Train travel may be more iconic, but there are some places in Europe where a rail pass isn’t the best way to get around. Norway is one of them.
Norway has the second longest coastline in the world. Only Canada has more coastline than Norway. The Norwegian coast is punctuated by countless peninsulas, inlets and islands. This is scenic on steroids, a place where majestic glaciers meet storybook fjords. There’s no better way to experience it than a coastal cruise with a company that’s been sailing this route so long its become part of the fabric of the communities it visits.
Hurtigruten has been operating off the coast of Norway since 1893. Its newest itinerary connects Norway’s northernmost and southernmost cities. It also stops at the midpoint, crosses the Arctic circle and sails through the Trollfjord seasonally.
I boarded the Hurtigruten Coastal Express in Honningsvåg, the northernmost city in mainland Norway after a day of ATV riding and snowmobiling on the North Cape at the very top of the map where you’ll find this globe and a one-room Thai museum.
Editor’s note: The author was a guest of Hurtigruten on the MS Trollfjord. The opinions expressed in this article are hers and weren’t subject to review by the cruise line.
Getting to Honningsvåg presented its own challenges. A pair of tourists got stuck in the snow somewhere between Alta and Honningsvåg without a shovel. A snowplow driver was late to work. The weather oscillated between early spring day and winter whiteout. A three-hour drive turned into a six-hour adventure and showed me exactly why the ferry is such a popular way to get around Norway.
It was a team effort to locate a shovel and dig out the tourists before a snowplow could escort a group of us through a tunnel. Eventually, we made it to the other side and onto the MS Trollfjord.
The MS Trollfjord delivers an experience that falls somewhere between a ferry and a traditional cruise line. There’s no pool, luxury spa or night club on board the 21-year-old ship, which is about to get a makeover. There are a few restaurants, a library, two hot tubs, two saunas, a bar and coffee bar.
This isn’t the most luxurious ship on the seas, but it is a one-of-a-kind. These Hurtigruten ships double as ferries and have been transporting mail, goods and people along the coast for a more than century.
My room was small, even by New York standards, but functional. There was a desk/vanity, coffee station, petite private bathroom, a big comfy bed and a tiny closet. Next time, I’ll opt for a cabin on Deck 7 to avoid passers-by who may want to peek into my window.
I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of vegetarian options on board and by the creativity of the culinary team behind the ship’s fine dining venue.
Many of the passengers on board the Coastal Express are Norwegian. You can expect lots of knitting grandmas, adult children taking mini-vacations on the way home to visit their parents, a handful of German tourists and about a dozen vehicles.
The MS Trollfjord still transports vehicles and cargo up and down the Norwegian coast. This is vital public transit and a key shipping route, a way to get people and goods from point A to point B. It’s an experience designed for local travelers not for tourists, and that’s exactly what makes it so special.
As a passenger, sailing on Hurtigruten’s North Cape Express, as it will soon be called, feels more like hitching a ride on a multi-purpose ship than going on a cruise. Instead of adding to carbon emissions, it feels like you’re carpooling along the coast.
By the time I got off the ship in Trondheim, I understood how crucial shipping is to a country with so much coastline and such unpredictable weather. I saw how Norwegians traveled domestically and got a glimpse into how people here live. I knew kids here grew up drinking spoonfuls of cod liver oil and eating brown cheese on waffles. I saw how life revolved around the outdoors and learned that roller skiing is a thing.
I hadn’t just seen epic scenery, cute port towns and historic churches, I had gotten a good taste of Norwegian culture. There’s isn’t a better travel souvenir than that.
The MS Trollfjord will spend the next month or so being refurbished before setting sail again this summer. It’ll sail to Svalbard during the summers and between Honningsvåg and Oslo.
And no, I didn’t like the brown cheese.
