The Svalbard Express and The North Cape Express
Your questions answered about the facilities and services on board MS Trollfjord
Know before you go
We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
Passport and visas
All guests must present valid travel ID documents when they check-in to a voyage. This can be either:
A valid passport with a validity of six months post-voyage
A national ID card with travel rights (for Nordic residents and residents of Schengen countries)
Please note that a valid passport or EU/Schengen travel ID is required for those travelling on The Svalbard Express. You will not be permitted to disembark the ship while it is docked in Svalbard without one.
All guests should obtain up-to-date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of the destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling.
Vaccinations
There are no compulsory vaccinations or health requirements for travelling to Norway, but it is the responsibility of all passengers to check and make sure they comply with any health requirements at the time of travel. For the most up-to-date guidance, check the Norwegian Institute for Public Health website.
We suggest you consult your doctor or relevant health authorities about any precautions you should take with regard to deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).
Prohibited items
Hurtigruten complies with ISPS regulations (International Ship and Port Security System) so all luggage is inspected by X-ray/metal detector upon arrival at the port facility or ship. These regulations also include hand baggage scans in all ports of call throughout the course of your voyage.
The below list is not exhaustive. The SSO/Captain are authorised to make a professional judgment as to the legality of any item declared, detected, or discovered on board.
Prohibited items include:
Illegal drugs, narcotics, and illegal substances
All firearms including replicas imitations, non-firing weapons, starting pistols and their components (including but not limited to the following items: Guns, operational or replicas, ammunition of all types, BB Guns, Compressed Air Guns, including Paint Ball Guns, Flare Guns, Gun Lighters, Gun/Firearms Parts, Pellet Guns, Spear Guns, Starter Pistols, Realistic Replicas of Firearms)
All explosives and replicas (including, but are not limited to, the following items: Blasting Caps, Dynamite, Fireworks, Pyrotechnics, Hand Grenades, Plastic Explosives, Bomb Making Components, Gun Powder)
Pointed weapons and sharp objects (including, but not limited to, the following items: throwing stars, flick- or gravity knifes, daggers, knifes or scissors with blade longer than 7 cm (including folding pocket knives), open razors, Spears or Spears gun, archery equipment, crossbows, crossbow bolts and long bow arrows, sabers, swords, Skean Dhus or Kirpans, axes)
Blunt weapons (including, but not limited to the following items: knuckle dusters, brass knuckles, clubs, coshes, batons, flails or nunchaku and other items adapted or intended for use as an offensive weapon)
Restraining Devices (including, but not limited to the following items: handcuffs, leg or head restraining straps)
High voltage stun devices and items containing incapacitating substances (including, but not limited to the following items: tasers, gas guns, tear gas spray, mace, phosphorus, acid and other dangerous chemicals that could be used to maim or disable, poison)
Flammable substances unless carried in limited quantities (including, but not limited to the following items: petrol, methylated spirits, lighter fuel, paints, thinners, large batteries, etc)
Candles or incense
Compressed gas tanks, bottles, cylinders (including, but not limited to the following items: dive tanks, propane tanks, large aerosol cans)
Items containing heating elements (including, but not limited to the following items: Immersion Heaters, Heating blankets, infrared heaters, flat irons, water heaters, coffee machines, etc)
Remote-controlled or independent flying devices (including, but not limited to the following items: drones, toys, kites of any kind)
Self-balancing hover boards, air wheels, scooters, Segways
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB), ham radios, satellite phones, transformers, laser and laser pointers, signalling jamming devices
Though we always do our utmost to stick to our sailing schedule, the weather on the Norwegian coast often has other plans.
When the water is too choppy or the fog is too thick, your safety comes first, every time. That's the case even if it means we have to change our itinerary or cancel onshore excursions at the last minute.
Just like weather on the Norwegian coast, we can't control what wildlife you get to see on your voyage with us. A lot depends on the season, migration patterns, and pure luck.
Nature and wildlife on the Norwegian coast are unpredictable, but really, that’s what makes the surprise encounters all the more special.
Choosing when to travel on The Svalbard Express and The North Cape Express
If your chosen departure date for The Svalbard Express or The North Cape Express is more than three months (90 days) from the date you are booking, your voyage may include flights and/or onshore hotel nights before or after your voyage.
Example:
You want to travel on The Svalbard Express on 19 August. The current date of you making the booking is 18 May. There are 91 days between the two dates.
As the date you want to travel is more than three months (90 days) from the current date of making the booking, your Svalbard Express voyage may include flights and/or hotels.
To benefit from the included package, please make sure you book your voyage early, by at least three months (90 days).
If your chosen departure date for The Svalbard Express or The North Cape Express is less than three months (90 days) from the date you are booking, your voyage will NOT include any flights or onshore hotel nights before or after your voyage.
Your voyage may therefore be shorter than the published voyage by a day or two. This will be reflected in the travel dates and price when booking.
Example:
You want to travel on The Svalbard Express on 19 August. The current date of you making the booking is 22 May. There are 87 days between the two dates.
As the date you want to travel is less than three months (90 days) from the current date of making the booking, your Svalbard Express voyage will NOT include any flights or hotels.
Your travel date will change by one or two days to be 20 or 21 August. The shorter itinerary will also be reflected in the price.
Information about life on board The Svalbard Express and The North Cape Express
If you’re travelling on a full voyage, you’ll be able to choose your cabin grade and cabin number at no extra charge (subject to availability). If you’re on a half voyage, it is not possible to choose your exact cabin number.
Please note that cabins on decks with access to outside areas may sometimes have an obstructed view and/or have other passengers walking past the window. Some cabins may experience noise and vibration during docking and loading of goods. This varies depending on the location of your cabin. Please ask our reservations team for advice on the best cabin location for you.
During your voyage, our onboard Coastal Experience Team will enhance your experience by offering an exciting programme of activities and 'edutainment'. Join one of their expert lectures and learn about Norway's wildlife, history, culture and geology, or listen to one of their 'tiny talks' about natural phenomena such as the Northern Lights.
Our Coastal Experience Team also issues a daily programme of optional onshore excursions and activities, including hikes, snowshoeing or fishing trips. They also have photo equipment for rent and are on hand to help you get the most out of your photography during your voyage.
Norwegian Kroner (NOK) is the onboard currency.
We operate a cashless system on board and accept Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and Diners Card. You can also use your cabin card on board to order snacks, drinks, meals, excursions, and guided hikes. The balance is then settled at the end of your voyage.
We offer a wide range of plant-based options for lunch and dinner. Our chefs can also cater for special diets and some food allergies if you let us know ahead of time. It is very important that, at the time of booking, you make a point to tell us clearly about any food allergies you have.
The sockets used on board are the 220v AC, two-pin Continental type. Please bring your own adapters with you if needed.
To avoid delays, all guests must be ready for boarding no later than 15 minutes before departure in all ports. If you board the ship in Bergen, you need to be in the terminal no later than 30 minutes before departure.
You’ll have the option to explore the ports we visit at your leisure. Please ensure that you are back on board in time, especially if the ship arrives with a delay but departs on time to keep to schedule. The departure time will always be clearly displayed at the gangway.
Please note that the ship cannot wait for late passengers. If you miss your ship, you will need to arrange transport by yourself and at your own expense to the next port on the schedule.
Luggage handling is not included for disembarking guests on The Svalbard Express. In Bergen, all travellers need to walk through customs with their luggage and transport their own luggage from the cabin. Information regarding luggage handling and disembarkation at other ports is available when on board.
For more details on check-in times for your voyage, please see the following:
Your voyage is full board with all meals included.
As part of our Norway’s Coastal Kitchen concept, dishes are made from locally sourced ingredients, many of which are freshly fished, plucked, and farmed, and then delivered directly to our ships at the ports we visit.
Breakfast is served from 7am in the main restaurant Flora, and consists of a selection of cold meats, cheeses, eggs, cereals, and fruit, with freshly baked bread, pastries, and sveler pancakes. Lunch and dinner are served à la carte from 12pm and 6pm.
Brasserie Árran takes its inspiration from Norway’s Sámi people, and serves traditional dishes for lunch and dinner.
Suite guests can also choose to dine Røst, our fine-dining restaurant, where a Norwegian-inspired afternoon tea and à la carte dinner is served. Cabin guests can also dine here for an additional charge. Check the opening times when on board.
On evenings with fixed seating, Suite guests can request their preferred dining time when booking, although this may be subject to availability. Cabin guests will be assigned their dining time when they first check-in on board.
It is not common practice to tip on our ships, but if you feel that crew members should be rewarded for providing exceptional service, tip boxes are placed in the restaurant together with envelopes.
We offer complimentary Wi-Fi on board MS Trollfjord.
Please note that signal varies depending on different locations on the ship. As the ship sails in remote regions of Norway, speeds may also be slower and not suitable for streaming services.
There will be a fully trained, qualified nurse on board. The ship is also never too far from land should urgent medical assistance be required.
While on board, all guests are asked to maintain good hand hygiene, and to wash hands regularly. You are required to wash or sanitize your hands before all meals. Hand sanitizer is available all over the ship.
We use air-conditioning systems that provide constant air supply - the air is not recycled.
All guests must have personal travel/health insurance. If you depend on medication, please remember to bring sufficient supplies to last through any unforeseen delays. Such delays, while rare, can and do happen. We also recommend that you keep your medication in your hand luggage, properly labelled, and with clear instructions for its use.
If you need to bring a prescription, Norwegian pharmacies require this in paper format with a doctors' signature. Mobile, email or app prescriptions will not be accepted.
Norwegian and English are the official onboard languages. The Coastal Experience Team, reception staff, and crew also often speak German as well.
Most of our excursions can also be conducted in two or three languages. Please contact the Coastal Experience Team on board for further information.
It is a requirement that all passengers attend a compulsory safety briefing in Bergen, Longyearbyen, Tromsø, or Oslo, depending on where you first board the ship. If your voyage starts in Bergen, the safety briefing will be in the terminal lounge before embarkation. In Longyearbyen, Tromsø, or Oslo it will be on board the ship after embarkation. The briefing lasts between 10-15 minutes and is mandatory for all guests, including those who have travelled with us before.
The briefing will include a demonstration of how to put on a life jacket and the instructions to be followed in the unlikely event of an evacuation or other emergency during the voyage. There will be an opportunity to ask questions if you have any concerns. Please familiarise yourself with the emergency procedures as shown on the diagram on your cabin door and in public areas, and ask at reception if in doubt.
There is an onboard shop stocked with a selection of high-quality, handcrafted, local goods. We sell clothing by well-regarded Norwegian brands, outdoor equipment suitable for excursions and hikes, as well as authentic gifts and souvenirs. There is also a small selection of toiletries available for purchase.
We recommend pre-booking excursions to avoid disappointment. You can do this up to four weeks prior to departure.
Any remaining excursion places will be sold on board and will be charged in Norwegian Kroner at the ship’s exchange rate.
Please note that all excursions are provisional and subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the viability of certain excursions. Excursions may also be subject to minimum/maximum numbers.
Smoking, including e-cigarettes and vaping, is only permitted in designated areas on the outside decks. However, all forms of smoking are strictly forbidden even in designated areas when the ship is in port and refuelling. The crew will advise guests when this is the case.
A cleaning fee of approximately NOK 1500 will be charged for smoking in the cabin. This is to cover the cost of washing bedding and curtains to bring the cabin back to a non-smoking standard.
MS Trollfjord is equipped with stabilisers for smoother sailing. However, there may still be some swaying when winds and waves are high.
Since 2018, we have banned the use of non-essential plastics on our ships, and encourage our guests not to bring them on board. Please remember to turn off lights when leaving your cabin and unplug any electrical transformers when not in use. When ashore, kindly bring your litter back to the ship or dispose of it in public bins.
Rubbish sorting and recycling is standard practice aboard MS Trollfjord.
Whenever we are near wildlife, please heed the advice of your Coastal Experience Team and excursion guides, and act in a way that does not interfere with the wildlife’s natural behaviour.