HURTIGRUTEN'S NORTHERN LIGHTS
Malcolm Bassett-Smith takes a cruise on Nordkapp
It has to be admitted that there are those that want a cruise as an opportunity to show off finery and grandeur. This offering blissfully leaves that box totally unticked! I am of course talking of Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights trips from Bergen to Kirkenes (and back, if wished).
I always promised myself sight of the Northern Lights, it wasn’t simply a wish list entry, but a quest to show achievement and a reward for being an ‘all round good chap’ and on my 70th birthday, when could be better.
There have been a few times in the past when I have visited Norway, but the Green Goddess never danced for me. I was told that it was because I was inland rather than at sea where light pollution is minimal. I didn’t need telling twice.
Hurtigruten is the longest established player in this market having started out as a ferry operator spanning the whole of Norway from Oslo to Kirkenes. Then some bright spark said ‘why don’t we use up capacity by offering Northern Lights packages’. It worked and before you knew it the aurora became the winter season’s biggest draw.
The most popular offering is from Bergen, although there is nothing to stop you from boarding at any of the fifteen or so points on route. And, as I discovered, there is nothing to stop you starting out on one voyage, taking a break to spend extra time in a favourite location and then hopping onboard the next boat that comes along.
Whilst this may be an integral part of Norway’s transport infrastructure Hurtigruten is anything other that being a frequent ‘ro-ro’. It is a true ship, but with vehicle capacity!
The whole fleet makes similar offerings, which are smart, informal, comfortable and relaxed – no glitter, no bling!
We leave Bergen following the statutory safety briefing and check out our cabins. Mine is perfectly fine and the bottle of Moet makes it even more inviting. A buffet dinner and we are off in a northerly direction.
I discover that my planned excursion for the following morning is cancelled due to a low take-up and it doesn’t bother me in the least. In truth I am still jiggered from a very full day of travelling. As it happens, Hurtigruten can offer you a package which tags an extra day to each end which allows for more restful travelling – something well worth considering!
So my first full day I spend snoozing, recharging my bodily batteries, camera batteries, shaver batteries, phone batteries, if it comes with a battery I plug it in. In a very leisurely manner I introduce myself to each bar, check out the restaurants and watch two giant crabs arm wrestling.
Meals, whilst multinational, do have a certain Norwegian ‘bent’ to them which adds to the experience, but there comes a point in time when you want something more simple and straight forward so I mentally note the availability of sausages and burgers for when special is too special.
The ship makes regular announcements reminding us of points of interest, such as event timings and most crucially the likelihood of spotting the Northern Lights.
Come morning, I set off for a tour of Trondheim and in particular it’s medieval cathedral. It was (and still is?) the home of St Olaf, Norway’s patron saint and former king. He discovered Christianity on his travels and took it home to Norway. He entered into a pact with the people, convert to Christianity and I will let you live, decline and I will chop your head off. Evensong became very popular during the 11th century! As for the city itself, with the greatest respect it is… a city.
We continue north to Bodo and with it see real snow. En route we cross the Arctic Circle and celebrate by pouring ice down the back of a passing German – where would we be without tradition! This is the point where the voyage gets serious – we are crossing into aurora country and one eye stays fixed to forecasts of the dancing lights. Tonight is doubtful due to cloud cover, but tomorrow night in Tromso is a whole different ball game.
Tromso is a place I have visited several times in the past. It has warmth and character, but it is also beginning to fall into the arms of tourism, so best get there now before it gets taken over by neon and concrete. In summer I have sat spellbound in the cathedral listening to midnight concerts and in winter I would find the nearest bar in which to warm up. Tromso is regarded as being the world capital of Northern Light spotting, this is mainly due to its high hit rate, but also, in fairness, because it cornered the market commercially. It certainly pays to spend several days here if your schedule will allow it, there is so much to see and so much to do. It now has the beginnings of its own ski centre, a short distance outside of the city centre. A further example being a trip down to Narvik to the Arctic Zoo, where I spent an amazing half hour inside the wolf enclosure – and lived to tell the tale. You are now in Sami country and all life has significance.
A subtle announcement goes through the ship, there is aurora activity. Next, we see a mad scramble for warm clothing and it’s onto the deck. The Green Lady is teasing us with the least worthy of grey specks. So it’s soon back to bed. Within the hour comes another announcement, time to tease part 2, but this time she is teasing us with greens, oranges and reds. Not exactly a Cecil B Demille production, but very clearly the Northern Lights. This is my birthday wish come true, what more can I ask for!
We continue north to the North Cape and beyond. With minutes to spare we hear that the excursion is cancelled due to bad weather closing the road. That’s life, things change and we have to be philosophical about it. As I pre-paid, it means I have no choice but to drink copious quantities of beer to offset the refund.
Finally onto Kirkenes, not quite on the border with Russia, but maybe about as close as one might want during the current climate. This offers the opportunity for snowmobiling and similar activities and for those with energy left to spare the chance to closely duplicate activities back down to Bergen.
Life onboard can involve numerous periods of dark skies and freezing temperatures so for those times, a good book, pack of cards, or set of dice can be a great benefit. Then there is the matter of drinks… like all cruise operations there are drinks packages available to you, or you can simply link a debit/credit card to your cabin card and pay as you go. Drinks at the bar can be pricey BUT when linked to the bargain price of the cruise itself it is not anything like as bad as first imagined. Add to which, late bookings can see discounts of up to 50% making it less expensive than staying at home.
Is it value, is it worth recommending, is it worth repeating? Speaking with my set of values, my experiences throughout life and my wallet I would say yes, yes and yes.
It is different to your classic cruise, especially as it offers greater opportunity to relax and ‘chill’, especially when on deck in the early hours photographing the aurora. There is no showing off or one-upmanship. Overall, it is a less expensive option, especially if being wise as when to book. And there is nothing bad or second rate about it.
Malcolm Bassett-Smith January 2025 Picture credits: Malcolm Bassett-Smith, Hurtigruten and Simon Skreddernes
More information at www.hurtigruten.com
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