Some cruise lines pride themselves on their on-board waterslides, casinos and shows. Or their vast array of itineraries. With Hurtigruten, it’s all about Norway – and a lot about experiencing nature and the Northern Lights.
The Oslo-headquartered company, which has been around for over 100 years, started as a cargo line (the name means “fast route”), servicing the dozens of remote communities dotting Norway’s scenic coastline. Today it’s the same, with 6 of its 8 ships still providing a lifeline of goods and services and docking, if only briefly, up to 8 times a day. Each ship carries fewer than 500 passengers.
Now people are a key part of the freight, whether it’s just travelling between 2 ports or taking itineraries up to 16 days well into the Arctic. Ships are small and agile, allowing them to sail between islands and into those famed Norwegian fjords.
And, perhaps counter-intuitively, the line’s claim to fame is its Northern Lights cruises in winter. Yes it’s dark and it’s cold, but winter is the time to witness this spectacular sight, also known as the Aurora Borealis. “Sweeping curtains that appear to dance overhead,” Tom Kerss, Hurtigruten’s “Chief Aurora Chaser” described them to a small group of travel writers in Toronto 24JUL.
Kess, an astrophysicist by training, says he has seen the Lights literally thousands of times and clearly never tires of them. “We are truly a floating observatory, with a team of astronomers on board to help people understand what they are seeing.” And, he added, “Some passengers react emotionally when they see them.”
So who are these passengers who are so intrigued by Mother Nature’s art show? “Our clientele are Germans, Scandinavians, Brits and North Americans,” Toronto-based Carly Biggart, Hurtigruten’s Head/The America’s told Open Jaw. “To accommodate the mix, all announcements are multilingual, and on-board lectures are given in German or English.”
When not admiring the Northern Lights, passengers enjoy shore excursions such as dog-sledding, snow-shoeing and visiting museums.
And yes, the cruises operate year-round, even when there are no spectacular light displays. In summer, passengers bask in the Midnight Sun and enjoy excursions including fishing, kayaking and even dog-sledding using carts.
Year round, passengers can learn more about the Sami, Norway’s indigenous people.
Since fresh air is known for creating appetites, Hurtigruten (“hurt-eh-groo-ten”) is proud to serve delicious meals, with 80% locally sourced, and none processed. While there are no spas, ships have hot tubs and – how Scandinvian – saunas. “And all of our staff are from Scandinavia and speak English,” Biggart added.
And good news for advisors: not only are Hurtigruten’s cruises, including the optional excursions, commissionable, but there are no NCFs.
“We are not a typical cruise line, and travel agents sometimes struggle to get their heads around that,” she said. But clearly for the client who wants to authentically connect with nature and culture - and learn about this wonderful world of ours - it could be a perfect fit.
