Last Thursday, Norwegian broadcasting company, NRK, started airing the 5 day trip of the\u00a0Norwegian cruise ship Nord Norge from Bergen to Kirkenes.\u00a0 Nord Norge is one of many Hurtigruten ships that sail along the coast of Norway as a mode of transportation for everyday Norwegians and a spectacular treat for visiting tourists.\u00a0 The entire 5 day trip with the 670 passenger and crew aboard\u00a0was aired, minute by minute (as suggested in the title of the program) and it absolutely captivated the Norwegian population.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Minute by Minute” aired for 134 hours on public Norwegian television; it has been determined that 2.54 million (over half of the Norwegian population) tuned in.\u00a0 Thousands from outside of Norway watched the program as well.\u00a0 NRK never thought the program would be so popular.\u00a0 Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, was quoted saying that “This is Norway at it’s absolute best.”\u00a0 What a cool thing.<\/p>\n
I can’t speak for the whole population, but many of the Norwegians I know have not traveled that awfully much in Norway.\u00a0 They are great about getting out of Norway and traveling south for example to catch some sun during the winter.\u00a0 However, I know plenty of Norwegians down south who have never been up north.\u00a0 The opposite isn’t usually true because Oslo, the capital, is in the south and most people have had to be there for some reason or another.\u00a0 Regardless, the Hurtigruten is not an experience every Norwegian has had, much less seeing the entire northwestern coast.<\/p>\n
I have only been on one leg of that trip-from Bergen to \u00c5lesund and it was unbelievable.\u00a0 I’ve never experienced anything like that.\u00a0 Tremendously beautiful.\u00a0 The great thing about this program is that the cameras were placed not only on the ship itself.\u00a0 Other vessels sailing nearby filmed Nord Norge, as well as cameras in the ports when the ship would drop passengers off or pick them up.<\/p>\n
Viewers\u00a0got so excited about it, when the ship came into port, people would be waiting for her flying Norwegian flags or would have spontaneous gatherings to view the program.\u00a0 Rune Moeklebust, the program leader, said that “The program seemed to have evoked national pride in a country enamored with nature.”<\/p>\n
The point during the voyage\u00a0when\u00a0the most viewers tuned is was when Nord Norge sailed ino Lofoten at midnight, when the sun was shining bright.\u00a0 Queen Sonja greeted the ship as she sailed into her destination, Kirkenes, the northern Norwegian city on the Russian border.\u00a0 What a trip.<\/p>\n
And some information about the ship itself:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n