The ship makes many port calls, picking up and dropping off passengers and cargo. So it’s easy to get off early if you want, or to join the cruise later. We thought the more dramatic scenery was south of Tromsø but the far north has its own windswept atmosphere. Going northbound we cruised Geirangerfjord. Going southbound we did not.
The atmosphere on board is not like an ocean cruise. The ship is smaller, there’s no pool or casino (there are hot tubs), there isn’t a lot of “entertainment,” though there are excellent informational presentations and smaller scale special events like a ceremony for crossing the Arctic Circle. It wasn’t an exciting cruise but it was beautiful and relaxing, which is what we wanted.
Day 1: Bergen to Molde
One of the first things we saw on the cruise was whales. Well, whale fins anyway. No breaching.
We also saw some rare full rainbows, like the one here, with an island conveniently underneath it.
The Geirangerfjord was our first main scenic area. The ship sails directly up the fjord so you can take in the views without even having to leave the boat!
On our way out of the fjord we stopped in Ålesund, famous for its art nouveau architecture. We were in port long enough to take a walk and see some of the sights. (Some of the port stops are very brief.)
Day 2: Molde to Rørvik
We passed this lonely lighthouse on a tiny rock enroute to Trondheim.
The Coastal Experience team holds (almost) daily presentations covering the following day’s schedule, interesting sights along the way, and information about upcoming ports and excursions being offered.
We found the presentations very helpful. For example, for Trondheim they outlined a walking route that would take you by some of the highlighted sights such as the cathedral and Old Town Bridge.
This was our view at dinner tonight.
Day 3: Rørvik to Svolvær
Today we crossed the Artic Circle. The globe on the rock below marks the spot.
They held a special ceremony on deck where volunteers had ice water dumped down the back of their neck. Steve went; I didn’t, since I’ve cross the Arctic Circle a couple of times before. (And it wasn’t on a boat so there was no dumping of ice water!)
We cruised past the Lofoten Islands heading northbound. The jagged peaks were striking and we got to see another rainbow.
We got to watch some of the crew at work dealing with the large ropes onboard. Today was the first time we passed another Hurtigruten ship. When we did there was usually some acknowledgement, like waving at the other boat.
The finale was a detour into the Trollfjord around midnight. When they mentioned this during the daily presentation one of the passengers asked “Why bother? It will be dark.” Well, it wasn’t completely dark. These photos were taken using Google Night Sight. It was still pretty dramatic. The fjord is narrow and very short, so the boat goes in and spins in a circle.
Day 4: Svolvær to Skjervøy
More mountains, some with snow or ice patches, on our way to Tromsø today.
We even saw some actual snow on some mountains.
The Coastal Express doesn’t just carry passengers, it also carries cargo from port to port. Since our cabin was portside we got to see some of the working side of the ship. We passed a lot of birds in the water today. We were hoping to see whales or other wildlife along with them but did not.
We were in port in Tromsø long enough to get out and walk around. We also spent some time reading on deck today since it was sunny. We had reindeer stew for dinner and it was delicious.
Day 5: Skjervøy to Berlevåg
Today we passed the northernmost part of Norway.
We got off and walked around in Honningsvåg. The town isn’t very large but it was nice to see something typical. We saw some interesting street art and bought an ornament at a local Christmas shop.
We also saw a sleepy dog in a local shop window so we walked over for a closer look.
Here’s what the town looks like as you’re approaching the port.
This is the northernmost part of Norway, about on a level with Barrow, Alaska. It’s the furthest north we’ve ever been.
Day 6: Berlevåg to Berlevåg
Yesterday we got as far north as we may every get. Today we got as close to Russia as we may ever get. We docked at Kirkenes, near the Norway-Russia border, where we got out and walked around for a bit. There wasn’t much to see — probably Russia in the distance — it was more about stretching our legs. We also sat on deck for a while. Oddly, it’s been sunnier and warmer further north.
We’ve seen a few of these rectangular openings in cliffs along the coast. They seem too regular to be natural but we don’t know what they could be. We’re heading back west and south now.
Here’s the back deck on the boat where we’ve been spending some of our time. The other photo is of the lounge chairs around the side of the bar. They’re a nice place to take in the views but a bit challenging to get in and out of. Especially after a beer or two!
Day 7: Berlevåg to Tromsø
Nothing terribly exciting today. Still good scenery going by.
We think these are fish farms. We’ve seen a few of them along this trip.
We passed another Hurtigruten boat today headed in the opposite direction.
We passed Tromsø overnight and I happened to be awake to get a photo of the Arctic Cathedral illuminated.
Day 8: Tromsø to Stamsund
We saw shallower water today for the first time. We’re used to seeing water this color in the tropics.
We’ve passed under a few bridges on this trip. This one collected a gulp of cormorants.
We ran into some bad weather today so we had to skip a couple of ports, which meant an excursion got re-routed and some people had to get off the boat earlier than planned.
We cruised through another highly scenic area today too.
And we got to see the Lofoten Islands again, though we didn’t stop as planned.
Fortunately the bad weather didn’t hit at the same time as open water. The waves were big enough!
Day 9: Stamsund to Rørvik
One of our routines on the cruise has become sitting in the lounge area near the restaurant for coffee after breakfast. Today we got some dramatic sunlight.
We crossed the Arctic Circle headed southbound today.
One of our port stops was in Brønnøysund, which is the halfway point on the coast. There was nice little garden and water feature along the waterfront.
Day 10: Rørvik to Molde
Our last full day on the boat. Our boat flies the Norwegian postal flag because it used to haul mail.
We passed Munkholmen (Monk’s Islet) outside of Trondheim on the way north too, but visibility was better today.
It was pouring rain by the time we docked in Kristiansund but we hopped off and got alcohol because we ran out.
Here’s some of the wave action today as we crossed more open water.
Day 11: Molde to Bergen
It’s our last day on onboard. We’ll get breakfast and lunch on the boat and dock in Bergen in mid-afternoon. We need to clear out of our cabin this morning, though, so they have time to clean the rooms. When you get on and off in Bergen they move the bags for you.
Essentials
Lodging
We paid a bit more for an Artic Superior cabin since we were going to be onboard for 12 nights and we were happy we did. We thought we might spend more time in the public lounge areas but the view from our cabin was good enough that we didn’t have to unless we wanted to. There was plenty of storage space and the bathroom, though small, worked just fine. We did get a peak at an interior cabin so we’ve included a photo here.
Dining
We really enjoyed the food on the cruise. Breakfast and lunch were served buffet style with open seating. The buffets had lots of variety and everything we tried was good. Breakfast in particular had anything you could possibly want, from eggs to pickled fish to pastries to meatballs. Yes, meatballs. Dinner was typically served at set times and assigned tables, though there were a couple of nights where they had a buffet. Menu choices were few but interesting and service was excellent. There was a real emphasis on local products and produce.
Transportation
We walked to the cruise terminal and bought a transfer on the return trip since it was supposed to rain. We were able to walk around any ports we stopped at.