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130 years of the Norwegian Coastal Express
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Cruise Norway
For 130 years, a Hurtigruten voyage has been best way to explore Norway.
Hei - I am the founder and owner of Cruise Norway, and grew up on the southern tip of Norway. In my youth I traveled south to Europe, which was much nearer than Northern Norway. I didn’t realize all of Norway’s beauty until I lived abroad in the United States and came back to explore Norway on the Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express as a traveler! I learned that the best way to see Norway is to take the classic 12-day coastal voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes in the far north, and back to Bergen. It is a spectacular journey calling at 34 amazing ports in each direction. You enjoy the changing landscape while sailing along 2,545 nautical miles (4,700km) of coastline. The ports we visit by night on the journey north are visited by day when returning south. In the larger towns and cities you will have plenty of time to go ashore and partake in cultural activities or join a variety of interesting and exciting excursions.
But before describing the beauty of Norway, let me give you my back story. I was born in Oslo, the youngest of four brothers. I learned to talk, walk and ski at about the same time. At age six we moved to Kristiansand on Norway’s southern coast. As a child and then as a youth, I was active in many sports, including playing for the Norway Cup Championship team, Start.
I left for the United States at age 17 with money earned from work on an offshore oil platform. After graduating from the University of Minnesota and a job at Cruise Industry News, I started Cruise Norway in New York City in 1999. Today Cruise Norway has offices in the US, Estonia, and India offering expedition cruises worldwide. Why travel to Norway? Norway is well known for its beautiful and unspoiled nature. Visit ice-covered fjords with breathtaking mountain scenery and glittering glaciers. Look closer and you’ll find cozy villages clinging to steep hillsides, and lively modern cities. The life-enriching Hurtigruten voyages go deep into the magnificent fjords, the most spectacular fjords in the world. Along with stunning landscapes, Norway’s magnificent wildlife make it one of the best travel destinations in the world. From white-tailed sea eagles that rule the sky to pilot, minke, orca, humpback, and sperm whales along the coast, one has the rare chance to see unspoiled nature on its terms. You might also see Norway’s most beloved animals, the majestic reindeer, and a wonderful array of birds: adorable puffins and fifteen species of birds of prey. An excursion to catch king crab in pristine surroundings may also be available.
Your trip typically begins in Bergen, where you explore the UNESCO-listed Bryggen district, the Bergenhus fortress, the famous fish market, the aquarium, and the Fløibanen funicular train. On your voyage, you may sail in some of Norway’s most beautiful fjords, including Geirangerfjord, Sognefjord, or Hjørundfjord. You’ll also visit the Lofoten islands, famed for their rugged scenery, and reach the top of Europe at North Cape. Norway’s seasons are unique. In late spring and summer, the coast and forests explode with flowers. Above the Arctic Circle you enter a place where even night goes on holiday — the Land of the Midnight Sun. In late fall and winter (October through March), the Northern Lights dance in a blaze of color across the night skies. Whenever you go, Mother Nature will be there welcoming you with a smile.
Karl Espen Fjermeros Founder & Owner Cruise Norway
Have you heard of gratulerer?
In Norwegian this word translates to congratulations and is often used for anniversaries, birthdays and achievements.
CONTACT
Karl Espen Fjermeros
espen@cruisenorway.com Mobile/WhatsApp: +1 917 751 5425
CRUISE NORWAY
Cruisemon, Inc. 373 Broadway, Suite C17 New York, NY 10013, USA cruisenorway.com
PHONE
USA Toll Free: 1 888 203 2093 Europe: +372 529 9832 India: +91 98300 53005
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