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Help Norwegians celebrate the return of Spring on a new Hurtigruten cruise

To help Norwegians celebrate the return of spring, guests travelling with Hurtigruten between March 15 and May 31 can join a brand new ‘Arctic Awakening’ theme cruise.

This includes a wide range of shore excursions and on board activities and the celebration of the Norwegian National Day on May 17.

Shore excursions take guests closer to the marine life, migratory birds and coastal animals and allow them to experience the Norwegian spring awakening first-hand. Included is the brand new ‘Kayaking in Tromsø’ excursion where participants paddle along the coast surrounded by an impressive mountain landscape.

Other excursions include a trip to the largest seabird colony in Scandinavia on the bird island of Runde and to the national park on the Varanger peninsula, which is home to an overwhelming number of different species of birds.

The theme of the activities on board is ‘Secrets of the Sea’ and guests will have the opportunity to learn different skills, such as how to shell prawns and fillet fish, all under the guidance of local fishermen who come on board especially for this purpose.

The zest for life shown by Norwegians during spring finally culminates in Norway’s National Day on May 17. The entire population celebrates this day with colourful parades throughout the country. Bands and orchestras play, filling the streets with the sound of music, and national costumes are worn with pride.

May 17 will be celebrated on board all ships in the Hurtigruten fleet and guests and crew can come together to celebrate with handmade banners and enjoy time singing and dancing.

In the ports, guests can mingle with the locals amidst a great deal of excitement and laughter – many of whom will come on board to sample the delicacies of the Norwegian cake buffet.

A variety of talks are also offered on the ships providing guests with information about the history of National Day, the royal family of Norway and the national costumes.

A six-night ‘Classic Voyage North’ with Hurtigruten to copin ide with the National Day celebrations sails from Bergento Kirkenes by the Russian border and costs rom £1,384pp cruise only based on two sharing. Flights can be booked via Hurtigruten from £500pp.