May 17 - National Day of Norway with Hurtigruten

Way back in 1814 the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll signed and dated the Constitution of Norway. This happened on May 17, and this date has ever since been celebrated as the National Day of Norway. Unlike many other countries which celebrates their independence with military parades, the Norwegian celebration is centered around the children. In all Norwegian towns and communities you can see parades of adults and children in their "bunad" waving the Norwegian flag, singing and cheering. 

(Photo borrowed from Hurtigruten.)

The children are marching together with their school class, and marching bands are also a part of the parades. In Oslo the thousands of children parade by the Royal Palace, where the King's familiy greets the parades from the balcony. In other cities and smaller towns the parades for example stops by retirement homes, and sings and greets the elderly. In Norway this day is a day of celebration and gratitude.


Hurtigruten welcomes guests on board (as always) when the ships are in port. On this special day Hurtigruten has arrangements in several ports, and this will surely be a special day also for Hurtigruten's non Norwegian passengers. Maybe Hurtigruten's ships will get the same reception as when the voyage was broadcasted last summer?


Hipp, hipp, Hurra!

Hurtigruten reviews

Numbers released in quarterly reports by Hurtigruten are showing that an increasing number of people want to experience Hurtigruten's voyages along the Norwegian coast, the Arctic and Antarctica. If you are considering going on a cruise with Hurtigruten, you are probably trying to find out as much as possible about Hurtigruten and what you can experience.

(Picture borrowed from Hurtigruten.)

As you might know already, a cruise with Hurtigruten along the Norwegian coast will differ in many ways from other cruises. Hurtigruten's ships are "working ships", providing transportation between the many smaller coastal communities and towns. The ships are never far from the coastline, giving passengers front row seats to the Norwegian nature in all its splendor. 

The ships are often calling by several ports a day, taking on passengers for shorter or longer trips. Loading and offloading cargo and mail is also part of each stop. This activity provides a great opportunity to get an insight in everyday life in coastal Norway. On the other hand, this could be disappointing if you were expecting a more traditional cruise. 

Below I have provided a few links to pages that have reviews of Hurtigrutens cruises. You can read about great food on board, fantastic scenery (bring your camera!) and exciting excursions. Doing research before hand is always wise, and trip reports or reviews from people who have experienced Hurtigruten can be found at Cruisecritic.com and Cruise.co.uk. Of course, Tripadvisor also has reviews on Hurtigruten.

Hurtigruten also offers exciting cruises to the Arctic areas and the Antarctica.