Norwegian Cruise

A cruise is not everyone’s cup of tea. But, a cruise through Norway is no normal cruise. Kent E. St.John, a writer for GoNOMAD.com, boarded a Norwegian cruise and shared his experiences in his article; Norway’s Viking Voyage:The Hurtigruten.

“The MS Finnmark’s cabin 603 had became my home as well as a place to view vistas that simply cannot be found elsewhere. This isn’t a typical cruise and is indeed a voyage, one that will bring out the Viking explorer in anyone, even with heated tile floors in the bathroom.

In general I do not consider myself a cruise ship person and the closest I’ve ever come was a boat that took eighteen passengers to the Galapagos Islands. At first the MS Finnmark looked huge but the people boarding looked so laid back that I boarded knowing I wasn’t getting into a raucous hedonistic free for all. After all the ship was a working vessel.

After entering cabin 603 I was ready to sign up with the Merchant Marines. The cabin was roomy with a double bed, sitting area and small desk space. I also lucked out with a balcony. I must add that during the voyage I managed to visit several types of cabins and all were well laid out. The bottom line is that scenery is very democratic and seen perfectly from all the decks, lounges and dining room.

While the ship stops at 34 ports, only a few stops are for any length of time. Fortunately the ones that you want are covered. The first excursion was the next morning in Alesund. Tragedy can create beauty and that certainly is the case in Alesund. A huge fire on January 23, 1904 totally destroyed the city, and Kaiser Wilhelm II rapidly sent provisions. Young Norwegian architects then proceeded to design and build in a totally Art Nouveau style and all in stone. The Art Nouveau Center best covers the city’s rebirth and is done very well.”