On board Hurtigruten – cold on the outside, warm inside!

Hurtigruten has many of the facilities of a cruise ship but the life on board is less formal and more relaxed. You will find large panoramic lounges, a restaurant serving delicious local Norweigan cuisine, a library and on some ships even a jacuzzi. the ships decor is to the very highest standard and is complemented by works of art inspired by the land a seascapes through which you sail.

You can chose from inside or outside cabins, which are well fitted out, and yes, they do have en-suite facilities! There are even some suites available. If you think you may be interested then mention this at the time of booking and three weeks before the voyage Hurtigruten will contact you to let you know if there are any available and what the supplement would be.
Mealtimes are relaxed affairs – breakfast and lunch are buffet style and in the evening there is no need to dress up, you  can stay as you are to enjoy the fresh local produce. The restaurants are fully licenced!
There is always an English speaking Tour Operator on board who will take care of the daily programme and assist with shore excursion bookings. I will cover shore excursions in another post.
Entertainiment on board is totally unlike the commercial entertainment found on larger ships. There is usually a pianist and/or singer in one ofthe lounges but this is not the place for recreating Broadway smash hit musicals.

Tipping is not expected though if you wish to then of course that is fine.
On the coastal route taken by the ships there are only a few occasions that the ships are in open water. They are generally between the mainland and the coastal waters where the sea is smooth and calm, however, all but two of the ships have stabilisers should they be required.
All in all, you will find life on board the 10 Hurtigruten ships that operate up and down the coast unpretentious, informal and relaxed, and it goes without saying that the scenery will be fabulous!