Explore the Arctic with Hurtigruten Tours

by Katie Hammel on

Spitsbergen is the “last stop before the North Pole,” a cold, remote landscape of snow, ice, and arctic wildlife. And you can explore it with Hurtigruten, an adventure tour company.

While some of their longer tours may be prohibitively expensive for a lot of travelers (9-day tours cost around $5000 per person). they do offer a much more affordable 6-day Polar Encounters cruise starting at just over $1300 per person, plus airfare.

Passengers on the cruise will go ashore twice per day with an experienced guide, looking for glaciers, fjords, seals, whales, walruses, and polar bears. Stops include the towns of Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Ny-Alesund, which vary in size for two thousand to less than two dozen residents.

Hurtigruten also offers cruises around Norway, Greenland, Antartica, the Baltics, and Western Europe.

[via Camels and Chocolate]

Use ginger – Cruise trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Pack ginger.

Have you tried wrist bands and/or patches to soothe a queasy, seasick stomach and found they didn’t work? Here is a tried-and-true herbal remedy:

  • Thirty days before the cruise, start taking 2 ginger tablets every day.
  • Seven days before the cruise, begin taking 1 non-drowsy Dramamine along with the ginger tablets.
  • During the cruise, continue taking the ginger and Dramamine.

This should help resolve any sea sickness during a cruise. Happy Sailing!

Choose a themed cruise – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

Large and small cruise companies alike have come to realize that creating opportunities for like-minded individuals to come together on a cruise is a really good thing. Thus, the “themed cruise” was born.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to themed cruises; if you can imagine it, it probably already exists. Movie fans can dress like their favorite characters; Harley Davidson aficionados can bring their bikes; scrapbookers have cruises of their own; and golfers have a range (no pun intended) of cruises to choose from, as well.

In the world of theme cruises, the most popular seem to be music-themed cruises. And, in the classification of music, the theme cruises offered are inclusive of all genres ranging from country and western, to classical — even hard rock!

Remember: if one of your traveling group happens to love only classic rock and roll, they will be miserable on a ship full of several thousand crazy jazz aficionados. So be sure all members of your group are “on board” with the chosen theme.

Use two-way radios – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

Most cruise ships today are multi-deck mini-cities carrying as many as 5,000 passengers. And, unless you’re traveling alone, you may find yourself separated from your traveling party at some point during your cruise. How to reconnect… or stay connected in the first place?

Give each member of your group a two-way radio, all programmed to the same frequency to help keep you organized and in touch. These handy radio sets, priced from about $40, offer features like rechargeable batteries and programmable ring tones.

Remember: your cell phone may not work on a cruise ship, and even if it does, the roaming charges may be crushing.

Bring Grandma – Cruise trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

When traveling with children, ALWAYS bring back-ups. I’m not talking about back-up clothes or back-up snacks. I’m talking about back-up daycare!

Let’s face it: parents can’t have a real vacation while chasing after little Johnny and Suzy. My suggestion: fork over an extra $500 for Grandma to cruise, too! She’ll love the extra time with Johnny and Suzy; plus, Mom and Dad can get their groove on. Give yourself permission to let someone else be in control of the kiddos and have fun.

Cruising with Grandma and the kids can also be a great family bonding time and an unforgettable vacation.