Alternate title: Watching the sun set in a hot tub on a cruise ship in a fjord
One of our many modes of transportation around Norway was the Hurtigruten coastal steamer, a big old passenger and cargo ship which runs up and down Norway’s west coast in 13 days, transporting goods and tourists into every nook and cranny of the shoreline. We took the Hurtigruten from Bergen to Trøndheim and then again from Bodø to Svolvær (gotta love these new letters I get to type for Norwegian cities – and the best is yet to come!).
A Hurtigruten runs almost every day, regardless of passenger demand, since it also serves as an important method of transporting goods to and from the various ports of call. Our trip to Norway coincided with the beginning of the off-season, meaning the passenger part of the boat felt eerily deserted. Our experience on board the Hurtigruten was like a cross between Titanic (minus the iceberg) and The Shining (minus the elevator full of blood).
Which isn’t to say it was unpleasant; on the contrary, we really enjoyed this part of the trip. It was relaxing and scenic. And holy crap, the sunsets! The cabin we slept in for two nights was small but clean and new and well-appointed. The rough waters the second night kept me awake for a while, but Scott slept through it like a baby. Our one full day on board was spent alternately on deck and in the big glass-windowed lounge, relaxing and admiring the striking beauty of the Geirangerfjord, which we were sailing in and out of for most of the day. In the evening we decided to hop into one of the rooftop hot tubs, which we had all to ourselves. The hot bubbly water, cool air, and stunning sunset view combined to create one of those vacation moments that will always stand out in my memory. Good times.
One tip for those planning on taking the Hurtigruten for a night or two: ask about discounted prices and special deals, and then ask again. I emailed and received a quote for our two nights aboard in advance, and then when we arrived at the boat the price was about 100 euros more. Luckily I had the email with me, and the man at the desk was suddenly able to find us a special promotional rate which was lower than even the original email quote rate. Another tip: BYOB (and food) if you are spending more than a couple hours on board. Food and drink aboard the Hurtigruten is expensive. We picnicked in the lounge for most of our meals (except breakfast – the ship’s extensive breakfast buffet was included with our cabin). Although one is technically not allowed to drink alcohol not purchased on board in the public areas of the boat, I’ve heard it’s possible to get around that.
Not that you were in it for the party or anything, but did you find that you were the youngest people on the cruise?
We were (pretty much), when we cruised from Venice to Rhodes and back.
Just wondering whether the demographics change for the less touristy, cargo-type cruises.
It was a mix, some locals who were using the Hurtigruten as one would use a train, some other backpackers like us, but the largest number of passengers was definitely the typical cruise-ship crowd: older Germans, Americans, and Brits who went on the organized excursions (names like “Viking Encounters”) each day. The Hurtigruten website tries to push the boats as a 7 or 13 day cruise, but I’m pretty sure most people would go insane spending that long on the boat. Unlike other cruises I’ve been on, there were absolutely no organized activities or entertainment on board, save a keyboard player and a very enthusiastic lounge singer who played ABBA covers in the bar for a couple hours each night.
We did the Hurtigruten for one short trip and one overnight in June and we were definitely some of the youngest on board! Looks like you lucked out with the weather–in June we had non-stop rain and it was freezing! I agree with bring your own food. And I wouldn’t recommend a long cruise as it gets rather monotonous after awhile.
Yikes! Cold rain would have made it much less fun. We totally lucked out with the weather. It was sunny pretty much every day, with big fluffy clouds around to make for the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen.
I love Hurtigruten, it’s such a lovely way to see the coast of Norway – a relaxing way to travel and superb scenery.
Sounds wonderful! Great pictures.
Jeff – you wouldn’t happen to be, say, someone who sells Hurtigruten cruises, would you?
Lulu – thanks. 🙂
Wait a minute – there was a someone doing lounge versions of ABBA songs? And that somehow didn’t merit an entry of its own?
Mark – it was nowhere near as exciting as it sounds, unfortunately…