Bergen to Oslo with Hurtigruten

I recently sailed from Bergen to Oslo onboard Hurtigruten’s MS Trollfjord on a Signature Voyage, and I quickly realised that this wasn’t simply a holiday at sea. This was a chance to experience Norway from the perspective of its coastline, its tiny communities, dramatic fjords and everyday life. And I believe that is the most important thing to understand about Hurtigruten. The route came first and the tourists came later.

The story of Hurtigruten began in 1893, when what became known as the fast route was launched with a simple but ambitious vision to connect Norway's long and challenging coastline. Before this, travelling between communities along the coast could be slow and difficult. The new service meant that people, post and goods could move much more easily up and down Norway. More than 130 years later, that original purpose still feels present. As I sailed along the coast, it was easy to see that this isn't a route created purely for tourists.

That history gives Hurtigruten a very different character from a traditional cruise line. There is a sense that tourism has been added to an existing relationship with the coast, rather than the coast having been built around tourism.

One of the things that struck me most was the scale.

On a large cruise ship, one guest can feel like a tiny part of thousands of passengers. Hurtigruten's ships are much smaller, allowing the experience to feel much more personal and connected to the places you're travelling through. The ships call at tiny coastal communities and sail remarkably close to the shoreline. At points, we were just a few hundred metres from the coast and incredibly close to towering cliffs and fjords.

You don't just see Norway in the distance. You feel as though you are travelling through it.

You can watch the landscape change outside your window, see villages appear and disappear, spot homes tucked into the coastline and get a glimpse of the everyday lives of the people who live here.

In my opinion this is an expedition cruise in its sense of discovery, but without feeling intimidating or overly adventurous. For anyone considering their first expedition-style journey, Norway's coast is a fascinating introduction. You have the comfort of the ship while the destination itself provides the adventure.

Norway seems almost made for this kind of journey. The coastline is spectacular, but what I found particularly interesting from a ship perspective is that the landscape is constantly changing. One moment you're passing a small community and the next you're surrounded by mountains, islands or dramatic stretches of coastline. And because the ship is moving along a route that has served coastal communities for generations, the experience feels much more immersive than simply sailing from one major tourist destination to another.

For me, my favourite views were the ones that were quite literally right outside my cabin window. There was something wonderful about waking up, drawing the curtains and discovering that Norway had become the view. Mountains, water and dramatic stretches of coastline would appear almost like a constantly changing picture frame.

But nothing quite compared with sailing through the fjords. Being surrounded by towering landscapes with the ship quietly making its way through the water was one of those experiences where you find yourself simply standing still and taking it all in. No excursion was needed. Some of the most memorable moments happened simply by looking out from the ship.

There was no need to be entertained every minute. The landscape was the entertainment.

And then there is the Northern Lights promise. One of the most exciting aspects of travelling with Hurtigruten in winter is the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. There is something incredibly magical about knowing that at any moment, the sky could suddenly come alive with ribbons of green above you.

Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise adds another layer of reassurance to that experience. If the Northern Lights aren't seen during your Northern Lights Promise voyage, Hurtigruten offers guests another opportunity to experience them by providing a 6-7 day Classic Coastal Express voyage free of charge on a future sailing, subject to the terms and conditions of the promise.

Of course, nobody can control the aurora. It is a natural phenomenon dependent on conditions including darkness, cloud cover and solar activity. But what Hurtigruten can do is put you in some of the best places to have the opportunity to see it and give you another chance if the skies don't play along.

Food was another highlight for me. Hurtigruten describes its onboard offering as Norway's Coastal Kitchen with around 80% of food and beverage locally sourced from Norway. Rather than the food being disconnected from the destination, the destination becomes part of what you're eating.

My favourite dining experience was in Røst, where we enjoyed an incredible five-course meal accompanied by gorgeous wine pairings. It was an Arctic fine-dining experience and for me, one of the culinary highlights of the entire journey. There was something particularly special about enjoying such beautifully presented food in this remote Arctic setting, surrounded by the landscapes we'd travelled so far to experience.

It also perfectly captured what I enjoyed about Hurtigruten's approach to food. The dining experience felt connected to Norway rather than simply being something that could have been served anywhere in the world. Local ingredients, producers and suppliers help tell the story of the places we're passing. And supporting local producers means the impact of tourism can extend beyond the ship itself.

Sustainability is increasingly important when we think about travel, particularly when that travel involves a ship. Hurtigruten has invested around NOK 1 billion in environmental upgrades, with the company reporting around 25% lower CO₂ emissions and 80% lower NOx emissions as part of its environmental efforts.

The company is also working towards technologies such as Sea Zero, which aims to significantly reduce the energy required to operate future ships.

There are smaller initiatives too. Single-use plastic was banned onboard in 2018, while Hurtigruten has a food-waste initiative in which food waste delivered ashore can be transformed into nutrient-rich soil within 24 hours.

As Hurtigruten’s CEO Hedda Felin puts it: “We’ve been caring for our coast for over 130 years and want to do whatever we can to help protect it for another 130 years and more.”

The best way to describe my experience onboard MS Trollfjord would be that it was much more than just a cruise.

It didn't feel like a traditional cruise where the ship is the destination and the ports are stops along the way. The coast is the destination. The ship is the way you experience it.

My favourite memories aren't just of the places we visited, but of the moments in between. Watching the fjords from the deck, opening my cabin curtains to another spectacular Norwegian view, enjoying an extraordinary five-course Arctic dining experience in Røst, and simply watching everyday life unfold along the coast.

If you'd like to experience Hurtigruten for yourself, take a look here and call the team to start planning your adventure.