Hurtigruten Expedition Cruise Life On Board

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Let me just remind you at this time that Hurtigruten is an expedition style cruise line.  What does this mean for you?  Easy.  If you want a suite with a butler, Hurtigruten is not for you.  For those wanting an immersive, active, and explorative experience then this is the cruise line for you.

 

 

 

Staterooms:

 

Though Hurtigruten does have suites, they do not have butler service.  And to call their staterooms suites is being a little on the generous side, but you do have to remember that these ships are build for exploring not luxury.  There are a limited number of suites as is the case on most cruise lines and they do book up quickly, but they are available if you plan ahead.  The other staterooms, most of which are ocean view staterooms, are quite narrow.  Most of them have a twin bed configuration.  One twin can be folded into a sofa during the day for seating and the other one can be folded up to give more room for other activities.  When both beds are folded down, the space is quite tight.  The staterooms are basic but adequate for your needs.

 

Meals:  

 

These are small ships with the largest ships carrying 650 passengers and the smallest 250 passengers you will not find lots of dining options.  All meals are in the main dining room with breakfast and lunch being buffet style.  Most of the dinners are sit down dinners but with a fixed menu.  In other words, you will not have multiple entrée, salads, or soups to choose from.  They have one option.  The food itself is quite good.  Gourmet it is not, but it is good food and may stretch your pallet a little.  For example, we had reindeer soup last night.  If you are wondering, it was good!  Just don’t tell Rudolph!

 

For those of you who need snacks between meals, you should either expect to purchase them or bring your own on board.  Unlike other cruise ships that have food available 24 hours a day, Hurtigruten does not.  They do have a snack station where you can purchase snacks but they are not complimentary.  They do have coffee, tea, and hot chocolate available free of charge all day long.  I personally love their hot chocolate!

 

What You Get:

 

Hurtigruten has an expedition team on each expedition sailing.  Each member of the team is an expert in their chosen field.  You will usually have a Biologist, an ornithologist (Birds), and other scientist based on where you are going and what you will be seeing.  They also provide the greatest jacket/coat you will ever need for each passenger.  For polar exploration the coats are designed for those conditions.  Of course, you still need to have the proper layers underneath, but the coats are wind and water resistant.  We were not in a polar region but our jackets were still wind and water resistant.  This is a wonderful gift for you to take home and use.  In the polar regions, they also have muck boots for you to use.  Trust me you do not want to take them home!  They are specially designed to not harm the environment but still provide you with all the protection you need in the polar areas.  Hurtigruten is all about the environment.  The soaps they provide in the staterooms are designed with that in mind as well.  Hurtigruten will soon be launching the first hybrid cruise ship.  We fondly call it “The Prius of the Seas”.  If you haven't watched it already, the video at the start of this blog covers the new ship nicely.

 

If you want to explore and immerse yourself in Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, or the Northern Passage, Hurtigruten is the cruise line for you.  Contact us, your Hurtigruten specialists and we can help you choose the itinerary that best fits your needs and wants.  Lets start exploring!