BORDER REIVER

Thanks JakkoJakko. that's a huge help, especially scheduling flights from the UK. I've looked at your phots a number of times and it looked fabulous.

Hi, we are planning to travel with Hurtigruten to Svalbard next year or the following year and there's a few bits of information that have been hard to find. I'm sure a few of you know the answers.

1. It would be helpful if we knew the times of the inclusive flights leaving Oslo and arriving back in Oslo.

2. I cannot seem to find any information on any excursions that are an extra cost. I know these are weather and maybe ice dependent, but any possibilities would be useful.

3. We're hoping to travel in late June or July, any comments about going at that time of the year would be useful too.

Many Thanks .

B.R.

Like many cruisers on here we wanted to cruise with Cunard and we had neither dinner suit nor evening dress, so we did a bit of a sneaky thing that some others never think of doing - we went out and bought the clothes. Now how clever is that.

Instead of skulking around the ship trying to avoid all the "out of bounds" areas, we went everywhere - in style, like the vast majority of passengers.

Such a simple solution.

I would go in a heartbeat! This ship is also specifically designed for expedition cruising, and is all electric, so virtually noise free. This should result in more wild life sightings and enjoying the silence of the wilderness areas.

I'm with you in some respects, but not as far as Antarctica is concerned, with limited numbers allowed ashore at any one time. Even the “special offer”of single passengers paying the same rate per person as other passengers wouldn't tempt another friend who sailed solo on Fram lastyear. She valued every minute of her time ashore and would happily pay the extra cost of sailing in a smaller ship and occupying a double cabin to get as much time ashore as possible.

As regards the ship, it looks and sounds amazing and would be great for expeditions in other parts of the world.

I'm not sure how the two ships compare with regards to Ice Classification.

Friends of ours, who like us have been Hurtigruten customers in the past, have asked our opinion on the offers for the inaugural season for the Roald Amundsen. For us, even the offer of free flights to and from the UK wouldn't tempt us. At over 20,000 tonnes and over 300 passengers (I think I saw 350 mentioned), it just seems too big with far less chances of getting ashore. Nice ship though. Any thoughts or concerns?

I sometimes have trouble making myself understood, even in nearby Yorkshire, although I have little trouble understanding most other British accents. The problem arises with regional dialects. My home county, Northumberland has at least four regional dialects, which are quite different. Folk from other parts of the UK group us all together as Geordies, which we most definitely are not.

While on a cruise to Norway I had a long conversation with an elderly Norwegian and I discovered that a fair few words used in our part of the world are similar or identical to words spoken in Norway. He spoke good English and he found me very easy to understand.

My mother had a very broad Northumbrian accent and once when she was in Norway, she was mistaken for a German - by a German lady.

Was this at the time of Cunard changing from Vantage Fares to Cunard Fares/Early Saver fares in 2014?

I still have the email they sent in November 2013:

I am writing to tell you that from 4 November we are changing the way that we price our holidays departing from Spring 2014 and, as you have a future booking with us, I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know what this change means in general and specifically for your booking.......

....

Turning to your booking with us in June, whilst your cruise departs after the changes to our fares have been made, the Cunard Fare for your cruise has not been reduced at this time. I would like to assure you that the terms and condition of your booking have not changed and your Price Promise continues to be in place for the life of your booking and is now against the Cunard Fare.

In the future, if we lower this fare, we will write to you and offer a benefit equal to the fare reduction.

This was for a cruise in May/June 2013. We made our booking in 2012. I don't keep records for more than a couple of years, but we both remember how pleased we were at an unexpected reduction. It may have been the time that vantage fares came out, even though we booked well before that.

We booked a 2 week cruise to Norway on the Queen Elizabeth a few years back. We booked early and directly with Cunard and agreed to pay the price they quoted at the time of booking. Some months later Cunard contacted us to say that their pricing strategy had changed and the price of our cruise had reduced by almost £500 each and that they were amending our bill accordingly. Well done to Cunard for their honesty, they could have left us in ignorance.

The cruise itself was fabulous, with very calm seas, fabulous scenery, mostly clear skies and very warm weather.

It depends on who you ask, but different people from different walks of life (or different countries) will have different answers to a question like "what is formal / casual / smart casual dress". To some, smart would mean suit and tie for men & to others it would mean a cleaner pair of jeans and tee shirt.

There's really no excuse for some cruise passengers, read the information and act on it, it's discourteous to disrespect your host's wishes. However, there are cruise lines who themselves have no idea what the different terms mean and who mislead their customers in their brochures by not stating their intention. In those instances, they will get what they deserve, am unappealing mix of styles that give the ship a scruffy look.

Last weekend we stayed at a Country House hotel and asked in advance what the dress code was for dinner. We were told "Smart Casual to Formal", so I wore a suit and tie and my wife a cocktail dress, as we would normally wear for a hotel dinner. Most of the other male diners wore jeans / chinos / polo shirts / t-shirts. The ladies were on the whole much better dressed, although some wore jeans. Different people have different interpretations of the meaning of words......Or some just couldn't care less.

At least the O.P. in the thread title, recognises that jeans and t-shirt or polo shirt are casual clothes. Some folk I've seen recently in quality land-based restaurants, seem to regard that as "dressing up".

As well as Cunard ships, we've noticed that when we sailed on P & O Aurora & Fred's Boudicca, there was an very high percentage of passengers who followed the dress code each night. It's good to see tuxes and evening dresses, no matter which ship you're on.

Thank you davenew, I now know what a Drongo is. in 1982 my brother & I spent a week or two with my mother's cousin Tom & his wife in Adelaide. When we went out in the car, Tom, who was in his late 70's, often used to refer to other drivers as Drongos. This was usually accompanied by a fair bit of shouting and swearing. For example "GET OUT OF MY WAY YOU @#@** DRONGO!

I guess that it's not a polite form of address then.

That's what I'm concerned about - the light pollution. Decisions, decisions. :) I guess you stand more chance away from the harbour.

I don't know how P&O organise things when the Northern Lights appear when at sea, but I got all my photos of them when cruising during the night. With Hurtigruten we were informed by the cabin telephone (if requested) when the lights were visible and we hurriedly dressed and went out on deck. Some people stood out on deck for hours on clear nights in the hope of seeing something. The crew switched off most of the outside lights for us and we got a fabulous display with no light pollution. Admittedly, the best show was after 11.00pm, but it was worthwhile. We only saw the Northern Lights twice (on the same night) out of 11 nights, yet our friends who had been on a 6 night trip saw them 5 nights in a row.

We went to see the Northern Lights in Feb/March a couple of years ago - although not with P&O. We spent much of our daylight cruising hours on deck taking photos and although it was mostly sunny there was little wind, the speed of the ship made it feel very, very cold. I needed padded trousers and over-trousers, silk liner gloves and fur lined mitts, and managed with 2 pairs of socks and walking shoes. At the North cape it was windy and I needed a pair of snow boots, 2 pairs gloves and also mitts, as well as a good windproof mountaineering jacket & 3 pairs trousers + a fur-lined hat with ear flaps over my beanie hat.

When dog sledding at Kirkenes, it was much of the same gear & it was only -12c and there was ice on the sea.

To us, the most important items were good quality polarized sun glasses that cover the eyebrows and the sides of the eyes. In the snow and with sunshine, it is dazzlingly bright. Another must is a good quality lip protection. I forgot to use it and my lips were cracked and painful for weeks after exposure to the sun and cold.

For photos of the Northern Lights I used a decent compact digital camera, with a hand held 4 sec exposure and got some good photos. Some folk with large DSLR's and tripods failed to get any as it frequently became chaotic on deck, with people pushing and shoving.

You will enjoy it, it's a fabulous place

In the MDR on Queen Elizabeth, my wife and her sister were always referred to as "my Lady" by the waiting staff. I was referred to as "Sir".

Reading this brought to mind a gentleman sitting with his wife/partner at a table near to us on Queen Elizabeth a couple of years ago. Firstly, he hadn't bothered to dress according to the dress code (which caught the attention of many people). Secondly, as he made his way to their table, everyone nearby could see a bottle of wine, wrapped in newspaper, sticking out of his jacket pocket. After taking their seats, he furtively slipped the wrapped bottle under the table and then produced it unwrapped on the table along with a can of beer that he must also have slipped into a pocket, all the while looking all round him to see if anyone had noticed. He was so conspicuous he might have well shouted "look I've brought my own wine and beer!"

The waiting staff had noticed, but pretended not to. I guess Cunard use a degree of common sense with regards to passenger using their own wine.

It was very bright and sunny, so we found wrap-around sunglasses essential. We would have worn them even if it was less bright as we were warned that the dogs can kick up a bit of ice/snow & they sometimes wee when running - so keep your mouth covered as well.

When we went to Norway on Aurora a few years back we booked an excursion at every port & thought we would see more by booking the full day 7-8hrs excursions where possible. Big mistake, they turned out to be long and very tiring and after speaking to some who had done the shorter half day trips, we realised that they had seen all the best bits as well. Our tours were only extended by many miles extra driving through similar scenery.

We did to a half day tour from Bergen which left us with time to lunch on board ship and a fabulous afternoon to explore the town.

In Stavanger, we did a morning trip to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock, a superb half day in glorious sunshine. The folk who did the afternoon one had rain.

On a Queen Elizabeth trip to Flaam, we took advice from a well travelled friend and booked a fjord tour on a R.I.B. Again it was fabulous weather and we saw close-ups of wildlife, farms, waterfalls and amazing mountain scenery- it was exhilarating. Glad we didn't join the masses on the Flaam railway.

Enjoy your trip, Norway is fabulous.

Your friend only booked 'a month or so ago' and there's no way within that period, or any other, that Hurtigruten will have added a few days on to include the Circle.

 

We booked for November/December 2016 in 2014 and it would be impossible for Hurtigruten, or any other operator, to add on a few days our trip, the trip before ours or the trip after ours. We need to sail on the date we booked and return on the date we booked.

 

Either the travel agent has booked a different trip from the one your friend was looking at, and is telling porkies, or your friend has misunderstood which trip she was booking.

I suspect that you are correct about the travel agent. With no experience of either Hurtigruten or Antarctica, I think there's been some misunderstanding about how things work.

The whole "customer in Antarctica" seems to be a big deal to the agent. They asked her if she would carry their flag/logo (2mx1m) and take a photo of it in Antarctica for publicity. They also asked if she would do press interviews (she won't).

Anyway, she's a ready as can be now (taking NOK for onboard spending) and will have a great time whatever the conditions allow. She has, as you talked about, booked for an extra day in Buenos Aries before and after her trip and is under no illusions that the agent cannot make any promises.

We've just spent a long evening with our friend & sorted almost everything out.

It appears that it is her travel agent's first time dealing with an Antarctic trip - hence the lack of solid information.

This bit I find a bit confusing...she assures me that when she originally booked, the expedition was the "Frozen Land of The Penguins" and that they subsequently added a few extra days to include crossing the Antarctic Circle. I didn't think Hurtigruten had that much leeway in their schedules. No doubt we will find out in a few weeks time when she returns.

The news on debit cards is interesting. I wonder why they won't accept them. I think she should be OK with £1700 in NOK though, as SarniaLo pointed out, she will need something else like US$ for Argentina and £££ (or US$) for Port Lockroy.

 

Your friend sounds to be very unprepared for a trip that really does need some thought! a second camera would be an excellent idea: it's good of you to help her out like that.

 

Has she thought about plenty of layers of warm clothing (no need for boots as she can hire them at a decent price on board Fram)? It's a good idea to fly out to Buenos Aires at least a day early and not arrange to fly back the same day as she flies up from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires.

She is well versed on clothing etc and has extra days planned in BA.

She's actually an experienced traveller, but mostly on foot, alone in the Middle East & North Africa & this is totally different.

@ Border Reiver

 

As you say, your friend has left it a little late and, I'm afraid, she's going to find it difficult to work out just how much currency she needs to take with her. As I know you are aware, Norwegian prices are pretty high (especially alcohol!) and that's what she will have to work with on board.

 

Are you sure she can't register her debit card with Hurtigruten?

 

If you are able to persuade her to get a credit card, go for a Halifax Clarity card. No foreign transaction charges, no cash withdrawal fees, just interest on any cash withdrawals. I'm not sure, but perhaps if she applies today it might just arrive before she leaves? Slim chance, though.

 

For next time point her to the travel agent whose contact details I previously gave you and who is very much 'Hurtigruten aware'!

Thanks digitl, Hurtigruten are very clear that debit cards cannot be used.

I'm sure your travel agent would have been a better bet & we will certainly give them a call when it's our turn to go. This lady is a solo traveller and only told us that she was going to Antarctica a month or so back. That was when she decided to go. I assumed that she had been well informed until she told us last week that she had only just bought a camera (her only one) and intended using just that and one 32gb memory card & no spare battery. That's when I realised that she had been given little information on what lay ahead. Without a computer and knowledge of how to use one, she's been starved of vital research and information. We're going to see her this evening & I'll offer her the use of my waterproof camera, spare battery and charger. Just hope she can get the money side sorted. If she cannot get a credit card, she needs to take at least £1,500 in NOK just to be on the safe side.

Thanks SaniaLo, I found that info, but unfortunately it doesn't mention cash. I've just finished speaking to a Hurtigruten advisor and he said that they will take cash in NOK. Our friend would have to deposit her cash with the purser and get a cruise card linked to her deposit.

We are going to see her this evening to see exactly what she has already paid for & try and work out what amount of cash she would need to take to cover all onboard spending. I do know she intends camping out, but don't know if it's been paid for yet.

I think we will be pushing her to get a credit card, even if she destroys it when it's been paid off. She's never had one and doesn't want one, but I think it's the best option for her trip.

She has really left it a bit late to ask these questions, but her travel agent hasn't dealt with Hurtigruten before and hasn't advised her very well.

A friend of ours is due to leave here on New Years Day to join Fram for an Antarctic Voyage. She's not got a computer which is why I'm asking this on her behalf. Can she settle her onboard account in Norwegian Kroner? She doesn't have a credit card, but does have a debit card.

I'll ring Hurtigruten tomorrow, but it would be nice if I had some idea of what options there are before then.

There is really no comparison between traditional cruising and Hurtigruten. Until we went with Hurtigruten last year we had always cruised on large ships. Consider the difference between a 90,000+ tonne ship and an 11,000 tonne ship when the seas are rough. The little ships do bounce around a bit and it can be fun trying to have a shower while hanging on tight to the grab handles. You will also find the cabins are less than half the size of a standard cabin on a big cruise ship and nowhere near as luxurious.

Having said that, the Hurtigruten experience is not to be missed. The scenery, port visits, occasional on-deck events etc, are all great. We could go out on deck in all weathers, where the outer doors would have been locked on other ships if it was snowing or a gale blowing.

It was different not having a choice of dinner, but we enjoyed everything we were given, though big eaters might be disappointed in the size of the portions. We found them adequate.

Go and enjoy your trip, but it'll not be like anything you've experienced berfore.

Given the choice of a traditional cruise or Hurtigruten again, it would be Hurtigruten for us.

We've been to Greenland and Iceland, but not with Hurtigruten so the cruise experience cannot be compared, but both are fabulous countries to visit. We sailed on a large cruise ship, but these seldom, if ever visit Greenland now, because of unpredictable ice conditions. A Hurtigruten cruise to the East side of Greenland would be fabulous and is something we would like to do in future.

I just love ice and snow & some of the icebergs we saw were beautiful.

I have trip reports to both countries in my blog, it'll give you an idea of some of the things to expect. Best of luck.