CRUISE NEWS
TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL For a truly authentic travel experience, mingle with locals on board Hurtigruten’s famed Norwegian Coastal Express ships as they service the stunning coast of Norway.
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urtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express has sailed the coast of Norway since 1893, serving local communities and showing international guests this incredible part of the world. For more than a century, the name Hurtigruten has been synonymous with experiencing the authentic, everyday life of the coast. Hurtigruten’s signature voyage along the Norwegian coast travels from the southern city of Bergen, across the Arctic Circle, up to the small town of Kirkenes and back. It’s 12 days and 2,500 nautical miles of some of the most stunning scenery you’ll ever see. You’ll sail alongside local Norwegians who have relied on these ships for transport, postal services and cargo for generations, making this journey the ultimate in authentic travel experiences. While the voyage is a feast for all the senses, your taste buds in particular are taken on a memorable journey along the coast, with the trio of onboard restaurants serving you delicious, seasonal dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. One of Hurtigruten’s local suppliers (and an optional shore excursion) is Tove and Knut Åland’s Aalan Farm. This family-run farm delivers award-winning goat’s cheese, spices and teas to Hurtigruten’s ships as part of its Norway’s Coastal Kitchen concept. Serving food based on fresh ingredients is another way Hurtigruten cements its ties to local businesses and supports the families who rely on them. Knut Åland says: “Tove and I love the idea that guests from all over the world, they’re seeing the amazing landscapes of the Norwegian coast and at the same time enjoying cheese from our farm and drinking our tea. We feel really honoured to be part of that.”
Clockwise from top: The Norwegian Coastal Express ventures into dramatic fjords along the way up the coast, including Geirangerfjord; the majestic Hjørundfjorden is also on the route; Knut Åland tends to his Aalan Farm goat’s cheese, which is served on Hurtigruten ships; sailing into Honningsvåg, the northernmost town on Norway’s mainland.
All along the Norwegian coast, people have a lifelong connection with Hurtigruten and its fleet of ships. One of those people is Hurtigruten’s very own Ronald Aas, one of the line’s shore excursion coordinators. “The Coastal Express and I, we go way back,” Mr Aas says proudly. “My first trip on board was the journey home from the hospital in Tromsø after my mother gave birth to me.” On that point, Mr Aas also remembers the Coastal Express ships as being key in bringing people together. “They were our connection to the wider world, bringing friends from afar or family from a few ports away,” he says. “Without the Coastal Express, my life wouldn’t have been what it has. It’s provided so many opportunities for me and others like me who live on the coast,” Mr Aas says. “The people along the coast and the Coastal Express are in a partnership, a mutual existence. One cannot exist without the other. I love the fact that my work involves showing visitors the real heart and soul of the Norwegian coast.” cruisepassenger.com.au
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