Hurtigruten 'Seminar at Sea' FAM - in search of the Northern Lights

Hurtigruten Northern Lights FAM
14-17th March 2010 - Norway
Flo Powell, Director, ACE

Our group of 28 met at Heathrow at 5.20am to fly to Oslo and then Tromso, we arrived at lunchtime and went straight to the RICA hotel for a 3-course meal. There was quite a lot of excitement about the snow and Fjords that we passed on the way - the scenery was quite spectacular; there had been quite a lot of snow before we arrived so it was all crisp and new and everyone secretly wanted to jump in it!

We had a wander around Tromso after lunch and noted the unusual style of housing with enormous icicles hanging off every ledge. We were then transferred to the Husky Farm in the evening for a traditional Sami meal of Reindeer stew around a fire then onto the dog sledging which was really good fun - the huskies seemed as excited as us about the whole experience! We were standing around 'cooing' at huskie babies when someone looked up and gasped - the Northern Lights had paid us a visit and a bright green strip of light was dancing across the sky above our heads. It lasted for around twenty minutes then began to fade away but came back later, interrupting our dessert of chocolate cake, beer and baileys!

We boarded the ship at around 01.30, I was expecting a pretty basic cabin as I knew the Hurtigruten ships are working vessels, taking freight to the remote Norwegian communities as well as passengers. However, I was surprised to find that my cabin was very comfortable, it came with a warm duvet, picture window and a heated floor in the bathroom!

After a hearty breakfast the following morning we trudged onto the coach for a half day sightseeing tour, we were blessed with excellent weather. Our tiredness soon waned as we took in the amazing views of Fjords and snow-capped mountains basked in sunshine. We were even treated to a local delicacy of 'brown cheese' on board a ferry, this snack is a kind of sweet cheese which they served on waffles - it was delicious!

We returned to the ship for a top-class buffet lunch with lots of fish, then toured the ship. The MS Midnatsol is a fairly new ship at only 7 years old and boasts two hot tubs on deck 9, single-sex saunas and a gym as well as a panoramic lounge, bar, cafe, facilities for disabled passengers and a number of suites with balconies.

The following morning I awoke to the announcement that we were passing the Arctic Circle so I rushed up to the icy deck 9 to take a quick snap before breakfast. Our FAM was a 'seminar at sea', so after breakfast we visited one of the conference rooms to meet the Purser, Camilla, who was a truly wonderful lady who had been on the ship since the beginning and talked excitedly about life on board, the different types of passengers and the services available including excursions such as reindeer riding and snow-mobiles, the option to travel with your car or bicycle on board, wine packages and an unlimited coffee option. Lucy from Hurtigruten then took us through the rest of the Hurtigruten fleet and destinations including Greenland, Spitsbergen and Antarctica and we learned that they stop at 34 ports on the Norwegian coast and at Kirkenes passengers can stay in an ice hotel!

Our last day was at Trondheim; the weather was not as bright as before but our tour guide took us through the sites with great enthusiasm and showed us the Cathedral and famous bridge, canals, university and rock music museum. We arrived at the airport a little sad to be leaving Norway, but the journey home was very speedy - two flights in only 3 hours!

This trip was a lot better than expected, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we were all amazed at the breathtaking scenery, fantastic facilities on board as well as great food and service. We certainly weren't expecting waiter service for dinner, entertainment in the bar, comfortable cabins with heated floors, saunas and hot tubs! It was far more a cruise ship than a ferry and at times it felt like a river cruise as we travelled so close to the mountains on either side of the ship. This trip would be ideal for those looking for a bit of adventure, its not exhausting and those interested in wildlife and photography would be particularly interested, they just need to wrap up warm! We took in just a small part of the coastline on offer and itineraries are available in Spring, Summer and Autumn as well as Winter to showcase this fabulous country in all the different seasons.

Hurtigruten have a training module available on the ACE Academy to learn more! www.cruiseexperts.org.