Hurtigruten

Expedition Cruises

Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego)

Reykjavik

Santiago (Valparaiso)

Hamburg

Bergen

London (Greenwich, Tower Bridge, Tilbury)

South America

Argentina

Antarctica

Europe - All

Baltic Sea

Iceland

Europe - British Isles & Western

Bahamas

Caribbean - All

Arctic

Chile

Germany

Norway

Scotland

Excellent

Terrible

Very Good

Poor

Average

Maud

Roald Amundsen

Fram

Otto Sverdrup

Richard With

Trollfjord

Polarlys

Nordlys

Nordkapp

Nordnorge

Spitsbergen

Lofoten

Kong Harald

Vesteralen

Fridtjof Nansen

Santa Cruz II

Nordstjernen

Excellent!

Rarotonga

We have travelled with Hurtigruten before (MS Spitsbergen Norwegian coast) but this was sooo much better. We boarded in Reykjavik and it was a little chaotic - a free for all.

We were in an Expedition Suite (ME class) which was lovely. Bed was very comfortable, as were the chairs. There was a minibar fridge which was stocked with soft drinks and beers, 4 bottles of wine and jars of nuts. These were included for free to start. The Nespresso machine was a real bonus. The bathroom was well equipped with shampoo, conditioner and body wash, face cloths, powerful shower and heated floor.

We ate twice at the snack bar Fredheim - this was the weak link on board - service was slow and haphazard. The takeaway breakfast was very good though

Our allocated dining room was Lindstrom. It was free for all suite guests but other passengers could pay €25 each to eat in the evenings. The staff were amazing. Elmer ran a well coordinated staff of super friendly Filipinos. Special mentions for JB, Nolito, Maricello, Edmundo and Gladys who were lovely. The food was great with plenty of choices. Wine and beer was free and plentiful with meals

We did 2 paid excursions to the Myvatn warm baths and Top of the Diamond from Akureyri. The baths were great. The other was not - it was a miserable freezing day with very little visibility. It was a long bus ride then up a mountain sitting on an open trailer pulled by a snowmobile. We could see nothing at all when we reached the top, so we froze for 10 minutes and went back down. In our opinion that trip should have been cancelled. 

Free walking tours were included at each stop and these were excellent. You could join the team on RIB outings and kayaking although we did not

There were many informative lectures for those who are interested and a good Science team

The itinerary changed slightly if the sea conditions were bad, but alternative places were arranged and did not spoil our enjoyment.

There is not much in the way of entertainment, but the staff band, the Rolling Waves, were great and had us all dancing

All the destinations around Iceland were superb and breathtaking. Our favourite port was Heimaey island

We will do this cruise again as we were sorry to leave. Next time we would continue to Greenland

Fantastic Iceland

Progreso

We chose hurtigruten cruise because of the destination - Iceland, and past experience with Norwegian coastal voyage.

Unfortunately, while the ship is great, our outside cabin is specious with lots of storage, the human component is the Disaster!

Starting with the ship docking in the different port from what we have been advised by hurtigruten. Hurtigruten made no attempt to contact anyone about it! Getting to the new port location was an extra expense that hurtigruten was not interested to cover when we asked.

While boarding the ship we were asked to produce forms that have been completed and sent to hurtigruten weeks earlier (and acknowledged). The explanation an officer from the ship provided is that sent forms are for hurtigruten, the ship needs the same forms as well!

Restaurant Fredheim staff are well organised and very friendly, atmosphere is pleasant and sophisticated. Unfortunately, food is tasteless, we had to spice it ourselves to make it palatable. Restaurant Aune (the main eatery on board) is nice but staff are badly organised and inefficient (it looks like everyone has no experience in the industry, starting with the chef and down to the wait staff). It feels that food is cooked in microwave, tasteless, portions are miniscule, staff pay no attention to guests - disaster!

Guest Relations staff insist on guests using the hurtigruten App for all the information, which is great - environment continues , etc, etc, etc, but the information is not being updated! And so we had to go to the Information desk for the updates!

The list goes on and on.

The simple question - would we travel with hurtigruten again - likely NOT and would not recommend it either.

The vastly different experience with the Coastal Voyages division, indicate only one thing - whoever is in charge is incompetent as our experience at different levels shows!

Ship is nice and comfortable 

We were on the Fridtjof Nansen Antarctic Circle Expedition from February 7 to 23, 2023.  The ship usually carries 500 passengers, but there were fewer than 300 people on our trip.  The cruise included one night in Buenos Aires before taking a charter flight to Ushuaia.  They tell you that you are allowed a checked bag weighing 50 pounds and a carry on weighing 17 pounds.  They did not weight our luggage going to Ushuaia, but they did weight it when we were returning.  We had a few hours in Ushuaia; enough time for lunch and to visit a few of the many souvenir shops.  They took us on a bus ride (“city tour”) along the two streets that make up the downtown.  Everything in Ushuaia closes at 1:00 p.m.

We spent 2 ½ days on the Drake Passage because we headed straight for the Antarctic Circle.  The waves were at about 6 feet.  Most people onboard did not have a problem handling this.  We saw some spectacular sights.  We saw hundreds of penguins and three types of seals.  The ship had to stop twice, once for over an hour, because whales had surrounded the ship.  The glaciers were incredible and there were plenty  of glaciers to see.  It turns out that some of the places where we went were uncharted.  They did not tell us this until we were on our way back to Argentina.  We made several landings on the barrier islands that surround the Antarctic Peninsula.  We also landed at Red Rock Ridge; the only landing made on the actual continent.  Certificates are given for everything:  crossing the Antarctic Circle, participating in the Polar Plunge, camping on the continent, and kayaking.

I was hoping that we would stop at the bar at the Ukrainian research base and the post office at Port Lockroy, but we did not.  The staff from Port Lockroy came onboard and did a presentation and sold souvenirs.  The post office closes for the season around March 1st, so we just made it.  Hurtigruten sold postcards and stamps onboard for over $7 per postcard.  The Port Lockroy people took the postcards with them.

I got the impression that there really wasn’t a plan and that our stops were decided on a day by day basis.  We sailed past some places more than one time and we sailed in circles on more than one occasions.  They were probably looking for interesting places to show us.  Most of the travelers were not from the US.  We like to know what the plan is, even if the plan has to change.  We don’t deal well with “we’ll let you know”.  Most of the time we didn’t know what we were going to do until 15 minutes before it happened.

The trip really was spectacular.  I’m glad that we decided to take the longer cruise which had more days in Antarctica and crossed the Antarctic Circle.  There was a landing, which usually took place in the morning, and cruising in the zodiac, usually in the afternoon, planned for each day.  On the way back across the Drake Passage, the waves were at around 20 feet.  The ship has stabilizers and I could not tell that the waves were this high. 

The food onboard was hit or miss.  Dinners were either spectacular or reminiscent of dinner at a Sizzler’s.  The hashbrowns at breakfast looked like they had recooked the same patty every day for two weeks.  I was on vacation for 24 days and lost weight.  But for the fact that the bread and the ice cream were wonderful, I probably would have lost more weight.  After 2 weeks at sea the vegetables looked long in the tooth.  The ship has a well-stocked bar and the drinks start at 8 euro.

The weather was not really that cold; it gets colder in Atlanta.  The wind could be brutal though.  At one point it was so windy on the top deck that I could not inhale.  There was a storm on our first day inside the Antarctic Circle and a landing was canceled once because of the size of the waves.  We still did the cruising that day and we did get wet while in the zodiac, and it was cold.  I was glad that I packed two of everything:  two ski pants, two sets of thermals, two sets of ski gloves, two sets of glove liners and two gators.  I took hunting socks and merino wool socks that I bought at Costco.  I tried using the merino socks once and then went back to the hunting socks and sock liners.

I bought a 35L dry bag because I had read that it was a good idea.  The rules that apply to Antarctica do not allow you to sit on the ground or to place anything on the ground; including the 35L bag.  It is hard to use a 35L bag if you cannot place it on the ground.  I wish I had brought a 10L bag instead.  I brought the plastic bag that hangs around your neck for my cell phone.  The saltwater left spots on the bag and made it useless.  There are rubber leashes for cell phones that make more sense.  One woman did lose her cell phone over the side of the zodiac.  It can be a bumpy ride.

You are supposed to stay at least 15 feet from the penguins.  The attached photo was from four feet because the penguin kept following me.  Not my fault that he couldn’t follow the rules.

Only one person used the outside track, and it wasn’t me.  Packing workout clothes was a waste of the weight.  There were very interesting science classes that were held almost every day.  The classrooms were full each time that they had a class.

The ship is beautiful.  It was designed by Rolls Royce and built in 2021.  The rooms are large enough, but you spend very little time in the rooms.  The dress code is very casual, and the ship is kept at a very comfortable temperature.  I could have saved weight in my suitcase by leaving some clothing behind.

The sales department at Hurtigruten will tell you anything to sell you a cabin.  I spent the first two days of my vacation being angry because of the untruths that I was told. I bounded with several people on board who were equally angry.  Hurtigruten gives you the impression that you will be able to do everything that is offered.  The truth is, everything is decided on the “Lucky Lottery”, even the science cruise that collects whales DNA.  180 people out of 290 passengers signed up to go kayaking at a cost of about $200 per person.  Only 30 people was chosen to camp on the continent and 32 people at a time are chosen to go kayaking.  Each of these activities includes an additional charge.  Even after you were chosen, where you kayaked had an element of luck.  Some kayakers paddled around in circles because the water was choppy.  We were lucky; we kayaked in a cove with seals and swimming penguins.

We bought our tickets during the “book early and save” sale.  It turns out that the price went down by $3300.00 during the Black Friday Sale.  As the date of the trip approached, the price continued to drop.  A woman booked a cabin identical to our cabin for $5000 less than we paid and she stayed in the room by herself.  There were several people who traveled alone.  We asked Hurtigruten to match their own price.  Instead of just saying “no”, they jacked us around for months.

Several of the passengers were not happy with the way things were handled coming home.  Hurtigruten held your hand all the way down to Ushuaia, but you were on your own coming home.  They left an 80-year-old woman at the airport in Argentina to fend for herself.  I believe that Hurtigruten charges $90 per person to take you from EZE to the hotel.  We booked our own transportation for $23 for 3 people and 6 pieces of luggage.

It really was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen.  So glad that we took this cruise and that we got to have these experiences.

Incredible Trip

I was thoroughly impressed with Hurtigruten from start to finish. I booked a full package so everything from flights, transfers and hotels was included. This meant for a stress-free start to the trip as someone was waiting at the airport to collect about ten of us and take us to the hotel in Buenos Aires.  To make things easy, I travelled with one one medium sized case, and I was glad of this. I actually packed far more than needed, so I wouldn't recommend taking huge cases of luggage. I'll discuss a packing list later! 

Fridtjof Nansen is obviously a new ship, so everything was in excellent condition. I was amazed at the range of amenities on board, including a well-stocked gym, warm pool and sauna.  I was never that keen on science when I was at school, but became enthralled by the lectures and workshops in the Science Centre and was amazed by the excellent research facilities on board. The staff were outstanding!  They were so knowledgeable and gave talks, presentations and workshops that had us all completely captured.  My only problem was that I couldn't fit them all in, but then I discovered you could watch any you missed later on the TV in your cabin.

Our crossing of the Drake Passage was pretty choppy and I was quite seasick, despite taking medication.  However, a different sea sickness tablet was available from reception and once I took that I was fine and able to get on with enjoying the journey.

Each day, we usually had two landings, although you need to be prepared for flexibility as weather conditions determine what happens. You are given an overview explaining planned activities the previous evening, but by morning this may change. The captain and staff will thankfully always put safety first, so if you are someone who can't cope with being flexible, then Antarctica is not for you. I can't understand people writing reviews complaining if things are cancelled - this happens for good reason!

I have wanted to visit Antarctica for years and I even though I was looking forward to it, I was blown away by the beauty, serenity and fragility of the place.  First stepping foot on Antarctica, and thinking about the first explorers who had been there, felt quite emotional, but also a huge privilege.  Everything we did, was done with safety of passengers, crew, wildlife and environmental impact in mind.  That was one of the reasons why I was so impressed with Hurtigruten Expeditions.  I also chose them as they are one of the few hybrid-powered ships going to Antarctica - only two at time of writing - both Hurtigruten! 

I won't give details of everything we did and saw as that will spoil the surprise, but we did see loads of wildlife, amazing scenery and had a truly wonderful experience.  

I fully immersed myself in the Citizen Science projects as feel that it's only right to do something to help this amazing part of our world.  If you are looking for a cruise with cabaret entertainment and casinos, then please don't go on this ship or go to Antarctica! This is an incredible expedition and you need to make the most of it! I have given 'Entertainment' 5 stars, but it's not entertainment in the way you may think. In terms of ways to keep engaged, busy and learning, it's definitely 5 stars! But equally, if you'd rather just relax and watch wildlife from the Explorer Lounge or pool, then that's great too!

Tips for packing:

Don't take hiking boots. You won't need them. You have to use the thermal boots (liked cosy, waterproof wellies/gum boots) provided.  This ensures no germs are brought from wherever you live into Antarctica. Each day your boots will be washed to ensure they remain free from any viruses or debris that could be transported from place to place. You need a pair of sensible shoes (like walking shoes or trainers) for walking on deck and these can also be used for walking round the ship. No need for high heels or fashion shoes! 

Definitely take waterproof trousers. You get wet from waves splashing over the zodiacs, so good waterproof trousers are a must. These also block out the wind. I took ski pants, but only wore them once.  I preferred wearing thermal leggings, winter walking trousers and waterproof trousers on top.

Also take:

Warm, waterproof gloves. If you are not sure how waterproof your gloves are, take rubber gloves to put over the top!

Warm thermal under layers (including leggings), warm socks, a hat and sunglasses are also a must.

Warm jacket (not too thick) - you are given a complimentary waterproof jacket to go over the top.

Casual clothes are worn around the ship and most people wore casual clothes for meals too. You may want a smarter top for the evening meals, but it's not essential.  I'd also recommend a small dry bag or ziploc bag for your phone/camera so they don't get wet during zodiac crossings.

I found the food to be excellent. If you are diabetic and require regular snacks, I would advise taking some with you. There is a small shop selling books and some items of clothing, but it doesn't sell food. So if you need chocolate or glucose tablets, take plenty with you. 

Meal times are booked on the app the day before, so it's worth downloading the Hurtigruten app before you leave home. Waiters then show you to a table at your chosen time.  Unfortunately, there are no allocated sharing tables, so if you are travelling alone, you are seated on your own. We quickly got to know other passengers and asked for 3 or 4 of us to sit together, but I would recommend Hurtigruten introducing the option to share tables if desired, as this is often when you get to know people.  

As you can probably tell, I truly loved this trip and it was totally made by visiting such a remarkable place, but also by the excellent team on Fridtjof Nansen.  I would happily do it all again!

Excellent Expedition!

We chose this cruise because my husband got a nice discount being a United Airlines employee.  We had never been on a cruise before.  It’s pretty much the only way to experience Antarctica so we pulled the trigger - Antarctica was on our bucket list.  Great expeditions, attentive staff and fabulous food.  

We were pleasantly surprised with how nice everything was.  We had always thought cruises were a little tacky, so our expectations were fairly low even though it was expensive.  

The ship was super clean and well planned out.  We had meals in all three restaurants and were never disappointed.  We each had a massage and loved every minute.  We used the workout room daily as well as the hot tub, sauna and pool.  Everything was high end and most details were impeccable.

The expeditions were organized and the team made sure we made landfall each day.

It really was an amazing experience.

Amazing Antarctic Expedition.

My travel agent suggested this cruise line for me and my niece and I was frankly hesitant.  I had seen mainly good reviews, but I am not a good sailor and was hesitant to cross the Drake Passage.  This was only my second cruise and I void after the first to never sail again.  I say this whole heartedly - I would not have missed this adventure for anything.  The crew - both hotel and excursion were fantastic.  The daily lectures were interesting and plentiful.  The food was great and we never went hungry or needed anything.  We put our names in for the lottery for kayaking, camping and for the science boat.  We did not get picked for any of these excursions, but it doesn't matter - we went out every day on a cruise or a landing.  I was particularly thankful for their focus on "green cruising".  I can not speak more highly of the cruise line and the crew.  It was well worth the money.  I would sail with Hurtigruten again.

Well worth the money

We sailed with Hurtigruten for our Antarctica trip, and it couldn't have been better. The ship is beautiful and well designed with sustainability in mind. The crew is very passionate about what they do, and each member of the crew was helpful and friendly. During our cruise, we had almost 400 pax on board, but at no point did any part of the ship feel overcrowded. The landings and excursions are efficiently managed, and all the guests on board are divided up into boat groups - named after birds. The schedules for each bird groups are announced prior, so there was never any confusion on when we needed to reach the expedition deck. Once on the expedition deck at the right time, there was hardly any wait. Once on land, there was no rush to return back. I am a photographer, and spent more than 2 hours at each landing, and nobody from the expedition team hurried me to get back to the ship. The Hurtigruten app is a must, and makes life very easy on board.

Amazing expedition cruise to Antarctica

Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and the Expedition staff on Fridtjof Nansen made our dreams come true!  The expertise of the team and the pride and professionalism of the entire crew really made this cruise special.  It was clear the staff really love what they do and it made the whole trip better than any cruise we've experienced previously.  The communication on-board, given the uncertainty that is part of cruising the Antarctic made a big difference and helped everyone be prepared at the right time and for the conditions experienced.  Any concerns I had about the number of people on board (I had considered going on a smaller ship) quickly evaporated based on how organized and efficient the Expedition team was a getting folks ashore...and the time ashore was more than enough at each stop to have a great experience.  We felt safe throughout the adventure and never lacked for something to do...the shipboard lectures and presentations were excellent and again delivered by people that clearly love what they do...it just shines through in every interaction.  This trip really could not have been better...we met so many new friends and it really exceeded all of our expectations.

Trip of a Lifetime - Expedition Staff Made it Happen

Excellent services and cabins across the board. Best part is that you are at Antartica, nevertheless a good ship experience after a long day exploring makes all the difference.

Excursions are well thought out, since it is a large ship good coordination is needed.

Restaurants are great with different options of fanciness available. The removal of single use plastic was also good, makes you realize how much single use plastic there is in life on land.

Cabins are in such a way that you can store wet, excursions clothes separate from indoors clothing. This was very helpful. The cabins also included all that was needed and was really comfortable for the 10 nights we spent. Since you will cross the drake passage look for a cabin located mid-ship if you're prone to sickness, if you choose one near the bow it will move a lot more. We were somewhere in between.

My husband and I REALLY enjoyed our cruise with Hurtigruten. The staff, the expeditions, the ship amenities and the safety protocols are exceptional. 

Food: There are three restaurants to choose from while on the ship.  The food menu is diverse and flavorful. 

Expeditions: The expeditions are well planned out offering amazing experiences while keeping you safe. 

Staff: The staff our extremely friendly and greet you by name.  They are experts in their  field. You can tell they value their team culture and make their guests #1 priority. 

Ship: The ship is beautiful with great amenities . Hot tubs, dry sauna, spa, gym, pool bar, lounge bar, three restaurants, observation deck, and a very unique science lab and lecture hall!  Love that the ship is hybrid powered. 

Safety: Hurtigruten takes safety very seriously. The process to move from ship to shore is well planned out. The thoughtfulness on how to ensure a safe experience is appreciated. 

I can’t imagine a better experience. THANK YOU Hurtigruten for a trip of a lifetime!

Amazing Experience

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