We hoped to see the Aurora and experience the stunning arctic scenery. We chose the 7-day Northbound cruise with flights back to the UK from Kirkenes. The prices for the excursions were very high, nevertheless we chose the dog-sledding as an experience of a lifetime. It lived up to expectations. The 'Cathedral tour' at one town though, was priced at over £100pp - we decided to walk the half mile from the boat instead and paid the £12 entry fee. It was the same with several other expensive 'walking tours' of small towns/villages - we simply explored ourselves. Other activities billed as lasting 2.5hours failed to mention 1 hour coach transfers etc. On board the breakfasts and buffet-style lunches were quite good, but repetitive each day. There was no* choice on the dinner menu - a set 3 courses each day; and the quality was unremarkable given the eloquence of the written description of the dishes on the menu. (*If you really didn't want what was on offer for a given evening, it was possible to ask for 'the alternative' by prior arrangement by lunchtime that day) A £100+ 'drinks package' bought just 3 bottles of wine - and individually a pint of beer varied between £10 - £12.25 (on shore, even in the more remote villages the price was only £7.50) The bar on board was only available after 3.00pm and was the only place to get free coffee during the day outside meal times) All in all, most things were overpriced and struggled to live up to to their descriptions in the brochure. HOWEVER - the scenery was stunning throughout, and the 'Expedition Team' were knowledgeable, lively and positive, and keen to help guests get the most out of their voyage. Read Less

Even though we saw them on 3 nights, be aware - Northern lights are NOT coloured to the naked eye. If your cabin is on the gangway side you get woken in the middle of the night with all the stops. Not enough to do on board except sit in the lounge area, some good talks and films. Board games available. The gangway area and walk path to coaches were not treated, so snow and ice v. slippery. Not yet a 'cruise' line as it advertises itself. No medical facilities Twin/single cabins have a large metal handle on the side of bed making getting in and out difficult. Buffet meals were good, but if lunch was a buffet, dinner was a fixed (no choice) menu served slowly and lukewarm. Excursions over-priced. Small poorly equipped gym MS Nordlys is the most recently refitted Hurtigruten ship but Hurtigruten can't seem to decide if they are still a Post ship with lots of short stops, or a Cruise line Read Less

This was our first cruise. We wanted to see Norway without frenetic travelling. It suited a couple who like the quieter things in life. It didn’t fail to please. Lectures and points of interest calls made for an interesting trip aboard a ship with helpful, friendly staff. Accommodation was in clean, adequate cabins and there was plenty of really delicious food. The itinerary was amazing. The Norwegian coast is truly beautiful. The northbound trip allowed daytime trips to Trondheim, Tromsø and the North Cape, while an extra day spent in Bergen allowed us to take in the sights there too. All longer stops can be enjoyed as excursions or as we did, using local sources or just a map! Hurtigruten operate a well-oiled machine. Clear information was forwarded prior to the trip. Transfers were included, including the optional extra day in Bergen. It allowed us to take a truly relaxing break. The polar outside cabin pretty well always faced shore, northbound, though in fjords, cabin side did not matter. The ship offered a fairly smooth trip. The highlights - late night sail into the Trollfjord, the breathtaking North Cape and a glimpse of the northern lights. Read Less

We wished to see the Norweigan coast. Even though the price was high, it is a ferry. People without sleeping accommodations sleeping all over seating areas. Food quite diverse but very good. The buffet breakfast and lunch are like fish feeding frenzies . Ran out of popular items. Other than for two servers the meal service was horrible. Very short staffed. Also bad timing for one of the lunches, which was not buffet. Sit down meal and an hour later we’re not served and because we booked a tour we basically finished eating after 3 and were supposed to have diner at 5:30. Couldn’t get wine and water, or even order wine. Expedition team outstanding. However, tours are quite costly. Glad we went on the trip but did not receive value for what we paid. Would not recommend if you wish quality service. Beautiful scenery along the way. I would recommend a shorter trip as there are repeat stops returning to Bergen. Read Less

We were travelling from Alesund to Bergen. It cost 337 Gbp for my girlfriend and I, so very expensive and our hopes were high. There was very little information before the trip, then no one to meet us at the terminal, everyone just had to work it our for themselves. The cabin was tiny, barely room for us and our bags once the beds were folded out. We couldn't move past each other. It was extremely loud during the night, and very difficult to sleep. It was also cold, with no obvious way to change the temperature or any information to help us with that. We wish we had just got the bus. That said, the breakfast was good with good selection of food and the staff were friendly on board. The staff were also quick to clear plates and tables during breakfast, while all food was regularly topped up if it ran out. The staff on check in were also friendly, and gave the easiest route to the room (although the information was slightly wrong so took us longer to find our room than expected. The scenery was nice, helped by the sunny weather near bergen. Disembarking was a free for all, and then we're held in long queues with no information. That was fine for us as 27 year olds, but there were a number of elderly passengers who were forced to stand and wait for a while with no help or information. As we were only on the ship for one night, we are unable to comment on lunch, dinner, entertainment, activities and excursions, as we didn't experience any of these things. Read Less

As a ferry Hurtigruten does an excellent job making on scheduled stops to ports up and down the Norway coast. However, as a cruise ship it disappoints. I booked an 11-day CRUISE on Hurtigruten Nordlys in April. However, it is not a cruise ship, it is a FERRY that transports cargo, people (Norwegians) and their cars up and down the coast of Norway. Due to poor infrastructure road travel is not a choice, but airplane travel is lately becoming the preferred choice, both for people and cargo, necessitating Hurtigruten to fill its ships with cruise travelers. However, it is a ferry and operates as a ferry, stopping in many ports per day for anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes each (commercial) port. There were four days where we never stopped long enough to get out, and only five ports total with stops of longer than three and a half hours. So, most of the time was spent on the ship gazing at the lovely island and seascape that after a while became the monotonous seascape. My fellow cruisers were mostly from Sweden, Denmark and Germany and while we were all upbeat, I could see the disappointment on their faces. A cruise ship would take a more scenic route and stop at charming ports for several hours. While on board, it would offer many activities and entertainment, as well as be an actual charming cruise ship and not a passenger/cargo vessel. While the price of a ferry ride and a cruise may be comparable (some less), the drink and offshore tours are exorbitant. A single shot of scotch served on the rocks is 99K ($11.32), glass of prosecco 109K ($12.47). A 2-1/2 hour bus tour to see the Norway/Russian border at Kirkenes 1170K ($133.81). Ferry boat prices!!! These prices are far less on a cruise ship. Food was good, freshest and tastiest fish you could ever eat, buffet for breakfast and lunch and dinner was a set meal, although we were given local food with history and information to go with it, a pleasant experience. The crew was friendly and professional, the ship was clean, but that did not stop a norovirus outbreak on day six. I am glad had the ferry experience, however, 11 days was overkill. Four days would have sufficed. Read Less

• Background Information We are a retired couple who have travelled a great deal; however, we’d never done a cruise being put off by the thought of thousands of people on the same vessel. A fellow traveller recommended Hurtigruten after doing one on MS Lofoten. We liked the idea of a smaller ship without the nonsense of casinos, bars, and stage shows. • Travel To Port of Embarkation Icelandair YEG – KEF – OSL. This is our preferred airline for travel to Europe. The service is excellent; it breaks up a long flight into tolerable pieces; it avoids the very large airports with their chaos and noise. On the return, we stayed a few days in Reykjavik, one of our favourite destinations. OSL – BGO was SAS, a good flight. • Hotel Info (if any) Outbound: Radisson Blu, Bergen. Nice hotel, great central location. Return: The Thief (aptly named) Oslo where we hoped to see a bit of the city, but by the we factored in the long train ride there an back, there was no time for any significant touring and the hotel was very, very, very expensive. It would be nice to figure out a way to avoid Oslo altogether. • Stateroom Very comfortable, much better than we expected. The HVAC worked perfectly as did the WC and shower. All better than many hotels. We are both pretty good sailors, but still appreciated a centre cabin, low in the ship. • Ship Info Very seaworthy and comfortable. Able to handle 3m seas with little wallowing or corkscrewing. The seamanship of the crew was astounding. We were able to moor and depart without the slightest bump or clank. We needed to look outside to tell whether we were underway or not. • Dining Excellent quality and variety. Sampling some of the local specialities with table service was an unexpected treat. More salads would be appreciated, though understandably this is a bit tricky at sea. • Activities We enjoyed watching the islands and fiords pass by along with exploring the many ports of call along the way. That’s what we came for and we were not disappointed. • Children's Clubs N/A • Service Table service was generally excellent. We particularly liked Zarah, Jorgen, Kristin, & Marte who all seem perpetually in a good mood. I was only snarled at once by a server who shall remain ever nameless. Housekeeping was variable. At the start, our cabin was made up by early morning; later, it seemed to take much longer. We were happy to participate in the programme to skip days for environmental reasons, though later we had to abandon this as having the room serviced was the only way to get the tiny waste basket emptied. We would have done this ourselves except that dustbins are rare on this ship. • Entertainment There were a number of lectures and films about folklore, history, nature, geography. These were all excellent, both content and presentation. An educational dimension is very appealing and one of the reasons to go on a cruise such as this. I have a special interest in both the energy business and the environment so the talk on North Sea O & G was particularly à propos. Something that needs attention is the canned music that filled the lounges and bars at times. This was really bad, screechy R & R and popular music, at times so loud that we had to leave. No one seemed able or willing to turn it off or down. On a relaxing, nature-themed cruise, maybe Grieg or Sibelius or some of the other fine European composers? • Port & Shore Excursions We enjoyed visiting the various ports on our own. We did not participate in the organised excursions seeing them as both expensive and rushed. Besides, we are from a Northern country where snowmobiles, X country skis, snowshoes are not a novelty. • Disembarkation Very efficient. The ship was cleared in 20m. Nothing was lost or broken. The buses were all waiting. No improvement needed • Summary This was a very enjoyable and relaxing cruise. We would not hesitate to use Hurtigruten again; the quality is first class. A little more information on some of the peripheral details would be nice: transportation options to-from airports, location of the Hurtigruten mooring, tips on packing, &c. Most of this we had to figure out ourselves and our travel agent did not do a very good job of finding this out. Still, we’ll know what to do next time. Finally, French language services would be appreciated. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it advertised exactly what we were looking for and wanted something special to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. It surpassed all of this. Embarkation and disembarkation was a very smooth event. Staff were helpful and friendly at all times during the voyage, The expedition team were fabulous, keeping us constantly informed with points of interests and gatherings. Nothing was too much trouble. Food was more than excellent and great to be offered Norwegian food with all the information and history that went with it. The cafe was open for 24 hours so with our package we could have tea and coffee any time of the day. We certainly needed a hot drink after being on deck to see the Northern Lights three nights running. Considering the ship is going in for refurbishment very soon it was still spotlessly clean which was very noticeable. I really hope it doesn't end up like an 'Ikea' ship. We didn't like the decor and furniture on the Kong Harold that we were able to visit. Read Less

So the ship is a working ferry and it desperately needs a refurbishment. Scuffed carpet, stuffing coming out of chairs in the lounge etc. Coffee machines that don't work. The ship made roughly 20+ stops but most of them are for only 15 minutes so you cannot get off. I was able to get off in Alesund (gorgeous), Bodo (gorgeous), Trondheim (gorgeous) and Tromso (gorgeous) and Honningsvag (gorgeous). Very disappointed that we stopped in the Lofoten Islands in the middle of the night. We disembarked in Kirkenes. Cabin was an outside but it is incredibly cramped and I was the only person in it. Heaven help 2 people in the cabin. I opted for no cleaning service during the 6 days. The bed was uncomfortable but the bathroom floor was heated which was nice and the shower had excellent pressure and hot. Our tour group (from Australia) had full board but were still charged for coffee/tea outside of meal times which was just money grabbing by Hurtigruten. I'm a vegan and my food choices were very easy at breakfast and lunch because it was a buffet but dinner was a different matter. The first night I was given a chickpea curry which was extremely good and I had such high hopes however dinner for the rest of the cruise was hideous. A vegetable patty EVERY night. I cannot even look at a veggie patty now. The chef didn't even try to come up with something different or interesting for me. There was absolutely nothing to do except sit in the lounge and look at the scenery, which was beautiful, but after a while got very boring. There was one large jigsaw puzzle and a library. I also found that people hogged the chairs in the lounge all day, every day. Each night there was a talk by the Expedition team but it was really just to spruik the ship tours which were all very expensive. A lot of our group chose the NordKapp (North Cape) tour. When I confirmed my booking, I was told that the price I was looking at was the old price and the staff hadn't had time to change the pricing sheet. Our tour leader was ropable and quickly sorted it out so that we paid the advertised price, not the "new" price. The Expedition staff were not particularly helpful. The NordKapp excursion was wonderful and the bus follows a snow plough all the way to the Cape. My tip is to go and see the film first and then go down to the globe. If you do it that way, you are likely to get less people in your globe photo. I have the globe with no people in it (yay!). There is plenty to see there and the scenery is fantastic in winter. Recommendation: if you want to see the Northern Lights, don't do it by ship. Go to places like Tromso and Kirkenes and do trips out each night to hunt them. Stay in Kirkenes at the Snowhotel and take a dog sled ride, snowmobile ride, meet the reindeers. Stay in either a Gamme cabin (fabulous) or in the Snowhotel igloo itself. The one night in Kirkenes was a better experience for me than the entire 6 day cruise. Thank heavens I didn't have to do the return cruise! Read Less

The ship is less than basic as it is a ferry and working ship, but that is no excuse for sacrificing passenger facilities leaving repairs (our wardrobe door was coming off its hinges, the ladies sauna out of action and much else) unattended to over a near 2 week trip. They charge for everything including tea and coffee except at lmeal times and it is not cheap even though it is poor quality coffee. No entertainment if any kind save a single scrabble set in Norwegian and a chess set, no cards a very few books. If, as we had due to harsh sea conditions, you have days at sea with no stop long enough to get off the ship there is nothing to do but sit and stare out of a window and stunning but very much the same landscape and sea scenes for the whole trip. Dinner is a set menu, no choices so heaven help a fussy eater. If you want to see the northern lights there are better ways and we would suggest a proper cruise company or fly to a suitable location. Read Less

Wanted to see the Northern lights, and Norway in winter. This ship is very badly in need of updating, not enough seating for all guests and a lot of threadbare seats. Food served at dinner was never hot , mostly lukewarm. Food buffet style for breakfast and lunch also never kept hot for the hot dishes. Food items on buffet frequently ran out. Last nights left over desserts served again at lunch. Hygiene very poor as food serving tongs and spoons and forks etc ended up on top of food on the serving trays, passengers were not checked to ensure use of alcohol hand cleansing before entering restaurant. Not enough staff to serve and clear away used plates etc although they were trying hard and were very pleasant. From advertising we were expecting interesting lectures/ talks in the evenings, nothing like this happened. Talks that were given were usually transplanted into two or three languages so we had to wait for each part to be translated to the other guests. Often the talks were just advertising for excursions off the ship. Evenings were very long and boring if you went to first sitting. Passengers had to make their own drinks after evening dinner. Passengers frequently had to carry their mugs of hot drinks up from deck 4 to lounges on deck 7 because the hot water machine on deck 7 was out of use, a dangerous procedure in rough seas,. Very often on deck 7 there was no cold water and glasses, unfortunate as the small fitness room was also on deck7 and water was not provided in there. Not enough staff around ship to aid any disabled passenger in fact staff numbers were so low it was not easy to find anyone. Cabins very much required attention and updating mattress condition on bunks very poor and uncomfortable. Cabin cleaning done by waiters obviously some were not correctly trained ! Warning of severe weather conditions not given till last minute ie “ we are closing the lifts due to the severe weather conditions we are experiencing “ again not a thought for disabled passengers who might not get back to their cabins easily as unable to manage all the steep stairs. Read Less

I only had time for the 'half cruise' but enjoyed every minute. Nordlys is showing her age a little with some frayed carpets and furnishings in public areas but is shiny, clean and comfortable. She will be refitted later this year. Embarkation in Kirkenes, northern turnaround port, took three minutes as my taxi took me directly to the gangplank. Buses from the airport and local hotels are also available. Kirkenes deserves a day before you embark. Go to the Russian border, see the Snowhotel, fish for King Crabs or try snow activities. My cabin (353) was one of the cheapest with a port hole and fine for one or two, although not luxurious. Cabins on the port side, like mine, are closer to the cargo bay where goods are unloaded and loaded during the many stops day and night. I was fine with this but it meant a little extra noise which may annoy others. Pick starboard and you'll be fine. Whichever you choose, it's stunning scenery from beginning to end. Breakfast and lunch are buffets, always plenty of choice with lots of fish. Evening meals are usually three course sit-down affairs. Excellent food always with local produce in sensible quantities and swiftly-served. It's a Norwegian ship in Norwegian waters so alcohol is expensive but there's a good selection (don't miss beer from the northernmost brewery Mack brewed in Tromso) There were only 360 passengers on my cruise but sometimes it was a challenge to find a seat/table in the public areas. No entertainment as such but fascinating daily talks by the cheerful Expedition team, and a small library. Brilliant staff all round, well-led by Captain Johannes. There's a varied range of excursions and hikes to suit all levels of fitness. Again not cheap but high quality and good value. I enjoyed the bus/ferry tour A Taste of Vesteralen, well-organised with plenty of interesting stops, and a magical midnight concert in the Arctic Cathedral, Tromso. I also sampled a short twilight hike in Bronnoysund, crunching through the snow. Disembarkation in Bergen was fine and speedy. Again, there were buses (extra charge) to the airport, rail station and local hotels but I happily towed my little suitcase into the town for an extra night after a very enjoyable short break in Norway. Thanks Hurtigruten! I am now planning to visit Svalbard in 2020 but would be delighted to take this trip again - maybe north-south next time? Read Less

Chose Cruise as norther lights guaranteed viewing at this time of year. Whispy clouds was our view of the lights, a lot of 100% cloud cover nights, obviously nature and not fault of Hurtigruten. The ship it self is outdated and going in for a make over, it needs it. But the public areas were clean and plenty of seating. THe coastline of Norway is spectacular at this time of year and somewhat made up for the poor showing of the aurora. Cabin as expected (superior arctic), heated bathroom floor was appreciated. Cabin not vacuumed or sheets changed the entire 11 nights of cruise. EVERYTHING is expensive, "expedition" team were moody and sometimes rude apart from Sven who was a delight and always helfpul and full of information and answered any question. The food was as most people have mentioned, Generally food was cold and boring after 11 days of the same type of menu. No choices for the evening meal, take it or leave it. Excursions were expensive but you pay it because you may not get the opportunity again to experience some things. There are not too many private options either as most port times are very short. We went on bus trips, snowmobiled, sledding and viking visit. All were good fun, expensive but worth the $$ for the unique experience in most cases. Overall we enjoyed the trip, the scenery breathtaking. Read Less

We wanted to book a Norwegian cruise on a smallish ship and to be able to sail into small ports and fijords also to see the northern lights. We achieved all of this on the Nordylis. However listening to some passengers who had been on other larger ships, if you are looking for pure luxury and entertainment then this is definitely not the cruise for you. Also you have to remember that this is a working boat so. Calls into several ports during the night so expected broken sleep on the first few nights. You soon become acclimatised to the noise so wasn’t too much of a nuisance to us. The food served at the buffets is varied and everyone should be able to ind something they like. The set meals are quite small portions which again suited us as we had the 8pm sitting and didn’t want to go to bed after heavy meal. It looked beautiful and we enjoyed all the different Norwegian recipes served but again heard some people complaining about the portion sizes and menu. The answer to this is to speak to the head waitress either earlier in the day to change whatever it is you don’t fancy or speak to the waitress when it is brought to the table and they will change it/ bring you more etc. They couldn’t have been more helpful. Also be warned that an average bottle of wine is £45 +! A glass of wine or beer is £10! The prices are roughly the same in the local alcohol stores so it’s not that Hurtigruten are over charging it is just the price of everything generally in Norway. We took alcohol on board with us to drink in our cabin and it did not cause a problem. If you want a different and reasonably priced experience with good food and beautiful scenery this is definitely the cruise for you. Read Less

I choosed it because it is the easiest way from bergen to the lofoten. I heard about hurtigruten in german TV and liked it. But it was much better than i ever expected. I will absolutely do it again and take all the tour north and back south. I really appreciated the work of the expedition team. They do a great job and i can absolutely recommend vitising every workshop, excusion and presentation we had on board. please check it out. you will never forget it. You can't get this point of view when you are traveling alone in norway like i do. It is expensive, yes. But i am on my own in norway, traveling alone and on the ship it felt like going on a trip with my classmates. At first i was alone, but with every excursion we had and with every meal i met more and more people and when i was leaving the ship some people huged me and stand outside on the ship and waved me. it feld so nice and it was so easy to get in contact with new people. Read Less

We chose this cruise specifically because it gives you the greatest chance of seeing the Northern lights. We followed the advice from Hurtigruten about what camera lens to buy and to take a tripod but what they don't tell you is that there is also a 99p app from I-phone which will enable you to take pictures of the Northern Lights when they are weak, as was the case with our cruise. We only found out about this app by chance, on talking to a fellow passenger who had got some spectacular photos with her phone the previous day. So, I would advise anyone who wants to get photos of the Northern Lights to do both, take the equipment advised by Hurtigruten but also get the app! You will also need a good hat, coat, gloves and winterlined trousers if you plan to be on deck at night to get the photos as the windchill factor is high! The My Aurora forecast is also useful, although they do give a Northern Light forecast at the Gatherings. On the plus side, the boat was clean and well equipped, the food was very good - they were happy to provide me with vegetarian and gluten-free food without complaint - a very refreshing change! My favourite was the rice porridge at breakfast and the dessert of rice pudding and berry sauce in the evening. The restaurant staff were helpful, particularly Margarethe and Anna. The cabin we had on the 3rd deck was small but adequate and well equipped - the heated shower floor is a godsend as you go further north. There is a small library with English books accessed through the a-la-carte restaurant, which also provides seating if other areas are busy. We spent most of our time in the panoramic lounge on deck 7, which gives spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. I can also recommend going ashore at Urke on the north-bound voyage - you don't have to pay for this but do need a ticket (something we were not aware of) - if you don't get a ticket, wait until the other tenders have left and they provided another tender for those passengers left who wanted to go. It's a very pretty area in spectacular scenery and worth seeing. The excursion to the North Cape was very good, made better by our guide "Bob" who provided a very funny commentary to our trip there and back. The excursion to Hammerfest was also interesting, if not as funny! Sailing through the Trollfjord area was also a highlight with snow-covered mountains. The main thing we enjoyed was sailing along with a book, looking at all the different landscapes. It's also good to stretch your legs when the boat is in port for an hour or so. We enjoyed the Gatherings held by the Expedition Team in the evenings - very informative and also got to see the photos taken by various passengers during the day. It was worthwhile having the package including free coffee, although the bar and coffee machine on deck 7 was only open from 4 pm - the café on deck 4 was open 24 hours. Tap water is OK to drink from the cabins and also free in the restaurants. There is a list of the days activities available from the Expedition Team area every evening, also next day's menu at the front of the restaurant. We asked for a table for 2 from the restaurant manager for the evening meal and this was provided without any trouble - otherwise you sit on a table with other passengers and keep that table for the whole cruise. On the minus side, the trips are very expensive, as are the beer and wine packages. It was difficult to get a seat when there were no trips and everyone was on the boat. It was also very busy in the restaurant at such times for breakfast and lunch. The big complaint I have is that we waited over an hour to check-in to our Titan Airway flight in Bergen on the way home. This is really unacceptable and should be addressed. Otherwise, check-in and check-out on the boat was very well organised. Read Less

We went on our first cruise with friends and didn’t want a cruise where we had to dress up for dinner. The brochure made this sound perfect and we thought we’d give it a go. We had high expectations and they were exceeded. Ship marvellous, outstanding and very hard working staff and wonderful excursions. Food excellent and so many choices. We loved every minute even in changing weather, rain and cold climate. The Expedition Team are fabulous - they brought enthusiasm to all they did and were happy to help. We hope to be back to Hurtigruten for a cruise in the future. Would thoroughly recommend. It thoroughly exceeded our high expectations. We saw so many wonderful places and the excursions were amazing - Sami culture, an amazing marble mine, a Lofoten fishing village and so many more choices. Visiting the North Cape was wonderful but cold! I can not recommend highly enough. Read Less

We had a fantastic time on the MS Nordlys. Even though this is one of the Hurtigruten ships that has not yet been renovated, the facilities were still very comfortable and appealing. We were amazed how creatively the cabin was designed to create the maximum amount of space. The embarkation and disembarkation went very, very smoothly. The same was true for the dining room and other facilities. The ship operated very efficiently and effectively. The dinner menu featured fresh fish with an outstanding and creative use of local ingredients. The crew and staff were absolutely topnotch, friendly, courteous, professional, and fluent in a number of languages, especially English and German. Because it is a ferry ship as well as a postal ship, a Hurtigruten ship like MS Nordlys has a number of responsibilities as it makes its way up and down the Norwegian coast. That is not typical for a cruise ship. But for passengers, it means that you get to see how a working ship operates, including a test of the lifeboats. If you are interested in a cruise with pools, organized games, and live entertainment on board, then this is not the cruise for you. If you are interested in seeing the beauty of the natural world every single day, then you should definitely consider it. The Expedition Team added an educational element to the cruise with periodic evening lectures and short talks on "Points of Interest." I attended more of these than most passengers, because I appreciated the additional information about the geology, ecology, and Norwegian culture. Our Hurtigruten cruise was definitely the highlight of our entire time in Norway. I would absolutely book again. It's not entirely clear from their booking website, but you can embark and disembark at different points, not just at the main terminals of Bergen and Kirkenes. This makes is possible to design your own trip. We found, however, that the northbound trip from Bergen to Kirkenes provided a good amount of time. Anything shorter would have felt too rushed. Read Less

Always wanted to do the Norwegian coastal voyage *NOTE* NOT 'Norwegian fjords' -the only option listed on this supposedly comprehensive site!! Bought as inside no-single-supplement, but upgraded to outside with portholes on deck 2. Embarking/ disembarking both very efficient and well organised. Cruise card for on board expenses. Ship is mid 90s and mid sized for hurtigruten - easy to get around, cosy, not too big. Due for refurb next spring. No problems getting seats in any lounges. Other passengers mainly older, on full round trip, with younger doing local trips, along with native norwegians. No problems with being a single passenger, felt comfortable at all times - plenty of others travelling alone. Cabin more than adequate, portholes a boon. Some would not like low deck (some ship noise - but hey if you don't like waves slapping against the hull, don't come on a ship! Read Less

The travel timings were precise and everything went smoothly. However all the meals in the restaurant were lukewarm and often ran out without being replenished. The restaurant service was slow and the prices for the wine, beer etc were overpriced. The cheapest bottle of house wine was NOK 500. We priced in local supermarkets at NOK 124. Considering that Hurtigruten would purchase this at a wholesale not retail price - is an extortionate mark up. We found the excursions very expensive and the content rather staid and due to the ship's fast turnaround time extremely rushed. Most people we spoke to either walked or took a taxi towards the end of the trip as soon as they realised the poor value for money. However there is no getting away from the fact that the Norwegian scenery is spectacular and therefore despite our negative comments we are glad that we went. Read Less

To see the fjords north of Norway and all the small ports of call onboard a "coast cruiseliner" during wintertime. It is the company's 150 years aniversery Embarcation and disembarcation vent smoothly Ports and Shore excursions were well organised but far too expensive. A cruise of adventures which you need to do once in your lifetime In the lounges it was calm and relaxing and from time to time breath taking scenery ,mountains covered with snow and ice,and near sea level small assembling of houses. The weather shifted between snowfalls, snowstorm and sun,and during the nights we expected to see "aurora-the nothernlights" but it did not show up ( overcasted). The food was excellent for breakfast as well as luch, so was dinner too. The excursion team had in the afternoon a lession for the days events and an information for the following day. Also lessions of the "Hurtigrutens " beginning with its history up to day was given. You cannot miss this unique opportunity to be so close to the nature and at the same time so safe onboard this lovely ship Read Less

Embarkation was in Bergen and I took a early flight to explore Bergen. I was happy I could get rid of my luggage at 13hrs to go into town. It’s a nice town. We disembarked on a Saturday and the weather was lovely and Bergen was vibrant than. A lot of people, full terraces: great! The voyage itself was awesome! The itinerary was unbelievable beautiful. Maybe because it was in the spring but we had a lot of snow but also were able to sit in the sun on deck. One of my best trips ever! The staff are overall are very kind and helpful. And they make the difference in my opinion. Catherina at the bar, the expedition team. People you remember. Also I like the fact that this Hurtigruten trip is of use to the people of Norway..Not just one of the too large cruise ships who look ugly in the landscape. There is to much fresh food 3 times a day :) Just visit the fjords of Norway. Just so amazing beautiful. Read Less

All the services on board, very good ship, cabin ok, dining ok, but impossible because the weather to go to the North Cape. we have known an other way of life with sea and the cold and fishing. People quiet and very clean. All the services at the hour, all excursion very well organized. Very good travel, Hurtigruten is a wonderful company. We don't know if you come again in spring or summer but we hope to make it. we find sometime, the time in the harbour is very short to discover the city and take a drink in a "café" to meet people of the country. But we know the boat is also a cargo and a "bus" for the norvegian people. Last thing we think, we find that there is nor enough french announces, some time it is difficult to ear all the informations. But we have seen some "aurores boréales" it is a very great moment. Read Less

Once we made the south bounded tour from Kirkenes to Bergen, in summer. Now we wanted to make the north tour in winter especially because of the polar light, but also to see the coast in winter, e.g North pole. Of course we made a sight seeing trip throuh Bergen, although it was raining. The embarkation and disembarkation was smooth, and without hectic. In both situations the luggage was satisfactory brought into and out of the ship, so we didn't have to handle it myself. We used as long two ships, MS Nordnorge and MS Nordlys. Both were very well equiped, enough space to relaxe and to see the surrounding. The cabin was only used for sleeping and dressing, therefor it was o.k. The dining was excellent, especially in accordance to the local region. The activities were excellent, the expedition team was the best team we ever have seen. The service was also out of discussion, excellent. Because of the expedition teams te excursions were very good prepared. The evening before you became information, all questions were answered, pictures were shown, he work shop about making photos of polar light was excellent. We had no children with us, but perhaps when our grandchilds are elder. Of course we will repeat travelling with Hurtigruten. Read Less

The travel arrangements were very easy and straightforward. A very traditional ship kitted out with plenty of oak, brass and glass lighting. We chose a cabin on the promenade deck (deck 5) which was both compact but extremely comfortable. Our cabin choice included a ‘tea package’ and wi-if which were both used daily. The dining was very informal, buffet breakfast and lunch offering a variety of foods for every taste and dinner was a set 3 course menu, well thought out using their local produce The Expedition Team was a definite bonus - very interesting talks and lectures and up to date information delivered via the ships tannoy. You must remember it is a vital ferry service to the coastal communities and has a schedule to keep but the crew and staff worked very hard to offer a great service to its ‘cruising’ passengers You visit 34 ports both day and night and some with just a 15 minute turnaround but the times you can go adhere there a a number of trips and excursions on offer and we thoroughly enjoyed the ones we did. The fishing villages trip at Kikenes, snowmobiling and the Vesteralen excursion were 3 of our favourites. Actually seeing the Northern Lights is the icing on the cake - it is not guaranteed BUT there is an extremely good chance they will show during this cruise at some time - you must be patient!! Overall, an excellent time aboard and ashore Read Less