We, 2 senior citizens, chose this cruise primarily because of the itinerary, i.e. visits to Rathlin Island, Iona, St. Kilda and the Isles of Scilly, amongst others. We had to wear masks on board in most enclosed areas, but these were provided free of charge. The MS Maud is a fairly small ship, so it was very easy to learn the layout and get around the ship.

This was our first Hurtigruten Expedition cruise. Prior to the cruise we had a certain degree of trepidation about the tender transfers using a RIB. However the crew were absolutely brilliant and managed the process exceedingly well, even for people with quite limited mobility. There was a varied range of excursions, with at least one included excursion in each stop. These were quite varied and included a range of bird watching opportunities and nature walks. For the more active passengers there was a range of activities including challenging hikes, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. It was definitely an active trip, rather than a leisurely trip. There were no late night discos or similar on board, which suited us very well.

The breakfast and lunch times were buffet style with a wide range of good quality food. The seating in the Aune restaurant was very comfortable. The 3 course dinners had a limited choice of options, but the food was absolutely superb. for the main course there was always a meat option, a fish option and a vegetarian option. Read more