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[Sue from Canada]

I'm thinking of taking a cruise next January or February up the coast of Norway to see the Northern Lights. 

I'll be sailing solo and was thinking of flying into Oslo then taking the train to Bergen.

Any type of cabin to avoid.  I was thinking of an outside one.

Any other tips I should know about.

 

Thanks (P.S. I'm not worried about the snow and cold as I love winter in Canada)

[hallasm]

January will be a great time for Northern Lights  - and also the train from Oslo to Bergen will be a great experience.

Here is a review from my January 2019 voyage.

I only did 7 nights from Bergen to Kirkenes and spend few days in Kirkenes before flying to Oslo.

 

First there are multiple options to consider. From January 2021 there will be two operators at the Norwegian Coastal Route from Bergen to Kirkenes and back - Hurtigruten will operate seven ships on the 11 days return voyage while Havila Kystruten will operate four ships - Havila Kystruten is a new company starting the voyages by January 1st, 2021 - however the crew will be transferred from Hurtigruten to the new Havila operated ships.

In addition to the seven ships sailing the Coastal Voyage Hurtigruten will transfer four ships to 12 day expedition cruises from Bergen to Honingsvåg and back.

Where the coastal voyage has 34 stops ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours along the coast from Bergen to Kirkenes the expedition cruises will have much fewer and longer stops.

 

All the ships are different and so are the cabins. For the Hurtigruten ships you should avoid the cabins at the promenade deck (usually deck 5) you will have other passengers walking by your cabin window and they will be able to see into your cabin.

Also avoid the cabins in the left side (port side) of the ships - this is the side used for loading/unloading goods and cars - can be noise at port stops during night - you will not have that problem at an Hurtigruten expedition cruise - no stops during night.

I do not know the Havila ships - there will be two new build ships and two 'rented' ships.

 

You will find some quite good descriptions of each ship at hurtigruten.com - please not the topic'booking at hurtigruten.no' discussing saving when booking at the norwegian site rather than the global site

[Sue from Canada]

5 hours ago, hallasm said:

January will be a great time for Northern Lights  - and also the train from Oslo to Bergen will be a great experience.

Here is a review from my January 2019 voyage.

I only did 7 nights from Bergen to Kirkenes and spend few days in Kirkenes before flying to Oslo.

 

First there are multiple options to consider. From January 2021 there will be two operators at the Norwegian Coastal Route from Bergen to Kirkenes and back - Hurtigruten will operate seven ships on the 11 days return voyage while Havila Kystruten will operate four ships - Havila Kystruten is a new company starting the voyages by January 1st, 2021 - however the crew will be transferred from Hurtigruten to the new Havila operated ships.

In addition to the seven ships sailing the Coastal Voyage Hurtigruten will transfer four ships to 12 day expedition cruises from Bergen to Honingsvåg and back.

Where the coastal voyage has 34 stops ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours along the coast from Bergen to Kirkenes the expedition cruises will have much fewer and longer stops.

 

All the ships are different and so are the cabins. For the Hurtigruten ships you should avoid the cabins at the promenade deck (usually deck 5) you will have other passengers walking by your cabin window and they will be able to see into your cabin.

Also avoid the cabins in the left side (port side) of the ships - this is the side used for loading/unloading goods and cars - can be noise at port stops during night - you will not have that problem at an Hurtigruten expedition cruise - no stops during night.

I do not know the Havila ships - there will be two new build ships and two 'rented' ships.

 

You will find some quite good descriptions of each ship at hurtigruten.com - please not the topic'booking at hurtigruten.no' discussing saving when booking at the norwegian site rather than the global site

Thank you for taking the time to provide this information.  I've got a lot more now to look up.  I love your photo.  One thing about Hurtigruten right now is that many of their voyages this Fall and Winter have no single supplement fee.  Skoal

Edited May 21, 2020 by Sue from Canada

[hallasm]

So far only offers in 2020 listed - I assume that the no single supplement offer will continue in 2021 .

Here is link to the offers At the Norwegian site

[Travel2?]

With an October 2020 Southbound cruise booked, my husband and I find ourselves in limbo. We have final payment coming due, ineligible for free rebooking (I believe free rebooking is available on itineraries up to 9/30) and feel travel from the US will most likely not be allowed. We are trying to look ahead to 2021 since we still want to reschedule in some fashion and, as mentioned, cannot find 2021 sail dates. Any clue as to when these sailing dates will be posted?

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, Travel2? said:

Any clue as to when these sailing dates will be posted?

Think it's a good decision to re-schedule in the given situation - do not know when travel from US to Norway will be possible. Correct - you can rebook sailings before September 30

As I see it coastal voyages up to April 2022 available at the web - Are you looking at the Norwegian web?

Just note that Hurtigruten is only sailing 7 out of the 11 round trips. From January 1st, 2021 Havila Kystruten will serve four of the 11 sailings.

[Travel2?]

We’re working on options; we cannot rebook without losing our deposit since our cruise hasn’t been cancelled, is scheduled after 9.30.20 and US travel hasn’t been determined through the fall months. Our option is to pay in full and wait for a cancellation but hoping Hurtigruten will allow us to move our deposit to 2021. Thanks for reminding me to check the Norwegian site. We’ll have to research alternate ships as we we’re traveling on the Trollfjord. 

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, Travel2? said:

We’ll have to research alternate ships as we we’re traveling on the Trollfjord.

Here is the link to South Bound voyages

Trollfjord is sailing coastal voyages beginning of 2021 - from May she will sail 12 dats expedition voyages from Bergen.
Kong Harald will also be a good choice.

 

[Travel2?]

Thanks for the recommendation; I’ll be checking out potential 2021 dates. 

[grayjay]

I'd ask Hurtigruten if they'd be willing to use your deposit for a 2021 sailing if you explain the circumstances - usually Hurtigruten tries hard to help and accommodate their passengers in these hard times. And to be honest - with Covid-19 raging through the US at the moment I'm not sure if Norway will open up its borders soon for international travel outside the EU or Schengen area. At the moment they even don't allow their Swedish "relatives" in.

I really wish it were different- we're on a "diet" ourselves - no cruises booked or planned, 3 cruises cancelled...

[richws]

On 6/28/2020 at 9:48 PM, hallasm said:

Here is the link to South Bound voyages

Trollfjord is sailing coastal voyages beginning of 2021 - from May she will sail 12 dats expedition voyages from Bergen.
Kong Harald will also be a good choice.

 

Trollfjord is no longer scheduled to do "Coastal Voyages" in 2021. She will be siling on 12 day voyages from Bergen up Norwegian Coast but with significantly different itinerary (longer stops at fewer ports. They are classified as "Expedition" Cruises with more included and higher prices. If you want to continue with Coastal Itinerary I'd suggest Spitsbergen as closest to Trollfjord in  style ( but much smaller)

[Sue from Canada]

On 6/28/2020 at 9:14 AM, Travel2? said:

With an October 2020 Southbound cruise booked, my husband and I find ourselves in limbo. We have final payment coming due, ineligible for free rebooking (I believe free rebooking is available on itineraries up to 9/30) and feel travel from the US will most likely not be allowed. We are trying to look ahead to 2021 since we still want to reschedule in some fashion and, as mentioned, cannot find 2021 sail dates. Any clue as to when these sailing dates will be posted?

I hate to say this but I think travel outside the US is going to be banned by many counties, including Canada, for a long time.  I don't know how some states are ever going to contain the virus without mass inoculation, which will take time.  Please start wearing masks as we are doing in Canada.  Remember, if you don't like to wear a mask, you won't like to wear a respirator.

[Homerody]

On 6/29/2020 at 11:31 PM, Sue from Canada said:

I hate to say this but I think travel outside the US is going to be banned by many counties, including Canada, for a long time.  I don't know how some states are ever going to contain the virus without mass inoculation, which will take time.  Please start wearing masks as we are doing in Canada.  Remember, if you don't like to wear a mask, you won't like to wear a respirator.

I like the statement of not liking to wear mask vs respirator.  Interesting way to put the issue succinctly.  

 

There is an interesting article on the God Save The Points site on 23 June about how "Selfish people" (from the Title of article)  are costing others travel and lives. (My editorial comment:  Lives much more precious than travel).  Yet life without travel is like a day without sunshine.  Doable but not ideal. 

 

I guess us Americans (masked or not) will stay put for the duration and wait.

 

Hope all stay well and safe in these uncertain times. 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by Homerody