Ms Midnatsol Voyage Handbook 2019–2020
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voyage handbook MS MIDNATSOL VOYAGE HANDBOOK 2019–2020 1 Dear Adventurer 2 Dear adventurer, Content 3 ––– Congratulations on booking an ––– It will provide you with good extraordinary voyage on board advice, practical information, and Europe 4 MS Midnatsol! notes that will make your voyage even more enjoyable. ––– Roald Amundsen’s success as Norway 6 an explorer is often explained by ––– You will also find information his thorough preparations before on the destination you will be Antarctica 8 departure. He once said, “Victory exploring. We hope you find this Content awaits him who has everything in inspiring. Protect the Antarctic from order”. Being true to Amundsen’s 12 invasive species heritage of good planning, we en- ––– Welcome aboard for the courage you to read this handbook. adventure of a lifetime! Environmental 14 commitment Your Hurtigruten Team Important information 16 Frequently asked questions 17 Life on board MS Midnatsol 18 Practical expedition 20 information Practical information — 26 before and after voyage Pack like an explorer 28 Our team on board 30 Landing by small boats 28 Important phone numbers 32 Maritime expressions 33 MS Midnatsol deck plan 34 COVER FRONT AND COVER BACK PHOTO: © KARSTEN BIDSTRUP / HURTIGRUTEN 2 3 © KARSTEN BIDSTRUP / HURTIGRUTEN / KARSTEN © BIDSTRUP European nations had colonies fjords and white beaches, high We are proud all over the world, and European mountains, green valleys, and explorers searched for new lands lush forests. Migrating birds can to be your choice and new trading routes. Both be seen in almost all areas, and World Wars were largely focused each region has its own wildlife. for your upon Europe, and post-war Our Expedition Team will give experience of there was a decline in Western you lectures on the nature, histo- European dominance in world ry, and geology of interest during a lifetime affairs from the mid-20th century your voyage. on when the United States and the Soviet Union became very POPULATION The archipelago CLIMATE Europe lies mainly in powerful. During the Cold War, of the Azores has a population of the temperate climate zone. The Europe was divided along the around 250,000 people unevenly climate is milder in comparison to Iron Curtain between NATO in distributed across the islands with other areas of the same latitude, the west and the Warsaw Pact in the majority living on São Miguel. due to the influence of the Gulf the east. European integration led Spain has over 46 million people Stream, nicknamed “Europe’s to the formation of the European living there and with less than 92 central heating,” because it Union which has expanded east- inhabitants per square km, it is makes Europe’s climate warmer ward since the fall of the Soviet lower than that of most Western and wetter. During spring and Union in 1991. Today, 28 nations European countries. France’s autumn months, temperatures in are members. current population is over 65 this area will normally be around million and continues to grow. 50-59 ºF. LANGUAGE The languages of the destinations we visit include SHOPPING ASHORE Sales and CURRENCY The Euro is the most Portuguese, Spanish, French, and import taxes have already been prevalent currency in Europe, German. figured into the display price at but there are still a few countries most stores and shops. europe that use their own currency. MOBILE PHONES ASHORE Small bills (€1/€2 and £1/£2) Using your mobile phone with TIME ZONE Germany: Hamburg have been replaced by coins. roaming can be very expensive. uses UTC +01:00, Heligoland There are ATMs everywhere in Please check with your mobile uses UTC +01:00. Portugal: Europe (airports, train stations, provider before traveling. Access Continental Portugal uses scattered across cities, etc). Most to Wi-Fi varies from destina- UTC+00:00, while the Azores ATMs have an English language tion to destination and changes use UTC–01:00. Netherlands: Explore the European coastline, from the captivating ports option. You will also be given the rapidly. Amsterdam uses UTC .01:00. exact current exchange rate. Most Belgium: Ostend and Antwerp on the Atlantic coast to remote islands in the North Atlantic European businesses take credit/ NATURE AND WILDLIFE Europe use UTC + 01:00. France: uses Ocean. debit cards; Visa and MasterCard has a relatively large land mass UTC +01:00 in the areas we sail © NORADOA / SHUTTERSTOCK/ NORADOA © are the most widely accepted. that stretches from the extreme in. Spain has two time zones and ––– Old civilizations, magnificent cities, and hidden gems— north to the far south, and we can uses UTC+01:00 throughout HISTORY Europe was the birth- see great variations in landscape Spain, except the Canary Islands. prepare to be amazed on voyages sailing along historical place of Western culture, playing within small areas. The coast- Canary Islands use: UTC+00:00. an important role in global affairs line of Europe offers it all, from Daylight saving time is observed coastlines. From the remote islands in the North Atlantic by the 16th century. Between hilly lands to rolling plains, busy in all those places, which adds a Ocean to the scenic region along the southern coast of Spain the 16th and 20th centuries, towns and silent villages, deep +1 hour to their local time. and Portugal, our voyages let you explore iconic and pictur- © KARSTEN BIDSTRUP / HURTIGRUTEN esque destinations in an active way, giving you rare insight into European history and culture. Our itineraries include both well-known sights and hidden gems, and our Expedition Team will prepare lectures to enhance your experience and create a better understanding of each place we visit. © KARTSEN BIDSTRUP / HURTIGRUTEN / BIDSTRUP KARTSEN © 4 5 era (800-1050BC) with strong NATURE AND WILDLIFE Norway is a trade relations and colonies in Deep fjords, islets, and the high Greenland, Ireland, England, mountains of the Scandes, unique country Scotland, and Normandy. which belong to the Caledonien Norwegian history is synonymous mountain range, characterize and continuously with this era, which was responsi- the Norwegian landscape. The impresses with its ble for the major expansion of the climate differences create a entire Nordic region. variation in the vegetation from enormous the north-European deciduous Christianity was introduced in the forests in the south, to the Boreal contrasts 11th century but took many centu- forest and the Fjellbirke forest to ries before it was fully accepted; it the tundra vegetation in the north CLIMATE The climate shows a is believed Norway’s Golden Age and on the mountain plateaus high range of variation due to the was the late 13th and early 14th Approximately 200,000 elks enormous extension of more than century with substantial inter- ramble through the Norwegian 1,056 miles from the south to the national trade with Britain and forests, while most reindeer are north. Germany. half domesticated and belong to the Sami population, several thou- The North Atlantic drift has a Norway suffered the black death sand wild reindeer are still living positive influence on the climate in 1349 where many commu- in the Hardangervidda and the at the western side of the Scandes, nities were entirely wiped out, Dovrefjell. while the eastern side experiences ending this Golden Age. From a more continental climate with 1380 onward, there were many The wolf was on the verge of extremely cold winters and warm political alliances between vari- extinction but there are now vari- summers. The Gulf of Bothnia ous Scandinavian countries with ous projects in place to protect can be frozen for a month while Norway gaining independence them, while brown bears and the Atlantic coastline stays ice briefly in 1814 before a forced wolverine are living in the forests norway free. union with Sweden which but are rarely seen. lasted until 1905 when Norway The heating of the North Atlantic proclaimed full independence. Norway’s birdlife is abundant and drift causes the possibility of a varied, and within the rich waters vast expanse of agriculture, even Norway is rich with natural of the Norwegian sea there are in North-Finnmark at a latitude resources, and with large reserves vast amounts of fish including of 70° north. The height of the of petroleum and natural gas cod, halibut, and coalfish. There Scandes causes enormous rain- discovered in the 1960s, it is now are plenty of places for whale Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is falls on the windward side of the a prominent and wealthy country watching but Andenes is specif- © FJORD NORGE / PAUL EDMUNDSON PAUL / NORGE FJORD © mountain range. For example, with one of the highest standards ically renowned for its sperm Europe’s most north-western country. It is a the city of Bergen is famous for of living in the world. whales. sovereign and unitary monarchy whose terri- its rain, whilst on the leeward side the farmers often need an LANGUAGE Norwegian is the POPULATION Norway’s popula- tory includes the island of Jan Mayen and the irrigation system for an efficient most widely spoken language tion in 2018 exceeded 5.2 million. harvest. and is closely related to archipelago of Svalbard. Swedish and Danish. English SHOPPING ASHORE In Norway, ––– The western boundary is formed by the CURRENCY The currency in is commonly spoken across sales tax / VAT is included in the Norway is Norwegian Kroner Norway. retail prices. Norway is a great North Atlantic with deep fjords and thou- (NOK). Foreign currencies may place to shop for traditional be exchanged into local currency MOBILE PHONES ASHORE Norwegian clothes and the sweat- sands of islets creating a remarkable coastline. at most banks during the voyage. Using your mobile phone with ers are of great quality.