From Whale Watching to Staying in a Fisherman's Cabin!

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Fancy seeing nature's gentle giants, the sperm whale, in their natural habitat and under the Midnight Sun? Exploring small fishing villages whilst staying in a traditional fisherman's 'Rorbuer'? Or taking a voyage that combines Norway and Spitsbergen and the chance to see Polar Bears?

All this, and much more, is now possible with new itineraries introduced for 2011 by Hurtigruten, which aim to bring passengers even closer to all that Norway has to offer. Alongside the traditional daily departures from Bergen that travel up and down the coast, the new voyages offer something a little different, combining time onboard and time on land.

Giants of the Deep - Vesterålen Whale Watching Adventure (from £2380pp)
This 12-day trip combines a voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to the Vesterålen Islands with two nights in Andenes for a whale-watching safari. This is the first time Hurtigruten has offered whale watching in the Summer. Just an hour north-west of Andenes is Bleik Canyon, part of the continental shelf and home to a rich supply of deepwater squid, cuttlefish and plankton; the staple diet of the sperm whale.

The trip departs on 31 July, 2011, and includes the 8-night voyage on a full board basis, one night in Bergen and two nights in Andenes on a B&B basis, whale-watching and tour lecturer and tour guide (based on two sharing and price includes early booking discount if booked by December 21; flights are extra).

Classic Norway and Spitsbergen (from £2814pp)
A new 11-day itinerary combining the coast of Norway and the north west of Spitsbergen with internal flights between. This trip takes in northern Spitsbergen, including Ny Ålesund, the world's most northerly permanent occupied settlement and hopes to cross the 80th parallel to visit Moffen Island.

There will be the chance to see a wealth of different wildlife and animals, including, hopefully, the Polar Bear. Four dates are available on July 25 and August 1, 8 and 15, 2011, and the price includes 10 nights full board on the ship, flights between Kirkenes and Longyearbyen and from Longyearbyen to Oslo (based on two sharing).

Themed Voyages with experts - these once again feature prominently, with themes including Polar History, Edvard Grieg, Birds of the Nordic Coast and Norway's National Day. Also new for 2011 is a New Year themed voyage that includes celebrating seeing in the New Year actually on North Cape, with prices from £1328pp.

For more information, look up http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or the dedicated Hurtigruten section of The Cruise Line Ltd.

You can also learn more about Hurtigruten cruises at The Cruise Show at Birmingham NEC on October 16-17 and at London's Olympia next March (26-27).

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