Travel photographer Glyn Genin takes the Hurtigruten, Norway’s voyage to the Arctic, and finds classic views, great food, and congenial company on the 3,200 mile voyage.

A Supersize cruise ship passed to starboard just before dawn. Her ten passenger decks boasted two swimming pools, a casino, health spa, French style bistro, 200-seat cinema, and no less than five dance floors.

My Hurtigruten ship had none of the above, but I didn’t envy the two thousand cruise passengers their slot machines, complimentary dance classes, or nightly bingo. During my eleven day voyage in the Mv Nordlys I’d get to experience more of Norway than they would ever dream of.

The sun rose as Supersize’s monstrous white hull fell astern, and turned the waters of Norway’s inshore shipping channel – the Hovedleia – shades of gold. It was going to be a magical day.

The Nordlys is one of eleven ships that ply the coastal route between Bergen in southwest Norway and Kirkenes close to the Russian border, a voyage pioneered in 1893 when the Hurtigruten (literally ‘Express Route’) was established to carry cargo, passengers and mail between cities, towns and isolated communities along the coast.

Despite recent substantial investment in building impressive bridges and subsea tunnels, the Hurtigruten is still a vitally important transport link, although sadly the ships no longer fly the Norwegian Postal ensign and carry mail. Road journeys can be long, tiring and tortuous, with tedious waits for cross fjord ferries.

Although two vintage ships dating back to the 1950s remain in service, the majority were built at the turn of the 20th Century, carry between 400 and 650 passengers and have state of the art cargo handling equipment and a vehicle deck. Most of the passengers these days might be tourists, travelling for pleasure rather than necessity, but these are still working ships.

A ship leaves Bergen every evening of the year for the voyage north, except December 24th – when all Hurtigruten vessels remain in port to celebrate Christmas – taking 11 days to complete the round trip. All 34 scheduled ports en route are served twice daily, once by northbound, once by southbound sailings.

It was high summer when I joined the Nordlys, literally ‘Northern Lights‘  one of three Richard With class vessels, (With was the iconic Norwegian pilot who surveyed and inaugurated the coastal route). Built in Germany and entering service in 1994. She has berths for 475 passengers and space for 45 cars.

Checking in at the modern, custom-built terminal was easy. The line collects bags from Bergen’s main hotels and delivers them directly to your cabin for free. I simply picked up my plastic credit card-sized cruise card and a deck plan of the ship from reception, took the escalator to the gangway and strolled aboard. No queues, no fuss.

The cruise card acts as boarding pass, room key, and ID for onboard purchases. As I boarded, I was asked to use anti-bacterial hand gel – part of the ship’s strict hygiene regime. I got used to doing this each time I came back from ashore. Hand sanitiser stations are located by the purser’s office and at the restaurant entrance as well.

First impressions of the Nordlys, her hull bearing the distinctive broad red stripe of Hurtigruten’s current livery, was of a scrupulously maintained and well turned out ship.

In addition to the restaurant aft on four deck (some tables have views through picture windows at the stern), there’s a children’s playroom, internet café, cafeteria, a shop for souvenirs and the sundry items I always forget, the Sirilund lounge bar with plenty of seating and a small dance floor, and a library and card room.

The Orion Lounge, perched above the ship’s navigation bridge on seven deck, has panoramic views forward through floor to ceiling windows, and together with the midship’s Sirius lounge and bar is a comfortable space to see the constantly changing scenery in the warm and dry, protected from the elements.

Passenger accommodation ranges from snug inside doubles to spacious two room suites. Typically, a standard cabin will have two separate beds, a wardrobe, dressing table and desk. The well thought out if tiny modular bathroom has a shower – only the suites have a bath – and, a nice touch this, a heated floor. Most have a picture window. Storage space is limited, but adequate given that this is a very informal ship, so I travelled light. No black tie dinners to attend, no jacket required.

When booking it’s worth remembering that cabins on the boat deck (five in Nordlys) will have fellow passengers walking by (and peering in). Hurtigruten ships always moor with the port side alongside to discharge cargo and passengers, this can happen at any hour of the day or night. Light sleepers should ask for a berth on the starboard side.

Rooms are serviced by a team of hard working and resourceful young women, mostly Norwegian, who double as waitresses and bar staff. Just about everyone on board speaks excellent English.

The Aurora Café serves drinks, snacks, and more substantial hot and cold meals 24 hours a day.

But like me, most passengers had meals included in the price of the passage ticket, and take their meals in the 240 seat restaurant. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on departure from Bergen are served buffet style with free seating. On other nights, a three course set dinner is served, (an appetiser, fish or meat main course, plus pudding. Second helpings were always offered) and tables are assigned. Given notice, the kitchen will happily cater for special diets.

The seemingly endlessly replenished Hurtigruten buffets are splendid affairs, featuring Norwegian and International dishes. Lunch has a choice of soups, crayfish, mussels, shrimp, and trays of Norwegian cheese, smoked and cured salmon, fish and meat terrines, cold cuts, hot and cold meat, game and fish dishes, salads, vegetables and fresh fruit. A calorie laden dessert table completes the experience. Norwegian strawberries and blueberries, ripened in the long days of the northern summer, are a real treat. The chef makes full use of native ingredients available en-route. Freshly harvested asparagus, king crab and air dried reindeer were all on the menu.

Norway is a high income economy, with prices to match. The government has a monopoly on the sale of wine and spirits, so alcohol is especially expensive. On board, charges for drinks are pretty much in line with good class hotels ashore – around £6 for a draught beer. Seasoned travellers tended to bring their own favourite tipple with them. Norwegian travellers especially were not reluctant to ask for glasses, ice, and appropriate mixes at the ship’s bars, but taking your own booze into the restaurant is definitely frowned upon!

Throughout 2010 a full programme of Theme Voyages are planned, covering topics from polar history and bird watching to the National Day celebrations in May and the Sami reindeer races in February. Some of these sailings feature practical workshops hosted by guest lecturers and guides.

On my trip though, apart from a rather glum and lacklustre keyboard player, there was little in the way of organised entertainment. Just the splendid, heroic vista of the Norwegian coastline and the offshore islands. Most passengers seemed content to read a book sitting comfortably in one of the observation lounges, play a quiet game of cards with friends, or stroll in the open air. On deck, it’s wise to have warm, windproof clothing to hand.

Even when the sun is shining (and in summer, temperatures can reach 30C), the weather can change for the worse in minutes. And always have your camera and binoculars to hand. Whether scenery or wildlife, the most memorable sights can appear suddenly, when you least expect it, and disappear just as fast.

Many port calls are brief. As short as twenty minutes, with the mooring lines at the bow being skilfully managed by a single deckhand, the stern being held alongside by the ship’s engines. Forklift trucks buzz about the wharf, working the cargo, and a handful of passengers might be landed and boarded. Larger towns and settlements will see the ship berthed for up to four hours. The northbound and southbound vessels are scheduled to meet briefly at Trondheim and Molde.

Half of the voyage is spent north of the Arctic Circle, and to celebrate Crossing the Line King Neptune comes aboard and anoints passengers with ice. Great fun for the kids, and the perfect excuse for grown ups to toast each other in complimentary schnapps at ten o’clock in the morning.

There was an opportunity for all passengers to visit the Nordlys high tech bridge, and chat with the Captain, a 35 year veteran of the coastal route.

A full programme of shore excursions allows passengers to briefly experience the real Norway, and get a flavour of the country’s life, culture and cooking.

All excursions sold on board were well organised and most were good value. I was disappointed with the early morning trip to the North Cape though. As I peered into the rain and grey gloom from the Visitors Centre, my guide confided that the sun had only been sighted on 11 days that season.

From mid April until September 14th ships sail into Geiranger on northbound voyages and Trollfjord in both directions. Geirangerfjord is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and praised by National Geographic Magazine as one of the world’s top tourist destinations. I was able to climb the Eagle Road and cross the beautiful Eidsdalsvatnet Lake to briefly explore the high alpine landscape before negotiating the eleven hairpin bends of the Trollstigen Pass. I had a leisurely dinner in Molde and enjoyed some impromptu al fresco jazz before rejoining Nordlys in Molde seven hours later.

The sheer mountain walls and narrow waterways of Trollfjord are another breathtaking highlight. Travelling south, the vessel stopped while passengers were transferred to a small tourist boat for a Sea Eagle Safari. The sight of these magnificent marine raptors seizing fish in their claws from the fjord’s ink black waters – I saw eleven close up in under an hour – and dramatic scenery is unforgettable.

Many of the sights and excursions are seasonal, snowmobile safaris and visits to the Ice Hotel in winter, the Northern Lights, best seen in between October and March, the Midnight Sun in the Arctic Summer. The Gulf stream provides the climate that produces luscious soft fruit north of the Arctic Circle, and keeps Norway’s coastal harbours ice free throughout the winter. With so much spectacular scenery and attractions it’s difficult to choose the highlights. Saying good bye to crew and fellow passengers back at Bergen, I just knew that I’d taken one of the world’s most beautiful voyages, and experienced a little of the unique history of Hurtigruten.

Visit the Hurtigruten website for details of the coastal voyage schedules.

The Sami are the indigenous people of the northern Scandinavian region comprising northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia’s Kola Peninsula.

Famous for their bright red traditional costumes, the Sami are traditionally hunter-gatherers who roamed the region tending their reindeer herds and relying on fishing in the rivers, lakes and coastal waters for their survival.
Today, experts estimate that there are around 30,000 Sami living in Norway.
The Sami culture withstood pressures from the state in the 1700s to adhere to the mainstream society and its way of life and in modern times the Sami culture has been considered something to both preserve and celebrate.

While Sami people are now just as likely to be found practising medicine or law, or running garages or restaurants, they remain fiercely proud of their heritage and culture, from their costumes and language to their traditional lavvu (tents) and joik (songs).

The Sami and the reindeer
The majority of the traditional Sami people who lived along the Norwegian coast were farmers or fishermen with a far smaller number of groups dependent on reindeer herding.

Yet, even though the traditional Sami reindeer herding is under threat, Sami culture is in many ways more vital today than it was a century ago as a result of progressive attitudes. The traditional Sami language, which has many dialects and is related to a mix of Finnish, Hungarian and Estonian, is also enjoying a revival. The Sami in Norway speak Norwegian but the North Sami dialect is now also spoken by growing numbers of the Sami population and used in education.

How to meet the Sami
Numerous specialist operators offer holidays in Norway that incorporate cultural excursions to meet the Sami and experience their culture.
Among the best is the Sami Day and Reindeer Races adventure with Hurtigruten Cruises. This exciting itinerary combines a cruise from Bergen to Tromsø to see the northern lights with the annual Sami Day festival, which includes the Sami reindeer racing championships.
The official Sami National Day is now celebrated every year on the 6th February – the date when the first Sami congress was held in 1917 – and the vibrant Arctic city of Tromsø plays host to a week of festivities.
For locals and visitors alike, the annual reindeer racing championships held on the 8th of February is the big highlight of the week.
Book your holiday to Tromsø and you can watch the competitors struggle to stay upright on their skis as they’re pulled along by their reindeer for the race through the snow covered course. This race is not for the faint-hearted as the reindeer racers can reach speeds of up to 60km per hour!

Have you created your own Northern Lights yet? Visit our magical website to have a go and share with your friends!