EmsworthTravel: Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Voyage Feb 2015

Norwegian cruise on the Hurtigruten Finnmarken February 2015

Having enjoyed our trip last year in search of the Norther lights with Transun Holidays (see separate blog) and though everything was fun with husky safari, snowmobiles, snowshoes and night walk in search of lights, we had disappointing sightings of the Aurora Borealis (Northern lights)so I was left feeling I want to go again. I had recommendations from customers to take a cruise as being the best way to see the elusive lights as the crew keep an eye out and advise you at any time of the night (at your request) of any good showings so you don't miss them.

Hurtigruten had various offers and one that they guarantee you will see the lights on their Norwegian 10 day cruise or you would get another cruise free. As we were travelling up to the top of Norway on the Russian border, and not being the best traveller, I decided to chose the largest ship with more to do on board and better stabilized.

Hurtigruten (previously called Norwegian Coastal Voyages) are the postal ships and therefore have many ports, usually several a day, and it give you chance to visit many destinations, some only for the odd hour but others longer with a choice of excursions to enjoy.

On this trip we chose not to do any trips as several we had done last year like the Ice Hotel and husky safari but many others enjoyed their trips.

There was an outside heated pool and Jacuzzis which we enjoyed but with the temperatures as low as -15c in February, it was not used that often!!

The staff were Norwegian and the food was good but there were nice lounges and bar areas and it was a very relaxing cruise. The scenery was beautiful with abundant snow capped mountains and the bonus was seeing the lights on a few nights on our way down to Tromso.

Our itinerary began in Bergen after a pleasant British Airways flight from heathrow at 08.30 hours. we were met and transferred to the ship sailing all the way up to Spitzbergen and then return down to Tromso via Floro, Maloy, Torvik, Alesund, Molde, Kristiansund, Trondheim, Rorvik, Ornes, Bodo, Svolvaer, Hammerfest, Honningsvag, Vardo, Kirkenes returning Mehamn, Havoysund, Hammerfest,Tromso and we extended for a couple of nights in Tromso at the Clarion Hotel Aurora in case we had not seen the lights and we also saw them whilst in Tromso whilst sitting in our hot tub overlooking the town. The light pollution can affect the brightness of the lights so it is best to take a trip outside of the town away from the lights for the best viewings. We were also told that there was a cable car that you could take that was a good spot to see the lights with a restaurant at the top which we intended to take but as we had seen several showings of lights on the way down on the cruis ship, we just enjoyed our stay in Tromso.

The tips for the best lights are that you should chose a date as far away from the full moon as possible so the skies are darker and the lights more intense. You should stay for as long as you can as usually there are showings at some time in a 10 day period but this is never guaranteed. Even Joanna Lumley had to wait 21 days for a good showing of lights for their TV programme. Best lights are normally from December to February. You are best to be away from light pollution and towns as they can be viewed best in the darkest conditions: that is why the cruises are good as they sail away from the light pollution.

If you want to take photos, you need to research how to set your camera as you cannot get photos on your normal or auto settings. There is advice on the internet to save disappointment when you get there and some ships give advice too. A good camera is essential though I was able to get some photos on my iphone but not as clear.

We only went for 7 nights and though we saw the lights, they were not at their brightest. There are apps that do predict the lights and give strength from 1-10. Nevertheless, they are an amazing sight and well worth the hunt in search of the amazing ‘Aurora Borealis’

Generally the cost of living in Norway is higher than the UK and that reflects in the price of things in general so expect to pay higher prices than at home. Prices on board ship were also higher than our bar prices by about 30-50 percent.
For more information call Sue, Gill or Sue at Emsworth Travel on 01243377211. Below are a selection of photos taken on our cruise.