Ferries and cruises in Norway

[Masbroughlad]

Can anybody help with this please?

I am wanting to know where I can find a map and details of ferries that go around the coast of Northern Norway (indeed, do they exist?).

I am thinking in/out of Trondheim or Tromso.

Failing that, does anybody do a domestic short break 2-3 days in and out of Norway to see the Northern Lights.

We aim to go in late November this year.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Greenback]

Hurtigruten run ferries along the Norwegian coast. The website is http://www.hurtigruten.com/uk/. They aren't a cruise line in the traditional sense, there's very little in the way of entertainment and you can book journeys between any of the ports as far as I'm aware.

You can also organise your own trip by flying in to somewhere like Tromso, which is within the Arctic Circle and seems to be regarded as a good base for those who want to see the Northern Lights. It also has Europe's most northerly brewery, if you fancy a beer (and you have plenty of spare cash!)

 

[306024]

Yep Hurtigruten is the way to go, but not cheap at all. They have daily departures and a variety of ships to chose from. The 'entertainment' when crossing the arctic circle is not for the faint hearted though

Last time in Tromso I was told a small micro brewery had started a bit further north just to upset the advertising. Don't know if it is still going or was just a publicity stunt. Beer not cheap either.

 

[Greenback]

Nothing is cheap in Norway. Twenty years ago it was £7 for a large beer.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Yep Hurtigruten is the way to go, but not cheap at all. They have daily departures and a variety of ships to chose from. The 'entertainment' when crossing the arctic circle is not for the faint hearted though

Why is that? Rough seas, dodging icebergs or something else?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

These people go to Iceland for the aurora.
http://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/NMP18646.htm

Beware bad weather though.
A relative booked an expensive cruise in March to see the solar eclipse (Faroes) and aurora (Iceland), and failed to see either.
The nearest I got to the aurora was being woken up after a night flight from LA to be told we'd missed a superb display over Greenland.
It's still on the to-do list.

 

[High Dyke]

These people go to Iceland for the aurora.
http://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/NMP18646.htm

Beware bad weather though.
A relative booked an expensive cruise in March to see the solar eclipse (Faroes) and aurora (Iceland), and failed to see either.
The nearest I got to the aurora was being woken up after a night flight from LA to be told we'd missed a superb display over Greenland.
It's still on the to-do list.

I know the feeling... We went to Iceland a couple of years ago, but cloud preventing us seeing the aurora - local guides reckoned the weather had been poor for a couple weeks. Flew with Icelandair from Manchester. http://www.icelandair.co.uk/offers-...packages/item683134/northern_lights_holidays/

Sorry...haven't got any experience of Norway (yet...)

 

[306024]

Why is that? Rough seas, dodging icebergs or something else?

Something else.

With alcohol prices being as steep as they are, the best (only) way to get a free drink is to volunteer for the 'ceremony' crossing the Arctic Circle. One of the crew dress up as Neptune, and participants get the pleasure of him putting iced water down the back of the neck. All very silly but the reactions are good fun. The drink is to take away the shivers afterwards.

 

[Gordon]

Hurtigruten run ferries. They aren't a cruise line in the traditional sense,

Hurtigruten is definitely not a cruise line in the traditional sense. Historically it was the sea equivalent of the railway 'pick up goods' collecting and delivering mail and provisions etc to ports. Nowadays they can get away with not serving that market so much as road links have been improved to and along coastal areas.

I get rather irritated that they market the product abroad as a cruise nowadays to pull in the tourist market, which is why I think the fares are ridiculously expensive.



.

 

[Greenback]

Hurtigruten is definitely not a cruise line in the traditional sense. Historically it was the sea equivalent of the railway 'pick up goods' collecting and delivering mail and provisions etc to ports. Nowadays they can get away with not serving that market so much as road links have been improved to and along coastal areas.

I get rather irritated that they market the product abroad as a cruise nowadays to pull in the tourist market, which is why I think the fares are ridiculously expensive.

I'm sure they market their sailing as a cruise to visitors to offset the traditional traffic they have lost to the roads, otherwise they would have gone the same way as the pick up goods!

Some people do like the chance to sail without all the nonsense of a 'proper' cruise ship. The sailings are just as popular with Norwegians, if not more so. My friends from Oslo have done a few trips of varying lengths, they find it very relaxing, though I don't think they've spent longer than six days on board.

 

[AM9]

Did 5 days in Tromso two years ago. Three days could be a little hit and miss as the coastal areas are frequently under cloud. Firstly there has to be a significant cornal ejection to get much to see. There are predictions for about 5 days hence.
Most sightings are by travelling inland where the air is dryer, (and MUCH colder). There are several daily coach trips every night from Tromso. Here is a website where you can see the activity at every 10 minute interval at night, from a fisheye camera in Tromso.

http://polaris.nipr.ac.jp/~acaurora/aurora/Tromso/

Check the 'Back Number' text and look at dates in bold on the calendar. The best times for seeing them are late winter followed by Sept/Nov. The problem with midwinter is that with the very short day if there is no aurora, there isn't much time to do anything else. Great place to visit though. Local beer (good) in march 2013 was £7-£8 per 1/2 litre. Main course of dinner £25-£40.

 

[miami84]

I've just come back from Norway. We did the Hurtigruten from Alesund to Bergen. It was very expensive but comparable to the Copenhagen to Oslo DFDS ferry. The ship we travelled on was operated very like a cruise ship with costly excursions offered in each port. If you want a really good day out try the Norled island hopping trip from Bergen. Halfway through the trip is a great voyage on a small boat that delivers the mail to remote islands.

 

[Ploughman]

Many years back I did the coastal steamer from Bergen up to Trondheim as part of a triangular trip around Norway.
Newcastle - Bergen by sea, Bergen - Trondheim by ferry, Trondheim - Oslo by train and back to Bergen by train stopping at Finse to meet the Troll.
It is a memorable trip and worth doing. It was also pricey then.

However on the ferry trip you will see every little wharf along the coast.

When I did the trip in about 1972 the ferry dated from the very early 1900's and not fitted with stabilisers. Not to bad when in the Fjords but when you had to go out into the North Sea to round the headland you knew about it.