Prior to departure to Norway, it was evident that 1) Jamie was going to come out at some point (part of his heritage is from the Central coast), and 2) it was going to be expensive. Since we have had other purchases lately, we are on a budget! When I packed for Norway, I brought the following: one roller bag of clothes for work & hiking, one roller bag with sleeping bags and a tent, and a carry-on hiking day backpack. Our intent is to camp & hike during Jamie’s visit, with a couple hotel or cabin nights thrown in. Or, that WAS the intent.
In addition to meeting budget, our goal is to see the North and West coast. This is difficult to do being peddlers. In speaking with Norwegians here, they kept mentioning some boat cruise. I blew it off the first few times, deciding automatically the word “cruise” permits luxury and exuberant charges, exactly the opposite of the tent nomad. This past weekend, when Mr. Blue Tractor Man mentioned that cruise-line, I thought, “That’s IT, I’ve had it with this suggestion. I’m googling it.” So, on Tuesday Hurtigruten got googled.
The pictures on this website are amazing. They are probably all taken in the summer (not mid-autumn) however the mountains, water, and villages are beautiful. The boat putts by all sorts of fjords and stops at a few main towns. Well, this would be a bit over our vacation budget… or NOT. For US Citizens (check), departing in October (check), whom order prior to Sept 30 (check), whom reserve a window room (sure), whom take a 6,7, or 13-day cruise (okay) there is a special 2-for-1 deal. That’s right folks, fate has struck. So, we’ve reserved a room aboard 6-day Norwegian cruiser MS Polarlys at a 50% off rate. The cruise is actually cheaper than renting a car + hotel + food for 6 days.
Don’t get me wrong, this is NO American cruise line. There is no entertainment (well, except for the natural stuff outside), no 24/7 all you can eat (they actually have scheduled eating hours), and no fancy clothes (all comfy/outdoor wear). It is purely a comfortable, relaxing, outdoor spectator sport. It should be a relaxing way to see the best of Norway’s landscape for both of us. So, we have reservations for that, in addition to a plane ride to the north and a train trip to escort us to the airports back east.
Luck has struck.
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