Hurtigruten Celebrate Amundsen and Nansen

This year marks the centenary of Roald Amundsen’s trek to the South Pole and the 150^th Anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen. The original slides taken on their journeys were seen on a helioscopic projector at the Royal Geographical Society in April in an evening organised by polar specialsists Hurtigruten, the first time since they were shown by the explorers themselves nearly 100 years ago.

Sadly, the slides and artifacts are not available for public viewing but there are still plenty of ways to follow in their footsteps today. You can take part in adventure cruising and actually walk where these men walked or sip a gin and tonic from the observation lounge as the icebergs and snow capped mountains slip slowly by.

Like the old explorers, you will have to cross the Drake Passage, the unpredictable stretch of water from Tierra del Fuego to the White Continent and, like them, you can marvel at the albatrosses as they soar around the ship with majestic ease.

Both Amundsen and Nansen were Norwegian and, indeed, the company’s polar cruise ship holding around 200 people on an average trip is named the Fram, the same as the original ship that was used by both men between 1893 and 1912 (Nansen had originally planned to get her stuck in the ice and drift across the North Pole).

Hurtigruten visit both the Arctic and Antarctic plus Greenland, Spitsbergen and operate their famous Norwegian coastal cruise, the Hurtigruten itself.

Our picture shows, from left to right, Alasdair McLeod, Head of Enterprises and Resources at the Royal Geographical Society; Ian Nash and Kathryn Beadle, Hurtigruten UK; Amja Erdmann Antarctic and Arctic Expedition leader onboard Fram; and Olav Fjell, Chief Executive of Hurtigruten.

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

Great Arctic Early Booking Deal!

By guest blogger Steve Newman

If it’s your dream to see polar bears, walrus, reindeer and whales in their natural habitat, then look no further than Gap Adventures M/S Expedition. Gap Adventures is offering an early booking bonus of 25% off expeditions to Norway and Spitsbergen in May, June and July 2011.

Terms & Conditions: Promo code is ArcticEBB. Discount is 25% off Arctic expeditions for 2011. Excludes Arctic Highlights (XVAHNX) tour. Valid for new bookings only in a category 2 and higher cabin only. Cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion or discount. Does not apply to air fare, hotels, transfers or other in-country services or on-board ship charges.

The offer is available until January 31.

Realm of the Polar Bear is just one of the amazing deals Gap Adventures has on offer for travellers.

Now: £2339 pp (was £3119 – save 25%) Departs: July 10.

Highlights: Svalbard Islands and Longyearbyen, Isfjorden, whales, Spitsbergen, Hinlopen Strait, polar bears, incredible scenery, Arctic swimming, Ny-Ålesund, birdlife and glaciers.

Enjoy an eight day trip from just £2339 per person. Price includes seven nights aboard the M/S Expedition, all meals onboard, Zodiac excursions with expert expedition team, lecture and educational programmes, Longyearbyen airport transfers depending on passengers flight details, live evening entertainment, waterproof boots supplied and Arctic destination guide.

For full details, visit: http://www.gapadventures.com/. For more great ideas on adventure cruising and the Arctic North, look up the Adventure Cruise Collection.

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.