Expedition Team Leader Martin Emhjellen leads a nighttime talk on the Northern Lights with travelers.
It’s smooth sailing with opportunities to adventurize your Scandinavian cruise
By CARLEY D. THORNELL
My husband and I are awakened by a message as gentle waves lull us to sleep as Norway segues into another beautiful late-August midnight: “Those who want to see a stunning display of the Northern Lights, come to the top deck immediately.”
The swimming greens and blues against the ebony sky of the Arctic Circle surely aren’t what we — or any crewmember onboard — expected this early in the season. But there are innumerable surprises aboard the M/S Nordkapp, one of four vessels recently renovated by the Hurtigruten line.
Far from an ocean line with waterslides, umbrella drinks and formal nights, Hurtigruten offers the opportunity to experience Norway’s coastal culture up close and personal. You’ll meet locals taking it as a “water taxi” of sorts to get from fishing village to fishing village, and the ship is Norway’s official postal carrier from port to port. With a capacity of just 622 passengers, you’re also likely to marvel at fjords and miles and miles of craggy coastline dotted with stunning waterfalls along with many German and French tourists and just a few Americans.
Upgrades made earlier this year — including more spacious hallways and welcoming common areas, a hot tub, the swanky Explorer Lounge & Panorama Bar with a fireplace, homey Multe coffee and gelato shop, and open-concept dining room — make for an atmosphere so warm you may never want to leave the soothing sway of the boat.
But dozens of optional tours that vary by season give travelers the unique opportunity to customize their trip for a real Arctic adventure.
Some of these, like Geiranger with Trollstigen Pass, are essential for enjoying some of Norway’s most iconic and most-photographed sites. The UNESCO-listed fjord tour includes heart-pounding hairpin rides through 11 hairpin turns, a cool ferry ride, several stops including a hike and dinner. Ready for high speeds? Try an ATV safari to the Russian border. Like hiking? There are several treks for different fitness levels including one in Hammerfest, the northernmost town in the world, and to the top of Lofoten’s dramatic mountain peaks. History buffs will get a kick out of a “visit with Vikings” for a traditional feast and mead, and the Sami excursions offer a chance to interact with Norway’s native peoples and once-nomadic tribes.
But perhaps some of the most memorable days are geared toward those looking for the warm fuzzies; a bird-watching safari offers up the chance to spot puffins and seals, and the scenery and huskies tour is an opportunity to meet hundreds of new furry friends ranging from pup to veteran Iditarod dog, followed by coffee and decadent cake.
You certainly won’t go hungry aboard the Nordkapp, where part of the recent enhancements to the Torget dining room include curated menus featuring farm-to-table (or in Norway’s case, sea to table) meals with fresh-caught fish, and vegetables, fruits and dairy products (including delectable nutty brown cheese) from local purveyors along the sailing route. Each menu includes a map that tells a story about where you’ve ventured that day or about a local purveyor.
It’s a great precursor to what several nights was a fun bedtime ritual — stories or songs courtesy of the Hurtigruten’s new Expedition Team serving the vessels that got a 2016 facelift. The same gang that directs optional tours on the ground this year formed a new program of complimentary lectures and entertainment programs including Norwegian songs, a talk about contemporary law and protecting native Sami cultures, and Viking myths and migration. Getting to know Norwegians like musician and veteran tour leader Johan Pearson, equestrian Maria Dahlroth, naturalist Martin Emhjellen and actor/historian Ole Fredrik Wannebo, was a bonus — much like seeing the Northern Lights.
Carley D. Thornell is a Massachusetts-based marketing executive and writer who has written for The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, Boston Magazine and other national and local publications. She will be a regular contributor to The Item’s Travel pages. Contact Carley at [email protected].