When Rick’s parents approached us with the idea of taking a Norwegian cruise, we decided to go for it. We figured it would be a good opportunity to travel with them and that the “all inclusive” option would make it affordable. Plus, the ship was advertised as “the world’s most beautiful voyage”. While we’ve taken several cruises with Rick’s parents in the past, we are not really big fans. We have several reasons for this, with the main one being that cruising only allows you to get a glimpse of each place. We prefer to explore places in greater depth. We also enjoy the adventure of figuring things out on our own. Unfortunately, this cruise was probably the worst example of that problem that we have ever experienced! What a shame considering how much there was to see and do.
Let me explain. We booked a 7-day trip on the Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage, which went from Bergen to Kirkenes (close to the Russian border). This is basically the entire Norwegian coast. At one point, we crossed the Arctic Circle (very cool). The trip was organized through a travel agent in Florida. The travel agent failed to inform us, however, that this so called “cruise ship” was really an express ferry that links coastal towns and villages. In fact, we found out later from our Norwegian friends that the word “hurtigruten” actually means “fast” in Norwegian! The bottom line is that the Hurtigruten is more useful as a means of getting from one town to the next than it is for sightseeing at towns along the route as the ferry only stops in ports for 15 to 60 minutes. With the exception of a couple of days where we stopped for 3-4 hours so we got to get off the boat and see a little bit. The ferry really serves locals more than tourists. About 11 ships a day go back and forth between Bergen and Kirkenes, with the entire journey taking 12 days. I’m so glad we opted for the one-way voyage! The ship offers excursions for passengers who want to explore places in greater depth. We ended up only taking one because they were very expensive. The ship was really nice and it had all the amenities of a normal cruise ship, minus the cheesy entertainment. Nevertheless, it was not a cruise as advertised to us. Whenever we would stop at a port, even for a short time, all of the "cruise" passengers would rush the door like convicts escaping from prison. It was pretty amusing!
The first day we were in ignorant bliss, but eventually we felt as though we were missing out on some secret that everyone else knew. These were the locals who hopped on and off the ferry, staying only a day or 2, in route to other places. We slowly learned the “real deal” and met some other tourists who were in the “same boat” as us…literally! So, we spent a lot of time on “the worlds most beautiful voyage” reading, playing cards, soaking in the Jacuzzi and salivating over the spectacular scenery. This definitely didn't suck. The views from the ship were spectacular! It just wasn’t the trip we envisioned.
Because Rick and I consider ourselves to be savvy travelers, we thought we could work around the system. We spent some time investigating alternatives that would give us more time off the ship and on our own. We found out that we could skip some ports and meet the ship back at the last port of the day as long as we notified someone beforehand and so long as we could get back to the ship on time. As it turned out, local transport was sparse in the areas we were visiting. Moreover, most of it all linked up with the Hurtigruten as part of a coastal transportation network. In other words, we were screwed!
All complaints aside, we had a great trip. We met some nice people on the ship and had fun with the in-laws. In addition, we spent a few days in Oslo, where we had a personal tour guide. Our friend, Christina, who used to live in Brussels, took us around and invited us to her home. We also spent a couple of magnificent days in and around Flam (the fjord region) on our own. In conclusion, I would highly recommend Norway to anyone. I would also recommend using the Hurtigruten as a method of traveling along the coast. Just don’t take it as a cruise! And, unless you are a big fan of snow and winter sports, go during the summer so you can see the midnight sun!
Our trip started and ended in Oslo. Although I enjoyed the nature in Norway more, I thought that Oslo was a really nice city. It was clean and the people were friendly. It was especially nice because we got to spend time with our friends, Christina and Stig. Christina was a great host. She spent a lot of time showing us around Oslo. She was also a good resource on restaurants, public transport and the like. We all appreciated her time and effort in making our trip more enjoyable. Plus, it was just fun to hang out.
One of the best things we did in Oslo was to take a walk through Vigeland Park. This beautiful, yet funky, park contains 212 sculptures by Gustav vigeland, some of them pretty risqué.
After Vigeland Park, we went to Bygdoy Peninsula, where w e had lunch at a cute restaurant called Lil Herbron, Then, we visited theViking Ship Museum. The museum houses three huge ships, built in the 9th century, that were pulled ashore and later used as tombs for nobility.
The restaurant was on a small island so we had to take a ferry across. The wait for the ferry could be up to 20 minutes. However, it only took 2 minutes to get across. If we had our bathing on, we could have swum faster!
Bergen is a charming port city surrounded by hills.
One of the highlights of Bergen is the daily fish market "Fisketorget", which is right on the harbor. They sell all types of fresh seafood as well as already prepared foods for lunch and dinner. They even have some benches where you can sit and eat. I enjoyed a lunch of shrimp, crab, and smoked salmon salad. It was yummy!
The town is also known for Bryggen (wharf), a series of buildings that house souvenir shops, gift shops, restaurants, pubs, and museums, but was once a major commercial center for trade in Northern Europe. It consists of a series of wooden houses that are brightly painted. Bryggen has experienced several fires throughout history and most of the current buildings date from after the 1702 fire The entire complex is a World UNESCO Heritage Site.
One of the museums that we went to in Bryggen was the Hanseatic Museum. This interesting, little museum provides a glimpse into the lives of Hanseatc traders. The museum has 3 floors and is set up like a merchant's house complete with furniture, artwork, tools and weapons.
We took a funicular up to the top of one of the surrounding hills for a great view over the city. Then, we hiked back down.
Stay tuned for part 2 - Land Of The Midnight Sun: The Cruise...
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