I’m sure the polar bear is looking directly into my eyes. Fortunately, it’s at the other end of my binoculars and I’m on the ship but I’m still overawed and hadn’t realised what huge animals they are.
If your clients have explored the fjords, they may think they’ve “done” Norway but trust me nothing could be further from the truth.
I’m on Hurtigruten’s summer-only cruise “The Svalbard Line” that goes back to the company’s roots, a recent revival of a route first launched in 1968. The historic voyage links mainland Norway with a largely undiscovered, staggeringly beautiful wilderness where the polar bear is king. The Svalbard Line is one of Hurtigruten’s Signature voyages, which present an upselling opportunity for agents.
“We have seen a rapidly increasing demand for our Signature products in recent months.” says Iain Powell vice-president sales & marketing – UK & EMEA. “Key selling points are its all-inclusive, premium elevated experience onboard, award-winning Nordic cuisine and longer days in port, which is supported by a larger Coastal Experience team to ensure your clients see the very best of Norway.
“We’re seeing significant volumes of customers who are existing cruisers but seeking a smaller ship and an authentic experience of Norway move over to Signature from other premium and luxury lines."
The Svalbard archipelago is the very definition of remote. Sparsely populated, some 2,500 people live on Spitsbergen, the only inhabited island, where the world’s northernmost full-service hotel, supermarket, library, and university can be found.
With 24-hour daylight in summer and some of the most spectacular scenery and wildlife I’ve seen anywhere on the planet, I’m quickly captivated by the region. It may be a part of Norway but even the Norwegians have to show their passports when coming here.
At Longyearbyen I opt for the wilderness evening at Camp Barentz, which provides dinner and an informal lecture about polar bears in a cosy, authentic cabin with a large campfire inside. We are served drinks, a delicious homemade soup, dessert and coffee.
Next morning some passengers choose an e-bike tour but I go with a cruise onboard a spacious hybrid-powered catamaran where we see puffins and Minke whales and get thrillingly close to a glacier.
Sailing southbound on our return to the mainland, we call into Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands where, during a RIB Sea Eagle Safari excursion, I am transfixed by more than 20 of these magnificent birds of prey flying around us and plucking fish from the sea.
The best times for wildlife are May and June when tens of thousands of birds are on the cliffs – recommend your clients bring binoculars.
Life onboard
Trollfjord underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2023. She is a cosy ship with a maximum of 500 guests.
The cabins are comfortable but if your clients are willing to spend a bit extra, the suites on the top deck are extremely spacious and very competitively priced.
Returning to the ship after excursions, I stroll into the 1893 Bar located in the two-storey panoramic lounge on the top decks of the ship, where I’m habitually met by the broad smile of Nicoali, the effervescent bar manager.
All around the ship the crew are friendly and helpful, and that makes a big impression.
Almost all of them hail from coastal areas of Norway and so they know the destinations intimately, speak perfect English and are happy to answer questions when they are serving in the bar, in the restaurants or when they are cleaning the cabins.
“Our guests always say what makes their cruise is the feeling of welcome and belonging onboard,” says hotel manager Mikael Eliassen. “The friendliness of our crew and the quality of the food is what makes us stand out.”
I love my food on a cruise so I try each of the three dining options including the Flora standard dining room for breakfast, the Årran specialist brasserie and the Røst fine dining restaurant, which offers something that little bit special.
Andre Gasemyr is the head chef onboard Trollfjord, who joined the ship in 2023 after a career in Michelin Star restaurants.
He tells me that food is an integral part of the cruise: “We love to bring nature into our cooking onboard. It’s so important to us to use as much local food as we can such as blueberries and cloudberries and using local suppliers such as cheesemakers in Lofoten or fisherman in Tromso.”
This cruise is all about the world’s most northerly and at Longyearbyen, the administrative centre, I clap eyes on the world’s most northerly road sign. Next day we alight on Ny-Ålesund, a tiny settlement that is home to more than 100 researchers studying glaciers and climate change, where I get my picture taken at the world’s most northerly post office.
As we leave Ny Alesund it seems that every passenger on the ship is running to the bow as we spot the polar bear.
Ina Schau Johansen, Coastal Experiences team leader, is as thrilled by the sighting as we are, and explains why the ship won’t sail closer to the shoreline: “We keep our distance as it is paramount to us not cause the animals distress” she says.
“We visit remote places where not all ships can go, where we discover all kinds of wildlife – whales, Arctic foxes, reindeer, sea eagles. We try to immerse the passengers into what would have been the original experience of wildlife and scenery all those years ago.”
Well, it’s an experience that will stay with me forever – especially that polar bear, and the quizzical expression on his face that seemed to be saying: “Who do you think you are?” I’d like to thank him for making this cruise even more fantastic than I could ever imagine.
Book it: Hurtigruten’s 15-day The Svalbard Line itinerary round-trip from Bergen is priced from £3,829pp based on two sharing, on all-inclusive basis, with flights included. Itineraries can be shortened to eight-day Northbound and Southbound iterations; hurtigruten.com
