Olsen
Well-known
It is increasingly popular to go on a cruise to the Antartica. It is the ultimate photo oportunity. According to BBC, some 30.000 tourists visits this cold continent every year. Several cruise companies do this trade. Among them is the Gap adventures - link here - http://www.gapadventures.com/ and the unlucky M/ Explorer which ran into an iceberg, yesterday, got a leakage, a hole about the size of a fist. They had ample pump capacity to keep her afloat, but had a generator stop, vital to feed the pumps with electricity. The crew and passengers had to go in the life boats - some rather primitive uncovered boats for the -5C conditions of a summer in Antartica.
They were pritty frozen when first after 6 hours in open life boats when the norwegian liner ' M/S Nordnorge' picked them up. When I write this , even the captain and the first officer of M/S Explorer has abandoned ship after trying to run the pumps and keep her afloat.
'M/S Nordnorge' is one of the ships in the Hurtigruten fleet. Link here: http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx Hurtigruten ('The fast Ship Line') is a old and traditional steam ship company that runs the route up along the scenic and stormy Norwegian coast. Parts of this fleet is applied in the Antartica cruise trade during the winter. Link here: http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx?side_id=422
Hurtigruten had first only one ship in the Antartica trade, but has now increased to two and plan to put yet another ship into the Antartical cruise trade. Telling of how popular this has become.
Hurtigruten has a very good reputation for their seafaring capabilities here in Norway. Despite sometimes appalling conditions 11 ships run up and down the Norwegian coast, summer and winter with a regularity that even the Oslo Metro has problems matching. Whenever a storm has ravaged our coast and ships are in distress, it is often that it is ships from the Hurtigruten that comes to rescue. - As with M/S Explorer in the Antarctica. The Norwegian coastal route is important for small vilages up along the coast for supplies of groseries and other vitalities.
Increasingly Hurtigruten has become a tourist attraction. If a trip to the Antartica can be a bit over the top for many, I can reccommend a trip with Hurtigruten up or down the Norwegian coast. And the trip is an awesome photo tour, - and a culinary experience, summer as winter. Strongly reccommended.
They were pritty frozen when first after 6 hours in open life boats when the norwegian liner ' M/S Nordnorge' picked them up. When I write this , even the captain and the first officer of M/S Explorer has abandoned ship after trying to run the pumps and keep her afloat.
'M/S Nordnorge' is one of the ships in the Hurtigruten fleet. Link here: http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx Hurtigruten ('The fast Ship Line') is a old and traditional steam ship company that runs the route up along the scenic and stormy Norwegian coast. Parts of this fleet is applied in the Antartica cruise trade during the winter. Link here: http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx?side_id=422
Hurtigruten had first only one ship in the Antartica trade, but has now increased to two and plan to put yet another ship into the Antartical cruise trade. Telling of how popular this has become.
Hurtigruten has a very good reputation for their seafaring capabilities here in Norway. Despite sometimes appalling conditions 11 ships run up and down the Norwegian coast, summer and winter with a regularity that even the Oslo Metro has problems matching. Whenever a storm has ravaged our coast and ships are in distress, it is often that it is ships from the Hurtigruten that comes to rescue. - As with M/S Explorer in the Antarctica. The Norwegian coastal route is important for small vilages up along the coast for supplies of groseries and other vitalities.
Increasingly Hurtigruten has become a tourist attraction. If a trip to the Antartica can be a bit over the top for many, I can reccommend a trip with Hurtigruten up or down the Norwegian coast. And the trip is an awesome photo tour, - and a culinary experience, summer as winter. Strongly reccommended.
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alexz
Well-known
Thanks Olsen for the info, sounds quite attractive indeed.
However, with direct links to a commercial establishments that does sound like a commercial advertisement, not sure how appropriate it can be in the forums...
However, with direct links to a commercial establishments that does sound like a commercial advertisement, not sure how appropriate it can be in the forums...
Olsen
Well-known
We serve eachother links to 'commercial establishments' all the time here. Be it Carl Zeiss or Leica. Just as natural it is to provide links to shipping companies - or others, that provides photo oportunities. It is indeed commercial stuff we discuss here, most of the time. I showed two links, to two competing shipping companies regarding Antartica cruises. I have no economical interests in either of them. Several more can be found. Luminous Lanscapes - link here - http://luminous-landscape.com/workshops/antarctica-2009.shtml - reccommend this Russian company: http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/
I reccommended one link to an unique shipping route run by Hurtigruten, a public company here in Norway which receives support from the Norwegian government - tax payers, that is - of which I am one. (I am not at all sure if 'more tourists' means 'less taxes' on my hand. Developments so far has been 'more tourists' and 'more shipping line subsidies = taxes'... So, I might be loosing money on this reccommendation!)
I would just love to see others here reccommend 'commercial services', be it tourist attractions or photo gear. - Or whatever. It will be an enrichment to us all.
I reccommended one link to an unique shipping route run by Hurtigruten, a public company here in Norway which receives support from the Norwegian government - tax payers, that is - of which I am one. (I am not at all sure if 'more tourists' means 'less taxes' on my hand. Developments so far has been 'more tourists' and 'more shipping line subsidies = taxes'... So, I might be loosing money on this reccommendation!)
I would just love to see others here reccommend 'commercial services', be it tourist attractions or photo gear. - Or whatever. It will be an enrichment to us all.
Graham Line
Well-known
Friends of mine -- she's Norwegian, he's US -- have taken the Norway coastal boats a couple of times, with the boat one way and train the other. She has problems walking so it's a great way for them to get around and see the country. It makes for a pleasant vacation and they say the food and service is good.
I almost hate to say it, but a 'Travel' forum might be well received here.
I almost hate to say it, but a 'Travel' forum might be well received here.
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
Antarctica? 30 thousand? poor continent.
benno
Hack.
Pherdinand said:
That is a hell of a lot of people for a continent as untouched and as fragile as Antarctica.
Here's some of my pics if anyone is interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benhew/sets/72057594058889177/
Olsen
Well-known
I have tried to find more pictures from the 'Hurtigruten' voyage, but have not found any really good ones. Here is one 'fan-page': http://www.hurtigruta.info/#Alle_Hurtigrutene