Frequently Asked Questions: Norwegian Coastal Voyages
This selection of frequently asked questions (FAQs) provides answers to many of your questions. If we haven't answered one of yours, please contact us by phone, email or chat.
General
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I want to find inspiration for my next voyage with Hurtigruten
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You can read and download our brochures online on the ’Read brochures’ page from the menu. To obtain a printed brochure please get in touch with your local travel agent.
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination, you should check out the Inspiration section of the website.
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Can I book my flights through Hurtigruten?
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Yes, you can book your flights through us.
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What is the difference between The Coastal Express and Hurtigruten Expedition Cruises?
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The Coastal Express voyages are not like conventional cruises. Our 11 Coastal ships sail the Norwegian coast from Bergen to Kirkenes and return to Bergen. We call at 34 ports and depart Bergen every day, providing a transportation lifeline between cities and villages while exploring stunning fjords and UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the more than 1,000 miles of Norway’s pristine coastline. This mixture of local encounters, spectacular scenery, and additional optional excursions provides an unmatched opportunity to experience and interact with the beauty and charm of Norway and its people.
Hurtigruten Expeditions build on our unique explorer heritage dating back to 1893, appealing to those who value life experiences and personal growth over excessive luxury. On Hurtigruten Expeditions, you will be accompanied by a highly skilled crew and expedition team on one of five intimately-scaled expedition ships (MS Fram, MS Fridtjof Nansen, MS Roald Amundsen, MS Spitsbergen, MS Otto Sverdrup, MS Nordstjernen, MS Maud and MS Santa Cruz II). These expedition cruises will take you on breathtaking nature-based experiences in remote corners of the world: Antarctica, Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, North America, South America, the Caribbean and Central America, Northwest Passage, and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Booking and prices
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What is My Booking?
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My Booking is a service where you can find key information about your booking.
Get a quick overview of your voyage details. See your departure and arrival dates, booked excursions and any transportation related to your voyage. Review guest, cabin and payment information.
You can also read more about your itinerary and get to know the ship before your upcoming adventure.
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What are the booking terms and conditions including payment and cancellation rules?
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Please refer to our terms and conditions here.
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When will I receive all travel documents?
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You should receive your travel documents electronically approximately 2-3 weeks before departure provided full payment is received.
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Why am I not getting separate flight tickets?
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Your flight tickets are electronic; you may check-in by showing your passport to the agent at the check-in counter.
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How can I book excursions and when are they available?
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Most excursions are pre-bookable and can be added on to your voyage during the online booking process. The excursions offered on your Coastal or Explorer voyage are listed on the relevant voyage page under the 'Things to see and do' tab.
If you are booking over the phone, excursions can be added at any point from the time of booking the voyage until four weeks prior to departure for Coastal voyages (two weeks if you pay by credit card). Please note that Explorer excursions have limited capacity and can only be booked four weeks before departure (two weeks if paid by credit card).
All excursions are subject to availability and sold on a first come, first served basis. We recommend pre-booking online or over the phone, where possible.
Excursions which are not pre-bookable may be booked from the tour leader on the ship. Excursions booked on board will be payable in Norwegian Kroner and the price may vary as a result of exchange rate fluctuations.
Please bring your driving license if you have pre-booked or are planning to go on any of the snowmobile or ATV excursions. Excursions and their contents are subject to maximum/minimum numbers, sailing times and weather and/or local conditions. If pre-booked excursions have to be cancelled, you will receive a refund on board in NOK.
PDF handbooks and order forms with full descriptions are ready approximately six months before your voyage and will be sent by our Reservations team to all booked guests. Order forms for excursions on the Norwegian Coast can be downloaded here.
Please note you do not have a choice of hotel for excursions that include an overnight i.e. the excursion includes a set hotel.
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Do I have another option besides full board on an Expedition cruise?
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Expedition cruises only offer full board, which includes drinks. Our suite guests are also entitled to additional services.
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Do I need to bring passport or ID?
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All guests checking in at the Hurtigruten terminal or on board our ships have to present a valid Passport or government approved ID Card. Explorer voyages only accept passports that must be valid 6 months after the voyage. Please send us your passport details immediately after booking.
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What is flexible pricing?
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Flexible pricing is where all prices are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Prices may change at any time before departure date, the applicable price will be quoted at the time of booking.
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Why am I getting a higher price than the ’from price’ online?
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We offer a flexible pricing policy, similar to that of an airline if you were booking a flight. This means the from price is an indication of the lowest price you could expect to pay for an I -grade (inside) cabin. Prices are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Prices may change at any time before departure date, the applicable price will be quoted at the time of booking.
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Do I need a pin code for credit card payments?
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You do not need a pin code for your credit card when making payments online or over the phone. You will be required to provide the credit card type, card number, expiry date and Card Verification Code (CVV).
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Can I pay online?
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You can make full payment online here: https://global.hurtigruten.com/payment
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Why do I need to pay a single supplement if I am travelling alone?
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Our voyage prices are based on two people travelling together and sharing one cabin. A guest wishing to travel by herself will be expected to pay a percentage of the cabin rate. However, we occasionally offer no single supplement. Please refer to our Special Offers for the latest specials.
Hurtigruten ships
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Can I pay with cash and credit card onboard?
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You can pay as you go onboard our ships with cash or credit card on The Coastal Express voyages. We accept Visa, American Express, Diners or MasterCard and regret that our system does not support Maestro Card. Please note that when using your credit card onboard the ship, your account will be debited in EUR. The rate of exchange will be the one validated by your credit card company.
Only credit card is accepted on Expedition voyages; however, MS Nordstjernen does not accept American Express. The credit card must be valid more than three months after your stay on board. Please note that when using your credit card onboard the ship, your account will be debited in EUR (except MS Nordstjernen which will be debited in NOK). The rate of exchange will be the one validated by your credit card company.
For your convenience, we also offer a Cruise Card system onboard all our ships. This system allows you to charge all onboard purchases to your cruise card. Cruise card accounts can be created at all points of payment on board the ship. We accept VISA, Master Card, Diners, American Express or cash (NOK, EUR, GBP, USD) as deposit. The itemised statement will be sent by email. Please contact reception if you require a printed version. The cruise card account needs to be settled by 22:00 on your last night on board.
For your convenience, your cruise card charges will be billed automatically to your credit card. The credit card must be valid for at least another three months. Any discrepancies must be reported before disembarkation. This also applies if you want to pay part cash and part credit card. The currency used onboard is as outlined above. Exchange rates are similar to those in a hotel. Please check with the reception for methods of payment. Please note that a PIN code may be required when paying with your personal credit card onboard.
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Is WiFi accessible on all ships?
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Yes, WiFi is available on all ships at a fee. If you have booked a SELECT* or PLATINUM package, WiFi is included in your cruise.
Please note depending on the vessel’s location, internet connectivity and telephone usage may be out of range or limited due to the remote locations in which we sail.
*If you book online, you automatically book a cabin in the SELECT package unless you have booked an unspecified cabin.
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Are your ships wheelchair accessible?
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We are happy to welcome guests who are not fully mobile and all ships have at least one cabin equipped for travellers using a wheelchair.
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Will I have my own bathroom and WC?
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In almost all cases, yes. The only exceptions are a few cabins on board the classic ships MS Vesterålen and MS Nordstjernen where guests have use of a wash basin in the cabin and share facilities with a few other guests.
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Which ships have fitness rooms and hot tubs?
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Hot tubs can be found on MS Roald Amundsen, MS Fram, MS Spitsbergen, MS Midnatsol, MS Trollfjord, MS Polarlys, MS Kong Harald (please note the hot tub is currently not in use), MS Nordkapp and MS Finnmarken (MS Finnmarken has a pool as well). All ships with the exception of MS Lofoten have fitness rooms.
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Which ships have children’s playrooms?
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MS Vesterålen
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Which ships have pet cabins?
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All Norwegian coastal ships have pet cabins with the exception of MS Nordlys, MS Midnatsol and MS Kong Harald. Unfortunately, our Explorer ships (MS Fram, MS Spitsbergen, MS Nordstjernen and MS Roald Amundsen) don’t have pet cabins.
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Will I need to share a cabin with a stranger if I am travelling alone?
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No, we do not book passengers individual beds but rather, entire cabins. If you are travelling alone, you would be booking a whole cabin for yourself.
The Coastal Express Voyages
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Can you go ashore in every port?
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Yes, with some recommendations. If the ship is in port for 30 minutes or longer, we encourage guests to take a look around all of the ports. However, in some ports our ships only stop for 15 minutes. In this case, we ask that guests continuing their voyage stay on board, just to avoid any risks. Our full sailing plan can be located here.
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When do I have to meet up at latest at the different ports?
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Please be at the port 15-20 minutes prior to departure. For Bergen departures however, the latest check-in time is 30 minutes before ship departure.
The terminal in Bergen is open for luggage check-in from 13:00 until 14:30, and passenger check-in begins from 15:00 and embarkation from 16:00. Check in at the terminal is possible until 19:30 all year, after that the check in will take place on board. Cabins are available from 18:00 hrs.
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I am taking a car aboard The Coastal Express. What time should I embark the ship?
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Please be at the quayside at the latest 1,5 hours prior to the scheduled departure in Bergen. When you are travelling from Bergen to a port north of Bodø, please be at the terminal no later than 2 hours before departure.
In Trondheim, Bodø, Tromsø and Kirkenes, please be at the pier latest 1 hour before departure. For all other ports, please be at the quayside 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. Please ensure to adhere to instructions and signage for cars at the ports.
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What are the maximum dimensions for vehicles?
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Please refer to the relevant ship pages for vehicle dimensions.
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Can I bring cargo on board?
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Our ships may have space for cargo although there is no option to book it online or over the phone as it is generally not a service offered to our guests. We can however put in a special request if you send us an email detailing the dimensions of the cargo you wish to bring on board. Be advised though that port fees and handling charges may apply depending on the size of the cargo.
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How are the excursions organised when the ship is only in port for a short time and sails on?
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If guests have booked excursions through Hurtigruten, then their excursion includes transfers to and from the ship. If during the time you are on the excursion, the ship has moved on to another port in keeping with the sailing schedule, the return transfer will be arranged to re-join the ship wherever it is currently docked. This allows our guests to fully immerse themselves in enjoying their excursion stress-free.
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Can I choose a cabin number on a port-to-port voyage?
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Unfortunately, we are unable to offer guaranteed cabin numbers for port-to-port and short voyages (less than 5 nights).
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Can I book a port-to-port voyage without a cabin?
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It is possible to book deck space for a cruise that is shorter than 23 hours. Guests must book a cabin on any distance that takes longer than 23 hours.
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When do the transfers leave?
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Transfer times vary depending on the pickup location and city. Exact times and locations will be confirmed when you are sent your travel documents. Please also refer to our Arrival and Departure Handbook in our Transfer section for information about arriving and departing from Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø, Trondheim and Kirkenes.
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Will the luggage go through automatically in Oslo and at other airports?
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If you have a connecting flight to Norway with an onward flight to another destination in Norway, you can take your hand luggage directly to the gate mentioned on your boarding pass. Due to possible gate changes, please double check your gate number at the transfer desk and listen for announcements and check the arrival/departure board at the airport.
Your Checked luggage will be checked through to your final destination. If you are holding separate tickets on different airlines it is usually not possible to check luggage through. Check-in staff will advise you whether luggage may be checked through or not.
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Will it be cold in Norway?
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Norway is home to the most northern city in the world. Guests should therefore be aware that temperatures may be much chillier than they are used to.
For weather reports on Norway, we recommend YR.no.
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What clothes should I pack for travel to Norway?
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The best approach is to bring multiple layers of comfortable, durable, and warm wear which can be piled on or stripped off depending on the weather.
During summer, we encourage guests to make the most of the sunshine to participate in hikes and city walks. Reliable walking shoes and a light jacket are therefore good items to include if travelling in the Midnight Sun season.
Winter is a spectacular time with the Northern Lights often appearing in the arctic skies above. Guests should be fully kitted out for cold weather with a water and wind-resistant/proof winter coat, thermal clothing, sturdy boots with a good sole, a scarf, gloves and a hat.
As in many other countries, autumn and spring in Norway are a mish-mash of rain and sun. The sensible among you will bring a few different types of clothing in expectation of diverse weather that can be hot and then cold, dry and then wet.
The Hurtigruten experience is about exploration and relaxation. There is therefore no dress code or formal attire on board. Keep the tuxedo and evening gown at home and just enjoy the voyage! For more information on what to pack please see here.
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How do I find a port address?
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To find an address for a specific port on the Norwegian coast, please see our port page and click on your desired port.
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Where do I find contact info for all ships?
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Please refer to contact information for all ships.
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What is the best time to travel if I want to see the Midnight sun?
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Above the Arctic Circle you can experience the Midnight Sun season from May till end of July, depending on where you are. You can find dates and times of Midnight Sun in Norway below:
LOCATION FIRST DAY LAST DAY North Cape 13 May 31 July Hammerfest 16 May 28 July Vardø 16 May 28 July Tromsø 20 May 25 July Harstad 24 May 20 July Svolvær 28 May 17 July Bodø 03 June 11 July -
What is the best time to travel if I want to see the Northern lights?
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The Northern Lights season runs from October to the end of March, when there is the least amount of sunlight. The Northern Lights appear mostly above the Arctic Circle, so the more time you spend far in the North, the better your chances to seeing the lights.
More information about the Northern Lights can be found here:
Health and Safety / Covid-19
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Is it safe to travel with Hurtigruten? How does Hurtigruten handle the Corona situation?
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We care deeply about your safety, health and wellbeing. We’ve introduced several new procedures throughout all our ships, designed to keep you safe from Covid-19. We’ll be constantly updating these measures in accordance with the latest guidelines from local authorities.
Please check here to get all the information around this topic