From the Office to the Fjords: An Arctic Cruise Adventure

As a Finn, I am no stranger to taking a ship to reach my destination: tens of thousands of Finnish people board a cruise ship to Sweden every year, especially during the summer. With my family, I have gone to "ruotsinlaiva" (meaning a ship that sails to Sweden) numerous times, most often doing a 24-hour cruise to Stockholm and back. Some years we got off at Mariehamn, Åland, to spend time exploring the main island instead. Going on the cruise ship meant (hopefully) great views, quality time with my family (with some obligatory disagreements of course) and enjoyable food experiences (aka going for seconds and thirds). As a child, I used to frequent the kid's buffet, only eating fries, meatballs and ice cream, but luckily for me, I have since then expanded my palate and now frequent the regular buffet section.

Anyway, the point is that I have been onboard a cruise ship before, but not over multiple days. My journey onboard Hurtigruten's Kong Harald from Kirkenes to Bodø lasted from 12:30pm on Friday to 2:30am on Monday, so it was a new experience. What made the Hurtigruten journey so great for me was that I got to disembark and explore some of the port cities along the way. I particularly enjoyed walking around Svolvær on Sunday evening as there were lots of pretty buildings to see and the atmosphere was calm and quiet.

The highlight of my trip was simply seeing the mountains and fjords along the way as I did not grow up around any mountains. As a person who has since fallen in love with mountains, I was just in awe of the majestic beauty around me. It is hard to describe the feeling, it is a shift of perspective. Us humans are so small and the time we have on this planet is so limited, whereas mountains are vast and have been there for ages.

It was really special to travel during winter time and see the views from the water, as I have previously visited Lofoten Islands during the summer when on a roadtrip. As we were sailing onwards, I was constantly walking around the ship to see where I would have the best views without being blown away by the wind.

I finally got to cross off an item from my bucket list, as I saw some northern lights! The first night, I was already getting ready for bed when the announcement came, so of course I hurriedly put on some layers and made my way to the upper deck where many passengers had convened to admire the lights. For someone who has lived in Finland for most of her life but never seen northern lights before, I was overjoyed to finally be able to experience them.

As with all sea travel, one is always at the mercy of nature. Some days it may be windy and cloudy, other days sunny and serene. I spent much of my time on deck with a beanie on my head, jacket all buttoned up and holding onto my phone for dear life in the wind and sway of the ship while trying to take pictures without dropping my phone in the waves. However, I was well prepared and wearing enough layers to stay warm!

As I was travelling during the winter, the ship was not as busy as it is during the summer peak season. There were people from different countries, speaking different languages and doing different activities, but we all shared smiles and laughter when passing by or attending a daily information gathering together. Some passengers would offer to take pictures of each other to better capture the majestic mountains in the background. The overall atmosphere was very nice and relaxed, and I felt at peace as a solo traveler.

There were various facilities onboard the Kong Harald cruise ship that made the journey comfortable. I spent most of my time outside, but there was a gym, a sauna and outdoor hot tubs (latter weather dependent). Passengers could build puzzles or knit a quilt in one of the common spaces or simply enjoy the comfort of their cabin. A cool fact I learned was that the cruise would import various ingredients throughout the journey whenever we stopped at port, and the restaurants would then use the ingredients to prepare the food for passengers. Using local ingredients is more sustainable while simultaneously supporting local businesses as well, so it is a win-win!

Overall, my journey with Hurtigruten was amazing and I am very grateful for the experience. I spent so much time on deck, admiring the ocean waves, the mountains and the many islands passing by and trying to capture the beauty with my phone. No camera could ever do justice to the views and it is something to be experienced with our own eyes. I have already added a summer sail from Bergen to my bucket list!