Feb 12–27, 2027 Hurtigruten Round trip from Oslo
15 days along the Norwegian coast to the North Cape and back, with six shore excursions included and Matt Dawson travelling with the group the whole way.
Until departure
Cabins are held, not sold, online
A few questions, then a short call. He will walk you through the decks, what is left, and what the week actually looks like from on board. Nothing is charged and nothing is held until you say so.
Who books this trip
01
Long enough that you have stopped mentioning it. This is a fifteen-day voyage built around the one thing you actually want to see, in the darkest, clearest stretch of the Arctic winter.
02
You are not looking for a deal on a balcony. You are looking for someone who has been there, knows which excursions are worth the day, and will book the ones that are.
03
Fifteen days, twelve ports, flights into Oslo in February and six excursions to book separately. It is a genuinely complicated trip to assemble, and it is already assembled.
04
A small group of people who chose the same trip for the same reason, with Matt travelling alongside you for the whole voyage. Nobody is holding an umbrella in the air.
Typically 35 to 70, and an even split of men and women.
What it costs, and what it covers
Meals, drinks and the shore excursions Matt selected are all inside the fare. The optional menu is not where this trip gets expensive.
Lower deck
$4,999
per person, double occupancy
Middle deck
$6,499
per person, double occupancy
Upper deck
$8,099
per person, double occupancy
Cruise fare only, flights separate. Single occupancy and the deposit
schedule are confirmed on the call, because both depend on the category
you choose.
Optional pre-cruise extension: Copenhagen and Oslo, 6 nights, February 6 to 11, 2027, $1,799 per person.
Your host
Matt Dawson has spent 6 years building bucket list trips out of Adventures by Matt in Orlando, and he holds one rule above the rest: he will not sell a destination he has not travelled himself. That is the difference between an itinerary assembled from a supplier brochure and one built by somebody who knows which day is worth getting up for.
He is on board for all 15 days of this one. Not meeting the group at the pier, not sending a rep. Travelling with you.
Before you ask
Fair question, and it is the reason the first step here is a conversation rather than a payment link. This is a small group of bucket list travellers who chose a fifteen-day Arctic voyage on purpose, which is already a strong filter. Matt is checking that you are a fit for the group just as much as the other way round, and he will tell you if he does not think it is your trip.
Yes, and it is worth understanding exactly what it is. It is Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise, not a marketing line. Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights Promise applies to voyages of 11 days or more departing between September 20 and March 31. A sighting counts when it is recorded by the ship’s officers and announced on board. If none occurs, Hurtigruten provides a 6 or 7 day Original Coastal Express voyage, inside twin cabin, full board, free of charge. Full terms apply.
No. International flights are separate, which is deliberate: it lets you use miles, fly from your own airport and choose your own cabin class. Matt books flights for guests who want him to, and will tell you when to book rather than leaving you to guess.
Cold, and less brutal than people expect. The Norwegian coast is warmed by the Gulf Stream, so it runs milder than the same latitude in Canada or Siberia. The ship is warm, the excursions supply the serious outer layers, and Matt sends a packing list that has been through this before.
Plenty of people on group trips are, and it is one of the more common reasons someone joins one. Ask Matt about the single supplement on the call, because it varies by cabin category and it is worth knowing the number before you fall in love with a deck plan.
A deposit holds your cabin, and the balance is due before departure. The exact figures depend on the category you choose, so Matt confirms them on the call rather than quoting a number here that may not be yours.
Six shore excursions are included in this package that you would otherwise book and pay for one at a time, chosen by someone who has been to the region rather than picked off a menu. Matt is also on board for the full fifteen days, which is not something a booking engine offers.
Feb 12–27, 2027 From $4,999 per person
Send Matt your questions and he will tell you honestly whether this is your trip. There is nothing to pay to have that conversation.