Flight-Inclusive packages - How do they work?

[BORDER REIVER]

We've booked a flight inclusive package for our cruise and were wondering if anyone had experience of how this works. This includes transport from airport to ship and back again at the end of the cruise. Does someone meet you at the airport and take you to the Hurtigruten terminal or do they arrange a taxi / bus? Our flight arrives at 12.15, so there's quite a bit of time before we can board the ship, so can we leave luggage somewhere and see some more of Bergen that we haven't seen yet? Will we still have to carry our hand luggage around with us. If so, I'll probably use a small rucksack instead of a bag.

[SarniaLo]

We have used Hurtigruten travel package for our first two trips (and then we managed on our own, because Norway is an easy country and Hurtigruten's prices are, well, pricey). At that time, Hurtigruten operated their own buses between Bergen's airport and the cruise terminal, and I guess they still do, so you will probably receive a voucher for the bus (you should also receive the buses timetable with your travel package).

If you are in doubt about where the bus is, in Bergen airport terminal just ask the tourist office desk (on your right hand side before leaving the airport). On our second trip a very helpful employee actually called the Hurtigruten bus driver to be sure he would wait for us.

You can check in your luggage at the Hurtigruten terminal from 1pm (and they will then be delivered to your cabin), there are no limitation on the amount of luggage you can check in so if you want to check in your hand luggage and just keep the bare minimum with you it's possible.

After you have checked in your luggage you are free to explore Bergen on your own, the city center is not very far on foot and you have time for a stroll around town, you can see Bryggen (the old district), you have time to take the Floyen cable car as well. I think you can board the ship as soon as 4pm (and you will be able to access your cabin around 6pm, if I remember correctly). They now ask you to attend the safety briefing within the terminal before boarding, briefings are held every 30 minutes or so, so when you are ready to board just go to the terminal and attend the next safety briefing and you are all set.

[BORDER REIVER]

We have used Hurtigruten travel package for our first two trips (and then we managed on our own, because Norway is an easy country and Hurtigruten's prices are, well, pricey). At that time, Hurtigruten operated their own buses between Bergen's airport and the cruise terminal, and I guess they still do, so you will probably receive a voucher for the bus (you should also receive the buses timetable with your travel package).

If you are in doubt about where the bus is, in Bergen airport terminal just ask the tourist office desk (on your right hand side before leaving the airport). On our second trip a very helpful employee actually called the Hurtigruten bus driver to be sure he would wait for us.

You can check in your luggage at the Hurtigruten terminal from 1pm (and they will then be delivered to your cabin), there are no limitation on the amount of luggage you can check in so if you want to check in your hand luggage and just keep the bare minimum with you it's possible.

After you have checked in your luggage you are free to explore Bergen on your own, the city center is not very far on foot and you have time for a stroll around town, you can see Bryggen (the old district), you have time to take the Floyen cable car as well. I think you can board the ship as soon as 4pm (and you will be able to access your cabin around 6pm, if I remember correctly). They now ask you to attend the safety briefing within the terminal before boarding, briefings are held every 30 minutes or so, so when you are ready to board just go to the terminal and attend the next safety briefing and you are all set.

Thanks for the information, it's very useful and will help us plan our luggage requirements in advance, and it's given us an idea of what to look for when we arrive in Bergen airport.

[SarniaLo]

For questions like that (bus transfer from airport to terminal, luggage check-in at terminal and so on...) I think you can also ask directly Hurtigruten by calling the phone number on your country's Hurtigruten website, they are usually quite helpful. You should anyhow receive all this information with your travel documents (which should arrive about a month before your departure, at least that's when they are send to me, but I deal with Hurtigruten directly, not through a TA).