NEW YORK — Most travellers who book winter cruises are trying to escape the cold weather by heading to Mexico or the Caribbean. But the cruise company Hurtigruten is betting some travellers will bundle up to experience the wildlife, culture and scenery of Norway above the Arctic Circle.
Hurtigruten offers six itineraries between January and March along Norway’s 2,000-km west coast between Bergen and Kirkenes, with each seven-to-12-day trip offering different experiences and adventures. Fares range from US$2,499 to $6,048 per person, double occupancy.
Highlights include the Northern Lights Festival in Tromso; the landscape of Finnmark, where puffins can be seen tending their young in rookeries along the cliffs; and a night in a hotel in Kirkenes decorated with artwork made from snow. A Sami Day&Reindeer Races package includes the annual Feb. 6 Sami National Day festivities and a reindeer racing championship in Tromso, while the Ice Hotel Adventure includes a cruise through several port cities, an overnight in the fishing village of Honnigsvag, and a night in the Alta Igloo Hotel, where beds, drinking glasses and everything else is carved from ice.
Fares include round-trip tickets from JFK, domestic land transfers and flights, land hotels, all meals onboard and port fees. Cruise fuel and airline fuel surcharges, air taxes, gratuities, ticketing fees and air add-ons from other airports are additional.
800-323-7436 or http://www.hurtigruten.us.