It was late March as I stood on the quayside at Stokmarknes in Vesterålen, a small Norwegian archipelago north of the Arctic Circle. The ground was deep in snow, and cloudless skies made the linen-draped mountaintops look particularly benign. Also looking particularly benign was the new, eco-friendly LNG-powered cruise ship heading towards me. Turns out I was the only person joining Havila Capella that day.
But the 500-passenger Capella wasn't docking here just for me: Norway's Coastal Express service is intended for both people and freight. And its stops are tied to local excursions, so before I could board, I stood aside while a wave of its existing passengers took advantage of the 60-minute layover to make a beeline for the Hurtigruten Coastal Express Museum. Inside there's a vintage 2,189-ton passenger and freight ship, the MS Finnmarken, which has been magicked onto dry land, like a ship in a bottle. Displays around it, and on board, tell the story of how the Coastal Express — often called the Hurtigruten after the company which was, until recently, its sole operator — came into being, back in 1893.
It was a shipping entrepreneur from the town of Stokmarknes, Richard With, who launched the first ever 34-stop, seven-day journey from Kirkenes to Bergen to connect the isolated island-based communities along the northwestern coast with the Norwegian heartland. The journey's duration and itinerary have hardly changed since, even with the arrival of the four new Havila ships operated by Havila Voyages, which now share the route with the eight ships operated by Hurtigruten.
While it was interesting to see the bunk beds and the cramped facilities on the old Hurtigruten ship, I was grateful to find that my ensuite cabin on the Havila Capella was more like a room in a boutique hotel: muted tones, art, plenty of chrome, a sofa, fresh flowers, and a TV showing a captain's-eye view from a camera on the bow that I could watch from bed.
Given that it was March, I wasn't expecting to spend much time on my balcony, or even on deck, other than at night when the Northern Lights were doing their thing, but the Norwegian weather was being particularly balmy. Despite the snow, the sea temperature was two degrees warmer than usual, and within a day of leaving Stokmarknes, I found myself sitting out in the sun, in a T-shirt — admittedly while we were stopped in port and after I had a session in one of the ship's two fitness centers.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Coastal Express is unusual in cruise terms for offering whole-route round-trip journeys, from Bergen to Kirkenes and back in 12 days, as well as partial port-to-port journeys, aimed more at locals and at people like me who have limited time. Those port-to-port prices are priced according to distance and whether you will need an overnight cabin (see here for details).
The route dodges through straits and behind islands, which ensures calm passages, and also guarantees dramatic scenery on either side. Some of these straits divide sheer mountainsides which gleam with ice in winter, and hang with the frayed rope of waterfalls in summer.
The 16-mile Raftsundet between the Vesterålen islands and the Lofotens is one such strait. Shortly after leaving Stokmarkes, our captain detoured off the Raftsundet into the mouth of the Trollfjord, a particularly spectacular blade of calm water between 3,500-foot-high walls, where sea eagles wheeled and a lemon-yellow sun glared balefully at us through a sea mist. We wouldn't be going in any deeper, we were told, because unusually warm conditions meant there was a danger of an avalanche. There can't be many cruises where avalanches are a consideration.
Then it was dinner time. In keeping with its sustainability ethos, Havila has foresworn wasteful buffets and instead offers a menu of small plates, freshly cooked, where you can order as much as you like in its dining room (there's a separate café, too). Dishes included scallops, Norwegian fish stew, crispy duck, and gnocchi with kale. I found it satisfying, not only for the quality of the food, but because it also brought me far more into contact with a very personable crew, who are mostly from Norway or Sweden.
Apart from mealtimes, there's not as much onboard entertainment as on traditional cruises. The only cinema is the unrolling of the magnificent coastal scenery outside the windows, but here nature certainly puts on a show, and the crew let us know when there were orcas, and when the Northern Lights were ribbing the sky with faint smudges.
And then, of course, there were the regular stops, usually at least three or four in a day, with excursion opportunities built in. For example, from the port of Brønnøysund, there's the hike around Torghatten, a mountain with a hole through its middle and a troll legend attached, which involves a spurned troll shooting an arrow at the unwilling object of his affections.
Another excursion opportunity is from the port of Kristiansand, from where you board a bus to experience the spectacular Atlantic Road. For five amazing miles, it leaps between islets and skerries, making it one of the world's most beautiful drives. Guests then rejoin the ship in Molde.
I found these small places to be just as rewarding as the route's bigger and better-known urbanisations, such as Trondheim. And looking at the timetable, there were even more interesting sidetrip suggestions — the art nouveau port town of Alesund, for example, and a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) safari to the whirlpools of the Saltstraumen, which we’d passed in the dead of night. To see those by daylight, I’d have had to have turned round in Bergen and done the route again, the other way.
As a truly unrivaled way to see and experience the best of Norway's landscapes and culture, it's no wonder the journey hasn't changed in 132 years.
Read on for a selection of key stops:
Bergen
Norway's lively second city, the start and end point of the Coastal Express, is deeply embedded in the fjords and surrounded by high hills. The closest of these hills has a funicular to the top, the Fløibanen (www.floyen.no), which offers a spectacular view of the port. Down on the waterside, the key attraction is the UNESCO designated Bryggen, a line of colourful wooden merchants' warehouses which date back to the Middle Ages, when Bergen was a hub for trade between fish-rich Norway and northern Europe.
Kristiansand
The port here is almost invisible, spectacularly enclosed by three islands, which makes it perfectly sheltered in almost any weather. These days, it's a refuge for oil supply ships, which tie up at the quay alongside upmarket kitchen designers and fashion studios, an indicator of quite how much revenue is derived from the sea hereabouts.
Svolvaer
The main town in the Lofotens, spread over a tangle of islands, is a jumping off point for this spectacular, aristocratic interconnected island chain with stunning wildlife and fascinating fishing traditions. The world cod fishing championships take place here every March.
Tromsø
Norway's main town north of the Arctic Circle is the focal point of Northern Lights viewing, plus marine research and government administration. It is extraordinarily multicultural, and you're more likely to hear English spoken in the shops than Norwegian.
The Best Time to Go
Between May and September is typically the best time to visit Norway's fjords, with June through August being the peak season thanks to warm weather and long daylight hours (with the Midnight Sun in the north). May, however, offers fewer crowds and blooming wildflowers.
What To Know Before You Go
Generally, Norway is not a tipping culture, although a common practice is to round up the bill to the nearest 50 or 100 Norwegian Krone. And cash is a rare commodity; almost everything here is paid by card or by phone.
Combine With
While you could easily travel between Scandinavia's capitals (Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen) by train, flight, or ferry before embarking on the Coastal Express, another option would be spending some time exploring Iceland's many natural wonders. Icelandair and PLAY Airlines offer stopovers in Iceland for up to seven days at no extra cost between North America and Europe.