voyage: The west coast 18

Photo: Aleksander Pettersen

Photo: Line Ellemann Andersen

Packing list

Most important is that you bring some warm clothes, clothes that are water- and windproof, and good shoes. Even if you sail in summer, it can be cold at sea, especially on a night watch. We recommend that you bring with you:

Passport Sleeping bag, not too warm Warm and waterproof clothing Cap Gloves Toiletries Suntan lotion Sunglasses Shoes with rubber soles, or rubber boots Towel Personal medicines Mobil charger Small backpack if going ashore Choose clothes that may take stains Pack in a soft bag without wheels. The bag shall be stored into your locker, which takes 120 liters. A part of the locker can be locked with a small padlock that you bring with you or purchase on board.

The shop on board

In the small shop you can buy some snacks, chocolate, soft drinks, toiletries and souvenirs.

Mobile phone and power

The mobile phone has no coverage when we are in open sea. Should a situation require contact with people ashore, the ship and the office will assists you. Power supply on board is 220 VAC.

Washing clothes

It’s not possible to wash your clothes on board. If your voyage are longer than one week, you may contact the sergeant in order to use the ships washing machine.

The ships have limited space for luggage. A bag which takes 120 litres is what you can bring onboard on the voyage.

LIFE ON BOARD

Have you ever dreamed about the thrill of taking the helm and steering hundreds of tons of majestic sailing ship across the ocean?

Welcome to a voyage of discovery aboard for a Sea Norway voyage and we promise you intimate contact with the ocean.

During your time aboard, not only can you experience steering, climbing aloft, setting the sails and living on a towering beauty of a tall ship, you can do it while enjoying the spectacularly wild scenery of Norway’s rugged coasts and the sublime splendor of its fjords.

No days will be the same. One could see you setting & trimming sails, steering, navigating and learning the ways of the open sea; the next you might spend enjoying the fjords with the sun in your face, swaying in a hammock with a good book, taking photos or discussing the ways of the world with your fellow adventurers over a cup of coffee. As a trainee, you may find yourself taking the helm at night, watching dolphins play in the bow waves and whales pass by, while the others sleep and the only sound is the wind in the sails. And you will remember falling asleep as moonlight and phosphorescence flash in a dark sea, listening to the endless sound of breaking bow waves.

Join Sea Norway and every day will bring new beginnings, new sights and sounds, new horizons and new adventures. Welcome to an oceanic experience of a lifetime!

Photo: Jan-Henrik Pederstad

Photo: Marit Helgerud

Foto: Tonje Selvåg

CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

Why not supplement your voyage with unique cultural experiences. Our ports of call make it easy for you to get some authentic Norwegian cultural experiences.

Unique historical attractions range from World Heritage sites to a Viking chieftain’s longhouse with its own banqueting hall and a 17th century Manor House and Renaissance garden in a remote village. Sample the local cuisine, whether you prefer western Norwegian delicacies like smoked ribs and lamb's or famous seafood specialties like salted cod and bacalao or unique dishes from inland villages, such as pizza made with ale bread base, cheese from mountain goats and aquavit embellished sausage.

LOFOTR VIKINGMUSEUM, LOFOTEN

FIREWORKS OVER VÅGEN, BERGEN

Photo: Martin Håndlykken / Visitnorway.com

FESTIVAL, OSLO

LOCAL FESTIVALS

Why not supplement your voyage with a few peculiarly Norwegian festivals.

Our stopovers sometimes coincide with local festivals, of which Norway has some unique examples: there’s the Tahiti Festival, an outdoor opera called Donna Bacalao and the world’s biggest herring feast. Local communities may also organise weekend “welcome festivals” when our flotilla of tall ships and heritage craft arrive.

STAVANGER CONSERT HALL

Photo: Ken A. Jenssen

THE OPERA TOWN, KRISTIANSUND

LOCAL FOOD

Why not supplement your voyage with a few once-in-a-lifetime culinary experiences. Norway’s cuisine is as diverse as its countryside. Our many ports of call, both coastal and deep inland, allow you to sample a wide range of local specialties.

Try western Norwegian delicacies like smoked ribs and lamb’s head, famous coastal seafood dishes like salted cod and bacalao, or uniquely local recipes from inland villages, such as pizza made with ale bread base, cheese from mountain goats and aquavit embellished sausage.

Our stopovers sometimes coincide with local festivals, of which Norway has some unique examples with a culinary twist: try the outdoor opera called Donna Bacalao or eat your way through the world’s biggest herring feast.

Photo: m_dickson/Foap/Visitnorway.com

LOCAL CHEESE

NORWEGIAN STRAWBERRIES AND WAFFLES

Photo: Christian Roth Christensen / Visitnorway.com

LOCAL SAUSAGE

Photo: merethe/Foap/Visitnorway.com Photo: Christian Roth Christensen / Visitnorway.com Photo: Christian Roth Christensen / Visitnorway.com

SEAFOOD, TROMSØ

CITY LIFE

Visit some of Norway’s most enticing coastal cities and towns. Norway’s coastal cities and towns are dotted along the second longest coastline of any country in the world.

From the east, around the southern tip and westwards to the high North, the contrasts are extreme. The southernmost city of Kristiansand has idyllic beaches, a charming whitewashed old town and famous wildlife and amusement parks. Bodø, located north of the Arctic Circle, is home to the "midnight sun", eagle and whale safaris and the world’s strongest maelstrom.

Other captivating coastal stopovers include the cosmopolitan oil capital of Stavanger, with Europe’s best-preserved wooden house settlement and Norway’s best surfing, and Bergen, the west coast World Heritage site and international maritime hub.

SHOPPING IN KRISTIANSAND

LUNCH IN BERGEN

Photo: Hildegunn Skage Teinum/Visit-Sørlandet

Photo: Martin Håndlykken / Visitnorway.com Photo: CH - Visitnorway.com

TRADITIONAL JEWELRY

Photo: Nancy Bundt - Visitnorway.com

TRADITIONAL KNITTING

Photo: VisitSørlandet

FAMILY FUN

Why not supplement your voyage with a few fun activities for the whole family.

Norway can be a fun place for the whole family, young and old alike. Not only will you find family-friendly hotels, restaurants and attractions. For the energetic and fearless, the thrills include sea kayaking, white-water-rafting, glacier trekking, bungee jumping, dogsledding, bobsledding, skiing and snowmobiling.

Gentler family options include safaris to seek out whales, eagles or wild reindeer, boat trips on magnificent fjords, interactive museums, water and wildlife parks and Viking-themed activities.

A unique Norwegian experience for the whole family is the Climate Park, with Norway`s coolest classroom set 50 meters into the ice and an ice tunnel below the highest mountain north of the Alps.

Norwegians are also avid festival-goers, so look out for the many music and culture festivals and the more unique varieties, such as the Tahiti Festival, an outdoor opera called Donna Bacalao or the world’s biggest herring feast.

In a country that claims, “there is no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothing” indoor options can be a good fallback.

Photo: Thomas Rasmus Skaug / Visitnorway.com

LOFOTEN LOFOTEN

Photo: Runar Larsen

HIKING

Why not supplement your voyage with a few once-in-a-lifetime hiking adventures. Norway, with its amazingly varied terrain, wide-open spaces and interconnected network of trails and cabins, is an Eldorado for hikers and nature lovers.

Regardless of whether you prefer to visit World Heritage sites and iconic attractions, such as the panoramic Pulpit Rock or the world’s strongest maelstrom Saltstraumen, or rather want to discover breathtakingly beautiful villages and remote alpine plateaus, hiking can take you there. Many of the best outdoor destinations are within easy reach of our ports of call and you will find a wide selection of hiking and exploring excursions suitable for all ages and levels of mobility.

PREIKESTOLEN

On our visits to the Lofoten archipelago, stop at the most beautiful village in Norway, Reine for a trek up to the breathtaking seascapes from Reinebringen mountain or hike along a seascape of little fishing villages stacked up one after the other like a string of pearls. If you want to follow in the footsteps of Norway’s Queen Sonja, our stop at Bodø brings you close to her favorite hiking destination, the craggy peaks of the Seven Sisters mountain range.

Inland from Bergen, you can wander for days across the alpine plateau of the Hardangervidda National Park. With nearly 30 public cabins and endless trails to hike, it’s home to a large herd of wild reindeer and close to the Folgefonna glacier. If you travel through the city of Stavanger, don’t miss the hike up to Pulpit Rock, one of the world’s truly breath-taking viewpoints. From this panorama point, at 604 meters, you look down on the magnificent Lysefjord, with its vagabond’s cave, ancient farms, waterfalls, idyllic islands and majestic landscape.

LOCAL HERITAGES

Why not complement your voyage by exploring Norway’s unique heritage.

Norway’s rich history and cultural heritage can be seen in its ancient stave churches, unique museums, traditional cuisine and thriving folklore and artistic traditions.

Many of the country’s World Heritage sites are in easy reach of our ports of call.

Norway is also renowned for its maritime heritage, from fishing and shipping to oil and gas. You can see evidence of this all along our route, the ‘clipfish capital’ of Kristiansund founded on bacalao, to the futuristic Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger. Other attractions you can discover along the way include a Viking chieftain’s longhouse with its own banqueting hall, a 17th century Manor House and Renaissance garden in a remote coastal village.

Once ashore, you’ll discover a plethora of museums, from Bergen’s Hanseatic Museum, Lofoten’s Stockfish Museum and Norwegian Fishing Village Museum, and Oslo’s hypermodern Munch Museum.

THE OPERA AND THE NEW MUNCH MUSEUM

LOFOTR VIKINGMUSEUM, LOFOTEN

BERGEN

HENNINGSVÆR

Photo: Martin Håndlykken / Visitnorway.com

KODE ART MUSEUM, BERGEN

Photo: Martin Håndlykken / Visitnorway.com