Anyone been on the Finnmarken this year?

[Bruton Branch]

Anyone been on the Finnmarken this year - 2008? Have the refrigerators been taken out of the cabins? Going on the Finnmarken in Nov. looking for updated info as the cruise documents that we rec'd are rather dated. Any and all help from CC is thanked for in advance.

 

Bruton Branch:)

[bluesea777]

Bringing this to the top - apologies to the moderators.

 

Hey Bruton - how did your cruise go?? Please post a review here!!

[Bruton Branch]

Bluesea 777,

 

The journey on the MS Finnmarken r/t Bergen to Kirkenes to Bergen was in our view point a National Geographic Picture Post Card. The eleven night journey could be classified as one of our more wonderful cruises of the many we have taken. We have cruised to Alaska, Mexico both east and west coast, Caribbean, Panama Canal both directions, transatlantic, from the Cunard line to the Bare boat Sailboats. This Hurtigruten journey ranked as one of the most unique experiences in cruises.

 

We departed the Untied States on nonstop flight to Amsterdam. After a layover we continued on to Bergen, Norway. Picked up our luggage and started. Walked out the front door of the airport and maybe a twenty yard walk to the city airport bus. Paid the fee of 80 kor and the bus ride to downtown took about forty minutes as it was 5:30 pm local time and traffic was slow going as the bus would make stops as needed.

 

Departed the bus in downtown Bergen and walked about four hundred yards or so to our hotel. The Best Western rate included our breakfast and coffee and ice at anytime. You know how American like ice with there adult beverages. We had picked up the liquor in the airport in Amsterdam in the duty free store.

 

Spent three nites pre journey in Bergen. We did alot of walking around and looking. Two nites would have probably been enough during this slow season, but you really never know how you feel after international flights.

 

Norway, like the other Scandinavian countries is rather pricey compared to the United States. The cost factor ranks close to Japan. As an example the McDonald's Golden Arches - the small fries cost approx. $5.00 U.S. dollars.

 

The check in took all of ten minutes from when we showed our documents till opening the door to our cabin.

 

As for the journey - the ship only had two hundred passengers out of a possible six hundred and fifty. The rooms were small but adequate. The rooms had t.v. and small refrigerator. The food was very good with morning and afternoon buffets and fixed three course evening meal. Do have a list of what was served - if anyone is interested.

 

As other posters have stated this is a working ship

 

Will update and answer any questions about ports,etc, side trips, cost if anyone is interested.

 

Must get back to making toys for Santa...the clock is ticking and the only reason he let us off work was to go check some reindeer in Lapland. He already has the best.

 

Happy Holidays,

Bruton Branch

Paula and Bobby

[Jade13]

Bluesea 777,

 

The journey on the MS Finnmarken r/t Bergen to Kirkenes to Bergen was in our view point a National Geographic Picture Post Card. The eleven night journey could be classified as one of our more wonderful cruises of the many we have taken. We have cruised to Alaska, Mexico both east and west coast, Caribbean, Panama Canal both directions, transatlantic, from the Cunard line to the Bare boat Sailboats. This Hurtigruten journey ranked as one of the most unique experiences in cruises.

 

We departed the Untied States on nonstop flight to Amsterdam. After a layover we continued on to Bergen, Norway. Picked up our luggage and started. Walked out the front door of the airport and maybe a twenty yard walk to the city airport bus. Paid the fee of 80 kor and the bus ride to downtown took about forty minutes as it was 5:30 pm local time and traffic was slow going as the bus would make stops as needed.

 

Departed the bus in downtown Bergen and walked about four hundred yards or so to our hotel. The Best Western rate included our breakfast and coffee and ice at anytime. You know how American like ice with there adult beverages. We had picked up the liquor in the airport in Amsterdam in the duty free store.

 

Spent three nites pre journey in Bergen. We did alot of walking around and looking. Two nites would have probably been enough during this slow season, but you really never know how you feel after international flights.

 

Norway, like the other Scandinavian countries is rather pricey compared to the United States. The cost factor ranks close to Japan. As an example the McDonald's Golden Arches - the small fries cost approx. $5.00 U.S. dollars.

 

The check in took all of ten minutes from when we showed our documents till opening the door to our cabin.

 

As for the journey - the ship only had two hundred passengers out of a possible six hundred and fifty. The rooms were small but adequate. The rooms had t.v. and small refrigerator. The food was very good with morning and afternoon buffets and fixed three course evening meal. Do have a list of what was served - if anyone is interested.

 

As other posters have stated this is a working ship

 

Will update and answer any questions about ports,etc, side trips, cost if anyone is interested.

 

Must get back to making toys for Santa...the clock is ticking and the only reason he let us off work was to go check some reindeer in Lapland. He already has the best.

 

Happy Holidays,

Bruton Branch

Paula and Bobby

 

I would love to hear more! We probably will only have time to go one way and was told by other posters a year or so ago to go "North". So, what will we miss? It sounds like we would need a overnight in Bergen in both directions. I actually took the train from Oslo to Bergen about 25 years ago and never got out. I just went up and down on a roundtrip train ride, so would consider going through Oslo and the train with my DH.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I too am interested in any and all details, since I would dearly love to do this trip some day. What month did you do it?

[Bruton Branch]

Jade13 and Wendy the Wandere and other CC

 

If we were to do the trip again we would probably only do the n/b, but you must remember we did the roundtrip in Nov.2008. With the decreasing daylight each day of our journey somedays there was less than an hour of daylight and the "dark season" had not started. Of course in the summer months you have the reverse with daylight for twenty four hours.

 

Would strongly suggest at least one day in Bergen if that is to be your starting point. That way your luggage can catch up with you if it is delayed and you the traveler will have time to walk around Bergen and enjoy the sights.

 

We stayed at the Best Western Hotel Hordaheimen for the three days before the Hurtigruten departure. On our return to Bergen we stayed at the Clarion Hotel Bergen airport. From this hotel to airport is a very short walk. Our flight departure time was 0600. We were in the que at 0430 hrs.

 

The one thing we would not do on the Hurtigruten is purchase the drinking water package.

 

The meals were more than adequate. The only assigned seating was in the evening. We had chicken, pork, steak and fish as the main entree for the evening meals. Lots of fish meals at night. You did not have a choice. One afternoon during the journey a fishing boat pulled up along side and off loaded the king crabs onto the deck and the crabs crawled around and were then taken to the kitchen for evening meal.The breakfast and lunch were buffet self service.

 

You must remember this is a working ship and many of the stop are for less than thirty minutes and some for fifteen minutes. The major stops based on time in port were Alesund 3 hrs, Trondheim 6 hrs. Bodo 2 1/2 hrs, Svolvaer 1 hr., Harstad 1 1/4 hrs., Tromso 4 hrs., Honningsvag 3 1/2 hrs and the turnaround point at Kirkenes 2 3/4 hrs. You must remember if your late they do not wait.

 

There are tours offered by the Hurtigruten line and we did three of them.

The Northcape, Tromso and Harstad-Sortland. In many of the cities you can do the tours on your own but be prepared to walk on stone pathways. You generally dock in the center part of the cities.

 

If you have any other questions ? We will try to answer.

 

Bruton Branch

Paula and Bobby:)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks for your answer, it sounds great, hope I get to do it some day. Why would you not buy the drinking water package? Did they have a wine or beer package at all?

[Jade13]

Thanks for your answer, it sounds great, hope I get to do it some day. Why would you not buy the drinking water package? Did they have a wine or beer package at all?

 

Thanks Bruton Branch. I had the same question as Wendy the Wanderer regarding the water package? Is hot tea available 24/7, or do you have to pay for tea bags? I guess we could bring our own tea if hot water is available?

 

We are looking at south to North because of time constraints.

 

If you fly early to Bergen, do you know if there is a way to travel part way on the Flam railway (which we would do instead of flying into Oslo and taking the train to Bergen)?

[Bruton Branch]

For us the water package was so/so, but since the ship was not even half full you would not have had to wait long for your water glass to be refilled. They bring you a litter bottle of gas or non gas water for your use at your dinning table at all three meals. You get refills if needed at each meal. The cost with the exchange rate was about $75.00 USD for the total trip. You can purchase a wine package but again the cost is alot more. You can bring on beer, wine, liquor from the different stops but per there rules it must be consumed in your cabin. Our trip was a lot of fun because there were not a lot of people on the ship. We did the eleven day trip in early Nov. 2008 as it was 2 for one price. The Price was Right.

 

If you are going we will try to answer your questions.

 

Bruton Branch:)