Cuisine on Hurtigruten Ships

[ILoveScotland]

As I continue my plans for my cruise in early March I'm wondering about the cuisine on the Hurtigruten ships. The information I've read says something about being typical Norwegian dishes. Can someone who's been give some examples of what's served? I guess I'm assuming lots of fish but maybe other Norwegian foods as well.

 

Thanks.

[SarniaLo]

I wouldn't really say the food is typical Norwegian. You get Norwegian products (local fish, local meat...) but the cuisine itself is more international I think. For breakfast you really get a whole variety of food, cold and warm : eggs, sausage, bacon - it varies from day to day - cereals, milk, yogurt, bread, butter, jam... coffee, tea, orange juice, you name it. You also get various types of pickels herrings, and some other Norwegian stuff (like fish paste) but they are not the main ingredients.

For lunch (buffet as well) you get a choice of various smoked/cured fish (salmon, trout, halibut...) but also cold meat (beef, pork, reindeer sometimes), salads (pasta salad, potato salad, vegetable salad...), and hot dishes with almost every time a choice of a fish and a meat and a vegetarian option, and side dishes such as potatoes or pasta or vegetables. And of course dessert (cakes, mousses and ice creams mostly).

For dinner it's a fixed three course meal menu. For instance you can get a soup, then a course of fish or meat (there is usually one night with reindeer), but they are cooked in a way that will not be foreign to you, I think (and then a dessert as well). On some occasions dinner is also a buffet (for instance a seafood buffet when you arrive in the "King Crab" area).

The only time I really felt we were served typical Norwegian dishes was for the Christmas dinner buffet (with some weirdly prepared fish) but even then they were only one of the choices among many others.

[ILoveScotland]

I wouldn't really say the food is typical Norwegian. You get Norwegian products (local fish, local meat...) but the cuisine itself is more international I think. For breakfast you really get a whole variety of food, cold and warm : eggs, sausage, bacon - it varies from day to day - cereals, milk, yogurt, bread, butter, jam... coffee, tea, orange juice, you name it. You also get various types of pickels herrings, and some other Norwegian stuff (like fish paste) but they are not the main ingredients.

For lunch (buffet as well) you get a choice of various smoked/cured fish (salmon, trout, halibut...) but also cold meat (beef, pork, reindeer sometimes), salads (pasta salad, potato salad, vegetable salad...), and hot dishes with almost every time a choice of a fish and a meat and a vegetarian option, and side dishes such as potatoes or pasta or vegetables. And of course dessert (cakes, mousses and ice creams mostly).

For dinner it's a fixed three course meal menu. For instance you can get a soup, then a course of fish or meat (there is usually one night with reindeer), but they are cooked in a way that will not be foreign to you, I think (and then a dessert as well). On some occasions dinner is also a buffet (for instance a seafood buffet when you arrive in the "King Crab" area).

The only time I really felt we were served typical Norwegian dishes was for the Christmas dinner buffet (with some weirdly prepared fish) but even then they were only one of the choices among many others.

 

Thanks again for all your help. The food sounds delicious. I watched a program this afternoon on Scandanavian cooking which made me think of the food on Hurtigruten ships. The program concentrated on Sweden so had lots of meats including raindeer.

[digitl]

We don't share SarniaLo's enthusiasm for Hurtigruten food though, as always, each to their own!

 

We find that it's often a little too 'complicated'. Having said that, there's never a shortage of calories with the cheese board and desert selections that are available!

[ILoveScotland]

We don't share SarniaLo's enthusiasm for Hurtigruten food though, as always, each to their own!

 

We find that it's often a little too 'complicated'. Having said that, there's never a shortage of calories with the cheese board and desert selections that are available!

 

Can you say more? Especially about it being a little too "complicated?"

[digitl]

Can you say more? Especially about it being a little too "complicated?"

 

It's a little difficult to describe but, to take an example, we were served a chicken dish one evening. It was, essentially, a chicken breast with vegetables but, rather than presenting it as such there was a quite strongly flavoured sauce with the chicken and the vegetables had been 'stewed' in another 'sauce'. The result was a lot of viscous liquid on the plate hiding (smothering?) what could have been a very pleasant and simple chicken and vegetable meal.

 

On another evening the buffet choice was essentially meat loaf and stewed fish. Not very appetising at the end of a day where the waves had made their presence known!

 

No doubt these kinds of meals appeal to many, just not us... but we're booked on two more Hurtigruten trips so, overall, they can't be all that bad (and the deserts are delicious)!

[SarniaLo]

I found that the quality of food was a bit different from one boat to the other. On the MS Lofoten the food was honestly of gourmet restaurant quality (I'm speaking about the dinner here, which is probably what digitl is refering to?). Fine products, fine cooking, very good taste. On the MS Polarlys it was also quite good. But last March I was for 2 nights on the MS Vesteraalen and the food, while OK, was not nearly as good.

Opposite to digitl I'm not too crazy about the deserts ! ;) So I guess to each their own as you say. You'll make up your mind, IloveScotland. I don't think you will starve anyway! ;)

[richws]

As I continue my plans for my cruise in early March I'm wondering about the cuisine on the Hurtigruten ships. The information I've read says something about being typical Norwegian dishes. Can someone who's been give some examples of what's served? I guess I'm assuming lots of fish but maybe other Norwegian foods as well.

 

Thanks.

 

Hi,

 

this link is to page with current dinner menu I've enjoyed them all :)

 

http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/Ships/Food-and-beverage/Coastal-flavours/

 

Main problem I've found is not putting on too much weight :mad:. Small plates only at buffets plus walks ashore is best I've found.

 

Fair winds & weather

[digitl]

Opposite to digitl I'm not too crazy about the deserts !

They're 'useful' if the rest of the menu doesn't impress. Well, that's my excuse!

 

I forgot to say earlier that we were not alone at not enjoying dinner on a couple of occasions. Our entire table of eight left much of one meal in particular. I think it was noted by the staff (who, on Fram, are absolutely amazing)!

 

I don't think you will starve anyway! ;)

Absolutely no chance.

[digitl]

Main problem I've found is not putting on too much weight :mad:. Small plates only at buffets plus walks ashore is best I've found.

 

And always use the stairs, never the lifts.

[ILoveScotland]

Hi,

 

this link is to page with current dinner menu I've enjoyed them all :)

 

http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/Ships/Food-and-beverage/Coastal-flavours/

 

Main problem I've found is not putting on too much weight :mad:. Small plates only at buffets plus walks ashore is best I've found.

 

Fair winds & weather

 

Thanks for the link. It looks very interesting. I'll be on the Polarlys.

[pgoestravelling]

I was on the Lofoten a couple of weeks ago and the food was good - you can find pictures of the food (rather too many perhaps) in our blog of the trip at patandpaulharvey.blogspot.com - go to November 2012 day 8

 

hope this helps

[RSF Cruiser]

I was on the Lofoten a couple of weeks ago and the food was good - you can find pictures of the food (rather too many perhaps) in our blog of the trip at patandpaulharvey.blogspot.com - go to November 2012 day 8

 

hope this helps

 

Thanks for the link - I'm going on the Midnatsol in a few weeks, and your blog was very helpful. I also read your CC review. Made me even think we might have enjoyed the Lofoten more, although we picked the ship based on dates. I was glad to read we can visit other Hurtigruten ships in port.

[SarniaLo]

I was on the Lofoten a couple of weeks ago and the food was good - you can find pictures of the food (rather too many perhaps) in our blog of the trip at patandpaulharvey.blogspot.com - go to November 2012 day 8

Great trip report! I have travelled twice on the MS Lofoten (third time booked for Feb. 2013), I found your report was packed with information that would be very useful for someone wanting to know what a winter experience on an "old" ship is like.

I'm glad you had a good time.

[ILoveScotland]

I was on the Lofoten a couple of weeks ago and the food was good - you can find pictures of the food (rather too many perhaps) in our blog of the trip at patandpaulharvey.blogspot.com - go to November 2012 day 8

 

hope this helps

 

Thanks, it does help, plus I enjoyed reading everything you wrote.

 

Now a couple of questions:

 

1. How many hours of daylight did you have in mid November. My friend and I will be going at the end of winter so am hoping for 8-10 hours a day.

 

2. How cold was it? Packing for winter along the Norwegian coast will be so much different from packing for a Caribbean cruise. Thankfully there are no formal nights so don't have to pack for those.

 

Beth

[pgoestravelling]

The hours of daylight decrease as you go north and are zero hours per day when you are north of the arctic circle between the appropriate dates (as per the blog). Strong gloom describes it close to the circle through to very strong gloom further north. In late winter the hours of daylight will have started to increase. Really the best way to work it out for your dates is to find a sunrise and sunset table on the web. I do not think you will get 8 to 10 hours up north but you might get approaching that in Bergen.

 

Cold? Absolutely Freezing (-10C up north) and lots of layers needed. We have travelled to a number of cold places and therefore are equipped for the cold and found that five layers were enough. Winter walking trousers are essential and we wore walking boots and carried a walking pole for use in the ice - again go to somewhere like weather underground and look at the weather charts for somewhere like Kirkenes a year before your date of arrival and see what it says.

 

Do not under dress is critical

[ILoveScotland]

Thanks for suggesting I look at sunrise and sunset tables. It would appear that even at Honnigsvag the sun will rise about 6:00 a.m. and set about 5:00 p.m. by March 9th or so - can't remember exact day we'll be there, but it's about that.

 

I had to convert. -10 C = 14 F, and yes, that is very cold. I now live in a relatively mild climate so bought snow boots to wear as rainboots here, two inexpensive sets of thermal underwear, warm socks, a knit cap and some other clothes to layer under sweaters and pants I already have. I also already have a pair of water resistant hiking-type boots. My outer coat is fake fur lined, is rain resistant and has a hood. I think I'm set except for gloves.

 

2 months and 3 weeks to go. Lots to do between now and then, but already I'm so excited to go on this trip I've dreamed of taking for 20 years.

[50something]

We bought spikes for our boots and they were really useful. I felt totally secure walking on snow and ice. The decks were also very icy and we wore the spikes whenever we went out to look for the lights. One person on our flight/cruise fell over the first time she went outsde and fractured her arm! Spikes were definitely our best buy. Also wear layers, lots and lots of layers.

[pgoestravelling]

Spike fittings for boots can be useful - we found that those which also strap on to your boots are far superior to those which merely fit on by being stretched over the sole - one can get them on a well known online (tax avoiding) retailer for a cheap price. We came across a number of broken stretch on versions lying in the snow and ice whenever the going was hard.

 

The other thing to remember when walking on the ship (outside or inside) is always to have one hand on a rail just in case one slips or the ship suddenly moves.

 

As a side note, we are astonished at the number of hits our blog (patandpaulharvey dot blogspot dot com - november 2012 section) related to our trip on the Lofoten is getting and how much time people seem to spend reading it - I wish I knew how people found out about it and what they thought of it since we are quite willing to clarify points where we have not explained ourselves well.

[ILoveScotland]

Spike fittings for boots can be useful - we found that those which also strap on to your boots are far superior to those which merely fit on by being stretched over the sole - one can get them on a well known online (tax avoiding) retailer for a cheap price. We came across a number of broken stretch on versions lying in the snow and ice whenever the going was hard.

 

The other thing to remember when walking on the ship (outside or inside) is always to have one hand on a rail just in case one slips or the ship suddenly moves.

 

As a side note, we are astonished at the number of hits our blog (patandpaulharvey dot blogspot dot com - november 2012 section) related to our trip on the Lofoten is getting and how much time people seem to spend reading it - I wish I knew how people found out about it and what they thought of it since we are quite willing to clarify points where we have not explained ourselves well.

 

After months of planning and questions here I leave in two weeks!

 

Thanks for the heads up about icy decks. I'm not always the steadiest on my feet and never have been so hold on to railings walking down stairs and sometimes down an uncarpeted hallway.

 

I have purchased some yaktrax to put over my lace up "hiking" boots. I will also wear pull on snow boots when in the snow.

 

I've opened your blog and am off to read it now.

 

Beth

[SarniaLo]

As a side note, we are astonished at the number of hits our blog (patandpaulharvey dot blogspot dot com - november 2012 section) related to our trip on the Lofoten is getting and how much time people seem to spend reading it - I wish I knew how people found out about it and what they thought of it since we are quite willing to clarify points where we have not explained ourselves well.

I discovered your blog through your cruise review here on CC, and I really enjoyed reading it. It gives a lot of useful information and links and it's also a very nice trip report (both words and pictures).

 

I'm just back from my third trip on board MS Lofoten (I got of the ship this morning in Trondheim), it was a glorious trip with all kind of winter weather (from very sunny to very snowy) and we saw absolutely incredible displays of Northern Lights 4 nights in a row, so Beth I wish you the same luck as we had. I finally brought along some spikes (the rubber strap-on type) and they were handy in a couple of occasion (in Trondheim, and at the North Cape, mostly).

[Skipskatta]

As a side note, we are astonished at the number of hits our blog (patandpaulharvey dot blogspot dot com - november 2012 section) related to our trip on the Lofoten is getting and how much time people seem to spend reading it - I wish I knew how people found out about it and what they thought of it since we are quite willing to clarify points where we have not explained ourselves well.

 

Hurtigruten UK told their followers (nearly 1000 people) on Twitter about your trip, and a couple of them shared it again with their followers. I can't link to Twitter, but they wrote it like this:

 

"Hurtigruten Cruises ‏@UKHurtigruten

Two of our passengers are writing about their trip. Follow Pat and Paul's experience on board the MS Lofoten: http://*******/UgSq1M"