Hurtigruten - 11 day menu offerings

[hallasm]

12 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

I think Hurtigruten is now owned by TDR Capital, a British private equity firm.

Correct - but the Company Hurtigruten ASA is still registered as a Norwegian company and listed at the Oslo Stock exchange. 

[clo]

7 hours ago, hallasm said:

Also an Airline called Norwegian - however Hurtigruten is Norwegian. The confusing part is Hurtigruten’s 10 different web sites with different prices and offerings - only possible to book port-to-port directly at their ‘Norwegian Site’.

And when I booked the Lofoten for next spring, because it's her final season, I had to book it through their London office.

[Aliyah17]

I don't know if this thread is still alive, but here goes. We are thinking of doing an 11 day Bergen R/T cruise. I can't stand big cruise ships and the couple of times we did them, we wandered around at night because the shows were so corny/mediocre. But I hear there is NOTHING to do at night on the Hurtigrutens. Seems like they could at least screen a couple of movies or something. They claim they do nature or cultural lectures, true or not so much?
Also, is it permissible to bring a bottle of wine on board with you? Even some of the big ships allow two bottles.  TIA!

[hallasm]

This topic is still alive and the reply is for Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage in Norway only.

You are right, no shows, limited TV channels (if TV in the cabin at all) and no entertainment during night.

But scenery and if sailing from beginning of June to mid July there might not be any nights at all - sun is shining all day!

Hurtigruten ships are working ships - they do have 34 stops during the 6 day voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes - many stops only 15 minutes and also during night  (might be entertaining as well)

According to Hurtigruten terms you are not allowed to bring wine, beer or alcohol on board. That said nobody will check you luggage.

Also note that wine only can be purchased in shops called 'Vinmonopolet' - supermarkets does not sell wine -  wine is also quite expensive. Might buy some duty free - but also customs regulation is very strict.

Please make some research if you consider Hurtigruten - not just an ordinary cruise line - also the ships are very different - and so are the cabins.

Lot of useful information in this topic:

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

50 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

I don't know if this thread is still alive, but here goes. We are thinking of doing an 11 day Bergen R/T cruise. I can't stand big cruise ships and the couple of times we did them, we wandered around at night because the shows were so corny/mediocre. But I hear there is NOTHING to do at night on the Hurtigrutens. Seems like they could at least screen a couple of movies or something. They claim they do nature or cultural lectures, true or not so much?
Also, is it permissible to bring a bottle of wine on board with you? Even some of the big ships allow two bottles.  TIA!

 

The Coastal RT is ALL about the landscape, in terms of "entertainment".  It is absolutely breathtaking (even at night, during the seasons when night is dark).

 

We were very pleased with the wine selections.  There were some *very* nice bottles, and, of special note, many of those were also available by the glass.  That is so unusual.

 

We weren't sure what to expect, and we had one of our best trips ever.  DO include the Oslo-Bergen train if you possibly can. There is a portion of that that looks totally otherworldly.

 

GC

[SarniaLo]

As said in theory you can't bring wine or any alcohol on board, but in practice no one will take them out of your luggage. However they must be consumed in your cabin only, not in public places and of course you can't bring your own bottle to the restaurant.

Note that you can buy one bottle of wine and have it last over several meals, the staff will keep the unfinished bottle for you and bring it back at the next meal.

Very little in terms of onboard entertainment indeed, especially in the evenings, the show is outside (in all seasons : in summer you have daylight all night long, in winter you have the Northern Lights when it's dark! 😉 ). Some trips do have some lectures, but not all (check the trip that have an "expedition team"  on board). So you need to have a contemplative spirit or be able to entertain yourself. There is usually an open library.

[clo]

On 9/4/2019 at 11:33 AM, GeezerCouple said:

DO include the Oslo-Bergen train if you possibly can. There is a portion of that that looks totally otherworldly.

We're actually returning next spring to do the NB.  And definitely doing the train from Oslo to Bergen.  Everyone raves about it.

[Splinter]

On 9/4/2019 at 10:39 AM, Aliyah17 said:

I don't know if this thread is still alive, but here goes. We are thinking of doing an 11 day Bergen R/T cruise. I can't stand big cruise ships and the couple of times we did them, we wandered around at night because the shows were so corny/mediocre. But I hear there is NOTHING to do at night on the Hurtigrutens. Seems like they could at least screen a couple of movies or something. They claim they do nature or cultural lectures, true or not so much?

Hurtigruten is not for you if you need to be entertained all the time. For me, it was heavenly, as I am not generally a big fan of big cruise ships with shows, bingo, art auctions, etc. For me, the entertainment was meeting people, and sitting in the observation lounge or out on the deck watching the gorgeous scenery. I also got a kick out of watching the efficient shore-side workers at those 15 minute stops. I traveled in May, and we only had 2-3 hours of dark. Most of the few educational programs, films or lectures offered were not in the evening; they were in the late afternoon. TV was poor. I did a lot of reading in the evenings that I wasn't in the observation lounge, and also worked on-and-off on a jigsaw puzzle in the library. Dinner was usually a leisurely event, and I was fortunate to be at tables with interesting people. I was never bored. 

[Aliyah17]

Actually, my point was that I don't like big cruise ships either and am not interested in "entertainment" all the time. I am a huge reader at home, but a film or lecture a couple of evenings would go a long way for me. But 10 or 11 nights of talking to strangers and reading is also not my idea of a good time. And I say strangers because I think on cruise ships, people seem to become besties and invest all this energy in getting to know each other, just to never see each other again. I'm just not that much of a fan of most humans to go through that. 

[Homerody]

Res ipsa loquitur. 

 

 

[SarniaLo]

Aliyah17, I think Hurtigruten is not for you (that's fine, we cannot all enjoy the same things).

[clo]

23 hours ago, Splinter said:

I also got a kick out of watching the efficient shore-side workers at those 15 minute stops.

 

[Drumbeat16]

19 hours ago, Aliyah17 said:

Actually, my point was that I don't like big cruise ships either and am not interested in "entertainment" all the time. I am a huge reader at home, but a film or lecture a couple of evenings would go a long way for me. But 10 or 11 nights of talking to strangers and reading is also not my idea of a good time. And I say strangers because I think on cruise ships, people seem to become besties and invest all this energy in getting to know each other, just to never see each other again. I'm just not that much of a fan of most humans to go through that. 

You don't need to do the entire round trip, there's the option to take just the North or South bound leg or even just a few nights.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Drumbeat16

[Aliyah17]

I did consider the one way, but leaving off in Kirkenes makes the return very difficult (19hrs, 3 flights) I would do it if can figure out a reasonable way to get a stop in Oslo for a couple of days.

Splinter and CLO--I would definitely enjoy watching the working aspects of the ship as well. And I'm looking into the train to or from Oslo now and booking open jaw one way TLV-Oslo. What is the "NB" you're doing next Spring?

Re. the wine. We're not big drinkers at all, but everyone was exclaiming how super expensive the wine was. I was just looking to bring a bottle on board to have a glass at night...while we're sitting around bored. HA, kidding.

Thanks everyone.

[hallasm]

47 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

I did consider the one way,

I have only done one way or partial - NB is northbound- I do prefer northbound- itinerary is the same but different stops during night and day.

i would arrange flight into Oslo - train from Oslo to Bergen is really great - maybe consider overnight stays in Myrdal or Flåm - flight KKN to OSL is relatively cheap.  Then you can add some days both in Bergen and Oslo both pre- and post-cruise.

Norway is a beautiful country and the combination of train, ship and city is great.

if traveling during June to mid August you’ll experience the midnight sun inside Polar circle and  if  October to March the (polar night in December and January) Northern Lights (and very cold weather).

I did not even have time for reading, did not got bored and did not interact too much with other passengers. 

You can get some more insights here: Northern Lights  and Midnight Sun cruises.

[Aliyah17]

Thanks for the ideas. We are actually looking to do this in early December. KKN-OSL is not that bad, the price isn't the problem. It's the long layovers. My husband travels international for business and doesn't like long flights and layovers on holiday. It's taking great effort to convince him to do Viet Nam next spring.

Northbound does look more appealing. For me, a lot of this is being able to get off the ship and see some villages or hike. It doesn't seem like there is time in any port to get out and hike.

The train from Oslo or Bergen also sounds great. Does it have any of those tracks that are clinging to mountainsides like in Switzerland? My fear of heights won't tolerate that.

Does anyone want to comment on cabin choices? Looking at a cheaper outside cabin? Or are there discussions of that elsewhere in the forums?

Thanks.

[hallasm]

21 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

For me, a lot of this is being able to get off the ship and see some villages or hike

Longer stops in some ports like Trondheim, Ålesund, Bodø, Tromsø and Honningsvåg.

21 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

The train from Oslo or Bergen also sounds great. Does it have any of those tracks that are clinging to mountainsides like in Switzerland?

No, Nothing like!

21 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

Does anyone want to comment on cabin choices?

Arctic Superior outside Cabin is the choice - find a cabin with double bed - ships are very different - and so are the cabins. Do some research on ships and cabins.

 

December is great - you should consider some extra days I. Kirkenes for a visit to the Snow Hotel and a king Crab Safari  - most not that is is polar night and very cold but good chances for Northern Lights. 

This is the forum with a lot of information 

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by hallasm

[Aliyah17]

Hallasm, thank you so much for this information. I truly appreciate it. I spoke to my husband today and said I'm reconsidering doing the Norway trip and he said, "great!" as he was disappointed it was off the table. (Not very communicative, but that's another story, eh?)

Definitely we'd add on days. I'm guessing two in Oslo at the start, and a full day or two in Bergen. 

We'll probably head out without much time in Kirkenes. Uh, did you know the snow hotel costs $650 or so a night? LOL. 

I'm finding their website really difficult, lots of error messages and if I choose a cabin, it automatically "upgrades" it to free WiFi and tea and coffee. I also saw somewhere that the Norwegian version of the website has much lower prices and I see that is true. I find that sort of shocking, can they stop you from booking there from outside the country?

I looked at your Everything Hurtigruten post a couple of weeks ago. I'll go back there now.

[hallasm]

15 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

did you know the snow hotel costs $650 or so a night?

Yes, very expensive, however you can stay at a hotel in Kirkenes and Just visit the Snow hotel and have a dinner and have a dinner there - you can combine the Crab Safari with the Snow Hotel. 

The hotel is too cold for me - minus 4 c in the cabins.

 

15 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

also saw somewhere that the Norwegian version of the website has much lower prices and I see that is true.

Yes, I have seen quite big differences in prices on various web pages - you can book at the Norwegian version of the web.

Edited September 14, 2019 by hallasm

[GeezerCouple]

14 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Yes, very expensive, however you can stay at a hotel in Kirkenes and Just visit the Snow hotel and have a dinner and have a dinner there - you can combine the Crab Safari with the Snow Hotel. 

The hotel is too cold for me - minus 4 c in the cabins.

 

Yes, I have seen quite big differences in prices on various web pages - you can book at the Norwegian version of the web.

 

What is the link to that Norwegian Hurtigruten website?

We'd like to keep an eye on the comparison of prices, as we are seriously considering going back for another Coastal RT.

Or to Svalbard.

Or Antarctica......

 

 

GC

[Aliyah17]

I just looked at the Snow Hotel site and as we are vegan, it's definitely not for us. Lots of things going on we'll be avoiding actually. But as we say where I come from, Ezeh chutzpah! (What nerve!) charging double the 3100NOK to 6200NOK for two. 

The whole reason I got started on this idea instead of going to Greece was seeing somewhere that this cruise line had an entire vegan menu.

The SAS flight out to Oslo is at night, so that's what we'd do.

[hallasm]

52 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

What is the link to that Norwegian Hurtigruten website?

It is https://www.hurtigruten.no/ - they might use geoblocking outside Europe. Let me know if I can help checking prices. 

[Aliyah17]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

What is the link to that Norwegian Hurtigruten website?

We'd like to keep an eye on the comparison of prices, as we are seriously considering going back for another Coastal RT.

 

 

It's funny, I was just reading some of your comments on the other post hallasm mentioned! It's hurtigruten.no  but you'll need to be able to manage in Norwegian as far as I can tell if you want to book on the Norwegian site.

[GeezerCouple]

14 minutes ago, Aliyah17 said:

It's funny, I was just reading some of your comments on the other post hallasm mentioned! It's hurtigruten.no  but you'll need to be able to manage in Norwegian as far as I can tell if you want to book on the Norwegian site.

 

We haven't tried the Norwegian Hurtigruten site yet, but for other foreign language sites (especially smaller hotels, not part of global alliances, etc.) we've found Google Translate to be surprisingly helpful.

And increasingly, even smaller organizational websites are starting to have a "language" menu that includes English.

 

Anyway, it's worth a look.

(Also, our TA may be able to help, and would do so even if we don't book through him - although we'd rather make the reservation through him if it's not costing us a small fortune.)

 

Heh... "worst case", we'll end up on the wrong ship with the wrong itinerary and get a "Surprise Trip" once we get the tickets translated and learn where we are to go, and when! 

 

In fact, we sometimes have so much trouble making decisions about "what the next trip will be" that our TA has offered ("threatened", in a friendly fashion!) to make the decision for us, and surprise us!

 

Hope you do take a trip with Hurtigruten, and have a great time!

 

We had an aft suite with a nice balcony, but we still kept "running" (almost) back and forth on the ship to see what was coming next, or to take better photos as we passed closer to it.  We went in March, so we had a nice combo of night and day, and even at night, approaching those tiny port towns was almost magical.  Wee chose March in part because there would be nice snowy landscapes, vs. going in the fall when we'd still have day and night, but different scenery.

 

GC

[Aliyah17]

Wow, just my luck. I picked out a date on a ship I like, the Finnmarken, and the SAS flight out of KKN which operates every. single. day. is not operating on that one day. So now I have to rejigger everything. I just don't want to spend an extra day up in Kirkenes.

And yes, Google Translate can be great. Believe me, I know; I live in a country where I barely speak the language!

We chose December because we try to do a Fall holiday, but husband's work travel is all-consuming. And it's hard to find places that are desirable in December. But we have all the gear from when we lived in Boston, so we figured we'd brave the cold. Glad I saved my ski socks and all!

I'm have a bit of a time figuring out the cabin situation. We're not ones to spend a lot on the cabin, it's all about everything else! But figuring out which outside cabin has a double, not bunk beds, it's not so clear. The cabins on the  newest ships look so, so much nicer, that's why I hope(d) to book on one of them. The Nordlys just got a refurb; I wonder if the photos online reflect that yet.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Aliyah17