SUMMER The seasons unfold at different times of the year in this long, narrow country of ours.
  Your first thoughts when planning a Norwegian Coastal Voyage may well incline towards an early to mid-summer departure - after all, the Midnight Sun, and when the climate is at its mildest? However, summer is by no means the only time to visit. Indeed, particularly in the south, summer'.
  It's also when passenger numbers tend to be at their height, swelled not least by Norwegian students who enjoy reduced fares, and jump at the opportunity to explore their beautiful country during the summer vacation.
  The Coastal Voyage is a delight at any time of the year; and each season paints its unique pictures on the magnificent canvas of the Norwegian seascape.

     

LATE SUMMER AND AUTUMN Colourful autumn days... blushing nature prepares to disrobe after her summer splendour; as the deciduous leaves turn from green to amber and red. Nature's traffic lights are signalling a slowing of the pace, from hectic summer activity to a quieter; more reflective mood.
  Dazzlingly white, virgin snow has fallen early on the highest peaks above the red-leafed trees, reflecting in the deep blue autumn sea to form an echo of the colours in the Norwegian flag. It's a time to recharge the batteries, and appreciate the seasonal change-over in all its infinite variety. As the days grow shorter still, the falling thermometer outside mirrors a warming of the spirit within, as our instincts prompt a closer comradeship with our fellow travellers, as if closing ranks against the onset of winter.

     

WINTER AND SPRING If you are able to take the Coastal Voyage during the winter months, you will enjoy a completely different world from the Norway of the gentle, halcyon days of summer. You will hoard a quieter ship, sailing forth to encounter a natural world even more spectacular in its contrasts and scenic splendour. In the clear winter air, you can see distant landscape and mountain profiles stretching to the infinity of the hard-etched horizon.
  In the winter months, out among the skerries of northern Norway, there's a special stillness, a majesty in the craggy rock walls and mist-wreathed seascapes which is missing in the milder atmosphere of summer. In the northern winter; the pure, chalk-white snow slows the pace of coastal life, highlighting humanity's struggle to tame the unpredictable natural world.
In this black-and-white landscape, the Coastal Voyage's powerful ships plough frothy white furrows through the inky black waters between the islands; each vessel like a waterborne locomotive, calm and unruffled at a speed of some 15 knots. You will have peace, time and daylight enough to absorb the impressions of the scenery around you and our ports of call. Take pleasure in the beautifully clear; starry, Arctic skies illuminated by the Northern Lights, followed by a winter sun in economy mode - mellow, gentle, beautiful days, far from the hurly-burly of everyday life.
  Almost imperceptibly, the seasonal clock moves on to bring a softening of the light, and a slow yet relentless rise in temperature. The blast of the Coastal Voyage ship's horn seems to have called out to nature's fecundity, prompting her to rub her eyes and stretch towards the sun. Longer, warmer spring days make the very landscape appear somehow softer and more hospitable, thawing its inhabitants as well as the melting snows. In the bright light of spring, twinkling diamonds sparkle on the surface of the sea, as the colours of the islands and fjords grow richer and more diverse.

  Wherever you begin your Coastal Voyage, or however long you sail with us, you are sure to have the experience of a lifetime, taking in the majesty and variety of the spectacular Norwegian landscape. Whatever the season, you will gather a stock of heart-warming memories to last forever - and you are sure to want to return to experience other seasons, as they cast their ever-changing light on this timeless world of natural beauty.

     

NORWAY - THE NATURAL CHOICE Thanks to its sparsely populated mountainous landscape, and breathtaking fjorded coastline, Norway remains one of the great natural wonders of the world. This beautiful country, is a fascinating mixture of modern civilisation and untamed wilderness, sculpted by the glaciers of the Ice Age.

  As a holiday destination, Norway offers you both an ever-changing display of natural splendour, and a fascinating insight into a self-sufficient and resourceful people, who for generations have lived in harmony with the natural elements. Rugged mountains, spectacular fjords, and dramatic seascapes combine with picturesque coastal villages and lively towns to form an environment which is 'green' in its purest sense.

     

WARM, FRIENDLY PEOPLE Norway is a nation of sincere and uncomplicated people, with close ties to their Anglo-Saxon neighbours, and a history of exposure to other nations and cultures since Viking times. They are resolutely independent and preserve their local cultures and crafts with pride. Communication is rarely a barrier; since most Norwegians speak English as their second language.

     

LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS The imaginary line of the Arctic Circle, (66 33' north latitude) represents the southernmost point at which there is at least one day when the sun never sets, and one when it never rises. So, you will experience 24 hours of daylight north of here between mid-May and the end of July, and in the rest of the country, you can also enjoy long, light summer evenings. The following table shows you the periods during which the whole disc of the sun is visible for 24 hours a day at some points north of the Arctic Circle.

North Cape 14 May - 29 July
Hammerfest 16 May - 27 July
Tromso 20 May 22 July
Harstad 26 May - 19 July
Bodo 04 June - 08 July