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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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.

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Take an ‘Arctic Adventure & Exploration’ on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

 

The Arctic is one of the most magnificent and hard-to-reach regions in the world. In fact the latest edition of World of Cruising has a feature on it.  In 2015, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering guests the chance to experience this unspoiled destination on a 27-night ‘Arctic Adventure & Exploration’ voyage. Departing from Newcastle on 2^nd August 2015, this cruise, on smaller, more intimate Boudicca, will allow guests to cross the Arctic Circle, witness the majestic fjords of Norway, take in the peaks and pinnacles of Iceland and Greenland, and maybe spot some of the world’s most elusive wildlife – Whales, Dolphins, Sea Eagles, Huskies and possibly even a  Polar Bear.

This intrepid ‘Arctic Adventure & Exploration’ cruise will call first at the bustling city of Ålesund, which is shaped like a fish hook and home to the largest and most beautiful cod fishing fleet in Norway.

Boudicca will then glide onwards to Trondheim, a unique city in Norway, offering modern amenities, with the cosy appeal of small-town friendliness.

Next, guests will need to find themselves a great position out on deck ready for some fantastic scenic cruising. Passing Rørvik, Torghatten, Seven Sisters Mountain Range – where Boudicca will ‘Cross the Arctic Circle’ – The Black Glacier and Lødingen, there will be ample opportunity to take some stunning photographs.  

Prices for this amazing ‘Arctic Adventure & Exploration’ cruise start from just £2,699 per person, based on two adults sharing a twin, ‘Inside’ cabin, and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port dues.  

More info:  0800 0355 242   www.fredolsencruises.com 

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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.

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Reach The Heart Of Lapland With Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten has launched a new one-off itinerary for those who wish to explore “The Heart of Norwegian Lapland.” in 2014. 

The 12-day tour from March 25 to April 5 combines a Hurtigruten voyage on MS Midnatsol along Norway’s wintery fjord coast with a tour into the interior of Finnmark, the northernmost province of Norway and home to the Norwegian Sami. Highlights include a visit to an Igloo hotel, opportunities to meet the local Sami people and a Northern Lights tour.

The voyage will start in Bergen, the Hanseatic city steeped in tradition, and follows up with a visit to the old royal city of Trondheim, the picturesque Lofoten archipelago and the “Arctic capital” of Tromsø, and on to the port of Alta, the largest city in Finnmark. Weather conditions allowing, the ship will travel off the normal Hurtigruten course around the imposing North Cape Plateau, the northernmost point in Europe.

Passengers will then disembark for a two day land tour of the region. Highlights include a visit to the Alta Museum and its petroglyphs - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a trip to the impressive Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, a reindeer stew lunch by the open fire on cosy reindeer skins in a traditional Sami tent and a concert by local performers.

The Finnmark region is one of the best places to observe the spectacular Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis. The land-based part of the trip ends with a journey to a winter camp far away from any interfering light sources to maximise chances of seeing this magnificent spectacle.

At the end of the local tour, guests will be transferred back to Alta, from where MS Midnatsol sets off on its southward journey to Bergen.

The trip costs from £1,855 per person for the 12-day trip (based on 2 sharing). Flights are available for an additional £450 per person.

More info: call 0844 448 7601 or visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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Royal Caribbean's Cool Summer Cruise

For hot springs, cool culture and stunning views, Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas is featuring a fabulous 13-night Iceland & Norway cruise this summer, with prices from only £969 per person (based on two people sharing an interior stateroom), with the bonus of wine while you dine and free soft drinks for kids. 

The price includes the full 13-night cruise departing from Southampton on May 30 and calling at Reykjavik and Akureyri (Iceland), then Trondheim, Alesund, Molde, Olden and Stavanger (Norway) before returning to Southampton. It also includes all meals and entertainment on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Offer valid until October 21.

More info: call 0844 493 2061 or visit www.royalcaribbean.co.uk.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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Hurtigruten's Anniversary Voyages

Anyone who wants to help make history can join one of 11 ‘In the Wake of Richard With’ anniversary voyages being offered by Hurtigruten this summer. Treats include a special sailing into Lyngenfjord in the Lyngen Alps area, the chance to get even closer to Norwegian culture with a series of on-board concerts plus special menus inspired by the 1893 era. The 11 special departures are available each day from June 21 and all include July 2, which marks 120 years since Richard With captained Hurtigruten’s very first departure from Trondheim along the Norwegian Coast.   

Hurtigruten has never sailed into Lyngenfjord as part a main itinerary before and, as a special treat, each day during this 11-day period, a ship will stop here while travelling south-bound between Skjervoy and Tromso. Located in the Lyngen Alps, Lyngenfjord is 300km north of the Arctic Circle and guests can expect mountain peaks rising more than 1,000 metres directly from the fjord, blue glaciers, cascading rivers, gleaming mountain lakes and deep ravines. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet a local prawn trawler and its fishermen, who come on board with freshly caught prawns.

Integral to these anniversary voyages will be bringing Norwegian culture and history even closer and special on-board concerts are planned: 

• In Geirangerfjord, a young 19-year-old fiddler and folk musician who has won various awards will perform in local costume. 
• In Tromso, Hurtigruten will focus on the electronic genre of music made famous by Royksopp as guest are joined by ‘Sounds of Nature,’ two young students who describe their music as sound art.
• And, in Berlevag the Berlevag Men’s Choir will perform a midnight concert on the quay.

To mark the occasion, special menus are being created by Hurtigruten’s team of chefs that are inspired by the food on board DS Vesteraalen in 1893. Each ship will enjoy its own onboard anniversary celebrations on July 2, in true Norwegian style. Guests should expect cake, coffee, music and much more.

This sailing period starts with MS Midnatsol departing Bergen on June 21, followed by the complete fleet, with MS Lofoten being the last ship of this period, departing Bergen on July 1.

Classic Round Voyage – Daily from Jun 21-Jul 1: priced from £2,137 per person, to include 11 nights half-board on the ship and all the anniversary celebrations. Flights and transfers are extra and cost from £450pp. This price is valid on June 21, 27 and 29.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists..

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Hurtigruten Offers Big Autumn Savings

Fancy sailing along the Norwegian coast, set against the beautiful and brightly coloured backdrop of autumn? Thanks to a special offer from Hurtigruten, it is now possible to do so for less and save 45% on its Classic Round Voyage. Available on selected departures during September and October, prices now start from £1,015pp.

The offer is applicable to the popular 12-day Classic Round Voyage starting in Bergen in the south and travelling above the Arctic Circle to Kirkenes by the Russian border, before returning once more. Hues of red, orange and yellow fill the surrounding mountainsides and hilltops and, while the temperature remains pleasant, many of the ships have fewer guests on board, offering a truly relaxing voyage.

The Classic Round Voyage is available on September 10 and 21 and October 2,13 and 24, with prices starting at just £1015pp (saving up to £786pp), including direct flights from London Stansted, transfers and full board on the ship (offer based on two sharing).

A voyage with Hurtigruten offers passengers the opportunity to get closer to the shores, coastline and communities of Norway as the ships call at over 34 ports of call, many of them not visited by the larger cruise ships.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's Norwegian cruise experts.

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Holland America's Latest Offers

Here are three superb offers that have just arrived in the World of Cruising Inbox, all for lengthy - and exciting - voyages with Holland America. See what you think:

32-night ex-UK Caribbean Odyssey

Departing Southampton on November 3, this Caribbean Odyssey cruise onboard MS Rotterdam calls at Ponta Delgada (Portugal), Road Town (Tortola), Philipsburg (St Maarten), Castries and Soufriere (St Lucia), Kralendijk (Bonaire), overnight at Oranjestad (Aruba), Willemstad (Curacao), Port of Spain (Trinidad), Bridgetown (Barbados) and Funchal (Madeira) before returning to Southampton. The 32-night cruise starts from £1,988 per person cruise-only, based on two sharing an inside cabin.

14-night Voyage of the Midnight Sun

Departing Dover on July 20, 2013, this trip goes to the very top of Norway, within the Arctic circle and the Land of the Midnight Sun, onboard the MS Ryndam. Ports of call include Stavanger, Flam, Geiranger, Tromso, Honningsvag, Hammerfest, Trondheim, Molde and Bergen, with scenic cruising of Sognefjord and Trondheimsfjord. This 14-night cruise starts from £1,599 per person, based on two sharing an outside cabin (currently free upgrades to outside cabins). 

26-night Amazon and Carnival Explorer

Sail on board the MS Maasdam, starting with two nights in Rio de Janeiro on February 10 and 11, 2013, and cruise from there to Armacao dos Buzios, Salvador da Bahia and Fortaleza in Brazil before crossing the Equator and sailing into the Amazon. The cruise then spends just over a week cruising the Amazon, calling at Santarem, Boca da Valeria, Manaus, Parintins and Alter Do Chao in Brazil, before sailing to Bridgetown (Barbados), Roseau (Dominica) and Philipsburg (St Maarten), disembarking in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 8. The 26-night voyage starts from £4,834 cruise-only, based on two sharing an inside cabin.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury cruise experts.

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Last-Minute Bargains From Voyages Of Discovery

For those looking for a great last-minute cruise this month, this little offer has just arrived in our Inbox...

Join Voyages of Discovery for a selection of summer cruises from as little as £56 per person per day.

The 9-day 'D-Day, Normandy, Dunkirk and Beyond' voyage starts from just £499 per person, departing from Portsmouth on June 5 and calling at Cherbourg, St Peter Port (Guernsey), Rouen (overnight), Dunkirk, Heligoland and Ijmuiden before arriving at Harwich.

Or how about...

The 'Spitsbergen and North Cape' cruise starts from £999 per person and includes the full 16-day voyage departing from Harwich on June 13 and calling at Trondheim, Leknes, Honningsvag, Magdalenafjord (cruising), Ny-Alesund, Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Tromso  and Bergen before returning to Harwich.

The prices include all gratuities, service charges and port/airport taxes, a comprehensive Guest Speaker programme, all meals and entertainment on-board and complimentary car parking at Harwich is available (no single supplements apply on both cruises).

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's adventure cruise specialists.

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Day 2 Of Our Hurtigruten Cruise

Continuing Steve Newman's 'live' blog on the classic Norwegian coastal cruise with Hurtigruten: 

Well, here we are on the second day of our cruise along the Norwegian coast with Huirtigruten's MS Finnmarken. 

Today we're calling at Trondheim with its magnificent cathedral. If it looks familiar it's because it was built by English stonemasons and has strong architectural similarities to Lincoln Cathedral.

Although there is so much to see, watching people getting on and off the ship on its 'taxi' route, collecting cargo, etc, it's the way the landscape slowly unfolds around you as you sail ever northwards that sticks in your memory.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Save Big With Hurtigruten This Spring

With every season in Norway holding its own unique appeal, there is always something different to see and experience. Thanks to a new special offer from Hurtigruten, it is now possible to travel for less and save up to £456 per person on selected departures this spring.

Available on the 12-day Classic Round Voyage, 11-day Norwegian Discovery Voyage, seven-day Classic Voyage North and six-day Classic Voyage South, guests can take advantage of the special prices on various dates during March, April and May when booking an unspecified inside or outside cabin before March 31, which will then be allocated on arrival. 

More importantly, a voyage with Hurtigruten offers passengers the opportunity to get closer to the shores, coastline and communities of Norway as the ships call at over 34 ports of call, many of them not visited by the larger cruise ships.

The ultimate journey is the full Classic Round Voyage from Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the north, taking guests high above the Arctic Circle and back to Bergen. There is no better time to enjoy a voyage than during spring – a time of true awakening when the daylight returns, snow begins to melt and the landscape emerges in a riot of colour from its crisp, white winter blanket. 

The Classic Voyage now costs from £1,536pp (a saving of up to £456); price includes 12 days full voyage with full board on the ship and fuel supplement. The Norwegian Discovery Voyage now costs from £1,442pp (saving up to £429); price includes 11 days voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Trondheim, full board on the ship and fuel supplement. Voyage North now costs from £1,067pp (a saving of up to £319pp); price includes seven days voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes, full board on the ship and fuel supplement. The Voyage South now costs from £840pp (saving up to £250pp); price includes six days voyage from Kirkenes to Bergen, full board on the ship and fuel supplement. 

In all cases, flights are extra and price is based on two sharing an unspecified outside cabin on selected dates in March and April. Book before March 31 for savings.

For booking details, see this link to UK cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Tony Soper Joins Fred. Olsen

Expedition leader, naturalist and veteran broadcaster, Tony Soper, will be joining guests aboard Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Braemar cruise to the North Cape in June 2012. Appearing as part of its Vistas cruise enhancement programme, Tony’s expert topic will be ‘Flora and Fauna’.

Tony Soper started his career as a trainee with the BBC and is a co-founder of its Natural History Unit. His many TV credits include BBC2’s ‘Nature’ and the film series ‘Discovering Birds’ and ‘Beside the Sea’. A renowned bird watcher, he is also an accomplished expedition leader, having led wildlife safaris to both the Arctic and the Antarctic, and is a pioneer of expedition cruising.

Many people will have fond memories of his time on the classic children’s nature programme, ‘Animal Magic,’ which he co-presented with multi-voiced Johnny Morris. The much-loved series ran for 21 years, from April 1962.

The cruise also lends itself perfectly to Tony’s subject. Setting sail from Dover on June 14, the first port of call is Ijmuiden (for Amsterdam), then Braemar cruises north to Leknes, in the Lofoten Islands, inside the Arctic Circle. The wild landscape, with jagged peaks and white sand, is visually stunning, and one of the most picturesque in Norway.

Next port is Tromsø and from there the classic ship travels right up to the North Cape, to Honningsvǻg, Norway’s most northerly village, framed by rugged mountains and the Arctic Ocean. At this time of year, there is daylight around the clock, so the sightseeing is unparalleled. On the return journey, Braemar visits Trondheim, then Ǻlesund, with its strikingly pretty ‘Art Nouveau’ architecture, and, finally, the bustling port of Bergen, with its cobbled streets and quaint wooden buildings. The cruise then returns to Dover on June 27.

A North Cape cruise offers many opportunities for spotting birds and wildlife, including reindeer, whales and many species of seabird, and no doubt the guests’ enjoyment will be greatly enhanced by Tony Soper's fascinating and well-informed talks.
Prices for this cruise start from £1,529 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin, Grade ‘I’. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes, and there is no extra charge for the Vistas activities.

For more info, see www.fredolsencruises.com or the specialist cruise travel agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Voyage to Murmansk

No sooner, it seems, do we put our focus on adventure-style cruising than all kinds of exciting opportunities for this more offbeat voyaging crop up.

We have already detailed some of them on here at Time Spent At Sea (notably the amazing Chilean Patagonia voyages of Nomads of the Seas), but the latest press release to hit my Inbox highlights yet another aspect of this trend.

Voyages of Discovery have been around for a few years now, using their boutique little MV Discovery (the former Island Princess and 'Love Boat' of Princess Cruises) to explore some of the lesser-known parts of the cruise world.

But the announcement of one special cruise for 2011 really caught my attention, especially for the huge slice of World War II history it represents. Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel is a fabulous-looking opportunity to travel in the wake of the great Northern convoys that played such a big part in winning the War.

It is probably one of the more unusual itineraries, even by Voyages of Discovery standards, and it is certainly one that would pique my interest (if ever I could afford to take 18 days off!). Not only does it include a terrific sequence of ports of call, VoD will also have a superb range of guest speakers to accompany the voyage, including Enigma machine expert Mark Baldwin.

Here is the full press release:

‘Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel’, a new 18 day cruise from Voyages of Discovery departing 15^th June 2011 has sold 10% of its cabins within the first few days of release. For the majority of passengers the cruise represents a journey to the unknown so this is a remarkable feat in the current market. Tellingly, it is one of the best sold cruises from the summer 2011 programme, despite being one of Discovery’s most expensive cruises with prices from £1,899.

In an industry dominated by ever larger ships and crowds, the team at Voyages of Discovery has taken a bold view on the future of cruising which is paying dividends. It has returned to its grass roots by putting product at the heart of its marketing strategy by offering some of the most fascinating, spectacular and unusual destinations available anywhere on the cruise market.

While other brands build ever larger ships, resulting in compromises on destinations, Voyages of Discovery has capitalised on the benefits of a small ship by visiting new, off the beaten track destinations which will appeal to an increasingly sophisticated and well travelled cruise market. While others have cut corners or added hidden charges in order to woo customers with discounts, Voyages of Discovery has focused on providing unique, great-value travel experiences which are planned meticulously to offer more time on shore.

Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel will see Discovery travelling to the lesser-visited Solovestky Islands, a symbol of Russia’s spiritual past; historic Trondheim, Norway’s ’coronation city’; Archangel, where revolution, war and communism have all left indelible marks; and Murmansk, terminus for the most perilous and infamous of the World War II Allied convoys.

On route, passengers will witness the spectacular view of the midnight sun from the North Cape accompanied by experts including Mark Baldwin from Bletchley Park, who will be bringing one of the few original, working 1944 Enigma machines on board. The guest speakers also include a celebrated historian and natural scientist who will unlock the mysteries of wartime espionage, the legacy of revolution and the Soviet Union.

Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel follows the success of Discovery’s ambitious Winter 2010/11 programme which includes a 79-day complete circumnavigation of South America, with opportunities to explore landscapes such as the Amazon, the Orinoco, the Falklands and the magnificent Galapagos.

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