A Norway Cruise That Offers Flexibility and Very Little Fuss

HURTIGRUTEN MEANS “fast route” in Norwegian, and the company’s ferry trips up its home coast are certainly that—in seven days, the boat pulls into 34 harbors. I too had a tight schedule, with just a few days to explore a country with 15,626 miles of coastline and 50,000 islands. Though I made it to only three ports, I did cross the Arctic Circle and get a taste of life in the northern latitudes, where one of Hurtigruten’s 11 large ferry ships makes this trip virtually every day of the year.

My plan was to take the train…