My father had taken the cruise north to Kirkenes from Bergen with my mother and he wanted to share the experience with my adult sisters and me. We went as a family group and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We loved that the cruise is informal, and that the objective is getting to see and know Norway. Hurtigruten isn't going for a "cruise" experience of casino, entertainment, constant activities, etc. This is a cruise where the scenery (always visible because the ship travels up the coast), the towns, and your traveling companions get your attention. We took advantage of the longer stops in towns and enjoyed walking around and enjoying the sites on our own. We appreciated the Expedition crew talks, although we didn't participate in all of them. I loved the fresh food and Hurtigruten's efforts to use fresh, local products all along the route. Having only one dinner option (although allergies were extremely well-accommodated by the staff - my sister experienced this) was never a problem for me since the food was excellent! I shared a cabin on the 5th floor with two of my sisters. It was tight, but comfortable and adequate. We didn't spend a lot of time there anyhow. We (all 4 from 47 - 57 years old) are active and our father (83) is in great shape so we didn't rely on excursions to see the sites during stops at towns. We were among the youngest passengers on board. Excursions were available and we took two, one to the North Cape (couldn't have gone on our own) and the other, Sami Autumn, to learn more about the Sami culture. We were fortunate enough to have great weather and to see the Northern Lights. I hope that I have the opportunity, like another passenger taking the cruise for the 6th time, to experience the trip during other seasons of the year.