Preparation & Embarking the Hurtigruten
If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’ll be embarking on a Hurtigruten voyage out of Bergen – lucky you! Often considered the world’s most beautiful voyage, the Hurtigruten is a daily ferry service that goes from Bergen to Kirkenes, and then back again. Along the way, the ship stops in 34 wonderful ports over 6 days. Once in Kirkenes, the ship repeats the same journey back south to Bergen.
Embarkation day can be a stressful day, especially since information isn’t always exactly clear. However, I have done the Hurtigruten enough times to have a clear understanding of exactly how this day works. So, here is my guide to preparing for and embarking the Hurtigruten from the port of Bergen.
Embarking the Hurtigruten in Bergen
Norway's Coastal Ferry
Bergen is a port of call of Norway’s coastal ferry. Find my guide for the coastal ferry by clicking the link below.
Why trust me?
I’ve been taking travellers on the Hurtigruten since 2019! I love taking the Hurtigruten so much that I have even taken it for a vacation. I believe it is one of the best ways to see Norway, and I encourage everyone to do the voyage at least once in their lifetimes.
Above you can see some of the cabin cards I’ve collected over the years.
Preparing to Board
Before you even get on board, there are lot of questions about what you need to pack, what to expect on board, and just generally how things work. Here are some of the key things you need to know ahead of boarding:
Important! Hurtigruten FAQ
What currency is used on board? Can I use my credit card?
The currency used on board is Norwegian Kroner (NOK). It may be possible to exchange currencies on board, but you may not get the best rate. There is a Forex in Bergen should you wish to get currency exchanged in advance.
That said, you do not need cash on this voyage. On the ship you can pay for everything with bank card. In fact, when you check in at the Bergen terminal the staff will encourage you to open a cruise account. With a cruise account, your credit card is synced to your cabin card and you make all purchases onboard using your cabin number or cabin card. On the last night on board, the amount is charged to your credit card.
The only time you may want cash is to leave a tip. There is a tip box in the restaurant where you can put cash.
Is there a dress code on board?
No. You can wear whatever you like on the ship, and that’s one of the reasons I love it. There’s no formal nights, but if you are on board for the Captains Dinner (Day 10), you may want to bring something nice to wear. But generally the atmosphere is laid back and relaxed.
What do I do if I have allergies, dietary requirements, or need to keep medication in a fridge?
Each night at dinner you get to choose between a meat, fish or vegetarian meal, and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options at breakfast and lunch. If you have a special diet or allergy, you need to alert the restaurant manager outside the restaurant when you board the ship. It’s also possible to alert them in advance when you book, but I would recommend double checking on board.
If you have medication that needs to be refrigerated, there are no fridges in the cabins. Rather, simply give them to reception who will store them in a fridge for you.
What electrical adapters should I bring?
The sockets used on board are the 220v AC, two-pin Continental type. Basically, standard European plugs. The ship doesn’t offer adapters, so it’s important to come prepared. In Bergen, you can pick them up at sports store or electrical stores.
Is there a laundry?
There is a laundry on the ship with washing machines, dryers and irons. To use the machines, you purchase tokens from reception (for approximately 30 NOK) and put them into the washing machine. The detergent is in the machine already. The dryers are used for free.
What should I pack that I may not be thinking of?
Bringing a swimming costume and gym clothes. Some of the ships have hot tubs on board and all have gyms. Also, there are towels and hair wash/body wash in your rooms.
You may also want to bring a lanyard to hold the cabin card. They do sell them on board, but if you have one at home it’s worth bringing it.
I highly recommend bringing ear plugs and a sleep mask (if travelling in summer). The ship is noisy in the middle of the night, and you will get woken up when docking in the ports. Bring some ear plugs to tone down the noise. Why a sleep mask? Well, in summer it’s light 24/7. While the curtains do an okay job at blocking out the light, I find it just isn’t dark enough.
Hurtigruten Day-By-Day Guide
Did you know I’ve written a day-by-day guide for Hurtigruten? You should read that after you’re done with this! Check it out by clicking the link below.
My Hurtigruten book will be coming out in May 2025 🙂 If you want to be notified when that’s released, follow me on Facebook:
Embarking Hurtigruten in Bergen
Alright, you’re packed and ready to go. You’ve arrived in Bergen, and now you need to get to the ship. What do you do? Here’s the step-by-step guide!
When is the terminal open?
The terminal is open from 1pm to 8pm on departure days.
Getting from the airport to the terminal
The journey from the airport to the terminal takes approximately 45 minutes if you take the Flybussen (Airport Bus). You take it from platform A5 in front of the arrivals hall. You can find exact times on their website: https://www.flybussen.no/en
If you take a taxi, the drive time is approximately 20 minutes. Be careful which company you take; some companies charge 20% more than others. If you want to take a taxi, I recommend downloading the 07000 Bergen Taxi app and booking a taxi. You can book once you pick up your suitcase; it typically takes the taxi 2-3 minutes to appear at the “preordered taxi” pick up zone.
Getting from a hotel to the terminal
The terminal is located a little ways outside the city centre, so I recommend booking a taxi (use the same method as mentioned above).
Storing luggage at the terminal
You can store luggage at the terminal. The luggage lockers are on the first floor of the terminal and can be paid for by credit card. It is possible to drop off the luggage between 1pm and 2:30pm.
What time should you arrive?
You can arrive at the terminal any time after 1pm, but I do encourage waiting until the evening. I know, it’s very exciting boarding Hurtigruten and seeing the ship, but the terminal itself is not so fun. Bergen is a great place – stay in town and explore!
Tip – while the terminal opens at 1pm, do not come and try to check in between 2:45pm and 3:15pm. This is when the ship is arriving and the passengers are disembarking. To put it mildly, it will be chaos.
In Bergen, the embarkation time if 4pm (16:00). However, that doesn’t mean you have to board at 4pm. In fact, you can board as late as 8pm if you really wanted.
I recommend boarding the ship between 5pm and 7pm. The reason is that the cabins are not ready until 6pm, and that’s the same time the buffet dinner is served. If you arrive before then, you’ll basically just be sitting around on the ship. The Expedition Team may not yet be on board ready to take excursion bookings. So really, you’re just sitting around. Bergen is a pretty wonderful place, so go out and enjoy it!
I Love Bergen Walking Tours
I operate walking tours in Bergen and you should absolutely do one while you’re in the city!
The Hurtigruten Guest Lounge
The Hurtigruten Guest Lounge is located on the second floor of the terminal and is open from 1pm. There are some pastries and drinks that you can have, as well as free Wifi, USB chargers and sockets.
When checking in at the terminal in Bergen, you simply have to hand over a form of identification, which in most cases is your passport. You will then get the envelope with your cabin card and some practical information inside. The reception will then ask if you want to sync your credit card to your cabin card. While I highly recommend doing it here, keep in mind you can also do it at the reception on board the ship.
This is the envelope you receive. On the bottom left side, you have all the meal times of that day (lunch changes every day so be sure to double check). The dinner time is your set time, and the table is your assigned table. Remember – this is not for the first night in Bergen! Night one in Bergen is free seating and a buffet, so come whenever you want.
In the bottom right, there’s all my practical information.
In the top right, the “SEL” means “Select” package – I paid a little extra for coffee/tea and free Wifi. The Wifi slip is in the envelope.
My cabin number is also written here. This is important – it’s not written on your cabin card! This is for safety reasons.
Here is what the cabin card looks like. You can see SEL on the cabin card – this is important as the staff will ask to check this when you get coffee or tea. I can also see the dates I’m board, where I’m embarking and disembarking, and what meals I get. It also says that I’m an Ambassador Member, i.e. in their loyalty program. I’m sure that gets me extra benefits, I’ve just never used them.
What happens with your luggage?
Unless you are embarking or disembarking the ship at the terminal in Bergen, you need to carry your own luggage on and off the ship at all the other ports.
In Bergen, you drop off your luggage when checking in at the counter in the terminal. They put it on a luggage belt, like at an airport, and it goes to the back of the terminal where crew take it on the ship and put it outside your cabin.
The Safety Briefing
It is a safety requirement that all passengers attend the safety briefing inside the terminal at Bergen. Once you have checked in and dropped off your luggage, you take the escalator to the upper floor, where there’s a waiting room. Inside the waiting room are free snacks and drinks to keep you happy while you wait.
If you’re boarding after 5pm, the safety briefings are pretty frequent. If boarding before 5pm, you may be waiting 30 minutes or more for the next briefing. They only run when there’s enough people ready to board.
The briefing lasts for about 10 minutes and includes a video in Norwegian, English, German and sometimes French. It includes a demonstration of how to put on a life jacket and the instructions to be followed in the event of an evacuation.
Going on Board
Once the safety briefing is over, they’ll scan your cabin card so they know you’ve attended the briefing. Then, you’ll walk through the terminal (it’s a long walk!) to get to the place where you board the ship, You’ll have to scan your cabin card again; this time, it’s scanning you in so the staff know you’re on board.
In Bergen, you embark on Deck 5. Normally once you embark, there is a counter promoting the drinks packages. From Deck 5, head down one level to Deck 4, which is where the reception, expedition team, and restaurant is.
Wifi
Yes, one of the first things people want is Wifi! Completely understandable.
If you have a SEL package, or your documents say you have Wifi included, you’ll get a special Wifi slip in your envelope. About 30% of the time the staff have forgot to put mine in the envelope, which is fine. If this happens to you, just go and ask reception (Deck 4) for one. They’ll give it to you no issues 🙂
Wifi is a bit of a pain to use as many don’t see that you have to log in two separate times.
First you connect to the Wifi on your device and enter the first password on the slip. Then, a popup window will come asking for a username and password. That’s where you enter the second username and password on the slip. Many people (myself included!) miss that.
Now – the Wifi works fine. However, if you have data in Norway, you may just want to stick on 4G/5G – especially if you have unlimited. I find my 5G (Norwegian Simcard) is faster than the Wifi.
Dinner
The first nights dinner is always a buffet dinner. Dinner opens at 6pm and I highly recommend going early; if you wait until after 7pm, it can get very crowded. Dinner often closes at 9pm. You do not sit in your assigned seats on this day.
Sail Away
When the ship leaves at 8:30pm, the expedition team and crew will normally have a little party out on the open deck, where they sell champagne. If the weather is miserable in Bergen, they may not do this.
Welcome Meeting
Normally after the departure from Bergen, perhaps at 9pm or 9:30pm, the expedition team will have their first meeting. I highly recommend going to this!
During this meeting, you’ll get an introduction to the crew (they come and say hi), the layout of the ship, and important practical information that you need to know. Trust me, it’s worth going to this meeting. It lasts up to 40 minutes.
Daily Schedule
Before going to bed, be sure to check out the daily schedule for the following day. This can be found on television screens all around the ship. Some ships also print the daily schedule.
Be sure to not only look at the schedule to see which ports you’re docking in, what the lectures are, and so on, but there are also the meal times on the right side.
Time for Bed!
It’s been a long day, and normally by the time the meeting is over you’re done and ready for bed.
Norway's Coastal Ferry
Bergen is a port of call of Norway’s coastal ferry. Find my guide for the coastal ferry by clicking the link below.
