Today Hurtigruten signs a contract with ice.net for mobile broadband solutions and the supply of data communications for their fleet of ships. This is according to a press release from ice.net (Norwegian text).
Summer season has always been the main season for Hurtigruten, but the other seasons of Norway has so much to offer for the guests of Hurtigruten. This is why Hurtigruten has launched different concepts for promoting this. In 2009 Hurtigruten launched their winter concept "Hunting the light", in which the Northern lights are the key theme. This year, the "Artic Awakening" was launched as the spring initiative.
Summer is comming to an end in Norway, and autumn is knocking on the door. The green colors of summer, will slowly be replaced by the colors of autumn; red, yellow and orange. Hurtigruten is about to test a new concept this year called Autumn Gold, the name describing the palette of colours in this season. The emphasis will be on the special colours of Norway's spectacular coastline, food and culinary, activities and excursions. Hurtigruten provides a wide range of experiences. If you just want to relax, there's no better option than to enjoy the comortable ships of Hurtigruten. The new autumn concept will officially be launched in 2013. Update: 2012/10/18: According to the Hurtigruten official blog the Autumn Gold concept has now been tested with great success, with great feedback from guests, crew, journalists and agents. The MS Finnmarken has been the pilot ship for this concept. Some details from the Autumn Gold test voyages: Sami culinary experiences like Bidos (traditional soup) and reindeer heart are mentioned, tasting of cloudberry, listening to Sami joik and watching the Finnkirka (Sami church) as the ship sails by. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? You might also want to read: Hurtigruten's most popular shorter trips.
A press release from Lufthansa Systems states that Hurtigruten will be the first customer for the new product Guest Service Portal, which was launched in spring 2012.
(Picture borrowed from Hurtigruten.)
So what is this product about? The Guest Service Portal will enable passengers to interact with Hurtigruten via their mobile devices, prior to, during and after the voyage. Passengers will be able to book services, make inquiries, watch movies, make dinner reservations and plan their choices of excursions. According to the press release this interaction can also take place via television (on the ships) and the ship's digital signs. Information about the ship's facilities and social media page will be highly available. The system will be implemented on all ships, from January 2013.
Check out this video that one of the crew members of Hurtigruten's MS Midnatsol was fortunate enough to shoot: A couple of dolphins are effordlessly swimming and playing in front of the ship! It's fairly common to see these animals from a distance, but seeing them so close, and in this setting is quite special. It looks like they're just in front of the ship's bulb, and I guess normal speed for this ship is about 15 knots. No high speed for a dolphin! This video is shot as the MS Midnatsol was on it's way to Øksfjord in Finnmark in Northern Norway. Beautiful animals!
The video can also be watched on Hurtigruten's blog from the Norwegian coast: Hurtigruten365
A lot of Hurtigruten's guests are people that have travelled with Hurtigruten before, and who comes back for more. As an example of this you can check out this post on Hurtigruten's blog from their expedition ship MS Fram. On the two bottom pictures it almost looks like half of the passengers are returning guests! No doubt, these are people who have thoroughly enjoyed their previous Hurtigruten voyage(s). Hurtigruten appreciates this, and wants to reward customer loyalty. For this the company has the 1893 Ambassador Programme.
1893 was the year that a captain by the name Richard With established the ship service linking the north and south of Norway. This important ship route later became known as Hurtigruten.
(Photo: Hurtigruten.)
The programme is called the 1893 Ambassador Programme, because Hurtigruten obviously sees the importance in satisfied guests returning, and telling their friends about their good experience with Hurtigruten. Satisfied guests are good ambassadors for Hurtigruten.
Well, if you're a good ambassador for Hurtigruten, you should be rewarded for it. Everyone who has travelled with Hurtigruten for more than three consecutive nights, can join the 1893 Ambassador Programme. As a member of the programme, you are among other things entitled to discounts on voyages and selected excursions. Read more about the 1893 Ambassador Programme!
Each year the Prime Ministers of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland meet to discuss international affairs.According to a press release from the Norwegian Government this year's Nordic Prime Ministers meeting (10.-11. June 2012) will begin in beautiful Å in Lofoten, and the Prime Ministers will from there travel with Hurtigruten to Tromsø.
I'm quite sure that the Prime Ministers will be really busy while on Hurtigruten, but no doubt, our Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg will be proud to show off the scenery along the coast of northern Norway. They will travel on Hurtigruten's MS Finnmarken.
As I have mentioned in an earlier post, Hurtigruten have very good conference and meeting facilities on board their ships. It's the perfect place for a Nordic Prime Ministers meeting!
Every year tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the North Cape, best known as the northernmost point of the European continent. This is as far North as 71 degrees. The North Cape excursions are the most popular excursions thatHurtigrutenoffers. In total you can choose from over 40 different excursions.
(Photo borrowed from Hurtigruten.)
On the Northbound voyage the excursion to the North Cape starts in the small town of Honningsvåg. A short bus trip through sub-Arctic landscape takes you there, and it's not unusual to see herds of reindeer. When you get there, be sure to have your photo taken by the big globe, and post postcards to your family and friends. In the North Cape Hall you can eat a good meal, view a fantastic panoramic film about this northernmost part of Norway, and of course buy souvenirs. The bus will take you back to Honningsvåg where the ship is waiting.
When the Hurtigruten ship has turned around at Kirkenes and is heading southbound, you can also visit the North Cape. The ship arives early at Honningsvåg and the guests are treated with a good breakfast at the North Cape Hall. In the meantime the Hurtigruten ship has left Honningsvåg and you will travel by bus through amazing landscape to Hammerfest, the worlds most northernmost town, where you catch up with the ship again. The bus ride includes a short stop to visit a Sami family.
Don't miss out on visiting the North Cape! Want to read more about Hurtigruten's excursions? Check out the Sea Eagle Safari.
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?
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.
The MS Nordlys is back on the Norwegian coast! As many will remember, half a year ago Hurtigruten was struck by an accident with this ship. An engine room fire caused a lot of damage, and large areas of the ship was filled with smoke. There was also some flooding in the lower parts of the ship.
MS Nordlys has been repaired at Fiskerstrand ship yard, and a 100.000 man hours have been put in to getting this beautiful ship refurbished. There's also been made a lot of upgrades so now she's as good as new, maybe even better. Her return was slightly delayed due to extensive testing of new equipment, but today on the 28th of March she left Tromsø bound for Bergen. Good to have her back!
Hurtigruten offers internet access on board all their ships, except the two oldest ships MS Lofoten and MS Nordstjernen (the latter is leaving the Hurtigruten fleet this year). At least two PCs in an internet cafe, and at least one wireless zone is available on each ship. Wireless access vary from ship to ship, and guarantied access is limited to the ships conference areas. The biggest suites on the ships also have internet access. There's also a generally good coverage for mobile phones. Hurtigruten is working to improve availability on their ships: According to Stockhouse.com, Hurtigruten "has deployed a new mobile network based on the Aruba Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture in order to deliver Wi-Fi and guest access services to employees and passengers". This will be a great addition to Hurtigruten's already high standards and service to their passengers. It will also be highly appreciated by firms and businesses who travel with Hurtigruten, and who make use of the conference facilities aboard the Hurtigruten ships.
Communications manager Ragnar Norum says: “At Hurtigruten we are always looking to enhance the customer experience, and quality wireless connectivity for our passengers and conference users is a clear winner with everyone.”
Hurtigruten is not the first cruise line to offer wireless, but high speed internet access will surely be welcomed by Hurtigruten's passengers. Great news!
MS Finnmarken is now back on the Norwegian coast, for the time being replacing the MS Nordlys which is being repaired, and soon as a replacement for the ageing MS Nordstjernen. The Norwegian local newspaper Avisa Nordland has published more than sixty photos from MS Finnmarkens voyage on the Norwegian coast.
The photos shows the ships interior and exterior, some of the towns and also pictures from some of the excursions that Hurtigruten can offer. And as you can see, the ship's pool is in use! How's that for exotic?
The photos are called "From Bergen to Lofoten", take a look at them at Avisa Nordland.
Last fall Hurtigruten was struck by a tragic accident. A fire broke out in the engine room of the MS Nordlys and although all passengers were safe, two crew members lost their life.
In the beginning of January this year, the huge cruise ship Costa Concordia of Costa Cruises struck a rock, started to take in water and eventually sank near the coast of Western Italy. Just this week, a new incident happened on a Costa ship. A fire destroyed the ships electrical power, and the ship is now beeing towed for several days to a safe harbour.
It would be natural for potential guests to be sceptic to order a cruise after these accidents. You should know that Hurtigruten is working continously on improving safety, and is currently conducting a "Safe sailing project" where focus among other things are on
• Identifying risk areas and ports (see illustration above)
• Defining «tracks» and routes
• Training
• Modus operandi on Captains bridge
• Identifying most important indicators for possible risk sources
• Safety drills with rescue teams along the Norwegian coast
Unfortunately, sometimes accidents happen. All passengers should take the time to read safety placards, and to pay attention during safety drills. In this way, passengers will know where to gather in an emergency, and how to put on the safety vest. Knowing what to do, will keep panic at bay. Here you can check out the safety videos of MS Nordlys, MS Midnatsol, MS Richard With, MS Polarlys, MS Vesterålen and MS Finnmarken. Below you can watch the safety video of Hurtigruten's MS Trollfjord. You're safe with Hurtigruten!
"Documentary heritage reflects the diversity of languages, peoples and cultures. It is the mirror of the world and its memory. But this memory is fragile. Every day, irreplaceable parts of this memory disappear for ever..." This quote is taken from UNESCO's Memory of the World Program, which is about preserving valuable documents for the future.
Arts Council Norway has compiled a Norwegian list of valuable documents, that are deemed important for Norwegian cultural heritage, and should be kept safe for all time. Documents like the work of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's film from the discovery of the South Pole in 1911, and... What? NRK's broadcast "Hurtigruten - minute by minute?"
(Picture borrowed from Hurtigruten.)
Here's the reason for this desicion: "The TV programmet great enthusiasmfrom the start.It is a programthat hasmoved theboundaries,not only forhow longa program canbe, butalso for howslowa programcan be.This has contributedto nationalidentity,and has madethe coastof Norway a part of the mindset of Norwegians.
The program provides a uniqueand highlydetailed documentationof the Norwegiancoastat a given timein June2011, and is therefore included as a part of Norwegiandocument heritage." (Quote from Arts Council Norway.)
So in a distant future maybe hundreds of years from now, people will still be able to enjoy Hurtigruten!
If you're more than an average Hurtigruten enthusiast, here's your chance to buy your own Hurtigruten ship! The MS Nordstjernen is up for sale on the Internet. According to Norwegian paper Avisa Nordland the price is in the range 15-20 million Norwegian kroner (about 2-3 million US dollars). Apparantly there's 8 interested buyers, from Croatia, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The main purpose for buying MS Nordstjernen seems to be to operate her as a hotel ship.
(Photo: Aldebaran.)
Some argue that the old ship should be placed alongside the former MS Finnmarken at Svolvær, at the Hurtigruten museum, but years have shown that taking care of one old ship is more than enough. It seems that being put on dry land is very hard on these old ladies, continous maintenance is required! There has also been some talk about getting her to Bergen, since this town has always been the starting point for the Hurtigruten voyages.
The last trip for MS Nordstjernen is coming up, and many want to take part in the last voyage. Norwegian television is making a program about the retiring ship, and will have camera crew on the last voyage. Update: 2012/11/13: According to an article in the Norwegian newspaper Bergens Tidende, MS Nordstjernen has now been sold to Indre Nordhordland Dampbåtlag in Bergen. The old ship will also be stationed in this town in Western Norway. MS Nordstjernen has also been set under the protection of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, due to it's uniqueness and what this ship has meant for the coastal communities of Western and Northern Norway. This means that there will be restrictions on what modifications that can be done to the ship, if any. The ship can not be sold out of Norway. The interior, the art that was made by Paul René Gauguin and the whole ship has been documentet for posterity. The former owner Hurtigruten feels confident that the MS Nordstjernen will be taken good care of, says Communications Manager Ragnar Norum. For 56 years the Nordstjernen sailed for Hurtigruten, longer than any other ship that was in their fleet. Related posts:
As I covered in this earlier post, last summer Hurtigruten and Norwegian broadcasting (NRK) had half of Norway glued to their television sets enjoying MS Nordnorge's voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes. A lot of people outside Norway also joined in via the Internet, and were able to participate in the celebration of Hurtigruten by coastal communities all along the Norwegian coast. What a memorable five days!
(Picture borrowed from NRK.)
For those who missed out on the broadcast, or just want to preserve the voyage for future enjoyment, a DVD has been released by NRK. Of course, it doesn't contain the whole five days voyage, instead the most beautiful parts have been selected, resulting in twelve hours of Hurtigruten. You can purchase the four DVD's at Hurtigruten's webshop.
"The five and a half day journey from Bergen to Kirkenes captures spectacular fjords, midnight sun and genuine unspoiled Norwegian nature." Enjoy!
The oldest ship in Hurtigruten's fleet is the MS Nordstjernen. Most Hurtigruten fans will know that the old lady is set to sail her last voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, in March 2012. Hurtigruten got world wide attention last summer when NRK (Norwegian state television) broadcasted five days live television from MS Nordnorge's beautiful voyage along the Norwegian coastline.
Now, to mark the last voyage of MS Nordstjernen, NRK is going to make a televison program about this veteran ship. A documentary with old footage and newer stuff to. Maybe we will get more information about MS Nordstjernen's travelling ghost?
You might think that its strange that a televison company would use so much money and resources on Hurtigruten? After all, Hurtigruten has gotten fantastic booking respons from the attention. Well, the case is that last years five days Hurtigruten program, brought NRKs viewer statistics through the roof! So, this "partnership" is a win-win situation.
If you want to book a voyage on the last trip with MS Nordstjernen, you have to hurry. Hurtigruten is reporting that a lot of the ships relatively few cabins already have been booked, and that just a few are still available. Actually, a lot of the cabins have been booked by "Hurtigruten frequent travellers" who want to take part in MS Nordstjernen's last voyage. It sure will be sad to say farewell to this ship. Amazingly, she's been sailing since the mid 1950ties!
(Picture borrowed from Hurtigruten.)
A last word of consolation for you, if you love this veteran ship: before retiring completely from Hurtigruten she will sail a last season on Spitsbergen!
Today Hurtigruten announced on its Facebook profile that the MS Finnmarken, which has been a long way from home in Australia, finally has started its voyage back home to Norwegian shores. The ship has been in Singapore for some weeks for refurbishment and new paint, and is now sailing for Cape Town. By making the journey around the south of Africa, the MS Finnmarken will avoid the pirate infested waters near Somalia.
As earlier posted, the MS Finnmarken will cover for MS Nordlys, before replacing the aged veteran ship MS Nordstjernen. So, not long before we can enjoy the sight of this magnificent ship, back where she belongs. Best wishes for a happy Christmas for the crew sailing the MS Finnmarken home!
The Sea Eagle, or White-tailed Eagle is the biggest bird of prey in Northern Europe. It can be seen on most parts of the Norwegian coast, but it's in Northern Norway that you're most likely to see it. The biggest population of Sea Eagle is actually found near Bodø. By 1968 the Sea Eagle was almost extinct in Norway, but after being protected by the Government, the population has grown.
Hurtigruten offers lots of different excursions. The Sea Eagle can often be seen from the Hurtigruten ships themselves, but many guests choose to participate in a Sea Eagle Safari, arranged by one of the many small tourism businesses which are found along the Norwegian coast. Actually many of these small businesses rely heavily on the Hurtigruten to bring customers their way. To watch the Sea Eagle swoop down to the sea surface, and pick up a fish with it's claws is a great experience! Truly a majestic bird.
(Picture borrowed from Hurtigruten.)
Want to read more about Hurtigruten's excursions? The Sea Eagle Safari is one of the excursions I mentioned in my earlier post Excursions with Hurtigruten - highligts.
Fans of Hurtigruten are waiting for the MS Finnmarken to return to the Norwegian coast from Australia. She has been painted in all white for a couple of years now, and before returning to Norway she needs to get back in the Hurtigruten colors of white, red, and black. On the way back from Australia, the MS Finnmarken is visiting a ship yard in Singapore, for new paint and modifications back to Hurtigruten's standards.
Norwegian NRK is reporting that the weathered and rusty hull seen in a few photos, was due to restriction on outside maintenance. But now the MS Finnmarken is getting a good overhaul. The voyage from Singapore to Norway is estimated to take 43 days, and will be via Cape Town. No doubt, this is to avoid the pirate activities near the Suez canal.
"Finnmarken" is an old way of spelling the name of the northernmost county in Norway, Finnmark. The name Finnmarken is a name with long traditions with Hurtigruten. Three Hurtigruten ships have had the name, the last one before today's MS Finnmarken, can be seen standing on dry land at the Hurtigruten museum in Stokmarknes (you can check out the pictures from when the old ship was put onto land).
(Picture: Knut Storø, Hurtigruten.)
If you're going on a cruise with Hurtigruten, my guess is that you already know that it will not be like a cruise in the Caribbean. Although the weather in Norway can be really nice and warn in the summer, a big part of the country is north of the arctic circle. Did you know, the MS Finnmarken actually has a pool? A couple of the other ships have jacuzzis on deck and it can be quite the experience to sit in the hot water in the winter, looking up at the stars and Northern lights. You might want to wear a warm hat or something, on your head though! Read more about Northern lights!
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