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he dancing lights were even more dazzling than I’d But there are few other bells and whistles aboard the Fin-
imagined. And so were the experiences I hadn’t imag- nmarken. No casino, spa or kids club, no lavish shows, come-
Tined: dog sledding through the Arctic outback, hunting dians or karaoke. Cabins are comfy, but simple and compact.
the Aurora aboard a snowmobile that zipped along a vast icy Bathrooms are small but efficient, with much-appreciated heat-
tundra on a moonless night; lodging in a Snow Hotel, where ed floors – but water temperature sometimes changed errati-
even my bed was made cally in the cramped
entirely of ice – and feast- shower. The shower
ing on king crab harvest- was equipped with
ed from a hole cut in a a flimsy curtain and
frozen fiord, savoring one an all-purpose liquid
of the best (and certainly, soap dispenser. (Many
most memorable) meals passengers bought
ever. shampoo, conditioner,
My Arctic Winter body lotion and tissues
turned out to be a trip of during shore stops;
a lifetime. none of these basic
I traveled aboard Hur- amenities was provid-
tigruten’s Finnmarken, a ed in cabins.)
455-foot-long working For a week we sailed
freighter. We visited 34 north along the Nor-
ports during our week- wegian Coast, from
long voyage, delivering Bergen to Kirkenes.
everything from tea to Some of our stops oc-
toilet paper, from cars to curred in the dead of
corpses. The ship also night, sometimes for
serves as a mail boat, a as little as 15 minutes –
commuter ferry for local families and day-tripping backpack- just long enough for something or someone to be boarded or
ers – and a 320-cabin cruise ship. It’s the Rolls-Royce of its off-loaded. During day stops, we usually had time to explore
breed, even boasting a sauna, outdoor swimming pool and two ashore on our own, or by joining one of the optional Hurti-
hot tubs. gruten shore excursions.

28 Wine Dine & Travel 2016