That Viking Spirit

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Hurtigruten. The very name has a viking ring to it and this cruise has been called the most beautiful on earth. Well that may not quite be true but, if it isn't, it comes a very close second. Norway's coastal scenery is simply breathtaking and, what's more, is ever changing as you soak up this marvellous country.

If you're a dedicated cruiser, though, you are going to have to get into a different mindset. This isn't a cruise about destinations, this is a cruise about being absorbed into a way of life. The Hurtigruten is a cruise line with all the modern amenities but, at the same time, it is an expedition ship and local bus service.

Calling at over 30 ports on its seven day journey, the ship becomes a bus and ferry service for the local communities. People hop on and off to see their relations, carry out business trips or visit the dentist. As the result, the ambiance of the ship changes every day to complement the scenery.

At times, the ship goes through some incredibly narrow passages where you can almost touch the walls of the cliffs either side and your journey will take you from the lush woodlands and pastures of the south to the frozen wilderness of the Arctic. Indeed, you must expect a visit from King Neptune if you have never crossed the Arctic Circle before and be baptised with ice cubes!

The Hurtigruten is a wonderful experience and, depending on when you go, the Northern Lights or the Midnight Sun will stay with you for ever. Anyone who takes the ten mile trip down the Geiranger Fjord, where the cliffs tower thousands of feet above you with waterfalls cascading down the same distance and Sea Eagles wafting nonchalantly by, will tell you they simply can't put it into words.

The company don't just specialise in hugging the fjords, either, as you can visit Antarctica, the amazing wilderness of Spitsbergen and many other places associated with viking adventure. Their website at http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ is mouthwatering and the pre-cruise information you're given is some of the best I have ever received.

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Carry On Cruising!

OK, it may not be quite on that scale, but Gary Clading's new book Stars, Staterooms and Stowaways is a terrific 'insider' read into some of the many offbeat, rewarding and downright comical moments of spending a life at sea.

The P&O Cruise Director has been in the business for 25 years and covers a wealth of experience of ships large and small, with Hollywood celebrities, epic adventures, comical passengers and brilliant insights into the cruise world that many of us love but few know from the inside out.

The likes of Marti Webb, Ginger Rogers, Joan Fontaine, Eve Arden and many more all crop up throughout the pages but it is not so much a catalogue of the rich and famous as the real life of the staff and crew that jumps out at you.

At once both admirable and touching, it is a diary of sea-going delight, with Gary's own tendency towards extraordinary animal welfare shining through in various stories both small-scale and large.

Highlights include cruising along the Orinoco; a magic act that went horribly - and hilariously - wrong; a passenger 'mutiny' on the SS Norway; a perilously rough transatlantic crossing into the teeth of a hurricane; Christmas with Ginger Rogers; and a cat called Yalta.

It is a kaleidoscopic series of stories and vignettes, all told in first person and with a delightfully light touch. Clading knows he has been part of an extraordinary lifestyle and privy to a succession of famous figures, but he always comes across as a regular guy (albeit one who can speak eight languages!) who just happened to find himself in an irregular job.

For anyone who has cruised, ever thought of a cruise or just wants a good, light-hearted read from someone who has lived life 'behind the scenes,' this is an excellent choice.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.