Strictly Goes To Sea With P&O

P&O Cruises will have top names from the highly-rated BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing on two Oriana cruises in 2012 to entertain and inform passengers - and fans of the lavish ballroom dance spectacular.

Guest can choose from a 12-night Canary Islands cruise on May 28 and a 14-night Norwegian Fjords cruise on July 14, when they can learn how to jive, foxtrot, rumba, quickstep and more from the professionals and join acerbic judge Craig Revel-Horwood for a night in the theatre.

As some of Strictly’s most loved professionals show off their award-winning routines, passengers will also be able to see a collection of the exquisitely intricate costumes worn by the celebrities and stars in this series.

Prices for Oriana’s Canaries cruise start at £1,349 per person. It sails round-trip from Southampton and calls at Ponta Delgada, Horta, Madeira, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Vigo. The 14-night fjords cruise starts from £1,599 per person, again round-trip from Southampton, calling at Stavanger, Alesund, Trondheim, Ny Alesund, Tromso, Bergen, Eidfjord and Hardangerfjord.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Hurtigruten Launches New 2012 Brochure

Fancy kayaking silently in the fjords against an impressive mountainous backdrop? Or learning prawn-shelling skills from local Norwegian fishermen? These are just two of the activities available in 2012 as part of Hurtigruten’s new ‘The Spring Awakening’ onboard programme, which runs from 15 March to 31 May.

For next year, Hurtigruten is focusing on the different experiences the four seasons offer in Norway as they each offer something unique to enjoy. In addition, for 2012, Hurtigruten will be offering a range of packages that include flights from Stansted for added value, plus an extended Opera Voyage for those who like something a little different. The Spring Awakening programme aims to enrich the voyage with onboard activities and new land excursions.

It takes guests closer to the teeming life in the ocean, the migratory birds and the inhabitants of small communities. It includes activities such as fishermen coming on board and presenting skills such as shelling prawns with the guests, on board lectures and, for something a little different, during the spring a saxophonist plays on deck. In addition, customers can now enjoy a new excursion ‘Kayaking in Tromso’ which offers the chance to paddle in the waters off the coast of Tromso and enjoy the views and get closer to the marine life. Hurtigruten use stable, double sea kayaks and no experience is needed. Priced from £129pp.

For those with music as a passion, Hurtigruten has extended its annual ‘Opera Voyage’ from four days to 12 where, alongside the set programme of concerts, additional concerts ashore can be added to make even more of the journey. The voyage features soloists and musicians from the National Norwegian Opera and provides an extra dimension to a winter sailing.

In addition, optional concerts can be added in impressive arenas such as the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø, the North Cape Plateau and the Lofoten Cathedral, making this opera voyage a magical and memorable journey. Priced from £1,232 per person for a 12-day voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, it departs on 6 January including 11 nights full board on the ship, a tour leader and various concerts (based on two sharing).

Flights are not included and can be added from £400pp (price valid for bookings made before 31 December). For those looking for great value and direct flights, Hurtigruten’s 2012 flight inclusive packages from Stansted to Bergen are available on selected dates in April, May, September and October. The flights will combine with the 12-day Classic Round Voyage, which travels from Bergen to Kirkenes and back. Packages will include flights, cabin on full board plus transfer arrangements and prices lead in at £1,801pp if booked by 31 December.

For more info, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or adventure cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

The World's Longest Live Travel TV Programme?

134 Hours LIVE with Hurtigruten

This is a travel TV at the extreme! Tomorrow (June 16), adventure-cruise specialists Hurtigruten and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) will embark on a 134-hour non-stop live broadcast.

At least nine cameras will be used during the voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes on board MS Nordnorge to stream the action live into homes across Norway and via the Internet to the rest of the world.

The show will feature real experiences on a minute-by-minute basis, including interviews with the guests and crew along the way. NRK have dedicated their second largest channel NRK2 to the show.

During the marathon broadcast, viewers will be able to experience the amazing Norwegian coastline, celebrated worldwide for its natural beauty and untouched scenery.

The itinerary includes the western fjords with UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord, the coast of Helgeland, the Lofoten Islands, Tromsø, the gateway to the Arctic, and the North Cape. The route, of course, includes a wealth of other breathtaking sights.

So, whether you fancy whetting your appetite or want to relive a trip you have done in the past, go to http://hurtigruten.co.uk/live where the show will be streamed live. To book a Hurtigruten cruise, visit the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Sail In The Wake of Norwegian Explorer!

In 2011, Norway will celebrate 150 years since the birth of one of their most famous polar explorer, Fridtjof Nansen.

And, to mark the occasion, Hurtigruten has launched a unique sailing from Spitsbergen to Bergen following a similar route to that travelled by Nansen in 1896 on his return journey to mainland Norway after three years in the polar ice and reaching the northernmost point any human had ever been. The voyage in September is onboard MS Fram, Hurtigruten’s explorer ship which was named after Nansen’s polar ship which sailed the original journey.

Nansen sailed with Captain Otto Sverdrup and they received honour and glory in every port they visited on the way down the Norwegian coast. These ports form the backbone of the Hurtigruten service, which launched in 1897 with Captain Sverdrup at the helm.

The ‘Polar Bears, Islands and Fjords’ voyage starts by sailing into Northwest Spitsbergen National Park and the Magdalenafjord (above) before heading further north to latitude 80 degrees and the Moffen nature reserve, an important resting place for walrus. Then the ship heads southwards via Ny Alesund and the remote region around Bjornoya (Bear Island). After crossing the Barents Sea, the ship reaches the world’s most northerly town, Honningsvag, and the gateway to the North Cape.

From here, MS Fram will travel down the coast of Norway calling at a selection of ports, including several that do not usually form part of the traditional coastal voyage route but were visited by Nansen on his return journey. Highlights will include stops at Tromso, sailing through Trollfjord and the Lofoten Islands plus Alstahaug, a community of some 7,000 spread across no fewer than 917 islands and the UNESCO protected islands of Vega which encompass a staggering 6,000 islands, inlets and skerries with remote fishing villages.

The Polar Bears, Islands and Fjords voyage - from £3,196pp - departs on September 7, 2011, and includes 11 nights full board on the ship, flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen. one night’s pre-cruise accommodation in Longyearbyen with breakfast and sightseeing, Based on two sharing. Flights are extra.

For more information call Hurtigruten – 0844 448 7601 http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or look up the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

New Year in Norway with the Northern Lights

By guest blogger Steve Newman

How about ringing in the New Year in Norway with the Arctic landscapes as the backdrop? Hurtigruten are offering a New Year's banquet which can be enjoyed with dancing in the bar after dinner, before heading up on deck at Midnight where there will be fireworks and a toast for the New Year. Depart on December 30 for a five-night ‘Venture into the Arctic’ voyage onboard MS Midnatsol travelling from Bergen in the south to Tromsø in the north and hopefully seeing the Northern Lights along the way. And what better way to kick off 2011 than with a dog-sledding excursion or snowmobiling, which can be added to the trip.

Prices start from £895 per person and include four nights half board on the ship, one night B&B accommodation in Tromsø at the end of the voyage and return flights from Gatwick. No single supplements apply.

To book, log on to http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or visit cruise specialists The Cruise Line.