::: Lofoten :::

[Seagull]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

Thrilled you’ve worked out you’ll get to SEE Nordstjernen on her last roundtrip Sarnia…just be sure to take a photo between all that waving!…(especially as I’m not aboard her to be waved at that point! )

[Sarnia]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

A few more pictures of Lofoten in April 2006

In Kirkenes, still in winter :







In Risøyrenna :

[Sarnia]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

In Risøyhamn :



In Sortland (I think, or Stokmarknes?) :



Somewhere in the Vesterålen :



A few minutes before the Trollfjord :



And one last picture of this trip, taken in Tromsø. The lit cabin (yellow/orange light) is our cabin, #A400. There are 4 "A" cabins on this deck, between the restaurant and the bar. The location is ideal, the cabins I think are slightly larger than other A cabins, there are two large square windows, and I was amazed at how quiet this cabin was (even though it shared a wall with the kitchens). No kitchen noise, no engine noise, nothing. We tried to get a similar cabin for our upcoming trip but apparently they book very fast!

[Ralf__]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

#565/1 1 is my favourite of this set. I have seen the pictures also in you blog, thank you anyhow for posting them again. A40X cabins are indeed very nice, although my favourites are the cabins on deck 3. I like the working ship atmosphere on deck 3.

[Sarnia]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

Thank you Ralf!
Is "Deck 3" the "Deck B" on this plan?

[HurtigruteMartin]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

Thank you Ralf!
Is "Deck 3" the "Deck B" on this plan?

My very dear friend RALF.

As an "official ambassador" and a true ambassador of MS Lofoten, you should know that we count decks with LETTERS on the traditional ships. Not with NUMBERS. .

I have personally ONLY slept in cabins on the A-deck aboard Lofoten. Mainly because they are not so expensive. But also because I love the old original wooden beds. And also love the sounds and vibrations of the engine and the propellar.

If I am not very wrong, I think the location of the A2 400-406 was the dining room for 2.class-passangers when there still was a class-system. And that building this cabins was a part of the modernizing-process in the 80`s.

VEEEERY nice report, Sarnia. Thank you for sharing.

[Ralf__]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

IIIIIIEEEEKKKK!

I am spoiled by the new ships. Of course it is deck B according to the English plan.

But if you have a closer look to that plan, there is a deck missing! Below deck A are more cabins, which are not mentioned in this plan! So please compare the German site:

http://www.hurtigruten.de/Utils/Hurt...ten/?tab=decks

Here the English deck B is called deck A, deck A is deck B and the missing English deck is deck C.
By the way, the Norwegian site is like the English one.

So you see, the German ambassadors count different anyway!! But i think, we are - typical German - more detailed and slightly more exact.


Like you, i never had a cabin on deck B/A/3. But in my dreams i stay always there...

[Sarnia]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

But if you have a closer look to that plan, there is a deck missing! Below deck A are more cabins, which are not mentioned in this plan! So please compare the German site:

http://www.hurtigruten.de/Utils/Hurt...ten/?tab=decks

Does it means there is a special deck for German passengers? Now I want to visit this deck and figure out why other parts of the world can't know about it! (the French plans are also similar to the English ones). Is there a special password to enter?

I saw recently a similar problem with Nordstjernen's plans. I received an offer with very low prices on "E" grade cabins for the Spitsbergen trips, but there are no "E" cabins on the English (or French) plans. . But they are there on the German plans! (although there are many cabins on the lower deck that seem to be forbidden to German passengers...)

[Ralf__]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

Password? How did you find that out? Yes, there is. You have to look for this phone:



The password is: "Reiserücktrittskostenversicherungsformular".
So it is guaranteed, that only Germans may enter that deck...



To be serious, of course it is free access and i visited it on Lofoten, Nordstjernen and old Finnmarken. Often these cabins are held accessible for distance travellers like HurtigruteMartin. Maybe on Nordstjernen they need some more storage rooms or crew cabins, therefore might be less bookable.

[HurtigruteMartin]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

I wonder if the letter "E" in E-category-cabins, means E-nginenoice-category

Yes you are right. The decks-plan on the official web-site, does not include the tiny cabins down at the "basement". Nice to read that the lowest cabin-deck is described on the German site, Ralf.

In some paper-booklets the lower deck is included on the decks-plan.

When I clicked on the link posted by Sarnia, and then clicked on "Cabins" (to the left at the menu), I also Only found a dscription of suites, Junior-suites, N, P and U-category cabins. So I think the company only want to make PR for the most luxury and expencive cabin-categories.

[ombugge]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

Somewhere in the Vesterålen :

What kind of seamanship is this??? They are steaming around with the hatch open, the crane up, deck cargo unsecured and mooring ropes laying uncoiled on deck!!!

I know they are sailing mostly in protected waters, but there is something called SMS, ISM and HSE, all of which will state that this is not done.

Yes, they have sailed this route and done this for years, but one fine day you have an unexpected event happening (grounding, collision, fire, flooding etc.) and you should always be prepared for it.

[Sarnia]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

What kind of seamanship is this??? They are steaming around with the hatch open, the crane up, deck cargo unsecured and mooring ropes laying uncoiled on deck!!!

I know they are sailing mostly in protected waters, but there is something called SMS, ISM and HSE, all of which will state that this is not done.

Yes, they have sailed this route and done this for years, but one fine day you have an unexpected event happening (grounding, collision, fire, flooding etc.) and you should always be prepared for it.

If I remember this moment correctly, it was just minutes after leaving the harbor in Risoyhamn, and all the things you mentionned were in the process of being corrected (except the unsecure cargo, it stayed that way).

[Guest]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

... so make a note everyone – Sarnia is sailing Bergen/Kirkenes/Svolvaer aboard Lofoten, departing Bergen on March 3rd. With so much excitement about Finnmarken’s return to service and Nordstjernen’s departure, I wouldn’t want our members’ voyages on other ships to get overlooked!

Thank you Seagull, I needed a reminder. Alas, Sarnia sail through my area on a Sunday, and the Weekend bus schedule is quite lacking. Meaning several hours of waiting in a Sunday-closed Stokmarknes or Sortland.

Dear Sarnia, I hope to meet with you some time!

[Sarnia]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

Thank you Seagull, I needed a reminder. Alas, Sarnia sail through my area on a Sunday, and the Weekend bus schedule is quite lacking. Meaning several hours of waiting in a Sunday-closed Stokmarknes or Sortland.

Dear Sarnia, I hope to meet with you some time!

This means I will have to return on a Hurtigruten Coastal Express trip again!
Well... This might happen! I didn't expect this trip to be so addictive...

I'm quite new on this board but I'm really humbled by the warm welcome I received, thank you so much.

[Guest]

Re: ::: Lofoten :::

Of course you have to return! Would be nice to have a longer trip together.
Now that Nordstjernen no longer will sail, I have to use Lofoten for my biannual rough-sea Finnmark-trips...
Yes, this forum is an absolutely wonderful place!!!