Truly the voyage of a lifetime!

Item: MS Finnmarken
Rating: 5
Author: PAsongbird816

MS Finnmarken Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe

PAsongbird816

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 87

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

6 Night Coastal Expeditions (Bergen To Kirkenes)

Sail date: June 01, 2017

Ship: MS Finnmarken

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 395

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

Norway, as a country, and as a travel destination, is doing EVERYTHING right. There is some of THE most beautiful scenery in the world (and I have seen much of Europe, and Canada), and the way to see this is on a Norwegian-owned ferry ship, that handles not only full room and board passengers, but day trip passengers as well as mail and freight, etc. It is a ferry company that also is a small cruise line company. My research found that the MS Finnmarken (named after an area of northern Norway where the North Cape is located and the Sami people) was the best ship to see this amazing part of the world, and I absolutely loved it! This company employs NORWEGIANS to work on the ships, not island people from the far east. The cuisine is coastal Norwegian local food, and you learn about the salmon and cod farming industries, tele-medicine (Tromsoe), climate change research, and how Norway is able to offer free medical and education to citizens. This is still a safe destination, and since they don't belong to the EU, they don't have the burden of supporting countries like Greece or other southern European countries struggling for any means of survival. They were historically a poor country, until they found their current source of revenue: oil. But they also are developing other industries that will help support the economy, once the oil is gone. They are thinking ahead, and they put the welfare of Norwegians, and their guests, first, before trying to save the rest of the world. This is truly THE trip of a lifetime. Most of the 500 passengers on this ship had saved an entire lifetime for this trip. The size of the ship allows it to go into the smaller places the huge cruise ships cannot get to. You experience true Norwegian culture every day, and the backdrop of the Midnight Sun and the incredible snow-covered mountains makes this worth every penny of the fare. Stay in Bergen a night or two before the cruise. You can take local trips to the southern Norwegian fjords from there. I would repeat the trip in a heartbeat! Bravo Hurtigruten! And especially the MS Finnmarken!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

NO TV per se, on board. No dancing girls, no casino. The scenery and talking to other people is what you do, or read!

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Honestly, this is a cruise for adults, not kids. There were a few kids on board, but there is not much for them to do once you go off the ship.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

My only issue is that the cabins at the back of the ship are over the propellers, and that means not only noise but vibration, especially at night. I used my noise-reducing earphones, and did OK. I would recommend asking for a cabin (and paying more for it) above the 4th deck.

Ship tip

Since you use your room to sleep and shower in, an outside cabin is not necessary, as I was up and upstairs as soon as I got dressed. Ask for an inside cabin, but above the 4th deck, and if possible, mid-ship. This ship has a pool and a hot tub. Not all the Hurtigruten ferry boats have those.

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