Bergen and arriving on Board the Norge Norge



Friday 21^st September - Day 1

After a day of start-stop travel, we arrive at the Hurtigruten Terminal in Bergen to board the ship. We are travelling on the NordNorge – a boat holding about 600 people. After a short briefing we get the keys to our cabin and board the ship. We are like small children arriving at a play park – where shall we head first? What ride shall we go on next? We get the keys to our cabin and naturally head there first and do the sensible thing of unpacking and getting sorted, knowing then we are free for the remainder of the evening to explore the ship.

Our cabin is compact and yet somehow spacious, with ample space for coats and sweaters and cold weather clothing. There are two single beds, one pulls down from the wall and the other is a sofa bed. Romantic it isn’t, but that probably isn’t the reason that you’re on this trip.

And then onto exploring the ship. There is the panoramic lounge – which does what it says on the tin. Windows on each side provide fabulous views of the entire journey without having to leave the comfort of your chair. There’s also the library and additional seating on decks 4 and 7, again all with windows and views. Hurtigruten certainly know that you want to be able to see out at all times. Then there are the outside decks, the hot tub, the restaurant and café to investigate. We spend most of our first evening eating, sussing out how everything is going to work and eyeing up and down our fellow passengers, wondering who will be making the full return journey or who will be leaving us part way.

We leave Bergen at 8 pm and a huge moon hangs in a clear sky celebrating the start of our voyage.