Hurtigruten

From: European Cruise Guide

ABOVE: The Nordkapp is one of Hurtigruten's "Contemporary" ships. It carries a maximum of 691 passengers. INSET BELOW: A double cabin and an Arctic shore landing from the MS Nordstjernen.

Hurtigruten (formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyage in the U.S. market) is a fleet of ferry cruisers that operate year-round from Bergen to the North Cape of Norway.

During a 12-day round trip, the vessels stop at 34 ports. Passengers who don't have time for the full itinerary can book one-way voyages of 7 days (northbound) or 6 days (southbound). It's also possible to buy short-haul ferry tickets between individual ports. Optional shore excursions range from city sightseeing tours to Zodiac, dogsled, and birdwatching trips.

Hurtigruten also provides adventure cruises in the Arctic, the Lofoten Islands, Greenland, and the Antarctic. (See our Spitsbergen Cruise article and photo gallery for a report of a cruise several years ago aboard a refurbished Coastal Voyage steamer from 1956, the MS Nordstjernen.) A handful of voyages to the Baltic, the western coast of Europe, and the Canary Islands are also on Hurtigruten's 2012 cruise calendar.

Cruise line's Web site

Hurtigruten

Articles at Europe for Cruisers:

Hurtigruten

Spitsbergen cruise review

Nordkapp and stateroom photos copyright © Hurtigruten.

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