The route along the fjords is known as the "World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage."
The Hurtigruten terminal in Bergen was a 15-minute walk from the Radisson Blu Royal. Boarding began at 4 pm but cabins were not available until 6 pm. We got there around 5 pm and a bus had just arrived from the airport so there was a line to check in.
We were on the Nordkapp, which had been refurbished the month before. It was now an "Expedition Ship," which meant there was a team onboard to give lectures about culture and history. Total passenger capacity was 622.
There was a mandatory safety briefing prior to boarding the ship. After the briefing, we were required to use hand sanitizers then boarded the ship. You get a cruise card similar to the mainstream cruises. Use it as your key as well as credit card for onboard purchases. What I didn't like about the card was that your cabin number was printed on the card. If you lost it, anyone could get into your cabin. I asked to have the sticker for attending the safety briefing placed directly over the cabin number so it would be more difficult to identify my cabin.
The upper deck with outdoor seating. There were comfy sofas but seat hogs occupied them the entire day, even when they weren't actually sitting there. There were glass panels to protect you from the wind and heaters to keep you warm.
The aft deck was exposed. On a beautiful sunny day, you could sit out there but when it was cold or windy, it was hard to stay out there. This was where we gathered to hear the Expedition Team discuss landmarks that we passed.
Cod display. Every voyage, a fisherman came on board and showed you how to dry cod. There were cod in various stages of drying.
There was a small exercise room on board. No classes. We never saw anyone using the equipment.
The Explorer Lounge was located at the bow. This was a beautiful room with huge windows. Unfortunately, seat hogs also occupied most of the seats so it was difficult to find an open seat.
The Panorama Bar was located in the Explorer Lounge. There was a glass fireplace in the bar area and there were comfortable couches. Locals who use the Hurtigruten for transport between ports slept here overnight.
You could purchase baked goods and ice cream from Multe Bakery & Ice Cream.
There was quite a selection of ice cream with some unusual flavors.
Multe's seating area was also used by locals as a sleeping area. There must be a policy about using public areas for sleeping during the day because I never saw them during the day.
There were 2 jacuzzis onboard. They were protected against the elements. Unfortunately, during our voyage, both jacuzzis were being repaired.
Torget was the main dining room on board. Full board was included if you booked a one-way or roundtrip voyage. If you hopped on board for a short trip, you could buy meals. We had to scan our ship card each time we entered the dining room. We were also required to use hand sanitizers as we entered.
Kysten was a fine dining restaurant that was only open for dinner. This was mainly used by the locals who came on board for short trips. If we wanted to eat there, we would have to pay for the meal and didn't get credit for missing a meal at Torget.
There was a nice wine cellar on board and you could order it from any of the restaurants. Wine was expensive though.
When we boarded, there were 3 king crab in the fish tank. Two of them were served for a dinner buffet.
Gift shop on board. We purchased a guide for the journey for NOK50. It was useful because it had information on our ports of call. Many of the ports are tiny and you will have difficulty finding information in most guide books.
The Lecture Hall where presentations were given.
Vestibule where you wait to board or disembark.
There was also a laundry room on board. Purchase tokens from Reception for NOK30 for each wash load. Detergent was provided. There was no charge for drying.
2016 05 22
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