Ms Richard With Reviews

Summary:  I went on the New Year Cruise along the Norwegian Coast New Year 2011. I booked a dog sledging trip but it was cancelled due to no snow. I also booked a look out to see the Northern Lights but unfortunately did not see them. They came a week later after I disembarked. I spent over £1,100 for the cruise and was very disappointed. The ship itself was nice though I must have had a cabin above the engines as I felt a load grinding noise under me. My friend had a smaller cabin but no noise. I always have dreamed about seeing the Northern Lights but have not booked another cruise for fear of missing them again and the cost involved. The food on board was great. Teresa Bowley-Hayes

Summary:  Just returned from a fantastic 12 night Christmas and New Year cruise with Hurtigruten on MS Richard With. The food was fantastic and the staff very friendly and helpful - always smiling. We were very fortunate in that we had 8 sightings of the Northern Lights in 12 days.

Summary:  Ship, staff and itinerary of our recent Christmas/New Year holiday were all very good. The only downfall was the embarkation and disembarkation where none of the staff seemed to have a clue what was occurring. On arrival at Bergen none of the 70-odd British contingent (most I thought travelling with Iglu) were directed anywhere. There was no indication of the IGLU or HERTIGRUTEN coach. In the event, in the soaking rain, one member of the group who had done the trip before, led us to a scarcely covered footpath. We huddled under this and 25 minutes later a bus arrived up the hill in front of the hotel. In the event, this bus could not hold the entire group and about 25 people had to wait another 25 minutes for another bus. We were all soaking wet at the end of this little exercise and many, myself included, came down with serious colds as a result. The disembarkation was just as chaotic, but that is another story. Shame, because we loved the trip but hated the opening and closing days.

Summary:  This is a brief review of the 21st December 2014 Xmas/New Year sailing. I had read mixed reviews about Hurtigruten but was very keen to do this voyage in the winter. The ship was very good - nice size and comfortable warm lounges, good size restaurant - free seating for buffet breakfast and lunch and because of numbers there were 2 dinner sieatings onboard at allocated tables. The waiting staff were extremely cheerful and helpful - my husband couldn't eat some of the fixed menu, but alternatives were arranged for him. As others have mentioned, the alcohol was expensive, but this is just the norm for Norway and not over-priced on the ship - you can take your own alcohol onboard and drink it in the cabin however. The tea/coffee deal at 349 krone for 12 days was really good value (and decaff was available). Again, as others have said, you have to pay for water with your meal - I agree with them that this is something that Hurtigruten should re-consider. We had very nice cakes and gluhwine on Christmas Eve and also sparkling wine on New Years Eve and at the farewell dinner. We did 4 excursions and all we considered to be of very high quality with excellent and knowledgeable guides. I would thoroughly recommend the husky sledding which was the highlight of our trip! If you are not a reasonable sailor, I wouldn't recommend the trip in the winter as the water did get quite choppy on occasion and some people were quite seasick. We also had to miss 3 stops as a storm came in and we had to run to get ahead of it although this didn't detract from the trip in any way. There really isn't much to do onboard, so you really do need to make your own amusement or be happy to read, chat and watch the world go by which by the way is absolutely stunning even if it was dark most of the time! There was a singer in the bar in the evening and our tour guide did try to put activities on such as making gingerbread houses and Xmas decorations which was good fun. The organisation upon arrival could have been better. It was raining hard in Bergen and due to the redevelopment of the airport it was not easy to find the Hurtigruten pick up point. When we did find it, there was only one coach which was not enough for all those arriving on the flight (booked by Hurtigruten). We had to wait at least half an hour for another coach to come by which time we were all completely soaked through. Once this was sorted out however, everything worked smoothly. All in all a trip of a lifetime - I can't wait to go back and do it in the summer!

Summary:  My wife and I spent a week onboard Ms Richard With in Sept 2013 and the whole experience was fantastic from start to finish. The staff were always helpful and friendly, the food could not be faulted with great choice and well prepared. The cabin was always warm and kept clean.The scenery at times was breathtaking and was constantly changing. This was a trip of a lifetime and I would love to do it again.

Summary:  Cruised onboard Ms Richard With in December 2013. Overall we were very impressed with all aspects of holiday, but you have to bear in mind this is a working ship and not a cruise liner. I do not want to put a negative slant on this review because of that, but time in ports is limited, it can be a little noisy docking and there is little to do onboard, you have to entertain yourselves. On the plus side if you want a relaxing break with excellent food, attentive staff, terrific scenery, comfortable but snug accommodation, this is an ideal break. I must admit the short periods of cruising in open sea were rougher than I expected, but not horrendous, I only saw one person really suffering on one occasion. We had to shelter in a fjord for 18 hours whilst a hurricane raged at sea, but Hurtigruten can't control the weather. They did all they could to provide a safe, comfortable environment and did it very well. Overall we really enjoyed the experience and would recommend it. The only note of caution I would add is thoroughly research the holiday before you book and consider all aspects. Do buy the coffee mug, you will understand this comment if you take a Hurtgruten cruise.

Summary:  I was lucky enough to join Hurtigruten for 3 nights on one of their Southbound journeys from Tromso, high above the Arctic Circle, to Trondheim. With 11 ships and 34 ports of call Hurtigruten is by far the best way to see the breathtaking Norwegian coastline. Before joining our ship we experienced one of the highlights of this trip: a husky safari through the snowy, Norwegian wilderness (definitely recommend pre-booking this trip!) and you can 'mush' your own sled if the dogs behave.