Arctic Highlights with Hurtigruten Cruises
Alongside operating as a daily ferry and freight shipping service along the 1500 mile Norwegian coastline, Hurtigruten offer a selection of cruises between the coastal towns of Bergen and Kirkenes. There are plentiful stops along the way to explore the pretty coastal towns, plus organised shore excursions and activities.
The Hurtigruten experience is quite different to most other cruise operators, so don’t expect evening entertainment and formal dress codes. Expect comfortable private en-suite rooms, a friendly and experienced crew, delicious food (amazing seafood!), a laid back, informal atmosphere, stunning views and interesting stops each day; plus the chance to chat with fellow travellers from near and far.
Visiting in December meant that there were just a few daylight hours each day. This would be the wrong time of year to visit if you want to fully appreciate the beauty of the Norwegian coastline but seeing distant specs of light transform into pretty towns with each new stop was really quite magical. Add to that the pretty Christmas lights twinkling in most windows and town squares (it’s traditional for these to be put up on 1 December), giving way to twinkling stars reflecting off the waters and snow-covered shores and I don’t think it could have been prettier.
Our trip started in the coastal town of Tromsø, somewhere I would be happy to spend more time (along with the rest of the Norway, in fact!). It’s a lively university town with plenty of pubs, bars, restaurants and shops, in a very pretty setting with snowy mountains all around. It makes an excellent base for visiting the nearby wilderness, home to a plethora of outdoor activities at all times of year. We sampled a dog sledding excursion – it was amazing fun being whisked along by the gorgeous and crazy dogs and the scenery was stunning. Loved it!
We were also treated to a few other shore excursions throughout the voyage: *Visiting Nordkapp (the North Cape), the most Northernmost point in Europe and a huge windswept expanse of white which felt almost eerie. It seemed we might get blown off the headland at any moment and watching the wind swirling the snow into drifts was mesmerising.
*We also paid a visit to the Russian Border which felt a bit surreal, and was made more so when we realised the sun was setting on one side of us and rising on the other. Weird!
*At Kirkenes we were whisked away from the main group for a visit to the Snow Hotel in the making. Super cool in both senses of the word – amazing to see the efforts of the sculptors and more so to see one of the builders working in a t-shirt when it was -13 degrees! In fact this was mild for the time of year which meant they’d had to bring in snow machines to ensure they got everything finished in time for opening a few weeks later. Along with the snow rooms and Ice Bar, this hotel has a chalet style main building with the most picturesque setting overlooking a frozen lake – truly gorgeous. It would be well worth extending a trip for a few nights here.
*Visiting Hammerfest for a few hours gave us the chance to see another pretty coastal town with some lovely frozen views. Also the chance of a selfie with a polar bear and you can’t ask for more than that.
Reading back through my notes makes me realise how much we were lucky to experience, but the trip didn’t feel rushed at any point. There was the perfect amount of time at each stop and the different excursions gave us a great insight into the destination. The time on board was really relaxed (even with seminars!) so the trips are perfectly balanced.
Of course the big advantage of visiting at this time of year, other than the snowy Christmas card scenes, is the best chance to experience the wonder of the Northern Lights. For the best sightings you need clear, dark, unpolluted skies and the colder it is, the better! We weren’t disappointed…
When the lights appear news quickly makes its way around the decks, but to be sure no one misses out the crew announce them each time – there’s even an optional wake up service throughout the night. We were lucky to have clear skies most nights which meant that we were spoilt with plenty of sightings of the Lights, and they really are magical. It was relatively mild for the time of year which meant to the naked eye the lights had no colour, but watching the white wisps dance across the sky was still magical enough for me. High tech cameras with slow shutter speeds picked up green and magenta swirls and it became addictive watching the formations dance across the lens with each new photo.
All in all this is a trip I would highly recommend – whether to enjoy the Northern Lights, to experience Coastal Norway, or indeed a bit of both. Travelling by ship gets you away from any light pollution so it’s perfect for the Lights; it’s a quick and convenient way of seeing so much of the beautiful Norwegian coastline and it’s a great opportunity to meet locals as they hop between towns with the ferry service.
A big thank you to Hurtigruten for giving me a spot on this fabulous trip. I really loved it.
