Bergen to Kirkenes - Help Please

[Cruise-y]

I'm not sure this is the right place to post but will try and perhaps the moderator will move it to a better spot.

 

I want to take a cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes, Norway (or vice versa). I want to be able to rent a car for day trips in some of the ports (like Trondheim). The only cruise line I can find is Hurtigruten. I have misgivings...

1) This cruise line doubles as a ferry, stops 30 places on the route, and may only spend an hour or so in each port. Sounds hard for day trips.

2) The website barely works and I am having trouble navigating around it

3) The photos of rooms I can see look pretty dorm-room-like.

4) Not getting a warm and fuzzy about the food - buffets all the time or paying a la carte don't sound so hot. I'd really like a more luxury type liner.

 

So..... can anyone tell me either another cruise line to try (hopefully) OR convince me that my misgivings are misplaced? Perhaps tell me which Hurtigruten ship I should use?

 

Thank you for any help

[LHT28]

When are you planning this trip?

 

You might post on the Northern Europe forum

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=192

Hurtigruten forum

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=821

some of their stops are not very long some are just long enough to drop supplies

 

Summer months you could do a self driving tour, train or bus

Look at Norway in a nutshell

[cruisemom42]

You'll probably get some good responses on the Hurtigruten boards, where I see you have posted.

 

Hurtigruten ships ARE ferries, but they are an experience in themselves. Consider one of the newer ships (e.g., look at Midnatsol).

 

If you really want to have long stops at ports, it probably won't work for you, but many people really enjoy the "nontraditional" kind of experience. (And the food is supposed to be pretty good -- they have made an effort to have a good selection of locally produced food and traditional-style dishes.)

 

In the summer months, some regular mass market ships have a few cruises in the area -- your best bet may be to talk to a good travel agent.

[cb at sea]

Sounds like the OP does NOT want a "ferry" experience. I would advise talking to a cruise specialist travel agent...You don't say where you are, but travel agencies are everywhere! Find one...tell them what sort of experience you're looking for...they will find the right line for you!

[Essiesmom]

I went to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and plugged in Kirkenes as a port of call, and found three cruises next year that visit both Kirkenes and Bergen, as well as a lot of other ports, although not Trondheim. All three are on Phoenix Reisen, so you might want a little German.... But since what you are asking for does not exist, they might be an option. EM

[dsrdsrdsr]

I've never heard of a cruise line that uses Kirkenes as a terminal. It's far too inconvenient and hasn't got the facilities.

 

As for food, as I understand it Hurtigruten has a la carte included in the price in the evenings.

 

For day trips, you could always get off at one stop and get back on at the next, time permitting. You could probably take your own hire car on the ship as well. Or you could make a longer trip of it by stopping overnight once or twice and catching the next boat the day after.