I'd wanted to see the Northern Lights and go on a cruise for years. I'd looked at Hurtigruten along with other companies. The Hurtigruten seemed expensive but offered fewer 'on board' activities (musicals, casino, entertainment). I spoke to my travel agent and one of the company had been with Hurtigruten and raved about it. I also decided that for this trip I was more interested in the culture and scenery rather than entertainment.
I know I made the right decision. My cruise was fantastic. The MS Trollfjord is a beautiful ship with lots of space to sit, relax and watch the beautiful scenery. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable Expedition team were on board and they arranged excursions as well as giving informative talks and presentations about the ports we visited, history and culture of Norway and kept us informed about weather and the all important aurora forecasts!
Our interior cabin was small but fine for our 12 days with comfortable beds, plenty of space for belongings, a shower room with lashings of hot water and a heated floor. The water is also drinkable so no need to purchase bottles.
Food was fantastic with a huge selection available for the buffet breakfasts and lunch. Evening meal was a set menu with the opportunity to request an alternative if required.
We took four shore excursions: The tram ride, North Cape, Snow Hotel and Snowmobiling. All were fabulous (they are pricey however). The expedition team also had a program of hikes available to participate in as well. The printed daily programme informed us of the port calls (and duration of stay), places of interest, times of talks etc
All the staff on the ship worked so hard and service was excellent to ensure we had a great trip.And yes - the beautiful Northern Lights gave us a great show :)
Contained two fold down single beds (one converted to a sofa) which were extremely comfortable. Plenty of wardrobe/cupboard/shelf space. Good lighting. bedside table. Vanity table/desk area with mirror and chair. Electrical sockets in convenient places. En suite facilities with shower. lots of hot water and shampoo/body wash/conditioner provided.
Location was excellent on deck 7 close to the main staircase so all the main areas on the ship were easily accesible