HX Hurtigruten Expeditions, MS Maud, Northern Europe Review

MS Maud, Northern Europe

We hadn't actually realised what we had signed up for but once we were immersed in all the activities provided we found that we were having a great time. There were daily lectures on various aspects of nature/environment which we were to discover as we journeyed north to Svalbard and again as we visited many of the islands forming the outer edge of the Norwegian coastline. We hopped on and off RIB boets to enable us to access beaches close to various glaciers. Not quite as easy as it sounds as I and several other 'guests' were elderly and rather less mobile than we might once have been. The team leaders were brilliant though and many a helping hand ensured that no-one fell into the Arctic Ocean accidentally, there were a few brave 'stand-up paddleboarders (not us) who did just that and another few hardy souls who braved the 'Polar Plunge' for a few chilly minutes.
Whilst my husband enjoyed many hikes/treks/rambles in congenial company I was able to visit and admire the architecture and history of several towns and other places of interest.
On our visit to see the Atlantic Road we found the amazing bridge shut off to us for a while as filming for an advertisement for a brand new luxury car was taking place. We look forward to seeing that advertisement on TV in due course.
Sadly we did not actually see any polar bears ourselves although one was caught on camera at a great distance from the ship. We did, however see white tailed eagles and humpback whales and dolphins. Our cetacean specialist was thrilled to spot and phorograph 3 beluga whales which she had long been wanting to do.
A particular highlight for us was visiting the huskies and getting to drive them in a wheeled sled.
We did find the main meal menus disappointing in that there were few choices available but with only 250 passengers onboard a 500capacity ship it would have been unreasonable to expect very much more. Breakfasts and lunches were buffet style and, as such, perfectly adequate.
Would we do it again? No, we're not getting any younger, but we have so many memories to treasure .
Value for money? Yes, for all the experiences we had and for the wonderful, friendly staff and crew.