There's no casino, and no evening entertainment. The emphasis was on science and learning.
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It was a Vancouver to Alaska cruise with a difference. Instead of returning to British Columbia it headed to the Arctic Ocean and then east through the Northwest Passage. Its destination was Halifax, then all the way south to the Antarctic Peninsula.
The expedition ship itself was unusual too – The Roald Amundsen, launched in 2019 by the Norwegian Cruise Line, Hurtigruten – it’s the first hybrid cruise ship. The ship uses four Rolls-Royce-designed diesel engines but is always connected to two large banks of rechargeable batteries. Emissions are lowered and fuel savings can reach 20%, says chief engineer Svein Aursted.
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Several weeks after leaving Vancouver the 140-metre-long ship arrived in Halifax where we board for a week-long expedition cruise to Boston. Twenty cruisers chose to stay on the ship for the complete Arctic to Antarctic itinerary. The 157 crew members, welcomed the new guests, a mixture of American, German and British cruisers.
Our itinerary was unusual – a stop at remote Sable Island, then back to mainland Nova Scotia and the UNESCO World Heritage fishing port of Lunenburg, then visits to three towns in Maine, followed by Cape Cod and finally Boston.
Hurtigrutan expedition ships may not appeal to everyone. There’s no casino, and no traditional evening entertainment (there is a piano in the Roald Amundsen’s main lounge, but no resident pianist).
The emphasis was on science and learning. The Amundsen Science Center, on deck six, is rich in resources with a science library, maps, illustrations, a large, interactive touch table, artifacts like skulls and walrus tusks and the prime attraction, a series of specialized Zeiss microscopes, one of which is connected to a large-screen TV.
Seven scientists, covering a wide range of specialties, often gathered seashore specimens like tiny copepods and gave illustrated lectures each evening in addition to talking about our next port. One of the naturalists was Ian Peck of Tsawwassen, B.C., a marine mammals specialist.
Expedition ships, with their non-traditional ports of call, need to be flexible. Sable Island landings have to be made by zodiacs and the Atlantic Ocean was just too rough the day we arrived. Instead, the captain gave us a full circumnavigation of the 40 km long sand bar where we could see the wild horses and thousands of gray seals.
The weather the next day was perfect in Lunenburg and most guests visited the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.
Maine weather was variable but, inspite of the rain, most guests got off the ship when it was docked in tiny Eastport, next to the Canadian border. This easternmost ‘city’ in the US used to be the sardine capital of the world. Rockland, Maine, required a tender transfer to port but, with bad weather, most guests stayed aboard.
Bar Harbor, a popular stop for traditional cruise ships, gave many guests the opportunity to visit Cadillac Mountain (tallest mountain on the east coast of the US) and the rugged seascapes of Acadia National Park, the first national park east of the Mississippi.
More bad weather made a visit to Cape Cod impossible and, with a hurricane churning up the Atlantic, the captain decided to head for Boston early. The next day most guest headed home from Boston but a couple of dozen of us stayed overnight at Hurtigruten’s recommended hotel, the elegant and historic Fairmont Copley Plaza. Now celebrating its 110thanniversary, it was ideal for connecting to our 90-minute morning flight back to Halifax.
The Roald Amundsen, with its distinctive black, white and red livery, is impressive. The interior reflects modern Scandinavian design with an abundance of natural materials – wood, granite, wool and linen – creating stylish and practical cabins and public areas. All rooms have oceanviews and there are 83 cabins with balconies and 53 suites.
Our room had a 50-inch, LED television and the lift lobby has a screen that hugs a wall for seven stories with continually changing nature scenes.
Traditional Norwegian art (with many woodcuts) is found throughout the ship, much of it chosen by Her Majesty the Queen of Norway, with several from her personal collection.
Aune, the main dining venue, seats 240. For all meals (breakfast-and-lunch buffets and a la carte dinners). Fredheim is an informal corner for stylish street food. The diner atmosphere works well for an array of burgers, fries and sausages and also Asian dumplings, tortillas, waffles, crepes and crab rolls.
The full-service restaurant is called Lindstrom. Designed for suite guests, others can enjoy the exemplary service and extra perks for 25 Euros a person. The restaurant’s loin of lamb was especially tasty.
The only disappointment with dining during our week on Roald Amundsen was its lack of any East Coast seafood. Even though we started in Halifax and stopped in several important Atlantic fishing ports, the only seafood offered was from Alaska and the West Coast. We were told there were communication problems with the European head office (this was Hurtigruten’s first visit to Nova Scotia) and for cruises in 2023 and 2024, the fresh fish problem will be resolved.