide book and maps while on the trip. There are lots of interesting walks in each of the ports, even if you have only a few minutes. We had the advantage of traveling with two Norwegians who were familiar with some of the ports. Most Norwegians speak English and the people in the communities were very friendly and gave us directions. Plus the staff on the boat are pretty good.

You were all so encouraging that my friend and I have reserved a spot on the Richard With for late November into December and are very excited! We wanted the midnitsol but dates just didn't work. We are flying in to Oslo and staying overnight, following day going on the train to Bergen. Flights to and from Bergen, or even Oslo, seem to be very complicated from the US! Any other on ship tips? Favorite excursions? Thank you.

Glad you decided to try Hurtigruten!

We flew from the US (San Diego - Dallas - Heathrow - Oslo) and took the 8:00 AM train to Bergen. For the return train ride, we did the overnight train with a sleeper compartment, and transferred trains in central Oslo for the airport. We then had about a three or four hour layover at the airport for our flight back to the US (Oslo-Heathrow-San Diego). The train got to the airport a bit too late to catch the 7:30-ish AM flights, so we had to get a flight out of Oslo around 11:30 AM. Plenty of time for last minute shopping, especially for candy...

I realize you didn't ask for information on traveling between Bergen and Oslo, but thought our experience might be helpful :-) Let me know if you have any questions... the train web sight is pretty easy, although, if I remember correctly, it wouldn't accept American credit cards, so our Norwegian friends had to make our reservations.

Doing the return to Oslo this way gave us another day for sightseeing in Bergen, and getting to the Oslo airport was really simple.

We are big walkers, so we walked from the Hurtigruten dock to the train station - there was a long line for taxis. Also, there are lockers at the Bergen train station to store your luggage, and we then had another day in Bergen after the boat returned.

What kind of excursions are you interested in? The Hurtigruten reviews on cruisecritic have lots of good information. My favorite excursion was the dog sled ride in Kirkenes - we got to tour the ice hotel, walk around the grounds and see the reindeer, and ride the dog sled. We also did the Viking Feast - it was cute and enjoyable, but I don't think I'd do that one again. We also did the midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral - loved it. In the rest of the ports we walked around town and loved it.

Bergen was the only place where we ate in a restaurant. On December 26 (Boxing Day), most places were closed, but we did find an open place to our liking. When we returned in January (7th?), every place was open and we had no problems finding a wide array of restaurants and stores to spend our remaining Kroners!

I forgot to mention, most businesses close during Christmas and New Years, and some even until the first week of January. What that meant was in many of the stops, none or few of the shops were open. That wasn't a problem for us, but for some it might be.

We left Bergen Dec 27 on the Midnatsol.

Being in a Norwegian port for New Years Eve was incredible. We were in Tromso, and I have never seen fireworks like that - the harbor is surrounded by mountains and the city, and everyone sets off fireworks, so there are fireworks EVERYWHERE! The display went on all day, and at midnight the quantity and quality of fireworks was like nothing I've ever seen, and I've seen some pretty spectacular fireworks displays before. Based on other posters, other Norwegian cities also have similar displays. So if you are going after Christmas, sounds like you might be able to be on one of the ships for New Years Eve.

We (4 Americans and 2 Norwegians) went on the Midnatsol over New Years 2012-2013. We fit SarniaLo's profile... We chose the Midnatsol because it had a hot tub (yes, we went in it every evening), there is a small gym, and it left Bergen the day we wanted to start our voyage.

There were about 500 passengers, mostly from Germany. The rest of the passengers were scattered from various countries, and everyone was friendly. If I remember correctly, a little over 100 did the round trip. Only my daughter and I did the round trip from our little group, and we were thrilled we did. There were no Northern lights on the way up, and a spectacular showing on the way south. And the scenery we missed on the way up, we got to see on the way down. We never got bored - there was too much too see (we love the outdoors, mountains, and beautiful scenes). We got off at most stops, if just to walk around the port area for a few minutes. If time and the cost is not a problem, I would do the round trip.

Stops are between 15 minutes and several hours throughout the day and night. Some of the short stops they do not let you off the boat, although you can usually walk around the port area for a few minutes during the short stops. In cities like Trondheim and Tromso, you stop for several hours and can explore several of the sights. We hiked in several of the ports - Honningsvag (in port for 3.5ish hours) we walked past the church and then up into the hills behind the city. It was a beautiful walk/hike. In Alesund (in port for 3 hours) there is a nice park only a few blocks from the harbor and on the north-bound trip you have time to hike to the top of the hill with a beautiful overlook of the harbor.

Definitely read the member reviews on Hurtigruten. These voyages are not for everyone, and the ships vary greatly from small antique floating museum (Lofoten) to modern almost cruise ships (Midnatsol/Troolfjord). The negative reviews are generally from people who were unaware of the type of voyage/ship they were going on. I thought it was a fascinating trip and would do it again in a heart beat.

As for the food, Hurtigruten is a Norwegian ship in Norway, so the food is Norwegian... that means lots of fish. You wouldn't starve, but you might be disappointed in the selection. Also, food is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you are full board. If you want food at other times, you need to purchase it at the snack bar. If you are not full board, you can purchase a meal in the dining room for a rather high price. Like any place in Norway, the food is expensive.

I'd go up even if the weather doesn't look that good. When we went up last January (there were hardly any people at the top and no wait to go up), it was clear with some clouds. While we were at the top a snow cloud came in - it was fascinating to watch the city and harbor get obliterated by the snow/clouds, and then clear again. The weather can change quickly, so even if it's raining or snowing, the weather may change.

It was a little chilly getting over to the hot tub. On the Midnatsol, there's a covered area to hang your clothes, and then about a 20 foot dash to get into the water. It was chilly for the dash, but not unbearable. After sitting in the hot tub, though, it was quite comfortable getting out and getting our dry clothes.

For any one who does plan to go into the hot tub, be sure to bring a beanie or something to wear on your head - you want to keep your head warm and dry while sitting in the warm water.

If you are taking a laptop. it's a good idea to bring an ethernet cord. The wireless can be weak at times, and there are ethernet outlets, at least on the Midnatsol, in the upper level of the viewing lounge in the front of the ship. Go to the "bar"/equipment area on the right side as you walk into the room. Look behind the counter and there are several ethernet outlets passengers can use.

Also, if you want to call home and you have a laptop or smart phone, you can use Skype - as long as you have an internet connection. It works really well and there's no charge as long as both ends are registered with Skype.

If your ship has a hot tub, bring your swim suit - we loved sitting in there before dinner and watching the scenery.

Have a wonderful trip!

Glad you enjoyed the trip. Guess the fireworks on New Years are spectacular throughout Norway. Good to know if I ever return for a New Year's trip.

One year ago today we boarded the Midnatsol... Wish I were joining you this year... Hope you have a fabulous time, see the northern lights, and let us know how things went. Happy travels!

@RSF Cruiser:

I have been on board the Midnatsol just for an hour at New Years Eve, for those who haven't seen my video of that night already:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY_Y2cWySHk

 

@goldengatecruisers: Whish you a pleasant journey!

Thank you! That was my favorite New Years fireworks ever. We probably saw each other on deck while watching the fireworks - your video was taken from near where we were standing!

There are washing machines and dryers on the ship. We took only five days of clothes for our 12 day voyage. I forget the charge for soap, something like $6 a load, but use of the machines was "free".

I took the round trip last New Years on the Midnatsol. We were in Tromso for New Years Eve, and it was spectacular. I have never seen so many fireworks in my life. To quote one of the ship staff members, the best place to watch the fireworks is from the top, open deck, and the fireworks are everywhere. No matter where you looked, you could see fireworks. Some up close to the ship, others further in the distance. We stayed in port longer than normal - we arrived around 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon and the fireworks had already started. We left a little after midnight. Seems as though everyone in Tromso tries to out do their neighbors with a fireworks display. At midnight, we had a 360 degree view of fireworks everywhere - it was magnificent.

Our voyage was pretty full - around 500 or so passengers. Some were Norwegians using the ship for transportation between stops, and others were tourists on board for the half or full journey. Most of the passengers were from Europe - there were less than ten of us from the US (four were in our group).

We saw the northern lights twice since it was cloudy a few of the nights. It was a wonderful journey and I can't wait to go with Hurtigruten again.

Read about the different ships and make your decision based on what is important to you. We wanted a jacuzzi and exercise room, so that limited our choice. Now that I've taken the journey, if I were to do it again over New Years, I'd be sure to be in Tromso for New Years Eve to see all of the fireworks. I don't know if other ports have as spectacular a display.

You can get a timetable for civil twilight (times there is light in the sky, but the sun is below the horizon - constant dawn/dusk) from this website: wwwdotciviltwilightdotme. You can also get the sunrise/sunset times at: wwwdottimeanddatedotcom/worldclock/sunrisedothtml. There probably are other websites with the same information - I just did a google search to get the websites.

When we went on this trip we did a matrix of location, sunrise, sunset, civil twilight, and location of the sun at noon for the various ports where we could get the information. Then, for fun, my daughter took a picture every day at noon, with the same camera settings, of her watch and the sky so we could compare the light as we went north and south. Yes, a bit OCD, but it was fun! There was a lot more civil twilight than we expected. Oh, our trip was roundtrip beginning Dec 27.

I had just realized your post is bilingual! Thank you. Will be in Paris for a week on a river cruise that goes to Rouen and back.

And you can use Google Translate for earlier posts that are in only French.

I, too, have taken the round trip voyage - on the Midnatsol - last December/January and absolutely loved the experience. I've also taken many traditional cruises on mass market cruise lines and loved them, but for different reasons.

Read the Hurtigruten reviews posted on CruiseCritic - people who expected a traditional cruise, were disappointed with Hurtigruten. You will read complaints that the ship stopped at port in the middle of the night, or for only 10-15 minutes. These people did not realize they were traveling on a ferry that also offers cabins for tourists. There are complaints about the entertainment (there is no entertainment expect for a singer/piano player in the bar area). The primary entertainment is the scenery - which is incredible. Day or night, there was always something magnificent to look at. Passengers who understand what Hurtigruten has to offer, and who want to see remote areas of Norway, love the trip.

We were pleasantly surprised with our accommodations. The Midnatsol is one of the newer ships and has two hot tubs. Every evening we sat there for hours and watched the beautiful scenery pass by. the dining room is quite pretty, the service good, and we liked the food. If you want food between meals, there's a small cafeteria with a variety of items. There's a well stocked gift shop, and several public areas. And there's ample deck areas for viewing the scenery. since even the largest ships are not that large, places were rarely crowded.

So, I'd say, based on my experience on the Midnatsol, there are some similarities to a mass market cruise line - nice dining room, gift shop, and pleasantly appointed public spaces. and there are major differences - food is not available 24 hours a day, scenery is available 24 hours a day, and there's a wonderful mixture of international travelers who value nature. I can't wait to do the trip again in another season.

We washed on day 5 or so (we generally bring enough clothes to last 5 days), and there was no "laundry rage". Our ship was pretty crowded, too.

My experience with clothing was the same as SarniaLo. I wore a double layer of socks with my boots, a liner with my gloves, and the bottoms of long underwear. Whenever I went outside without the long underwear, I was sorry since my legs were a little cool. It wasn't unbearable, just more comfortable with the long underwear.

I also had two different types of hats - a lambs wool, windproof one for on deck, and a simple knit beanie for walking around on land. The lambs wool hat was too warm on land, and the beanie was not warm enough on deck.

If your ship has a whirlpool, don't forget your swim suit. We spent time in it every evening. It was a bit chilly walking to the whirlpool, but once we were in, it was heavenly, and it was not cold when we got out.

We used the ship's laundry facilities. If I remember correctly, we had to pay for the detergent (~$6 a load), but the use of the machines was "free". There were at least two washers and dryers in the laundry room.