Nowegian Coastal Voyage
We have been allocated arctic superior cabins which are nice enough but quite compact and a little dated (the ship is due to be refurbished in November.) We depart on time at 2000 hrs and our next main port of call will be Hjorundfjorden, one of Norway's most beautiful fjords. What I did not realise was that there are a few other stops on the way - but these are literally just stops to deliver post and goods and to let passengers just going from A to B to get off and on. These are through the night and at first you do wake up every time the ship stops as there is quite a bit of noise with the loading and unloading - you get used to it though! Hurtigruten's ships are working vessels so you need to take this into account.
We arrive at Hjorundfjorden at 1130 and have a few hours here to look around. We take the tender to the little village of Urke which is very picturesque and has beautiful houses with grass roofs.
Or next stop is Trondheim where we take a tour of the city with our guide Claudia who is from Germany and very matter of fact. She takes us to Nidaros Cathedral which is famous for being the most beautiful building in Norway and where all of the kings and queens have been crowned. We finish our tour at the home of the only bike lift in the world - to be honest it looks like more work than just pushing it up the hill!
We are back on board for our 1200 departure - the views from onboard are stunning and we are very lucky to have warm dry weather. The ship glides serenely through the fjords whilst you sit out on deck and watch the world go by.
There are various excursions that you can book on board but would suggest booking the most popular ones before you travel to avoid disappointment.
There are expedition leaders on board who take various level hikes at certain ports - you can purchase these separately or book a pass which gives you access to a certain amount. They also give interesting talks on board in the conference corner where you can learn about the Northern Lights, the Sammi People or the Vikings etc. One of them even played guitar in the bar a couple of evenings and gave a poetry reading.
Most cabins on board come with tea and coffee making facilities and depending on the fare you pay - full board is included but drinks are extra - these can be very expensive but then Scandinavia is. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style, while dinner is a set three-course menu.
We are up early the next morning to watch as we sail above the Arctic Circle. Later in the morning there is an Arctic Circle Ceremony where people have ice shoved down their back! This was for those that had not been above the Arctic Circle before, so I was excused as I have been to Lapland.
Nest stop – Bodo. While most of the group go off on a level 4 hike - Mike a fellow agent and I decide to take the Rib excursion to Saltstraumen, home to the world's most powerful tidal current. On our journey we see a harbour porpoise but no sea eagles which are known to abound here. The tidal current flows very fast and creates many whirlpools which we zoom across and around. The other excursion to Saltstraumen is by coach and we see the people watching from beneath the bridge but they will not get as good a view as we did.
In the evening we had our final excursion at Svolvaer, part of the Lofoten Islands and home to the Lofotopils Brewery - Lofoten's first and only craft brewery. we were shown around the factory and learned how they make their beer before getting to taste a few.
Afterwards we were back on board for our last night. We had seen a slight glimpse of the Northern Lights the night before but tonight we were treated to a much stronger display and one which I did not think we would get to see as it was so early - the season is usually from 1 October to 1 April. This really was an unexpected highlight and one I will not forget.
Our final stop was in Tromso - the ship would continue up to Kirkenes but we were leaving here. We had a night in Tromso which is a great city alternative to Reykjavik - being further north you are more likely to see the lights here. Again, it is a spotlessly clean city. There is loads to do - fjord trips, whale watching (certain times of year only), there is a wilderness centre close by where you can visit the huskies - or take them out for a hike or on a sledge. There is a cable car up the mountain where you will have amazing views over the city and landscape below. I would certainly come back here if given the opportunity.
We flew home via Oslo as there were no direct flights that day, but this was seamless and only put a couple of extra hours on our journey.
I can thoroughly recommend Hurtigruten to anyone considering a Norwegian Coastal Voyage - this is not a cruise so do not compare it to the likes of P&O etc - their ships only go a short way up the fjords as they are such large ships. Hurtigruten are smaller and therefore can access a lot more places. Yes, they are expensive but more than worth it if you have the chance.