Hunding

On 3/5/2019 at 4:31 PM, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

We always get more than we think we’ll need from the bank before traveling.  We store the leftovers in our safe until either we go back, or some young person we know is going there.  We stick the leftovers in a bon voyage card for them 🙂

 

Recently, a niece and her husband were going on their first trip out of the country, to Spain, so we gave them each a card with 500 Euros in it.  Needless to say they were quite surprised and happy when they opened them!

Golly, I'd be happy, too!  And, hey, I'm going to Spain later this year...and I can think of several swell ways to "appreciate" 500 euros....  Should I post my snail-mail address?!?!  🙂 

18 hours ago, lextrvlr said:

Why the devil should those of us who hold bookings not be notified of this change by
Viking, and not via the Cruise Critic rumor mill?

Viking may be getting too big for its britches!

Too much, too soon...?

2 hours ago, Sallyandtex said:

Thanks again, lots of great tips!

I have been looking at a package thru 50 degrees North that includes land bookings and transfers. Thinking maybe I should try booking myself but worried I would put us in the wrong areas and worried about language barriers.

NEVER - EVER - be daunted by so-called language barriers in Norway, if you speak English.  One of the glories of the country is that at the age of one (1), every child n Norway begins to learn English, so that by the time they enter school at the age of 6, they are already bilingual - Norwegian and English.  Several years later, all students are given the option to study/learn a third language.  It is simply extraordinary, and puts the nation way ahead of any other country I can think of.  We had occasion to interact with a guide who was fluent in Norwegian, English, and Japanese!  The most common third language, from our limited observation, was German (which we found odd, given the history of the nation)...but almost everyone speaks gorgeous, colloquial English.  Fear not!

20 hours ago, mcpepe said:

Sallyandtex,

 

I did the RT, but getting off at Trondheim, one stop before Bergen. I didn't feel I was getting the same thing at all. And there were different excursions only offering going North vs South and vice versa. I would highly recommend doing the RT. I did stay in Bergen one night before my trip, and in Trondheim 2 nights after. Then I flew to Oslo instead of taking the train b/c of time constraints. In Oslo I loved the Fram museum, which I enjoyed SO much after learning so much about the Norwegian explorers through lectures I attended on Nordnorge. I also enjoyed the Viking museum as well.

I couldn't agree more about the FRAM museum - rarely have I seen an exhibition curated with so much exhaustive detail.  Completely fascinating.  We, too, did the round-trip -- two days in Bergen before, four days in Oslo afterwards - and, aside from two very rough days in the Barents Sea, we loved it.  Oslo was a revelation - wonderful, compact museums, eminently walkable (even in sub-freezing temperatures), and good restaurants.  

I probably should have posted this at the outset of our voyage in mid-November - apologies.

I heartily recommend waiting until you are onboard to select your excursions, for this reason:  We attended a relatively brief introduction to the available excursions on the first evening (while we were still in port), and were told at that time that if one reserved more than three excursions, a discount would be offered.  The size of the discount was not stipulated.  We went immediately afterwards to the Expeditions desk, chose the five or six excursions we wanted, and were offered a 25% discount on the 'package.' 

Very pleased!

hallasm

Bravo...again!  And, always, thanks for your efforts...and their results!

mcpepe

Outrageously terrific photos - congratulations!  oakridger is right - it's wonderful to see the joy on your face!

poz222

I'm sure you'll be fine.  We bought and brought items we ever used - e.g., crampons, and heavy-duty, waterproof boots - but I suspect you'll have far greater opportunities and need for such things, as the weather seems to have changed markedly since we were there.  hallasm's most recent pictures showed heavy snows, of which we had none.  And always better to be over-equipped/-prepared.  Have a great trip!

On 1/14/2019 at 11:59 PM, hallasm said:

Yes - the Nordkapp Buffet is the Day of Honningsvåg northbound and the Lofoten Buffet is Southbound - might change - when I did the midnight sun cruise in 2017 it was the other way round - might also depend on season?

Ha!  The only thing I remember about that evening is that it was the first night of our 85 mph winds, and the ship was all over the place...but most of the passengers were not in the dining room!

14 hours ago, poz222 said:

Oh I am so excited! and Crab is our FAVORITE! I saw photos of this buffet in reviews and am so looking forward to it! We are also doing the winter crab fishing excursion in Kirkenes... 

Friends (two octogenarians) on our voyage in November did the crabbing excursion and were crazy about it - said they had a terrific time, laughing, pulling up the crabs, selecting which they wanted, and then devouring as much as they could!

6 hours ago, creamsoda63 said:

We are looking at doing the Norwegian cruise thru either Collette or Vantage Travel, both utilize the Hurtigruten ships.  My question is about food.....I am a rather picky eater and will not eat fish at all in any form.  Do these ships serve proteins other than fish?  

Gotta tell you that fish -- lots of various "whitefish," shellfish (shrimp, crab, mussels), branzino (the name given to a number of varieties of sea bass caught any number of places in any number of oceans) -- will be offered morning, noon and night.  Chilled, baked, broiled -- think of a way you can eat fish, and you will find it during a Hurtigruten voyage.  I adore fish, so I was kinda in Heaven...most of the time. 

Now: The day's menus are posted by breakfast time, so if you take a second to read them, either going in or coming out of the dining room at breakfast, and you see something on the evening's menu you don't care for (usually the entrée is fish), all you have to do is turn around and speak to the person behind the desk at the entrance to the dining room.  Tell them you would prefer, please, to have either meat or vegetarian -- those are your two other choices.  They will be unable to tell you anything other than that they will relay your message to the kitchen, and you will be accommodated without fail.  Understand, there is no menu from which to choose, and you will not know what you will get for the entrée that evening for dinner, but it won't be fish!  I guarantee it will be tasty, but it probably won't be a filet mignon, either.  I switched several times on an 11-day voyage, and twice had lamb.  One other word of advice -- if you are a frequent cruiser, you are probably used to large servings, or even the offer of "seconds."  Neither will be the case on a Hurtigruten ferry.  Dinner is usually a very small appetizer (usually involving some sort of leftover and, sorry, fish); an entrée; and a very small dessert, usually something "creamy" in a small cachepot.

I don't believe chicken was ever offered in any form, but turkey was the entrée at dinner two days after Thanksgiving -- a good chuckle!  (BTW, on Thanksgiving we had reindeer.)

At breakfast and lunch there are so many, many dishes from which to choose, both cold and hot, you will be overwhelmed -- and never give a thought to the fish on offer, so you won't even have to think about it.  

We tended to eat very well at breakfast and lunch because dinner was...um...slighter than we were/are used to.  It all worked out.  And I hope you love potatoes..................................

hallasm

I am so happy for you - you have seen the "Light!"  Seriously, so glad your quest has resulted in a marvelous success - seeing the Aurora and, for us,  your always-wonderful photographs and videos.  And you still have several days for MORE!

hallasm

Thanks for the pix and videos.  We, too, had dark, threatening skies when we sailed from Bodø ( a little later than you did).  But I am sorry you stayed on the ship in Ålesund, which we found charming, despite the essentially "dead" city center.  We didn't have the inclement weather you encountered, of course - I can see how that would have been a deterrent, especially for walking.  We tried at every opportunity to leave the ship and walk, even if we were at the smallest port, so long as we were docked for at least 30-45 minutes.  Now that you are above The Circle, things will no doubt pick up for you, one way or another.  Hold on when you hit the Barents Sea!

9 hours ago, hallasm said:

Today calm seas however missing the sunny sky and the clear polar night. Passed the Arctic Circle this morning. In Bodø right now with heavy snow. Hope weather will improve for the rest of the journey so we will see the green in the sky. Soon heading towards Lofoten.

King Neptun

 

I do hope the snow continues for you - at least, you will be able to go on one of the sledge adventures!  Of course, with the snow, there's also the lack of aurora sightings, so....  Await your next postings.

On 1/9/2019 at 2:56 PM, Homerody said:

For those of you who have taken the cruise - whatever length and direction - any comments on the actual "sailing?"

 

That is - is it mostly in sheltered coves, open seas etc...  Is it mostly calm waters?  

 

I know things vary, but - generally -  for sailing conditions,  is the coastal cruise more like a trans-Atlantic cruise, a Mediterranean Sea cruise or a River Cruise?

 

Are certain months more subject to choppy waters and rougher sailing conditions?

 

Thanks so much

 

 

Homerody

I don't think anyone can accurately predict what weather you will encounter, but you are able, of course, to examine the record of past months/years/etc.  We were told November was the wettest month in Bergen; we were there two days (November 14th through the 16th), with light sprinkles and cold the first day, but gorgeous sunshine and that gorgeous late-Autumn light the second.  The first two days at sea were smooth sailing, and Trondheim was glorious, warm and sunny the entire day.  And...that was it!  Clouds, rain, cold, dark, and for two days in the Barents Sea, we were in and out of a Category 1 hurricane (called in Norway, as in Asia, a cyclone), with 85 mph winds and 15-18-foot waves.  We were tossed about quite a bit, and dinner the first night was sparsely attended, to say the least.  I was horizontal from 7 PM to 6 AM, and thereafter just fine.  The waves, as you probably know, were pitiful when compared to those in, for instance, Drake's Passage, I am told.  Though they were quite "high enough" for most of us!  Anyway, we had the adventure we sought - though, regrettably, no Northern Lights, and no 'anything' that required snow and/or ice.  And because of the weather, we were often late on the return trip, so several excursions were cancelled.  But...we knew all this going in, so....  Whatever you decide, hope you have a terrific voyage.

Looking forward to your posts, hallasm.

On 1/3/2019 at 9:15 AM, hallasm said:

I’m sailing next week and has not been asked or not provided any information about my travel insurance to Hurtigruten. 

hallasm

I hope your voyage is everything you've hoped for - perfect Winter weather for your excursions, calm seas, and multiple spectacular displays of the Aurora!

21 hours ago, TechyGirl said:

I'm investigating a Hurtigruten trip with two friends. Two of us are able-bodied, adventuresome 60-somethings. One is an older lady who is less able-bodied. None of us is interested in climbing into an upper bunk and we're not excited about booking a second small cabin. Do any of the suites on the newer ships accommodate a third person? Even if it's on a sofa? Has anyone else done this on a Hurtigruten voyage? Thanks!

An MX suite (Owner's Suite) on Trollfjord can accommodate 3 - but be mindful of the following: 1 double bed (cannot be split into two singles) and a sofabed.  Drapes do not cover all windows, so if you're going in the summer, light will be a problem for the person(s) in the living room.  2 small closets only.  1 full bath (separate shower and tub) and 1 powder room.  MX is at the stern - glorious deck, lots of space - BUT lots and lots of noise and "jerking" due to the thrusters, located 30-40 feet straight down from the suite!

We are less than two hours from Bergen, God willing, at the end of...well, many adventures, including two days in a Category 1 hurricane in the Arctic Ocean.  85 mph winds, 18 ft waves.  Many passengers felled as a result, needless to say, but we persevered, and most seem to have bounced back in short order.  I will add to this as time permits, as I know a few are interested in such things as food, excursions, and the like.

The two questions I will answer now, because they are invariably the first asked, is, no, we would not do another voyage in the winter.  We have concluded that the "Midnight Sun" people probably have the edge, not only because of the weather.  We are starved for color, as magnificent and memorable as the sights and vistas have been/are - sea and sky, save for the first two, glorious days, including wonderful Trondheim, have been relentlessly and unremittingly gray.  Beautiful, no doubt about it, but only shades of gray.  A summertime voyage, however, is certainly within the realm of possibility.  We shall see.  And we did not see the Northern Lights.  A disappointment, of course, but, hey, "ya pays your money, and ya takes your chances!"

Meanwhile, we are off to Oslo later this evening.

More later.

Color me confused.  The web says this ship will make her maiden voyage sometime in the summer of 2019.

On 11/19/2018 at 2:48 AM, Vipa391 said:

Oh Sorry see my mistake now. 

Think the old system worked. However can see that by splitting service times there would be less waiting and food would be hot. Wonder if you are committed to the same dining time each day. Know the queue for each meal seemed to start well in advance to door opening time.

Agree breakfast and lunch servings appear a bit chaotic but good natured on the whole.

Vipa391

At dinner, you are emphatically "committed" to the same time, the same table, and the same company - unless you or they request a different time and table, and are accommodated.  

Queues are SOP for everything. 

BTW, tablecloths are [high-quality] plastic, and napkins are [very good quality] paper.  It makes a lot of sense, especially considering the weather and the - as you point out - "chaotic but good natured" environment of the first two meals of the day.

Though we haven't inquired, I suspect Hurtigruten has initiated a trial with this change - whether just on Trollfjord or on other ships, as well, I don't know.  Must ask.  It certainly would lighten the burden for servers, even though I imagine they work a bit longer in the dining room.  They are not just servers, of course - they also function as cabin attendants, and serve in various other capacities around the ship.  The passenger/crew ratio is VERY high (or low, depending on how you look at it) - the stats on this ship list a crew of 75.  A full ship has over 800 passengers...I will leave the math to you!

We have found on this ship, and in Norway generally, there is an assumption of self-reliance, something untrue in, for instance, the United States.  And there is also - miraculously in 2018 - an assumption that you are honest.  For example, not once have I been asked for any excursion voucher - the guides simply count heads.  This round-trip voyage will not be long enough for me to divine the subtleties and particulars of the way Norwegians think and process...and certainly their value systems are different.  This a work-in-progress for me.

2115 hrs

Saturday Night

Sailing northward on M/S Trollfjord - arrive in Kristiansund in about an hour - and, suspended in a crystalline sky, surrounded by stars and reflecting on a sea of glass, is the most extraordinary moon, a bit more than a half, breathtaking and surprising.  What a gift!  Hoping it augurs well for a gorgeous morning in Trondheim.

And sometimes there are no options!  Ha!

Unusual weather in Norway right now - 12 C in Kirkenes yesterday!  Needless to say, no snow...so no sledging!  And "no" a lot of other options, as well.  We were disappointed, but there are many other things on our "menu," so we'll be fine.

BTW, Hurtigruten is trying a new meal "system" at dinner:  Seatings at 6, 6:30, 7:30, 8 and 8:30.  They open the dining room in thirds, and then rotate - 6 port, 6:30 stern, 7 starboard, 7:30 port, and so forth.  We'll see.  The hovering waitstaff is offensive, though probably just untrained, but twice I had to tell an inquiring server, "No, I'm NOT finished, there is still food on my plate!"  And then they interrupted our meal to push/sell drinks to accompany your dessert - tonight it was calvados.  Well, I'm sorry, but no - just NO.  Very cheap and cheesy, IMO.  Instead of "art" and photographs, they're pushing after-dinner drinks during dinner!  You are then sent to the bar upstairs for after-dinner coffee or tea - you cannot sit at the table and talk, because they have to set up for the next shift.  And the crowds at breakfast and lunch were, well, really unruly.  Not at all what we expected.  It's like a Carnival cruise at these two meals.  The food is fine - I had a wonderful vegetable mélange at lunch, and am grateful for the abundant lettuce.  DInner - lamb - was okay, but I wouldn't have it again.  But, as my mother used to say, "It is what it is."

We'll see.  Looking forward immensely for a long three-hour walk in Trondheim tomorrow.  Hope the weather holds until noon.

I'll check in again.

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

We'll be with you in spirit and thoughts (and memories still brightly in our minds, plus photos!).

 

Are you taking the train to Bergen from Oslo?

 

Enjoy!!

 

GC

Didn't work out.  Flying straight to Bergen (via Oslo) for two days, then fly to Oslo the evening we return for 4 days, then home.  Fingers crossed!

We leave at noon for LAX, fly at 4 to Bergen, via Oslo.  Sail Friday night.

Thanks again to everyone for your information and comments - so helpful.

I'll try to post something now and then.

Best.