Book a six-night Northern Lights voyage with Hurtigruten and get FIVE nights for FREE! Hurtigruten is offering the chance to enjoy a Northern Lights voyage for less between October and December this year. For many, going in search of the illusive Aurora Borealis is a lifetime dream and now it is possible to book an 11-night trip and pay for just six.

Sailing from the UNESCO-listed harbour of Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the north, the ships sail night and day, calling at a total of 34 ports. But why stop at Kirkenes – now when booking a six night Voyage North it is possible to turn around with the ship and enjoy the southbound voyage too, for free. In addition, no single supplements apply! 

Hurtigruten reports that sales of its 2010/11 Northern Lights programme are up 30% since it launched in May 2009, compared to last year and attributes most of this growth to the travel trade. One agent’s sales of the programme are up 700%. In addition, the operator’s charter programme which went on sale two months ago is now a third full.

Hurtigruten has launched its 2010-11 Northern Lights programme featuring new itinerary developments and excursions plus the addition of longer duration trips. The brochure offers a host of unique experiences to enjoy the Northern Lights in Norway for all ages and with prices starting from only £795 per person including flights, it offers agents a range of product to promote to a much wider audience, especially those who enjoy snow based soft adventure. Last year’s Northern Lights programme sold exceptionally well through agents (up over 35% on the previous year) and for the coming season the operator is targeting similar growth.

Kathryn Beadle, sales and marketing director at Hurtigruten comments “Whilst the core of our Northern Lights programme continues to focus on short breaks, we have introduced longer duration trips following an increase in demand from some customers who wish to stay a while longer and enjoy more of the experiences available at this time of year. The Northern Lights continue to be highly demanded as they are on people’s wish lists of things to experience during their lifetime and we are striving to make it as accessible to as many customers as possible. We expect many of our themed voyages plus our Christmas and New Year departures to sell-out fast if last year is anything to go by and we will be working hard with agents to ensure they start promoting these voyages now.”

Offering excellent earning opportunities, the groups market continues to be an important focus area for the operator with demand continuing to increase. Beadle adds “Some agents were talking to us over six months ago and pre-registered their interest for our 2010/11 programme, which is remarkable given that the current season hadn’t even finished. We offer the 11th passenger for free on group bookings, enabling agents to give this as a free place to the customer, use it as an escort place or simply put this straight to their bottom line.”

Highlights include:
• NEW SPLIT LEVEL DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY VOYAGES – to meet the growing needs of its customers, Hurtigruten has this year split its ‘digital photography’ themed voyages with separate beginners and intermediate dates to ensure all levels of photographer are catered for. Two dates are offered on 27 January (beginners) and 8 March (intermediate) with prices starting from £1199 per person including return flights and six nights half board on the ship from Bergen to Kirkenes.

• EXTENDED DURATION ASTRONOMY VOYAGES – following feedback, the popular Astronomy voyages have now been extended to take in more of the Norwegian Coast travelling from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Trondheim in 11 days. Once again with onboard lecturer Dr John Mason, two trips are available on 29 January and 25 March and cost from £1399 per person for 11 days on board on a half board basis with flights.

• NEW ARCTIC WONDERS ITINERARY – departing from Bergen and travelling all the way up the coast to Kirkenes, this trip also includes a post voyage stay in the Kirkenes Snow Hotel. The itinerary has been designed to ensure that guests have the maximum time to enjoy the Norwegian coast plus a unique stay in a snow hotel where a wealth of activities can be enjoyed. Prices from £1295 per person for seven nights including six night’s half board on the ship, one night’s half board in the snow hotel and flights.

• NEW EXCURSIONS – To ensure that agents are able to maximise earnings on every booking, Hurtigruten has extended its range of excursions for agents to pre-book adding ten new ones to this year’s programme. In the brochure, each itinerary lists the excursions available on the page for ease of use. New excursion include:
- Aurora Adventure – Kirkenes - £40pp – Venture deep into the snow-filled Pasvik Valley in search of the illusive Northern Lights. Far from artificial light, guests will travel from Storfjellet to the Strand Museum, home to Norwegian antiques and examples of life from days gone by.
- Aquarium and Mount Aksla – Alesund - £32pp – Visit one of northern Europe’s largest salt-water aquariums and enjoy close encounters with marine life from around the coast of Norway. Tour includes a diving show and a visit tot eh open-air pool to see the resident penguins.
- Aurora Safari with dinner by cable car - £154pp – Ride up the famous cable car and take in the breathtaking view of Tromso. This is the perfect spot for seeing the Northern Lights, as the sky is free from artificial light. A three-course dinner can then be enjoyed in the mountain lodge with the chance to learn more about the Northern Lights, Tromso and the surrounding area.
- Snowmobile safari in Lyngen – Tromso - £199pp – This is a snowmobiling adventure of a lifetime into the wild arctic landscape around camp Tamok, 90kms from Tromso. A 2-3 hour trip through frozen lakes and valleys ends with a warm meal in a traditional Sami lavvo.

Flights are included in all the prices and are based on Norwegian Air from London Gatwick or SAS from London Heathrow. Regional airports are once again available for most tours and there will be no single supplements on many of the departures.

For more information call Hurtigruten on 020 8846 2666 or www.hurtigruten.co.uk , or contact your local ACE agent. 
 

Visit Greenland with Hurtigruten’s new itineraries and special savings of 25%

Fancy visiting the high polar regions of Greenland and travel in the wake of great polar explorers? Want to journey to untouched lands that are only accessible by ship? Niche cruise specialist, Hurtigruten has three new trips in 2010 and is currently offering 25% off!
 

GREENLAND – SAVINGS OF 25% are available on three different itineraries onboard MS Fram in September 2010.

• PEAKS, RUINS AND ERIC THE RED – 12 days from 2 September – now from £2488pp, saving £829. A journey from Greenland to Iceland taking in the south and eastern region before sailing across the Denmark Strait to Iceland.

• GREENLAND’S REMOTE AND WILD COAST – 11 Days from 13 September – now from £3268pp saving £1089pp. Exploring the isolated communities around North East Greenland.

• IN THE WAKE OF THE VIKINGS – 14 days from 26 September – now from £2911pp saving £970pp. Following in the footsteps of the Norsemen of old this voyage travels from Iceland to southern Greenland and then onto Labrador and Newfoundland.

SPITSBERGEN – FREE FLIGHTS are being offered from London Heathrow on selected departure in June, July and August on the Kingdom of the Polar Bear itinerary.

• Kingdom of the Polar Bear is a 9-day expedition cruise around the Spitsbergen archipelago onboard MS Polar Star which can safely explore areas many other ships simply cannot reach. Prices from £3785pp and offering savings of up to £750pp.

Kathryn Beadle, sales and marketing director comments: “More recently we have seen increased demand for Greenland and Spitsbergen in the UK and these new offers are likely to increase this further. We have also notice a trend toward customers who have travelled to one pole, re-booking a trip to the other – something which agents should ensure they latch onto and target their marketing accordingly.”

“Antarctica continues to sell well and we doubled sales during the 2009/10 season and are currently running 15% up for 2010/11. Much off this can be attributed to the reduction in capacity to the region and the increased media interest with programmes such as ‘On Thin Ice’ with James Cracknell and Ben Fogle bringing images of this amazing destination into peoples living rooms. “

To book call Hurtigruten 020 8846 2666, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or visit your local ACE accredited travel agent

Once again the Norwegian fjords have been rated as the World’s most celebrated and iconic travel destination by National Geographic Traveler. Hurtigruten offers its congratulations with appreciation!

Hurtigruten has been proudly presenting the Norwegian fjords to Norwegian and foreign travellers since 1893. We can confidently state that the Norwegian travel industry would be much poorer without the sustainable management of our fantastic nature in general, and our unique fjords in particular.

Once again National Geographic Traveler magazine has placed the Norwegian fjords at the top of its list of destinations, an evaluation of the world’s most celebrated and iconic travel destinations undertaken in cooperation with the National Geographic Center for Sustainable destinations. This is the sixth annual “Places Rated” Destination Stewardship survey, and the Norwegian fjords have topped the list on no less than three occasions. In 2007 Norway stuck another feather in its cap when Lofoten was voted the third best island destination in the world.

”The integrity and world renown of National Geographic, as well as its global penetration makes this one of the most important awards in travel industry internationally. The fact that the Norwegian fjords have once again topped the list is an affirmation of the unique natural assets that we possess. We are delighted by the results and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Fjord Norway on its success,” says Christian Bue Nordahl, Global Brand Manager at Hurtigruten ASA.

This award will further reinforce the recognition of Norway as an attractive travel destination.

”For many foreign travellers Hurtigruten represents their first encounter with the Norwegian fjords and Norwegian nature. Ever since Richard With founded the route in 1893 there has been a strong bond between the Norwegian fjords and Hurtigruten. Our 11 ships sail these waters every single day and the Norwegian fjords are one of our strongest cards. The fact that Norwegian destinations are once again placed at the top by National Geographic tells us that we are doing all the right things in a sustainable Norwegian travel industry,” says Bue Nordahl.

In 2008 over 100 000 foreign visitors experienced the fjords and the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes with Hurtigruten.

About the survey:
133 destinations were surveyed by 437 travel experts, and rated based on the following six criteria: Environmental and ecological quality; social and cultural integrity; condition of historic buildings and archaeological sites; aesthetic appeal; quality of tourism management and outlook for the future.

Back in 1910 a ship by the name of Fram set sail for the South Pole under the Norwegian flag. The following year the Fram expedition led by Roald Amundsen reached its goal and, in so doing, entered the history books of Antarctic research. Nowadays, crossing the Antarctic Circle is no longer the reserve of polar researchers and Hurtigruten’s expedition ship, MS Fram is the ideal way to enjoy it as it was built with the aim of sailing further south than the normal routes allow.

The Antarctic simply exhausts superlatives being the highest, driest, coldest and cleanest continent on the planet. The unexplored frontier, snow-clad beauty and unforgiving nature of Antarctica has lured, captivated and challenged polar explorers for many, many years. MS Fram gives travellers the chance to explore spectacular routes far from civilisation and experience this unspoilt wilderness at the far reaches of the world. Vast glaciers and untouched rock formations coupled with beautiful polar skies make up the backdrop of the Hurtigruten expedition trips. Polar cirkel boats are used to take passengers ashore and get up close with the regions unique wildlife. IAATO rules state that visitors must come within five metres of a penguin - however, penguins don’t know what five metres is and will often eagerly and fearlessly come to inspect their new guests.

Antarctica is a wildlife lovers paradise. Those there between January and March, will witness numerous chicks taking their first swimming lessons. Along with the sea elephants and seals lazing about in the sun on the ice floes, albatross, whale and whole bird colonies can be seen coexisting in their natural habitat.

Hurtigruten offers several different itineraries for anyone wanting to follow in the footsteps of great explorers.

Antarctic Polar Circle Quest – 21 January or 2 February 2009. A 15-day voyage that travels beyond the Polar Circle to Marguerite Bay, a world rarely visited by any outsider. The trip also visits a breeding colony of Emperor penguins. Prices from £4049pp for 14 nights full board on the ship and range of excursions, landings and lectures. Flight packages from £985pp.

Antarctic Discovery – various dates from November 2009– February 2010. An 11-day voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula from Ushuaia and one of the only ways to visit this continent in less than two weeks. Prices from £3125 pp for eight night’s full board on the ship, two night’s b/b in Buenos Aires and range of excursions, landings and lectures. Flight packages from £985pp.

Shackleton’s Antarctica -  1 November, 20 December & 22 February 2010. A 20-day trip following in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton from Ushuaia to Antarctica via the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Prices from £4087pp for 16 night’s full board on the ship, two night’s b/b in Buenos Aires and range of excursions, landings and lectures. Flight packages from £985pp.

All trips are accompanied by English-speaking expedition teams, lecturers and travel guides. The trip includes internal flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia.

Tip: The expedition team onboard MS Fram sets up a blog for every trip so that those at home can follow the adventures of their friends or family members.
 

To book call Hurtigruten 020 8846 2666 www.hurtigruten.co.uk <http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk>