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Which time of the year would you recommend for a couple of first timers?


genegri
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We are looking to book our first Hurtigruten cruise, the 12-day Classic Bergen to Kirkenes to Bergen round trip.

 

Now we understand it is very different from mainstream cruises and to us that is a great thing. We are hoping for spectacular scenery, mountains and fjords, northern lights, quaint villages and a bit of culture. Shipboard activities are not very important.

 

Just would like to hear which month or what time of the year you think might be the best for a couple of first time Hurtigruten cruisers? Any suggestion and advice is highly appreciated.

 

Thank you!

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I'll say January to March. It must be dark and clear sky in order to see the Northern Light. But also cold and because of dark all day you will not see a lot of the scenery.

An alternative is Midnight Sun - also amazing and then you will see the scenery. In my mind a full 12 day trip for Northern Light might bee too much in the dark and cold climate. Just my opinion.

Another great place for Northern light is Iceland. Not a cruise but good chances. I have seen the best Northern Light in Iceland and have done the Norwegian fjords by June. Southern part by 'conventional cruise' and the northern part with midnight sun by Hurtigruten. Even during summer I'll still argue that a 12 night Hurtigruten might bee too much of the same.

My reviews http://norwegianfjordscruise.blogspot.com and http://midtnightsuncruise.blogspot.com.

 

 

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I'll say January to March. It must be dark and clear sky in order to see the Northern Light. But also cold and because of dark all day you will not see a lot of the scenery.

An alternative is Midnight Sun - also amazing and then you will see the scenery. In my mind a full 12 day trip for Northern Light might bee too much in the dark and cold climate. Just my opinion.

Another great place for Northern light is Iceland. Not a cruise but good chances. I have seen the best Northern Light in Iceland and have done the Norwegian fjords by June. Southern part by 'conventional cruise' and the northern part with midnight sun by Hurtigruten. Even during summer I'll still argue that a 12 night Hurtigruten might bee too much of the same.

My reviews http://norwegianfjordscruise.blogspot.com and http://midtnightsuncruise.blogspot.com.

 

 

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Thank you! Love your blogs and videos.

 

So far according what I read around various travel sites:

 

Best time for northern lights - Jan to March

Best time for Geirangerfiord - June to August

Best time for Hjorundfjord - September to October

Best compromise of both fjords and a chance for northern light - late September to early October

 

Does it sound right?

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This is a dilemma! If you want to see a lot of scenery such as fjords, mountains, and quaint fishing villages, you would do better to go in late spring through fall, with the Midnight Sun really being best from June-August. Of course prices are higher during these times too. You are very unlikely to see any Northern Lights during that time of year. If your main priority is to see the Northern Lights, then November-early March is best, but you will have the most dark hours daily, and miss out on some of the most beautiful and spectacular fjords such as the Trollfjord and the Geirangerfjord.

 

I agree that if your main goal it to see Northern lights that you might want to consider a trip to Iceland in the winter instead, and do the Hurtigruten spring/summer/fall coastal cruise to see the most beautiful scenery.

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We are booked for the Southbound cruise in September. Our goal is to see the beautiful and spectacular scenery of mountains and fjords. We look forward to being part of this type of working/cruise ship visiting villages along the coastline. An excursion to the North Cape and another to see wildlife is on our agenda as well. We are looking forward to seeing as much as we can.

Cheers. T.

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September to October a good compromise. The polar night starts mid November.

 

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Thanks!

 

This is a dilemma! If you want to see a lot of scenery such as fjords, mountains, and quaint fishing villages, you would do better to go in late spring through fall, with the Midnight Sun really being best from June-August. Of course prices are higher during these times too. You are very unlikely to see any Northern Lights during that time of year. If your main priority is to see the Northern Lights, then November-early March is best, but you will have the most dark hours daily, and miss out on some of the most beautiful and spectacular fjords such as the Trollfjord and the Geirangerfjord.

 

I agree that if your main goal it to see Northern lights that you might want to consider a trip to Iceland in the winter instead, and do the Hurtigruten spring/summer/fall coastal cruise to see the most beautiful scenery.

 

Thanks!

 

I thought I might plan our first trip around late October but wet season and cloudy sky would not provide the best backdrop for either scenery or northern lights. So maybe Feb to March.

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For a first trip I would choose late May (long days,few tourists, flowering trees in the South) or early September ( beautiful Fall days, though shorter days, fewer tourists). I have done winter segments and have learned the weather can be rough, and ice on streets in the port towns can be really slippery! I'd go to Iceland in the winter for Northern Lights. Just my opinion.

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I thought I might plan our first trip around late October but wet season and cloudy sky would not provide the best backdrop for either scenery or northern lights. So maybe Feb to March.

 

I would suggest late September rather than late October. You get beautiful autumn colors on the mountains, still long days for landscape, good enough nights for a chance of Northern Lights and the ship sails into Hjordunfjord which does not pale in comparison to Geiranger. Late October the leaves may have already fallen in the North and days are shorter.

 

If you want the full winter experience with snow on the mountains, March is a good season because days are getting longer again (but still enough night for NL).

 

 

Be aware in any case that NL are always a bet, particularly from the ship, as you need both solar activity and clear skies above the ship to see them. So choose a season when you know you would enjoy the trip even if you don't see NL.

 

I have dione this trip at various seasons and if you are interested in comparing you can see the trip reports and pictures on my blog http://voyageterremer.blogspot.com/

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  • 2 weeks later...
I would suggest late September rather than late October. You get beautiful autumn colors on the mountains, still long days for landscape, good enough nights for a chance of Northern Lights and the ship sails into Hjordunfjord which does not pale in comparison to Geiranger. Late October the leaves may have already fallen in the North and days are shorter.

 

If you want the full winter experience with snow on the mountains, March is a good season because days are getting longer again (but still enough night for NL).

 

 

Be aware in any case that NL are always a bet, particularly from the ship, as you need both solar activity and clear skies above the ship to see them. So choose a season when you know you would enjoy the trip even if you don't see NL.

 

I have dione this trip at various seasons and if you are interested in comparing you can see the trip reports and pictures on my blog http://voyageterremer.blogspot.com/

 

Thank SarniaLo, I will keep that in mind. Late September probably won't work for me this year but definitely doable next year. I think right now my realistic options are late October this year or late September next year or March the year after.

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Hi we will be on the MS Finnmarken for the 12 Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen from Oct 22 - Nov 2. This will be our 1st Hurtigruten cruise. We know it'll be cold, and want to see the NL. Our friends did the Nordlys 2 years ago in early october and they saw NL. This will be a new experience for us. We've done the standard cruises, don't need anything fancy, so we booked the basic inside cabin. Hoping that wifi, water will be included. Haven't heard of anybody yet on this schedule.

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Hoping that wifi, water will be included. Haven't heard of anybody yet on this schedule.

'Basic' does not include Wi-Fi - You need a 'Select Package'. You can drink tap waters in your cabin.

If Wi-Fi included you will also see 'Complimentary Wi-fi for 2 passaners' in your order confirmation.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We did the southbound in March 2017. The first two night while still above the Arctic circle we had spectacular displays.

 

Also had spectacular displays in Iceland later that week. We flew home on Iceland air through New York with a layover in Iceland.

Very inexpensive flight.

 

The scenery on the Norwegian coast is beautiful and interesting in the winter. Plus you need time to nap during the day from being outside during the night to take photos.

 

 

 

 

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Thanks!

 

 

Thanks!

 

I thought I might plan our first trip around late October but wet season and cloudy sky would not provide the best backdrop for either scenery or northern lights. So maybe Feb to March.

 

After going round and round about which dates, we finally settled on early March, 2018, for one of the "Astronomy" sailings.

 

Although we'll enjoy the cruise no matter the weather (as with any trip), we wanted to maximize the *chance* that we'd see the Northern Lights.

The combination of hours of darkness and *average* less cloud cover then was what helped us decide, although "averages" are only that, and certainly don't apply "then".

 

Also, with the solar cycle heading into it's lower phase for a few years, we bumped this trip up, and postponed another originally scheduled for next spring.

 

Apparently this past March was terrific for the Lights. Several people, on different sailings, have reported some spectacular lights.

 

We'll just keep our fingers crossed.

 

We are flying to Oslo, so we can spend some time there, and then take the train from Oslo to Bergen, for some additional sightseeing :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looking forward to your report of your trip when you return. Be sure to book your train for Oslo to Bergen (and return?) on-line at least 3 months ahead of time, and get Comfort seating as it is reserved and offers the nicest seats, plus complimentary self-service beverages. Personally, I think the left side is best for Oslo to Bergen, and the right side for the return trip, but either side, it is a beautiful trip.

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You can also purchase wi-fi packages once on board. We had it included so I did not pay to close attention to the cost....maybe 400 Kroner for the 11 day RT but not 100%.

 

 

'Basic' does not include Wi-Fi - You need a 'Select Package'. You can drink tap waters in your cabin.

If Wi-Fi included you will also see 'Complimentary Wi-fi for 2 passaners' in your order confirmation.

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Heartfelttraveler: thank you for sharing the excellent videos.

Also the tip for flying Icelandair with a stop over i Iceland.

 

Be aware that you will need to purchase your meals on Icelandair, even on the long haul between Iceland and the States. Might not be a big deal but it's nice to know ahead of time. My in-laws just flew them from JFK and they weren't aware.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Looking forward to your report of your trip when you return. Be sure to book your train for Oslo to Bergen (and return?) on-line at least 3 months ahead of time, and get Comfort seating as it is reserved and offers the nicest seats, plus complimentary self-service beverages.

 

Yes! Book it and double check that you have guaranteed seats. Don't make my mistake--I bought tickets online but failed to get seat assignments. When we went to the station, the apologetic agent (Yay, Norway!:')) explained it was the start of the Easter holiday and families had filled the train we thought we were taking. We barely squeaked on one later in the day. All I could think about was my ship leaving Bergen the next day, with or without me.

 

And to the question, our March 30 sailing was wonderful, apart from the complications of Easter and many closed businesses. Gorgeous weather, brilliant snow, and by the time we got back to Oslo spring was in full swing. Just a fantastic trip in every way.

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