Cruises with Hurtigruten

Nothing bad to say about cruises in the Caribbean. It has its own charm to navigate on a mega-cruise ship in the sunny Caribbean, at stay at the swimming pool on board or to spend the money at the slot mashines. Just: Its not to compared with a Hurtigruten cruise along the Norwegian coast.

The coast of Norway is a unique landscape. The mountains along the coast are inserted cut by deep valleys. Those Norwegian fjords lead often miles inside the country. And at the end of the fjords are the small, isolated fishing towns of Norway. To supply these villages with mail and all other necessary things, the Hurtigruten line was already set upin the beginning of the last century. A regular sea link between the towns and villages in the Norwegian fjords.

A trip with the cruise ships of the Hurtigruten follows the long Norwegian coastline and the fjords. From Bergen, the southern starting point for the Hurtigruten, to Kirkenes, the northern dot, it lasts six days. During this time, the ship passes 2,500 sea-miles and 34 ports.

Tourists can cruise with the Hurtigruten ships after a simple reservation. Its not even expensive - if you do not look for the flight to Norway. Just there are not many places per trip and you'll meet mostly other travellers from Europe. Do not wait for the pompous "Captains Dinner." An animation program at the swimming pool is also not encountered. But it is compensate by an unique landscape in an exclusive cruise experience.

Find more informations:
Hurtigruten for US-Citizens

In 1891 Mr. August Kriegsman Gran got the idea of an "express shipping service" between Trondheim and Hammerfest in Norway. Initially, the route was done with steamboats, but after a short time this service closed again.Too much echnial problems to hold the regular schedules. The "Vester Aalens Dampskibsselskap", a relatively young steamship company from Stokmarknes adopted in May 1893 the tour of the Hurtigruten and with the support of the Norwegian government it started again. The scheduled "Hurtigruten" along the Norwegian coast was constantly expanded. The city Bergen was in 1898 included to the roadmap, 1907 it reached Vardö regularly - Kirkenes followed in 1914. From 1936 the ships went on tour daily. The "Hurtigruten" had been definitively established.

As Captain Richard With 1893 started with this postal shipping line, he probably did not suspected that people from all over the world would travel to Norway to the "most beautiful voyage" 115 years later. Until today, the postal steamer ships of Hurtigruten deliver the mail, and are cargo and passenger ship at the same time. For Tourists the incomparable nature make the voyage along the Norwegian coast fjord to a special attraction.

1993, the 100-year anniversary of the Hurtigruten, were the first two ships of the new generation named "Richard With" and "Kong Harald" started to work. They have been the irst, who have been build with one eye on the tourists. Other ships followed in the coming years. The ships of the Hurtigruten are still as postal ships in Norway and quite line ships in normal use. The Hurtigruten are considered the most beautiful sea in the world.

In March 2006 - after 113-year history of the postal shipping line - to merge the two Norwegian companies, which hitherto operated Hurtigruten: The Troms Counties of Norway Dampskibselskab (TFDS) and Ofotens og Vesterålen Dampskibselskab AS (OVDS) to the new shipping company Hurtigruten.