| SEAWORTHY NEWS 02/10 |
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Norwegian Coastal Voyage
By Jean Ellis |
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“I flew from Newark, NJ on August 24 to Oslo, Norway. We landed in the morning, and after checking into my hotel near the King’s Palace, I had most of the day left to explore this fascinating city. The little harbor, Pipervika, is within easy walking distance; there one takes the ferry to Oslo’s fascinating marine museums. Here I saw the hulls of some ancient Viking ships, Kon Tiki and her sister raft made of papyrus; and much, much more. At the end of the tour, I was glad I had arranged for extra days in Oslo for more exploration. In Oslo, one can purchase an inexpensive Oslo-Pass, good for all public transportation, including the ferries. But the Flybus, which goes directly from the hotels to the airport, is extra. The following morning was sunny and beautiful as I boarded the train to Bergen. Up, up, and over the high plateau, past lakes and snow covered rocky hills. By late afternoon, we arrived in Bergen. This was the original capital of Norway and here I stayed one night before sailing. |
| I wish I had allowed for several days in Bergen. The wonderful harbor, Vagen, with ancient wooden buildings still in use was the central theme of the city. There was Häkon’s Hall to visit along with the RosenKrantz Tower, and perhaps most spectacular of all was the funicular ride up Mt. Floien for a grand view of the city. The three masted training ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl was tied up at the sea wall and was most picturesque. |
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At about 6 p. m. on August 27, I boarded the Narvik, one of the three mid-generation ships (editors note: currently two of these ships, the Lyngen and Vesteralen offer this voyage). She is very clean and neat and carries approx. 300 tourist passengers. My cabin was on the lowest deck with a securely sealed porthole. On open stretches of sea, my view resembled the soapy churning of a front-loading washing machine. There were only two of these open stretches of sea which made for some pretty exciting rides. Most of the entire coastal passage is in relatively protected water and quite smooth. The Narvik is operated as a passenger -freighter ship. She is small enough (approx. 340’ long) to sail far up into the fjords and call on little towns all along the Norwegian coastline. Every type of goods is carried from heavy equipment to foodstuffs. Local inhabitants travel from town to town like we would travel on a bus or train. They use a special salon with sleeping chairs, and a cafeteria. Conversation with these locals was most interesting and informative. Tourists’ interests are carefully considered and our excellent tourist director distributed daily schedules which included specific information about ports of call, points of interest, time schedules, and the like. Often a bus tour was arranged (at extra cost) to a point of particular interest. Meals were delicious and always something to look forward to. Norwegian breakfasts were like a visit to a top delicatessen that also serves hot dishes. Lunch, at assigned tables, was similar; but had a greater choice of hot food. Dinner was served to us at our table. I sat with delightful couples from the Netherlands and England. We sailed at 10 p. m. and it was still light. The Narvik stops night and day to discharge freight and passengers - often up to five ports during daylight hours (at this time of year, anyway). Sometimes the calls are too short to do more than step ashore. Although many last for a couple of hours. Unfortunately the sunny weather deserted us quickly. No rain, but clouds and heavy mists which made for poor pictures. The scenery is spectacular with little farms huddled against the snow-capped mountains - and of course, the fjords. This was the first time I had seen hay hung out to dry like laundry. There is not a great deal of animal life, a few sheep, cows and sturdy little fjord ponies, the mounts of the Vikings. In the north, high in the mountains, we saw a few herds of reindeer. |
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When time allowed, I walked ashore in the small towns and talked with the people. Everyone was friendly and most, particularly those under 30, spoke English which is taught in the schools from grade 4. I did little shopping. Beautiful Norwegian wool sweaters do not interest me as I have little use for them at home. Honningsvag, our port farthest north, is 1311 miles from the North Pole. I wore a sweater and jacket ashore, but the locals walked around in their shirt-sleeves. The citizenry expected the first hard frost within the month at which time a long winter sets in. The Russian cruise ship Fedor Dostoevsky was also in port. She surely gets around. Kirkenes, almost on the Russian border, was my point of debarkation. I explored and did a little shopping - reindeer skin, ski mittens for grand children and a book on Norwegian mushrooms (which, by the way, were growing everywhere, even this far north). |
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The next day, I flew to Oslo for two additional days. Here I revisited the Maritime Museums, toured Oslo’s fjord, which is kept open throughout the winter with an icebreaker, and various museums and art galleries. Because English is so widely spoken in Oslo, it was very easy to get information about practically anything in the city. There are many wooden-hulled small boats in the harbor. Because of melting ice, the water is almost fresh (non-salt) despite the proximity to the North Sea. Therefore, sea worms do not drill into the wooden hulls. |
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Norway is a wonderful place to visit and I can’t imagine a better way to see the country and meet the people than on the Narvik or any of the ships in the Hurtigruten fleet. The trains, too, are an excellent way to see the country and meet the local people. Dogs and cats are even allowed to travel on the train with their owners - one young women had four dogs with her! I have heard from several of my fellow passengers, particularly from my shipboard pals from the U.K., who made the roundtrip voyage. Of course, the weather immediately improved on the southbound leg. Sailing back, the Narvik makes daylight calls at the ports previously visited at night. I wish I had made the entire trip and allowed for more time in Bergen and more train travel.” |
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Summer Special Save up to 20% on peak season departures! OFFER DETAILS Book select 6, 7 or 12-day Norwegian Coastal Voyages departing May 1 - Oct 6, 2010 and save up to 20% off the retail rate. Summer Special rates are cruise-only, per person, double occupancy, capacity-controlled, available only on select sailings, subject to withdrawal without notice, and must be booked before May 31, 2010. |
Please contact us through our website page Inquiries. |
| Freighter Voyages, Europe - South America |
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Vessel Details
Passengers: 6 Containers: 4,880 teu Deadweight: 63,600 tons Length: 275 m Speed: 24 knots (45 km) Built: 2006/8 Officers/Crew: German/Int’l Owners: NSB, German Charterers: MSC, Swiss |
 The MSC Monterey on delivery from the shipyard in 2007 |
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MSC Monterey and MSC Carouge: Bremerhaven, Germany (Day 1); Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (10); Cartagena, Colombia (12); Cristobal, Panama (13); transit the Panama Canal (14); Buenaventura, Colombia (17); Guayaquil, Ecuador (20); Callao, Peru (24); Valparaiso (29) and Coronel, Chile (32); Balboa, Panama (40); transit the Panama Canal (41); Antwerp, Belgium (52); Rotterdam, Holland (53); Felixstowe, England (54) and Bremerhaven (55). |
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MSC Cordoba: Hamburg, Germany (Day 1); Suape (12) and Santos, Brazil (16); Buenos Aires, Argentina (20); Itajai/Navegantes (23), Rio Grande (25), Santos (28) and Rio de Janeiro (30), all in Brazil; Antwerp, Belgium (43); Rotterdam (45); Tilbury (47) and Hamburg (49). MSC Geneva: Genoa (Day 1) and Leghorn, Italy (2); Marseille, Fos sur Mer terminal, France (3); Barcelona (4) and Valencia, Spain (6); Las Palmas, Canary Islands (10); Suape (17) and Santos, Brazil (21); Buenos Aires, Argentina (24); Rio Grande (26), Navegantes (28), Sao Francisco do Sul (29), Santos, 2nd call (32), Itaguai (33), Suape (36) and Pecem (38), all in Brazil; Las Palmas (46) and Valencia (51), both 2nd calls, Gioaia Tauro, Italy (55) and Genoa (56). |
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| Passenger accommodations include three double bed suites (bed size 2.05 x 1.80 m), located on the F deck (one suite is facing forward and the other two forward and side), consisting of a bedroom with private facilities and shower and separate sitting room, each equipped with a refrigerator, TV/Video and DVD set and a mini HiFi tower. |
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Daily fares are as follows: €95 pp double, €110 single occupancy for the 34-sqm corner suites. €90 pp double, €105 single occupancy for the 27-sqm forward-facing suite. Plus €275 per person per voyage for port and vessel fees. |
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General Information Passenger cabins and shared facilities, such as the dining room, lounges and fitness room are located on various decks. There is no elevator on board and passengers must be fully mobile and able to negotiate the stairs. Front and aft views may be obstructed by the containers stowed on deck. |
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Self service laundry facilities are available. The electrical current is 220/50 AC. A two-prong round adapter and converter are needed for North American appliances. A steward will clean the cabin once a week, or more often if necessary. A small onboard shop provides a limited selection of beverages, cigarettes and toiletries at duty free prices. Onboard expenses may be paid for with cash in €/US$. Tipping is at the passenger’s discretion; $/€3-5 per person per day is recommended. Telephone, fax and email connections are available through the Captain’s office, but not the Internet. The average port time is one day. Reservations can be made by completing a Registration Form and providing a 25% deposit. The balance of the fare, plus port fees, is payable 70 days prior to departure. The fare may be paid for by check or wire (by exception only, credit cards may be accepted) in either the basic tariff currency, as quoted by the steamship line, or in the USD/CAD at the prevailing exchange rate, subject to a final adjustment at the time the ticket is issued, a few weeks before departure. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the anticipated return date, and a visa for Brazil must be obtained, depending on the citizenship and voyage. A Medical Questionnaire must be completed by a doctor and International Health and Accident Insurance is required on all voyages, as is a vaccination or exemption cerificate against yellow fever. The age limit is 79. Cancellation fees are as follows: over 60 days, loss of deposit; 30-59 days, 50% of the fare. No refund will be made within the 30 days from departure. To protect your investment, Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is highly recommended. Travelex Insurance packages, covering you from the moment you buy the policy, are available to all Maris customers, worldwide, on our website page "Before You Sail". And if you buy the Travelex policy within three weeks of your initial trip deposit, pre-existing conditions are waived. For inquiries and reservations: Please contact us through our website page Inquiries. |
| We are most grateful for the support, including comments such as the following, which we have been receiving from our valued customers and club members as well as from the steamship lines and media over the years: |
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MARIS of Westport, CT Freighter Travel Club Int'l (Since 1958) Freighter & Specialty Cruises (Since 1993) 1 800 99-Maris (-62747) & 1 203 222-1500 (-9191 fax) www.freightercruises.com
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