Hurtigruten Norway Cruise Reviews 2024 UPDATED: Ratings of Hurtigruten Cruises to Norway

hurtigruten cruise reviews

With a highly contagious variant of the ongoing pandemic on the rise, as well as almost daily reports of testing unavailability and flight cancellations, I knew the trip would require a lot of preparation—and a lot of luck. Ultimately, the experience turned out to be one of the most rewarding I've ever had. This offer is combinable with other discounts, such as those offered for early booking and groups, but you must travel within three years in order to receive the discounted fare. I really enjoyed reading all about this cruise experience. I’ve only been on a couple of other cruises and they were quite different than this one. I always wanted to know more about Hurtigruten cruises because Norway is one of the most enticing places to go to.

Hurtigruten Trollfjord Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - Cruise Critic

Hurtigruten Trollfjord Cruise: Expert Review ( .

Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:14:16 GMT [source]

scenery

Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion. There’s a Facebook group called Hurtigruten Insiders that you might want to join. WhileAlbert thought both of the excursions he took were steeply priced, he was stillhappy he did them because, he felt, he wouldn’t have seen these thingsotherwise. Each is rated on level 1 tolevel 4, with level 1 involving little physical activity and 4 requiring a highlevel of fitness. To read lots more about Tromsø, with lots of practical advice, read How to travel to Tromso on a budget without missing the fun.

Danube river cruises: an ultimate guide to cruising Budapest and beyond

hurtigruten cruise reviews

As an example, one night’s main was a remarkably flavorful Arctic char from Sigerfjord, served with baked beets, cabbage, potato with dill and a Hollandaise sauce. I was consistently impressed with the qualityof the food on offer. The bathroom is tiny, so tiny that two people can’t both brush their teeth at the same time.

Is everything free on Hurtigruten cruises?

Booked a 3 night tour from Tromso to Trondheim, trip did not go as planned, no planned stops as per itenary, 1 day completely stranded on a random location with nothing to do, the other day there was just non-stop sailing. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. All of Hurtigruten’s Galapagos sailings take place onboard Santa Cruz II, which is based in the region year-round.

our Hurtigruten ship

Expect no formal splashy entertainment, casinos, shows, cabarets, or nightclubs. In lieu of traditional programming, cruisers can strike up meaningful conversations with interesting fellow passengers, enjoy the pools and hot tubs on younger ships, or simply look up, out, and beyond to appreciate privileged tranquility and beauty. Yes, my husband said similar about the excursion, but he loved seeing all those birds. The general consensus seems to be that the excursions are very pricey but nevertheless worth it. If/when I do a Hurtigruten cruise again, I’ll do better research ahead of time and maybe splurge on an excursion or two.

hurtigruten cruise reviews

This is where it differs so strongly from everything I’ve heard about traditional large cruise ships. Because it is a working ship, Hurtigruten does not take responsibility for its passengers’ amusement. Initially our expedition was cancelled and then I rung the company for the second time after they had been caught lying to numerous customers.

Since then, the company has expanded so that a ship leaves Bergen every day and makes the trip north in six days, then back south over six more days. While the ships it now uses are small cruise ships, it is still a working ship, fulfilling its function of delivering mail and cargo to all of the ports along the way. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only.

Review: Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess

The trip is bookended by two sea days in either direction, which presents an ideal opportunity to visit. I opted for a hot stone massage on the second day of the trip, which got rid of knots lingering from my transatlantic red-eye flight. Opposite the wellness center, you’ll find a small but well-equipped gym. If the three treadmills are busy, you can head up to the top deck’s outdoor running track. Depending on the day’s location and anticipated conditions, the expedition team designs a selection of activities, which are shared onboard the night before.

Ithelped us deal with the pretty constant FOMO – fear of missing out – because wecould see if we were nearing something worth seeing in person. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active. This section currently has nine ships; MS Nordstjernen, MS Trollfjord, MS Kong Harold, MS Nordkapp, MS Nordlys, MS Nordnorge, MS Polarlys, MS Richard With and MS Vesteralen. In January 2024 they will be joined by the hybrid-powered vessel MS Otto Sverdrup which will transfer from the line's separate adventure travel arm, Hurtigruten Expeditions which has six ships and is now known as HX following the 2023 rebrand.

When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. I received my negative rapid PCR test results within three hours and felt thankful that I avoided the flight cancellations and delays that several others encountered. Oddly, I received a call from Hurtigruten customer services five days after leaving the ship, informing me that four people on our ship had tested positive in Quito.

If you want an amusing drink with your traveling companions, try Magic Ice, right next to the dock, where you can sit at an ice table, drink from an ice glass, and admire ice sculpture all at the same time. The last full day of our trip, the weather turned gray and abruptly cooler. This meant the views were a bit less awe-inspiring without the blue skies, but I still found myself bundling up for forays outside to take more pictures.

They cancelled the cruise just a few days before we were due to embark due to technical issues with the ship. Fair enough but we have lost money because of it and they have refused to reimburse us. Not only that but they gave us a feeble excuse as to why they wouldn't and it took them almost two weeks to respond to me. Appalling customer service from a company who it would appear just want your money and don't care whether you are satisfied or not. We are still waiting for a refund of pre-booked excursions on a cruise in November (over two months ago) that did not take place because the ship was unable to land passengers. The crew and expedition team on the ship were lovely but the company they work for is dreadful.

The shower takes a triangular corner of the bathroom, but has excellent water pressure. The soap and “hair and body wash” and conditioner are Hurtigruten’s own house brand, “Arctic Pure”, provided in pump bottles. The otherpassengers were a mixed bag of mostly Norwegians, French, Germans andAmericans.

If you want luxury this isn’t for you but it’s what makes it special. If you love dazzling landscapes, magnificent architecture and fabulous food, a Danube river cruise is hard to beat. Exploring Europe by water requires no internal flights and train rides and eliminates schlepping around with your luggage in tow. Our seven-night Danube river cruise with Lucy Worsley departs from the city of Engelhartszell in Austria before calling at Vienna (pictured below), the pretty town of Esztergom in Hungary and Budapest.

Theexcursion was well organized and ran smoothly, and the staff kept count of theguests at each stop. Because they missed lunch and dinner on the boat, thesemeals were included in the excursion. I didn’t sign up for any excursions, while my husband went on two. In the course of the northward voyage, about 50 assorted excursions are offered, though not all of them run all year. It wouldn’t make much sense, for example, to offer a dog-sledding experience when there’s no snow on the ground.

I tested negative the day that I received the call, but can certainly understand the anxiety. From playful sea lions and giant tortoises to blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas, the six days I spent sailing around the eastern islands of the Galapagos granted me face time with some of the most unique animals in the world. Like the airport and flight, masks were required on board at all times. While we were asked to wear the K-N95 masks provided to us, many passengers quickly slipped back into their surgical or cloth masks. I quickly got used to never taking my mask off—but my face mask tan lines were brutal. After boarding the ship, I made my way to my room only to realize there was no key card or lock on my door.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

John Wayne Gacy: A Timeline of the 'Killer Clown' Murders, Trial and Execution

Review: Hurtigruten Expeditions in the Galapagos Islands

The Navajo And Their Beards: A Culture Rich In Tradition