I thought the classic round trip would give me the best opportunity to see the Northern lights. Overall the trip exceeded my expectations. The ship was very good and run in an efficient way. The staff were very hardworking, particularly the restaurant waiter service. Their language skills & friendly service were excellent. I cannot fault the choice and standard of food. Yes the excursions are expensive- book them before you go - they do cost more on board. Yes the port stops are relatively short but the towns are small. Yes you’ll spend more time on board. Lots of ladies did knItting or crafts. There’s a couple of big jigsaws on board to work on collectively. It’s easy to spend time chatting to your fellow travellers and taking a walk outside around the deck - be sociable ! The presentations were varied and very interesting. Ultimately, seeing good displays of the Northern Lights on 5 nights was the icing on the cake. I did have a disappointing start to the trip. My cabin smelt strongly of fish ! I did manage to get a can of air freshener from the reception but they weren’t that sympathetic and the smell was bad for the first 3 days. I’ve suggested to Hurtigruten that they supply plug-in fresheners in the cabins. Otherwise take your own, just in case.

I’d definitely do the trip again at a different time of year when the scenery will be different and longer days.