Hurtigruten Dining Choices?

[janetcbl]

We are traveling on the 12 Day Bergen-Bergen Hurtigruten cruise this summer. I have read other posts where people have reserved a table and chosen their sitting (Early/Late). Yet when I have tried to do this for our trip, I am told I have to wait until I board the ship, and cannot reserve a table or sitting ahead of time. To experienced travelers on this cruise: Is it possible to book these ahead of boarding and how does one go about doing this?

[gaelsail]

After we boarded and 'checked in' at reception; the next stop was the restaurant, or nearby, where we were allocated our table for the voyage.

[Bruton Branch]

In response to Janetcbl:

 

We had the same thought prior to our Nov.2008 journey on the Hurtigruten Finnmarken. We also did the roundtrip and enjoyed every moment of the journey.

 

Having cruised on many other lines our thoughts were the same as where are we going to be seated and who will we be seated with. The only fixed seating assignemts we had were at dinner (the evening meal). We had a great table for four near the stern port side. The views were great. This is where the stern of the ship curves around to the side.

 

Since there were only two hundred people on this journey going n/b the ship only offered one dinner time. The time flexed between 6 pm - 7 pm. The time was posted each morning out side the dinning room.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy.

 

Bruton Branch :p

[South Bay SueB]

We took a 12 day Bergen RT Hurtigruten cruise on the Trollfjord in late October/early November of 2008 (and loved it). I suspect that their evening dining arrangements vary depending upon the passenger count, which is undoubtedly lower in the cooler months. We were at most half-full; dinner was a single seating and the dining room wasn't full. The two of us were seated by ourselves at a table for four. I think we learned our table number when we checked in; at any rate, we learned its location at dinner the first night (although the first dinner was buffet/open seating). As is probably evident, we weren't overly concerned about the location of our table because we knew that at that time of year it would be dark at dinnertime.

[engineer38]

Just returned from Midnatsol 12 day round trip Bergen-Bergen. Saw Northern Lights 5 times so very happy!

 

Tables had been (automatically?) allocated before boarding, table number was printed on the envelope containing cruisecards, handed to us at check-in. Ship was about 50% full northbound and 30% full southbound, so only one sitting for dinner. We were seated 2 at a table for four by the window on the port side which is what I would have requested if asked. Other couples were seated together apparently at random, although I believe language was taken into account. (The group of tables adjacent to us were English speaking 12 day bookings)

 

It would probably be worth sending in a request for a specific sitting etc. with your booking, but I doubt that you will get them to guarantee it. Each ship seems to have its own way of doing things, another couple we met had travelled on Finnmarken the year before, and kept telling us how much better it was.

 

Food is not the main reason for travelling with Hurtigruten. Hope you like fish.

[Ernie0528]

Ditto above. Our table assignment and and dining time was already set up when we checked in. Fortunately, we got the earlier time (6:30) instead of the later time (8:30) which is our preference. We were traveling with another couple and they did place a 3rd couple at our table, also from the US. We all enjoyed our dinners together very much. I'm guessing here, but I think they may have assigned the later dining time mostly to the many Europeans that were on the cruise. Everything about the cruise was wonderful. I plan to submit a "Member Review" sometime soon. Right now I'm still bogged down dealing with 2000+ pictures. :)

[glgolfer]

Here's our review if our round trip in 2005.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=189561

 

 

You have no choice of dinner times or table size. Since you are going in the summer, odds are the ship will be mostly full of Europeans. You should be seated with other English speaking folks unless English is not your first language. They did seem to put Americans at the earlier seatings.

Check each morning as some lunches are at your assigned table and an assigned time. Breakfast was always open time/seating.

 

There were 5 seatings for dinner each night with assigned tables. The seatings were 1800, 1830, 1900, 1945 and 2015. We were assigned 1900 at a table for 4.

This was one of our best trips. We would do it again anytime.

 

I'll try to answer any questions at firstparty@bellsouth.net

 

One thing I forgot in the review is to bring your own antibiotic stuff such as Neosporin or bactine as you need a Drs prescription for any of that in Norway.