Northern Lights & Midnight Sun with a Pool and Balcony

Hurtigruten has announced that MS Finnmarken, which has been chartered in Australia for two years, is to return to sailing the Norwegian Coast from February 16. As one of the operator’s newest and largest ships, she will sail the traditional coastal voyage route from Bergen to Kirkenes, replacing MS Nordlys for a short time and then MS Nordstjernen, which will head to Spitsbergen.

Finnmarken (above) is currently undergoing a thorough refurbishment to be in peak condition when she resumes services. She is typically one of the favourite ships among Hurtigruten guests, the only one in the fleet with a pool and with balcony cabins. The ship has 283 cabins and 639 beds in all.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading adventure cruise specialists, 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.

Christmas in the Antarctic

By guest blogger Steve Newman

For the ultimate Christmas escape, it doesn’t get much more remote than a voyage to Antarctica. This Christmas, why not leave the turkey behind and take advantage of a great new offer from Hurtigruten to spend the festive period on the White Continent?

Follow in the footsteps of famous explorers and join ‘Shackleton’s Christmas Adventure,’ a 17-day journey to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. The voyage now costs from £4125pp for an outside cabin (allocated on arrival), offering savings of up to £3379 per person.

Christmas and New Year will, of course, be celebrated, but guests can relax and focus on enjoying their surroundings. Treats include decorating the ship’s Christmas tree together, traditional Christmas dinner on 24 December in accordance with Norwegian traditions, carol singing and much more, plus a New Year’s Eve Party. All this, against some of the most awe-inspiring backdrops in the world and shared with the local penguins, seals and whales!

The trip departs on December 17, on board MS Fram, a ship specifically designed for polar exploration. Onboard lecturers and talks led by experts on Antarctica will ensure guests learn as much as possible whilst they are in these unique surroundings. Polar Circle boats are used to take passengers ashore and closer to penguin colonies, ice formations and all the other once-in-a-lifetime sights.

Shackleton’s Christmas Adventure – now from £4125pp; price includes 16 nights full board on the ship, return domestic charter flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, transfers and various landings. International flights to Buenos Aires are extra and can be booked by Hurtigruten (price based on two sharing and offer must be booked by November 15).

For more information, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or check with the Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

And don't miss them if you are going to The Cruise Show at the NEC in Birmingham (October 16-17) or at Olympia in London (March 26-27).