We chose Hurtigruten's Norwegian Fjord Cruise North for our 25th wedding anniversary. We traveled as a family of 4 and researched fjord offerings fairly extensively among various cruise lines. We chose Hurtigruten because we generally are not a cruise family and do not prefer the glam and shows of most cruise lines as your are herded from one end of the vessel to the other. Hurtigruten's Expedition team voyages sounded just our speed, small ships, excellent educational sessions and nonstop fantastic views. Most of what I read online was exactly true and most reviewers provide a realistic expectation of the voyage. The "view is the thing", and I agree...it was EVERYTHING.

My favorite breathtaking moment was when we entered the Trollfjord for a 180 degree turn. Something about the silence of all the fellow passengers as we absorbed the magnificence of the moment brought me to tears. This was my absolute favorite moment on the ship. That same evening we were served Trollfjordknert (a hot tea with rum) served in souvenir cups. It was the highlight of the trip.

Also, don't miss the moment you cross the Polar Circle. At about 7:30 am my husband threw open the blinds and said, "hey...why is there a statue in the middle of the ocean?" I squealed and jumped out of bed knowing what it was. Cool moment. They had a bidding pool to see who could guess what time we would cross it. I was bummed we missed that announcement. Read more