HURTIGRUTENS HUS (AU$247): 2022 Prices & Reviews (Stokmarknes, Norway) - Photos of Hotel

I wanted to travel just from Bergen to Tromso, but was unable to book via the UK website which only seems to offer 12 day packages! As this is hybrid cruise ship / passenger ferry I knew that it was possible but the only way of booking from the UK seemed to be via telephone. Booking something that is not a package means that you choose and pay for your cabin and then add on (and pay for) any meals package. I opted to pay for breakfast and dinner, not lunch. While I think this way of booking is more affordable if you are travelling solo, the meals packages are not cheap. As an idea, I paid £676 for the four nights travel in a Polar outside single cabin then £80 for the breakfasts and £148 for the dinners - I was on board for four nights. So the total for five days / four nights including food (October 2021) was £904. My ship was the Nordlys. There is a bistro and bakery on board where it is possible to buy things for lunch and late breakfast so it is possible to travel a little more cheaply than this by opting just for pastry for breakfast for instance, and taking fresh fruits on board. The staff are all lovely and very helpful, and most of them appeared to speak good English. All announcements are in Norwegian, German and English. This did not go down too well with the French passengers on board :-) When I got on board I opted to upgrade to an Arctic outside room so my comments relate to this cabin. I was on deck 5 at the back of the ship. I have never been on a cruise before so am unsure whether the turbulence I experienced the first night was worse here than if I had been more central in the ship. Apparently that area between Bergen and Alesund is fairly notorious for rough seas, luckily this did not occur until I was in bed in my cabin so was able to lie down for most of that patch. The cabin was compact but well thought out, with plenty of storage space - wardrobes, cupboards and plenty of room under the bed to store suitcases. The bed was very comfortable with two very large and two standard size pillows and there were two small chairs in the cabin if you wanted to sit at the desk. By pushing the info button on the phone, you allowed any announcements to be heard in the cabin as well as alerts for the northern lights. Most of the announcements were between about 8.30 am and 10 pm but not always, especially when the northern lights were in view. The shower room was also compact but there was a heated floor so any overspill from the shower quickly evaporated. The shower was strong and hot. The heated floor was also quite handy for drying socks on! And there was pleasant smelling shampoo, soap and conditioner supplied. The food was very good, the first night was a buffet to help yourself - a choice of braised beef or baked halibut (or a little of both!) and a vegetarian option for main courses. There were also several starters including traditional fish soup, salmon, cold meats, salads and plenty of choice of desserts. The other three nights food was served from the menu with a more limited choice of starters, main courses, and a single dessert or ice cream. But it was all very good, well prepared and tasty. Breakfast was always a buffet with plentiful fresh fruit, hams, cheeses, salmon, yoghurts, cereals, porridge and hot breakfast choices including scrambled, boiled or fried eggs, sausages, etc. My cabin had tea and coffee but as I opted not to have my room serviced, I was able to find teabags, sugar and milk at the coffee stations on board. I understand from other reviewers that only the ‘premium’ travellers were supposed to get this for free but there was no one policing it. There were a number of excursions on offer, these seemed quite expensive to me, and I did not book. I talked to someone who had booked a walking tour of Alesund and because the boat was running slightly late, this apparently became more of a route march than a tour. I am travelling back through the area by train from Tromso, south, so will explore more at my leisure then not with Hurtigruten. All in all anyone wanting to experience a boat trip through some magical scenery should consider this option. 4 nights and 5 days was perfect - a 12 day trip would be much too long in my view.…

Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled

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Potch24 wrote a review Jan 2020

Birmingham, United Kingdom139 contributions72 helpful votes

Fantastic!

We did the cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes in December on the MS Polarlys and it was fabulous. The cabin (and ship) were clean and warm. Food was great, especially as the dinner menu reflected local food and was imaginative. The soups were amazing but the vegan burger stands out. We did three excursions and although they were expensive we enjoyed them. The dog sledding was great, the costal walk was informative and the North Cape was amazing in the winter light. The lectures (especially about whales from the vet) was so interesting and we got to see the northern lights!! Staff were knowledgable and helpful, especially the lady in the bar every evening. I think not having tea and coffee in all cabins was a little mean (I accept we overlooked this in our booking but online info (old?) suggests all cabins have this) but it was good to see no plastic bottles in the bathrooms. Getting off the ship to see towns was a great way to see Norway and we were never bored. …

Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled

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Dawn d wrote a review July 2019

Dublin, Ireland6 contributions3 helpful votes

Trip off the bucket list

You want a holiday to remember then spend Christmas on one of the a cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes. Every crew member on board treats you so well. The cabins are great food is fantastic. You leave learning more than you knew when you for on board, and you leave wanting to go back for more trips. Worth every cent spent.

Date of stay: December 2018Trip type: Travelled

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julianne42 wrote a review July 2019

Seattle, Washington12 contributions29 helpful votes

MS Nordnorge, Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen July 2019

We're just back from a fantastic roundtrip voyage on the MS Nordnorge. Pro tip: if you book super early, you may be able to get a mini suite (QJ) for less than an Arctic Superior (U). Pros: -Fantastically comfortable beds -Excellent food -Incredible staff -Amazing views -Great lecture series Cons: -On the busier segments it was sometimes tricky to find a place to hang out on deck, but never impossible In all, Hurtigruten isn't for everyone. Entertainment is minimal, and the stops are short and not necessarily catered to tourism (e.g., it would have been great to have more time in Alesund). We didn't want these things: we aren't cruise people, and don't enjoy experiences that seem entirely created for tourists. If you're not a big fan of cruises, and enjoy relaxing with a book and a fantastic view, then you'll have a great time.…

Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Travelled

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Jasmin D wrote a review June 2019

Singapore, Singapore10 contributions2 helpful votes

Hurtigruten - MS Richard With

It was an amazing adventure. This is not your "typical" cruise ship, There are no casinos, no showrooms, and the ship does even have a pool. The entertainment is the breathtaking scenery, occasional lectures, excursions, and conversation with your fellow passengers. It was an adventure. The crew were delightful, always happy to answer questions and answer requests. Trondheim with Nidaros Cathedral: Fascinating walking tour of the city, highlights were an overlook from which you could see the whole city, the historic district, the university, and the cathedral. The North Cape: Some of the wildest and most breathtaking scenery of the trip. Interesting bus tour, and plenty of time to explore the North Cape and its museum on your own. The food on board was a total disaster. I had requested a vegetarian meal when I confirmed my booking. The first day I got recycled bean salad from the lunch buffet. The waiter even commented that it looked like prison food. The day I got a burger with a few rocket leaves a slice of fried mushroom some baby roast potatoes. By day three I got a salad and some green chewy vegetables which I am was not sure what it was that I had just given up. For the non vegetarians there was fish, fish and more fish. The least they could have done is cooked them in different flavours. Boring!!! The kitchen needs a new manager who can create better meals. The exorbitant price we paid for the trip only provided breakfast lunch and dinner. No afternoon teas or coffee. Everything else had to be purchased at ridiculous prices.…

Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled

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