Exclusive opera performances, New Year’s on the North Cape, the midnight sun, the Northern Lights, fjords and exotic wildlife—these are just some of the new cruise and land opportunities outlined in Hurtigruten’s 2011 Norwegian voyages.
Travelers booking by December 31 will enjoy a 5 percent to 15 percent discount with an additional combinable discount of up to 10 percent available for members of the “1893 Ambassador Program.” In addition, all these discountts can be topped off by 5 percent savings on shore excursions when pre-booked.
Discounted fares range from $866 to $4,486 per person double; higher prices are for suites. Single supplements are waived on a number of sailings through April 15, 2011.
Virtually all of the cruises are centered on six-, seven- and 12-day sailings along the fjord-filled west coast of Norway year-round. The scenery changes from moment to moment as the company's fleet of modern ships, journeying 1,250 miles between Bergen and Kirkenes, make 34 port calls – from small fishing villages in the rugged Lofoten Islands and the ancient Viking capital of Trondheim to Tromso, Norway's "Paris of the North.”
Theme Voyages
"Celebrations in the Arctic"rings in the New Year as the countdown is held on the North Cape, Europe's most northern point, departing December 26, 2011.
"Opera Voyage" features daily concerts on board and a Norwegian New Year's Concert at Oslo's Concert Hall with a tour of the Opera House the next day— January 6, 2011.
"Birds of the Nordic Coast" takes place as millions of migrating birds return to the Arctic for nesting— a true ornithological event with lectures and stellar bird-watching opportunities— May 20, 2011.
“Norway’s Big Day Out” celebrates Norway’s Constitution Day and gives guests a deeper understanding of the Norwegian culture that Hurtigruten has been a part of for over 100 years – departs daily — May 6-16, 2011.
“Hall of the Mountain King” is a classic voyage that immerses passengers in the music and background of Edvard Grieg, Norway’s best-known classical composer, with a program of on board lectures and piano recitals – October 14, 2011.
“The Ice-Breakers” delves deep into the history of the polar explorers, their voyages and the culture and inhabitants of the Polar Regions; lectures and optional excursions ranging from a Viking feast to the Polaria Centre enrich the experience – October 11, 2011.
Excursions
Port excursions range from city walks in Trondheim, Alesund and Bergen to the "Lofotr Viking Feast" – a traditional Viking feast with homebrewed mead, held in the largest Viking building ever found – to the "Dog Sledding in Tromso" and "Scootertrip in Lapland." The “Polar History Walk” Tromso” highlights this medieval town’s links with polar explorations. Amid flickering lights, the elegant church in Tromso is the setting for the “Midnight Concert in the Arctic."
A short drive through Kirkenes brings guests to the Gabba Reindeer Park and a visit to the snow hotel on the “Kirkenes Snow Hotel” trip and the “UNESCO Islands” explores The Vega archipelago, consisting of 6,000 islands and islets where guests visit the E-house and touch down on Vega. Take the train from Bergen to Voss, a boat to Flam and a train to Myrdal on "Norway in a Nutshell" and visit the mining town of Roros, a UNESCO World Heritage site.