Norwegian Coastal Express

I am sure you have already noticed the
fresh new look for our January/February 2010
issue of TravLtips. It is the result of a long
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This is the time of year when we reflect on the
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There are great values, exciting itineraries and
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Ed Kirk
Editor
Features
1
Hurtigruten: A Travel Journal of the
Norwegian Coastal Express.
Bergen to Kirkenes and Back aboard
M/S Trollfjord
5
Holland America Line: A Grand Voyage
in the Mediterranean 36 Days on the
Prinsendam
8
Inland Voyages: Barge Cruise Through
Burgundy on the Luciole
10
Cruise West: Cruising the Danube River
aboard the Amadeus Diamond
11
Transylvania, Romania—
A Pre-Cruise Land Tour
14
CMA CGM:
World’s Largest Passenger-Carrying
Container Ship
Special Departments
1
Notes from the Editor
4
Letters to the Editor
13 Freighter Listing
15
TravLtips Cruise Calendar &
Small Ship Listing
Hurtigruten
A Travel Journal of the
Norwegian Coastal Express
Bergen to Kirkenes and Back aboard M/S Trollfjord
Story and photos by Martha C. Sexton
A
nne Patterson and I traveled
together from San Diego and
began the voyage with two
days in Bergen, Norway. It is a lovely
city with many tourist services and
interesting sites. We took a city tour,
rode the Fløibanen funicular to the top
of one of Bergen’s hills, browsed the
Fish Market, and visited Trollhaugen
(Hill of the Trolls), the summer
home of composer Edvard Grieg.
A night at the Thon Hotel Bristol
in Bergen was courtesy of Hurtigruten
because the ship we originally booked
was taken out of service and our
departure was postponed 24 hours.
Hurtigruten also upgraded our
shipboard accommodations.
We embarked the ship at 4:00 p.m.
June 23. We enjoyed the views of Bergen
from the top deck of the Trollfjord until
our cabin was prepared. It was sunny
and clear, with a temperature about 75
degrees. We noticed the two hot tubs
outside and a sauna and fitness room
inside.
About 6:00 p.m. we were allowed to go
to our spacious and elegant suite, where
our luggage had already been delivered.
The large sitting area had a sofa, two
easy chairs, a desk and chair, side tables,
and, best of all, a large floor to ceiling
bay window. The sleeping area had a
walk-in closet, plenty of dresser drawers,
and a large bathroom with separate tub
and shower. Fruit and champagne were
set out on the coffee table.
The ship cruised through Bergen
Harbor at 8:00 p.m. By then we had
attended a brief informational meeting
in English and gone to the dining room
for a buffet dinner. We noted that all
the staff speak three or more languages:
Norwegian, English (Norway’s second
language), German (necessary on this
cruise because 85% of passengers were
German), and sometimes French,
Spanish, Italian or Japanese.
The ship docked three times during Bergen is a picturesque city with many tourist attractions. The Fløibanen funicular provides outstanding
the night, but we never heard or felt a views of the harbor.
thing. Along with other suite occupants,
available with meals unless one buys it, so I soon learned to fill
Anne and I were invited to the bridge at 10:00 a.m. We were my coffee mug with water in my cabin and take it to meals. As
served champagne while the captain introduced his staff and we had been warned, wine is ridiculously expensive, so Anne
explained some of the ship’s equipment (all automated). It was a and I bought Scotch before arriving in Norway and enjoyed it
perfectly clear day and the view from the bridge on Deck 7 was in our cabin before dinner.
excellent. I noticed that below the bridge on Deck 6 there was
The next day I was up at 6:45 a.m. to dress for breakfast before
an area passengers could access for views from the bow. I used a 9:00 a.m. tour in the city of Trondheim. But the ship had been
this location often for photography.
delayed during the night, so we did not arrive until 9:30. The
The captain soon turned the ship east, and headed up Geiranger tour began about 10:00 a.m., resulting in only two hours instead
Fjord. It takes about four hours each way to travel its length of of the expected three hours. It was quite rushed, but nevertheless
100 kilometers. Views on both sides of the ship are spectacular: interesting.
steep rocky cliffs with evergreens, glaciers, and many waterfalls.
Trondheim (population 160,000) was founded by Viking
Along the way there are a few small towns and settlements with King Olav Tryggvason in 997 and was Norway’s first capital city.
one to four houses. The latter depend on boats to get in and The nation’s third largest city, it is located at the mouth of the
out as there are no roads because of the steep terrain. There is River Nid on the Trondheim Fjord. It was a port of departure for
a lot of boat traffic: ferries, fishing and recreational motorboats, many Viking expeditions and the site of the burial place of St.
sailboats, kayaks, and a few ocean liners.
Olav who died in 1030. A shrine to him attracted pilgrims from
Meals on the ship were very good. Breakfast and lunch are all over Scandinavia who sought and often received healing.
served buffet style; dinner is served at two seatings. Water is not Ever since, Trondheim has been Norway’s religious center. In
Continued on page 2
Cover Photo
M/S Trollfjord - Photo courtesy of Hurtigruten.
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PHOTO: HURTIGRUTEN
Notes from the Editor:
VERONICA POHLMANN – HR PHOTO COMPETITION
Left: The diversity of the Hurtigruten fleet is shown by this photo of the
modern, 646-passenger Trollfjord docked next to the classic, 149-passenger
Nordstjernen in Tromsø.
Above: Martha Sexton (left) and Anne Patterson in the backyard of
Trollhaugen, the country home of Edvard Grieg.
the 11th century a church was built over the holy shrine of St.
Olav. The shrine can still be visited inside the Nidaros Domkirke
(Cathedral of Trondheim). Today the Cathedral is the site of
royal coronations and the home of the crown jewels.
The Cathedral was the first stop on our tour. It is a huge
gothic structure in cruciform shape. Since the 16th century it
has been Lutheran. The Cathedral has a rose window over the
formal entrance door, organ pipes in the south transept, and the
altar and choir at the east end. Nowadays only the east half is
used for worship except when there is a coronation.
Our next stop was the Museum of Music History at the Ringve
Estate, housed in a manor house (circa 1740) and farmstead.
The Museum consists of two parts. First, a permanent exhibition
in the estate’s former barn has a collection of folk instruments
from around the world: drums and rattles, woodwinds, brass,
strings, and even Victrolas and jukeboxes. Many of these can be
played by the visitor. Second, the manor house, where each room
is decorated to reflect a style of music, for example, the Mozart
room has a clavichord, furniture, and decorative fabrics that
were used in the 1700s. The Beethoven room has a harpsichord,
the Chopin room a spinet, and so on. One room is reserved for
an organ of the 1800s, which requires one person to pump the
bellows while another plays the keys.
Back onboard we cruised north and watched the scenery pass
by on the western side of the ship where there are many protective
islands. About 4:00 p.m. we passed through the narrow Sound
of Stokksund, topped by a high bridge that had a windsock to
help the captain maneuver the ship safely. On this clear day with
hardly any wind, the captain made it through without difficulty.
It was about 75 degrees without a cloud in the sky.
Anne and I had been assigned to the second dinner seating
at 9:00 p.m. We requested a change to the first seating at 6:30,
which was granted. About 9:15 p.m. we docked at the town of
Rørvik. For a half hour before our arrival our ship was escorted
by local motorboats of all sizes, and nearer to the port, even by
sailboats. The marine escort was part of the town’s celebration of
100 years of the Hurtigruten ferry service.
We crossed the Arctic Circle about 7:30 a.m., on June 26.
At 1:15 p.m. the ship docked at Bodø (population 45,000), a
center for the exploration of glaciers, watching sea eagles, and
visiting the Saltstraumen tidal current. I stayed on board, but
Anne buzzed off at 30 knots in a Zodiac to see the Saltstraumen.
Four times a day, between high and low tide, huge quantities of
water are forced through the 150-meter-wide strait, causing the
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creation of whirlpools. Anne, who had to dress up in a flotation
suit from head to toe with boots, gloves, and goggles, said it was
quite impressive.
Shortly after dinner we arrived in the Lofoten Islands across
the Vest Fjord from the mainland. As we cruised west we first
saw a wall of craggy, snow-capped mountains, which seemed
higher and higher as we drew closer. After the last Ice Age a line
of granitic and volcanic peaks rose from the sea and formed this
archipelago.
The Gulf Stream brings mild climate and lots of fish, mostly
cod, which spawn in the area between January and March.
There used to be lots of herring also, but the supplies have been
seriously depleted. The cod attract fishermen, not only from
Norway but also from everywhere! The catch is hung on racks to
dry for later export to southern European countries.
We docked briefly in the fishing village of Stamsund
(population 1,500). It is also a center for tourists who want to
kayak, hike or bike. After 30 minutes we continued cruising
north to Svolvaer, the largest Lofoten town, also a fishing and
tourist center which has a significant artist colony. The town still
has some traditional fishermen’s huts built on stilts over the sea.
The ship traveled north for one more hour to the Trollfjord,
the fjord for which our ship is named, and also one of the most
scenic spots in the Lofotens. It is only two kilometers long and
impossibly narrow, but very deep. We arrived about 11:20 p.m.
with the midnight sun shining. All the passengers gathered
on the top deck. One could purchase soup and/or Trollfjord
Schnapps, hot tea spiked with dark rum, nice on a cool night.
The next day we cruised north toward Finnsnes. The sea
was calm and temperatures varied between 54 and 74 degrees,
depending on exposure to sun and wind. After enjoying lunch
with an English couple, we docked at Tromsø (population
63,500). The city has a large university and research institutes
focused on arctic fisheries and polar agriculture. It’s considered
the capital of arctic Norway. The first church was established
here in 1252. The first whaler sailed north from here in 1820.
Amundsen and others began arctic expeditions here. Tromsø
takes pride in having the world’s northernmost brewery.
I disembarked in Tromsø for a guided bus tour around the
city with two stops. First we went to Polaria, the national
showcase of polar research. It has an excellent museum and
aquarium displaying arctic animals with a concentration
on fish, shellfish, and seals. The architecture of the Polaria
building is fascinating; its shape is meant to evoke ice blocks
being pushed up from the sea.
The second stop was Tromsdalen Church, known as the
Cathedral of the Arctic. Located across the harbor from Tromsø
center, the church was built in 1965 with a simple A-frame
design. It has a huge stained glass window in the chancel. The
shape of the organ in the balcony resembles the sails of a ship.
After the tour ended I walked a couple of blocks to see the
wood-frame Lutheran church near the harbor. The sky was
cloudy, temperature about 50 degrees, and a stiff breeze blew, so
I was getting chilly by the time I returned to the ship.
After dinner we watched the scenery as we cruised to Skjervøy,
a small fishing town. Along the way there are mountains rising
abruptly from the sea, most with snow at the higher elevations,
and some with clouds sneaking into crevices and surrounding
the peaks. Lower slopes have evergreen trees. Along the coast
there are frequent tiny villages.
The next day, while cruising between Havøysund and
Honningsvåg we saw a huge cruise ship way out in the Arctic
Ocean. (Our ship was in a channel sheltered by islands.) The
scenery along the way was austere: many mountainous islands,
no trees, some green grass, very occasional houses, and a good
number of nesting and flying birds.
We arrived in Honningsvåg about noon and were able
with a light orange color. They taste sweet and are delicious with
whipped cream!
As soon as our van returned to the ship, it cruised off, beginning
the reverse route to Bergen, this time stopping mostly at ports
previously visited while we slept. We docked in Båtsfjord for
about 45 minutes while a few passengers boarded and quite a
lot of packaged seafood went into the hold. Båtsfjord has several
fish processing factories, a freezing plant, a filleting factory, and
ship repair yards.
We cruised the rest of the evening. I was struck by how often
the seascape north of the Arctic Circle presents a world plated
in silver, both the sea and the sky, and just about everything else.
Along the Barents Sea, with its harsh weather, the cliffs are worn
away quickly and are quite striking to look at.
The next day we docked at Hammerfest (population 9,000)
at 11:45 a.m. Hammerfest claims to be the northernmost city
in the world, but today, it was very warm, about 65 degrees. The
effect of the Gulf Stream is apparent. The sky was bright despite
being overcast. Anne and I decided to go ashore. We walked
about ten minutes to the Hammerfest Lutheran Church,
consecrated in 1961 and known for its avant-garde architecture.
The organist played beautifully while we admired the stained
glass windows and pulpit.
After lunch, which included king crab legs, we cruised along
the mainland where there are a number of glaciers from which
waterfalls flow into the sea. In the evening we cruised past high
craggy mountains, many filled with glaciers. There are fewer
and smaller villages on the coastal mainland than on the coastal
islands, because the islands are more convenient for fishing,
and just about everyone fishes or has a fish farm. The thick
cloud cover was high enough to allow us to see the tops of the
mountains, but barely.
We arrived in Tromsø, a city we had visited before, at 11:45
PHOTOS: HURTIGRUTEN
“As we cruised west we first
saw a wall of craggy,
snow-capped mountains,
which seemed higher and higher
as we drew closer. ”
Top: Cod drying on racks in the Lofoton Islands, where fishing is the major industry.
Above: Geiranger Fjord, Norway. “Views on both sides of the ship are spectacular: steep rocky cliffs with evergreens, glaciers, and many waterfalls.”
to dock alongside the pier. The big cruise ship, which we
now discovered was the Queen Victoria, had to anchor out
in the harbor, its passengers shuttled to the port by tenders.
Honningsvåg (population 3,500) is noted as a harbor and fishprocessing center and for providing access to the North Cape of
Norway. Many passengers take excursions here. Between 4,000
and 5,000 ships enter the harbor every year bringing trade and
industry to the area. We had three and a half hours in port, so
Anne and I walked through town to the 1884 Lutheran Church
perched on a hilltop. It is the only building in town which was
left standing after a Nazi attack in 1944.
At 5:15 p.m. we arrived in Kjøllefjord. I disembarked to join a
tour of the Lapland region. I had a good view of a rock structure
called “Finnjerka,” or the “Finn Church,” said to be the most
graceful sea cliff in Norway. Here, at the end of Europe and the
edge of the Arctic Ocean, the land gives evidence of erosion
from wind, snow, melting and freezing. The granite is broken
into small pieces. There are wind fences above and beside roads
to shelter them from snow drifts. Wind farms harvest energy,
enough to power Kjøllefjord and the surrounding communities.
A bus took us through the small town, stopping in the
outskirts to visit a museum explaining the history of this area.
The Laplanders (known in Norway as the Sami) settled here
first, 5,000 – 9,000 years ago. Their nomadic lifestyle took
advantage of the plentiful natural resources of fish and reindeer.
Later, Europeans settled in the town of Kjøllefjord. It was totally
destroyed by the Nazis, except for one small hut, now preserved
in the museum. After the war, the town was completely rebuilt.
The bus then drove inland up to the plateau where the Sami
have their summer camps. We stopped to visit a couple who
maintain a traditional camp. They have a very large ceremonial
teepee made from birch poles and reindeer hides that is visible
from the road. They greeted us in traditional Sami summer
dress, which is bright red and blue felt. In winter, they said, their
clothes are all made from reindeer fur. Making these clothes is a
major responsibility of the wife, who carries her sewing kit with
her at all times.
Our guide had taught us a Sami greeting, so we were able
to respond to the Sami welcome from our hosts in their own
language. They invited us into their large ceremonial teepee. It
has a large hole at the top through which smoke can escape.
A fire was built in the middle so it was warm and cozy inside.
Around the circumference of the teepee were benches covered
with reindeer pelts, and Sami blankets were available to cover
one’s legs.
The wife seems to be the manager of the family. The husband
has responsibility for the reindeer, which are quite domesticated,
and he does the singing! His song sounded much like a Native
American song. He also served each member of our group a
bowl of reindeer broth. It was excellent! The bowls were hand
carved from birch. The wife is the spokesperson. She told about
the history, culture, and crafts of the Sami.
We went outside to see the husband demonstrate his lasso
technique, which he uses with the reindeer. He keeps two with
him for tourists to see. The rest of the herd roam free and forage
for greenery. He also gives them supplemental feed. The couple
invited us to see their sleeping teepee, which is about the size
of a pup tent. It also has a fire ring in the middle with reindeer
hides on each side to serve as beds.
The plateau has many streams, ponds, and lakes, which
provide fresh water from rain and snow melt. The land is rocky
tundra but mosses and low bushes grow in profusion.
Sami are spread across national borders in Norway, Sweden,
Finland, and Russia, with the largest number in Norway. Most
Sami live and work like other Norwegians. Only 10% (2,800
families) keep reindeer for a living. They own 148,000 reindeer.
In the winter the reindeer, who find moss under the snow, are
constantly guarded by their owners. In the summer they graze
in coastal areas where their owners set up camps. From the
bus, on the way to rejoin the ship, we saw a couple of herds of
reindeer grazing on the tundra near the contemporary summer
huts of the Sami.
Shortly after breakfast we arrived in Kirkenes (population
5,000), the northeastern terminus of the Hurtigruten Coastal
Express. Kirkenes is at the head of the Bøkfjord, so the Gulf
Stream does not reach it. The harbor frequently freezes and
icebreakers are often used in winter. About half the passengers
disembarked here to fly to Oslo. They were quickly replaced by
new passengers who had flown from Oslo.
Our three-hour layover in Kirkenes allowed time for
an excursion. I took a five-minute van ride to a dock on the
Pasvikelva River, which runs between Norway and Russia. Our
group from the ship filled two wooden riverboats powered by
outboard motors. The short river cruise was about 15 minutes
each way. We saw many eider ducks and some gulls. There are a
few houses located on each side of the river.
Our ultimate destination was an open-air museum built on a
riverside deck at the Norwegian-Russian border. The museum
displays a Sami teepee and a Sami winter house, both round
with conical roofs. The winter house is built of wood and has a
chimney. There are photographic records of the history of the
conversion of the Sami to Christianity by the Russian Orthodox,
which includes a picture of a mass baptism in the iced-over river.
A slit was sawed through the ice to allow access to the water.
Brrr! We concluded the visit to the museum with coffee and
small bowls of cloudberries, similar to blackberries or raspberries
p.m., just in time for the midnight concert at the Cathedral of
the Arctic. This concert is offered every night all summer long,
especially for the Hurtigruten passengers, although others may
buy tickets if they wish. It lasted about one hour and featured
an organist/pianist, a trumpeter, a soprano, and a baritone.
They performed Norwegian and Scandinavian religious and
folk tunes, as well as some pieces by Edvard Grieg. Even when
we departed at 1:00 a.m., the midnight sun shone through the
cloud cover.
July 1 was a foggy, rainy day, temperature only in the 30s. After
lunch we disembarked in the rain in the town of Stokmarknes
(population 3,500). About 100 feet from our ship’s mooring is
the Coastal Express Museum. Originally conceived as a ferry
company, Hurtigruten was founded by Richard With in the late
1800s. Hurtigruten has become more and more successful with
bigger and bigger ships. Though they still carry freight and autos,
the ships are now primarily geared to tourists, both domestic
and foreign. (The Norwegians travel on the Coastal Express in
fall, winter, and spring, as the prices are lower off-season.) It was
still raining when we went back on board the Trollfjord.
We cruised through the narrow Raftsundet Fjord with peaks
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Left: “We cruised past high craggy mountains, many filled with glaciers.” Center: The Lapland tour included a visit with a Sami couple who maintain a traditional camp. “They greeted us in traditional Sami summer dress, which is bright
red and blue felt. In winter, their clothes are all made from reindeer fur.” Right: Martha Sexton and others on the Pasvikelva River between Norway and Russia. An excursion in wooden riverboats is offered from Kirkenes.
towering 3,000 feet above sea level on both sides of the ship.
Through the mist we could see occasional cabins and more
waterfalls. We arrived at Svolvaer (population 4,200) in the
Lofoten Islands at 6:30 p.m. This time I disembarked for a bus
tour. We visited the various islands and villages of Lofoten,
a very picturesque area. Though it was no longer raining, the
clouds were low and fog prevented our seeing the heights of the
dramatic Lofoten Mountains.
Fishing is the major industry. The cod season is in the winter,
when the population triples because of the fishermen who come
from other parts of Norway and Europe. Artists settle here year
round because they like the distinct light. We stopped at an art
gallery displaying paintings done by local artists over hundreds
of years. They were excellent.
In Norwegian, “lofoton” means “foot of the lynx.” There
are still some lynx on the islands and a few elk as well. Sea
otters live on the shoreline. In the interior there is flourishing
agriculture with silage for many sheep and cows, as well as
potatoes, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. We were told the
land is very fertile. We crossed innumerable bridges and went
through a number of tunnels. As we rode back to the ship we
saw a Viking longhouse dating to 900, discovered by a farmer
ploughing his field in the 1980s.
During breakfast the ship crossed the Arctic Circle. The
temperature was 53 degrees, overcast, no wind, and no
rain. The sea was smooth as glass. After lunch we arrived in
Sandnessjøen (population 7,500), latitude 66 degrees. Anne
and I disembarked and walked a few blocks through town
seeing its collection of public art. I walked back to the ship by
another route, passing a home, which used its porch, both for
a satellite dish and to dry fish!
We cruised south past the Seven Sisters, a row of high pointed
mountains, mostly hidden today in fog and clouds, but pretty,
nevertheless. In late afternoon we cruised around Torghatten
Mountain, famed because it has a hole in its middle caused
either by the arrow of a horseman shooting a hat (according
to the Norse Saga) or by glacial action during the last Ice Age.
July 3 we docked in Molde (population 18,000), known as
the city of roses. During our one-hour stop, we had time for
an after-dinner stroll to the torget (town square). Located there
are the Molde Domkirke, built in 1957 to replace the church
bombed by the Nazis in 1940, and the Rådhuset (town hall),
built in 1966 of concrete and glass. There were views of the 87
snow-capped Alps of Romsdalen, the tallest rising 6,248 feet.
As we continued cruising south, the views of high peaks and
small coastline villages were lovely.
Our last day, as the ship cruised back to Bergen, we ate
breakfast, watched the scenery pass by, ate lunch, and finished
packing. It was a very warm day, 80 degrees, with some fog
and partially cloudy. But by the time we got to the outskirts of
Bergen there was a clear blue sky. The round-trip cruise covered
a distance of 2,660 nautical miles in 11 days. p
—Martha C. Sexton, La Jolla, CA
republicut@aol.com
Current Data: The Norwegian Coastal Express has been in
service for over a century providing daily passenger and cargo
service along the 1,300-mile, captivating, fjord-filled west
coast of Norway. The service was formerly marketed in North
America as the “Bergen Line” with a fleet of smaller traditional
“mail boats.” The 21st century saw the brand name change to
Norwegian Coastal Voyage Inc. as it evolved into a larger, more
contemporary product. Now, with the unification of the fleet as
Hurtigruten Group ASA, the service is known by its original
Norwegian name—the Hurtigruten (fast route).
The current Hurtigruten fleet maintains 11 ships for continuous
service on the Norwegian Coastal Voyage, with daily departures
year-round. Most of the fleet consists of contemporary-style
ships built in the 1990s, which accommodate about 460 to 480
cabin passengers. The smaller 300-passenger Vesteralen was built
in 1983 and upgraded in 1995. The three newest ships, including
the Trollfjord described in our story, were all built since 2002 and
2
V
featuring the 380-passenger Aegean Odyssey, 2010
oyages to Antiquity is a new cruise
company founded by veteran cruise line
entrepreneur Gerry Herrod and is designed
in the same spirit that Mr. Herrod created the
MV Ocean Pearl’s popular Far East and MV
Marco Polo Orient programs for his previous
cruise line companies Pearl Cruises and Orient
Lines. This time, however the focus is only on
the Mediterranean. Inspired by the book “The
Middle Sea” by Lord John Norwich, Voyages
to Antiquity offers a unique approach where
guests can learn about the cultures and people
who created the cradle of civilizations of the Mediterranean. Lord Norwich’s book and the cruise
itineraries available both trace the development and impact of the three main ancient cultures in
Rome, Greece and Egypt. The 11,000-ton Aegean Odyssey will carry only 380 passengers in a relaxed
“smart casual” environment with no formal nights. The relaxed atmosphere is reflected in the dining
experience which features open seating, continental cuisine enhanced by regional foods obtained
during each voyage and wine included at dinner. There are also alternative dining venues at The
Terrace and Tapas on the Terrace. Value is a hallmark at Voyages to Antiquity. For all 2010 voyages
guests will receive complimentary air from select east coast gateways, prepaid ship gratuities and
complimentary shore excursions. TravLtips will be promoting five 30-day Grand Voyages offered
for 2010 as well as a variety of shorter sailings, all at reduced rates.
TravLtips and Voyages to Antiquity are now offering the
following incentives:
• $1000 per stateroom discount on sailings 6/1, 6/29, 7/27, 8/10
• $500 per stateroom discount on sailings 5/4, 5/18, 6/15, 7/13, 8/24
• Additional 5% reduction offered by TravLtips
• Air taxes and surcharges included in cruise fare
• NO Single supplement on most sailings (capacity controlled)
4 January / February 2010
Call or e-mail us for your
complimentary brochure
TravLtips
P.O. Box 270
Northport, NY 11768
800-228-2330
e-mail: cruises@travltips.com
are larger with more cruise ship amenities and can accommodate
up to 646 cruise passengers. The classic 155-berth Lofoten and
the Nordstjernen, with 149 berths, are two traditional vessels
from the 1960s still deployed in the Coastal Express service.
Both have been refurbished and modernized since 2000 but
retain much of their original old-style atmosphere.
Departures for the Norwegian Coastal Voyage are from
Bergen and the round trip journey encompasses 12 days and
47 stops at 34 ports of call. Voyages may also be taken oneway from Bergen to Kirkenes or vice versa. Rates vary with
the season. Packages are also available bundling the voyage,
international air, hotel accommodations, and train and/or bus
transfers into one price. They include the popular 15-day Grand
Norway package, a 10-day Highlights of Norway, and 9-day
Norwegian Holiday. Prices vary depending on departure date,
cabin category selected, voyage duration and package selected.
Hurtigruten vessels also operate Explorer Voyages to less
traveled, esoteric destinations with an expedition-style program
including lectures, guides and landings with PolarCirkel
speedboats. The 105-passenger Artic expedition ship Polar
Star operates adventure expeditions around the Arctic island
of Spitsbergen in the summer. The newest Hurtigruten vessel,
the 318-passenger purpose-built MS Fram is deployed on
expeditions to Greenland and Spitsbergen in the summer and
Antarctica in the winter. Fram will also operate a series of
European cruises in the spring of 2010: Western Europe from
Portugal to Dover, 9 days, April 1; Norwegian Fjords from
Dover to Oslo, 10 days, April 9; and Baltic Adventure round
trip from Oslo, 11 days, April 18. On September 26, 2010 Fram
will begin a 14-day Wake of the Vikings voyage from Reykjavik,
Iceland to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Early Booking rates and other special offers are available for
most programs. Contact the TravLtips Specialty Cruise office
for a copy of the Hurtigruten Norway or Explorer Voyages
brochure, or details on the European cruises: 800-872-8584
(e-mail: info@travltips.com).
Letters to the Editor
Aranui Again
In September-October my wife and I
took the copra freighter Aranui 3 to the
Marquesas. It is our third trip aboard an
Aranui vessel. We were aboard Aranui 2
on an earlier trip. Each time the trip was
wonderful, the crew friendly and helpful, the lectures enlightening and the cost
moderate for the many trips ashore to
the Tuamotu and Marquesas islands, the
meals there, the guides and transportation.
All in all, heartily recommended. The
best recommendation is that we sailed on
an Aranui vessel three times!
–Harvey Hagman, Fort Myers FL
The Aranui 3 operates 14-day round-trip
voyages from Papeete, Tahiti to the Marquesas and Tuamotus. 200 passengers can
be accommodated in a variety of accommodations including suites with balconies.
TravLtips has an air-sea-land package for
easy arrangements. Visit travltips.com/
aranui.html or call the Flushing office for
details: 800-872-8584.
I received my TravLtips issue yesterday and read it cover to cover as usual.
You did the best job ever of describing
a freighter voyage and I wanted to tell
you so. The Grande Nigeria has now been
added to my list of future voyages.
My only experience with freighter
travel is a "non voyage" I took in September of 2008 when I was booked on
a Rickmers-Linie voyage around the
world, which was to depart Houston
approximately September 12th or 13th—
until Hurricane Ike reached Texas a day
after I landed in Dallas. My ship was severely damaged and sent to dry dock for
an indefinite time. So my around-theworld travels consisted of a five-day trip
from Honolulu to Dallas and Houston
and a retreat to Honolulu.
You have fired up my desire again and
I thank you!!
–Madeline Gable, Honolulu HI
Ed O'Brian's e-mail address has changed to
edpundit@clear.net.
Freighter Fan Mail
I sent the first and only fan letter I've
ever written in my life to Ed O'Brian
concerning his Grimaldi freighter article
in TravLtips (September/October 2009)
and it was returned as undeliverable.
Is the address still correct: edpundit@
comcast.net? If not, could you supply me
with a correct e-mail address?
Dear Mr. O'Brian:
Cross-Culture Journeys
Our CCJ tour was probably the best of
the many trips we’ve taken. Ati Jain’s (the
owner) attention to detail is great. Would
highly recommend their trips to anyone.
–Arnold Wolff, Mt. Pleasant SC
Upcoming CCJ tours include the Red Sea
and Egypt. Call TravLtips for details: 800872-8584.