Showing posts with label Bergen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bergen. Show all posts

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Explore Norway on a vintage voyage - Hurtigruten offers new concept for classic ship MS Lofoten

                                                   Copyright Trond Gansmoe Johnse, Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten has announced a new concept on-board MS Lofoten from April 2015. Launched in 1964, the ship’s characteristics will be accentuated throughout her voyages, offering passengers nostalgic maritime experiences such as fishing from the ship, bridge tournaments, afternoon teas and a more traditional dining experience including a four-course dinner based on the menus of the 1960s.

This small ship can navigate waters larger vessels can’t - bringing her passengers closer to the action and closer to the scenery.  While the ship will operate on the traditional coastal voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, Hurtigruten are currently working on a number of new diversions and ports of call to add to the experience from April 2015.

Nearly 30 excursions are available with further exclusive activities offered. Passengers will be given the opportunity to fish directly from the deck, or set pots to entice the fascinating king crab and retireve the catch on the return journey. The catch of the day will be prepared and served to the lucky fishermen at the next meal. In the evenings, all those fisherman’s tales gathered during the day, can be recounted over a game of bridge and a (complimentary) glass of sherry in the vintage lounge before dinner. Afternoon teas and quiz evenings will also be part of the new on-board experience.

Prices for 12 day Classic Round Voyage costs from £1,197 per person on full board basis, departing on 15 April 2015. Flights cost from £330 return. Other duration voyages are also available.      

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Saturday, 8 November 2014

Go ‘In Search of the Northern Lights’ with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines this winter



Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering guests two chances to see  the ‘Aurora Borealis’ before the end of the year on cruises departing from Liverpool and Tilbury. NASA scientists have predicted that the current period of solar activity will reach a new peak this coming winter and will not return to this intensity for over a decade – meaning that travellers to the far North, over the coming months, will experience the best possible conditions for seeing this spectacular natural phenomenon. 

Boudicca’s 16-night ‘In Search of the Northern Lights’ cruise departs from Liverpool on 8 November. Prices start from £944 per person.

Black Watch’s 16-night ‘In Search of the Northern Lights’ cruise departs from Tilbury on 20 December. Prices start from £1,584 per person. 

Fares are based on two adults sharing an inside twin-bedded cabin.

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Thursday, 6 November 2014

Hurtigruten charter new ship for Svalbard




Hurtigruten and Spitsbergen Travel are chartering MS Nordstjernen to offer a programme of expedition style short voyages around Svalbard from 2015.

The ship will be sailing through the months of June, July and August. Holidaymakers can combine a 3-4 day voyage with the unique activities and attractions offered in and around Longyearbyen.

Guests will be able to explore Longyearbyen, BarentsburgNy-Ålesund and the entire superb north-western coast of Spitsbergen. They can expect to see Arctic wildlife with walruses, polar bears, a diverse range of bird species and other Arctic animals such as whales, foxes, reindeer, and grouse.

MS Nordstjernen departs Bergen on 1 June and visits a number of fjords in Western Norway, Ålesund Town, Lofoten, Tromsø and Honningsvåg/North Cape before setting sail for the Svalbard archipelago. The voyage concludes in Longyearbyen after the ship has visited the Moffen nature reserve at 80 degrees Latitude.

Having relocated to Svalbard, the ship will offer voyages departing from Longyearbyen every Monday and Thursday until 28 August. Prices start from £927 for a six day trip departing on 11 June including transfers, one night in a hotel in Spitsbergen on half board basis, voyage on full board basis, plus all hikes and landings. Flights cost from £520 per person.

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Thursday, 30 October 2014

Treat yourself with up to £200 per person on-board credit by booking with Hurtigruten this weekend.


Booking a 12 day Classic Round Voyage from Bergen, up to Kirkenes and back to Bergen this weekend will mean Hurtigruten’s guests will receive £200 to spend.  This can be spent on a range of shorter voyages such as the Classic Voyage North, Classic Voyage South and Arctic Highlights itinerary for an on-board credit of £100. The offer is valid on voyages departing before the end of December.

The  credit can be spent on drinks, goods in the on-board shop or excursions such as Husky Sledging excursion (£129pp),  a midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral (£51pp) or exploring the city of Tromso (£58pp).

There will be an extra bonus for those booking a Classic Round Voyage, as they will also qualify for Hurtigruten’s ‘Northern Lights Promise’. If the lights do not make an appearance during the voyage, the company will give guests a choice of a free 7 day Classic Voyage North, or 6 day Classic Voyage South in an inside twin cabin (full board basis), departing between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2016. Flights are not included.

The Classic Round Voyage starts from £999 per person in an inside cabin on full board basis (based on two sharing), departing on a wide choice of dates. Flight and transfer packages start from £330 per person. The offer is valid on new bookings made from 31 October to 2 November 2014 and is subject to availability.

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Sunday, 26 October 2014

Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes joins Saga Pearl II cruise in search of the Northern Lights


Sir Ranulph Fiennes will be joining Saga Pearl II in search of the Northern Lights when she sails from Southampton on March 4, 2015.
Saga Pearl II will dock for two nights in Alta during this Norway nights and the Northern Lights cruise. Here, when heavy snow falls and temperatures drop to sub-zero, the clear dark skies become the arena for the dazzling displays.
Guests will take an early dinner on board the ship, attend a lecture to learn the best location for viewing the Northern Lights that evening, and travel to the selected viewing point.
Although the Northern Lights are expected to be the cruise highlight, further ports of call also offer some exciting tours in Bergen, Tromso,  Andalsnes, Flam, Alesund and Leknes. New excursions include the Vossbanen steam railway in Bergen and a musk ox safari or a twilight moose safari in Andalsnes.
16 nights from £3,299 departing 4 March, 2015. Price includes VIP travel service, all meals and entertainment, afternoon tea, 24-hour room service, welcome cocktail party, unlimited tea and coffee, free wifi, all gratuities, porterage, shuttle bus to town centres from the port of call, and travel insurance and cancellation cover.


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Friday, 24 October 2014

Witness nature’s light show – or get a voyage for free! Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights promise extended




Hurtigruten has extended its ‘Northern Lights Promise’ to anyone booking a Classic Round Voyage before 31 December 2014. The extension means that if you book a 12 day voyage departing by 31 March 2015, and the lights are not visible from your ship, you will get a second trip next year – for free!

The season has already got off to a good start. Passengers on-board the MS Vesterålen last week were treated to not just one showing of the magical lights, but six!
Hurtigruten’s crews will be scouring the night skies for an appearance of the dancing light show. If they don’t make an appearance, Hurtigruten will offer you a choice of a 7 day Classic Voyage North or 6 day Classic Voyage South, in an inside twin cabin (full board basis), departing between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2016. 

Flights are not included.
Prices for the Classic Round Voyage start from £999 per person in an inside cabin on full board basis (based on two sharing), departing on a wide choice of dates. Flight and transfer packages start from £330 per person.

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Tuesday, 7 October 2014

Saga Sapphire's Nordic 2015 eclipse cruise



Take a journey to witness the solar eclipse and stargaze in the clear night skies on
Saga Sapphire’s Nordic Eclipse cruise in March 2015.
 An astronomy expert will be on board to help passengers understand the wonders of the solar system during stargazing sessions and fascinating talks.

Saga Sapphire will follow the stars to Bergen, Geiranger, one of Norway's outstanding fjord landscapes, Andalsnes, Lerwick, and the Faroe Islands.

On March 20, Saga Sapphire will be at sea for the total eclipse. The last port of call will be Kirkwall, on the Orkney Islands.

12 nights from £2,289 departing Southampton on 11 March 2015. Price includes VIP door-to-door chauffeur service, all meals, all on-board activities and entertainment, daily afternoon tea, 24-hour room service, welcome cocktail party, unlimited tea and coffee, free Wi-Fi, all gratuities, porterage, shuttle bus to town centres from the port of call, and travel insurance.


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Thursday, 18 September 2014

Enjoy a unique expedition voyage along the coast of Norway on MS Finnmarken


Hurtigruten has combined many of the elements of its coastal and explorer programmes for a one-off winter expedition voyage on MS Finnmarken. A dedicated expedition team will be on-board the ship to enhance the experience and deliver a programme of activities above that normally offered on the coastal voyage.

The 12-day voyage will follow the traditional Hurtigruten coastal route, departing from Bergen on 7 December, before sailing along the picturesque Norwegian coast to Kirkenes near the Russian border – from where the voyage back to Bergen begins.

Guests will have the chance to enjoy all of the activities currently offered on coastal voyages, but with a huge array of additional sea and land-based activities, a trip to the North Cape, talks by guest lecturers and numerous hikes.

While on board you can hear Pål Brekke (a solar physicist from the Norwegian Space Centre) giving a lecture on the fascinating Aurora Borealis, or join one of the other daily talks by the expedition team. 

Prices start from £849pp and includes the voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen on full board basis in an inside cabin, North Cape excursion, hikes, lectures and a Helly Hansen fleece jacket. Flight and transfer packages are available from an additional £330 per person.

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Saturday, 13 September 2014

Work starts on second of Viking's three new ocean ships




A ceremonial steel-cutting in an Italian shipyard this week marked the start of construction on Viking Cruises’ second ocean-going vessel. Viking Sea is due to be completed in spring 2016. It will be the sister ship to Viking Star, already being built in the same Fincantieri yard near Venice, and Viking Sky which will be built in Ancona for delivery in summer 2016. Star is scheduled for a christening ceremony in Bergen, Norway, on May 17 next year. The virtually identical ships – the first venture into ocean cruising for river cruise giant Viking -  measure 47,800 tons and will each carry 928 passengers.



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Sunday, 23 March 2014

Experience Culinary Delights In ‘Norway’s Coastal Kitchen’

Hurtigruten, who offer voyages along the Norwegian coast, have enlisted the help of a celebrated Norwegian food expert to offer a unique and exciting culinary journey along almost the entire length of the country, from Bergen in the South, to Kirkenes high up in the Arctic Circle.

Andreas Viestad will be helping to develop new restaurant and café concepts on all 11 of Hurtigruten’s ships that sail along the Norwegian coast, with a focus on local food of the highest quality. Menus will be developed with ingredients and themes that reflect the waters and areas that the ships sail through. To add to the culinary experience, telling the story of the local specialities will be a key aspect of Viestad’s work.

More than 80% of the food and drink served on the Hurtigruten voyage is already produced in Norway, with menus focusing on seasonal delicacies of the regions visited. However, the company has also been identifying smaller food suppliers along the coast with whom it would like to work, and, through a partnership with Innovation Norway & the Norwegian Government is helping them grow their business enough to be able to supply the ships on a regular basis.

A brand new Spring ‘Arctic Awakening’ menu is launching in April, with much of this local produce taking pride of place. For example, passengers will enjoy cured leg of lamb from Hellesylt, a town near the Geirangerfjord; baked Arctic char from the Sigerfjord near Vesterålen, with gulløye potatoes from Tromsø; or roast reindeer from Finnmark.

Other specialities include sea buckthorn and aquavit ice cream produced by the Gangstad Gårdsysteri dairy in Nord-Trøndelag and a fresh organic cheese hailing from the Grøndalen farm, served with a berry compote. There is no shortage of traditional Norwegian treats on the menu, including kvæfjordkake, a special cake made of meringue, vanilla cream and almonds, which can trace its origins to a small café in Harstad in Vesterålen.

Prices for a seven day ’Classic Voyage North’ from Bergen to Kirkenes departing in April start from £810 per person, based on two people sharing an inside cabin. Flights and transfers are available for an additional cost.

More info: call 020 3582 6642 or visit.www.hurtigruten.co.uk.

The next edition of World of Cruising is out this week, and you can see the current version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.



Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Catch The Arctic Awakening With Hurtigruten

Springtime is an incredible time of year to visit Norway. As the sun returns to rejuvenate the Norwegian shores and temperatures begin rising, life returns to the land. This year it is even more accessible, with Hurtigruten offering free direct flights and a £250 saving on their 12-day 'Classic Round Voyage' along the Norwegian coast, departing in April.

At this time of year, there are great contrasts along the Norwegian coast. You can travel from a Spring climate in Bergen and head into the Arctic Circle, where signs of Winter are slower to disappear and snow caps still decorate the mountain tops. Travel as far north as Kirkenes on the Russian border and visitors can still participate in winter excursions such as a ‘Husky Sledge Adventure’ or ‘Snowmobile Safari’.

Those joining the voyage will be among the first of Hurtigruten’s customers to enjoy a trip into the Lyngenfjord. Flanked by the mighty, tall and steep peaks of the Lyngen Alps, the area offers natural contrasts with deep blue water, bubbling waterfalls and green banks in some areas, while elsewhere it shows its dramatic side with glaciers that reach from the steep banks to the fjord, rugged cliffs and deep canyons.

Depart on April 1 or 12  from London Gatwick or April 23  from Manchester and join the voyage from Bergen up to Kirkenes and back, stopping at 34 ports along the way. Prices now start from £1,043 per person for the April 1 departure, including direct return flights, transfers and the 12 day voyage on full board basis, based on two people sharing an inside cabin (subject to availability). 

More info: call Hurtigruten on 020 3582 6642 or visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk.

The next edition of World of Cruising will be out this week, and you can see the current version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.



Thursday, 27 February 2014

It's Whisky Galore With Hurtigruten!

Whiskey Galore was a classic Ealing comedy film hit back in 1949, starring Basil Radford and Joan Greenwood, but specialist Norwegian operator Hurtigruten might have their own real-life version of the idea this summer.

Their expedition ship MS Fram is currently loaded with two barrels of 21- and 25-year-old single malt whisky, which it is transporting from one end of the world to the other - a process that is said to refine the noble Scottish drop even further. After crossing the Antarctic Circle, the ship will head north to Greenland and Spitsbergen, with en-route stops scheduled in Scotland, where the whisky was first produced.

The topic ‘Whisky and its origin’ is also covered in two voyages on-board Fram in April and May. Both start in the Norwegian city of Bergen with the 12-day “British Isles in the Spring” (sailing April 24) journey covering Scotland, Ireland and England, while “The Viking Route” (May 13) lasts 13 days, and visits Scotland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland.

Both journeys are accompanied by Scottish lecturer and whisky expert Bernard McGee, who will share his knowledge of single malt scotch whisky and arrange some tastings during the voyage.

Prices for ‘The Viking Route voyage start from £2,474 per person, based on two people sharing an inside cabin on full board basis. Flights and transfers are available for an additional cost.

More info: call 020 3582 6642 or visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.