New York, NY, June 2008 -- Hurtigruten is offering travelers four Independent Vacations of 12, 13, 14 and 17 days that couple Norwegian Coastal Voyages with land and rail components, affording travelers a rich and rewarding picture of the "real" Norway. The 14-day "Scandinavian Tours Sampler" also includes two days in Reykjavik, Iceland. These unescorted vacations provide independent travelers the chance to arrange their own dining and sightseeing experiences but at cruise tour prices, with fares ranging from $2,999 to $5,199 per person, double for those selecting cabins and $3,699 to $10,299 for suites. Fares include intra-country air; first or superior first-class hotel accommodations; Oslo and Bergen cards providing free and discounted admission on sights and attractions; train journeys; transfers; port charges; and three meals daily aboard ship. Departures are available year-round.

The centerpiece of each independent vacation is a seven-day northbound, six-day southbound or 12-day roundtrip cruise that sails along a 1,250-mile stretch of the stunningly scenic Norway coastline, indented with numerous fjords, with calls at 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes, above the Arctic Circle. The cruise, described in Lonely Planet's "Bluelist" as the "world's most beautiful voyage," features an eclectic array of ports, including Trondheim, one of the country's oldest cities and a thriving university town; the Lofoten archipelago, with peaked mountains and villages filled with rust-red fishermen's cabins; and Alesund, destroyed by fire in 1904 and completely rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style.

The packages also include significant sightseeing opportunities in Kirkenes, Bergen and Oslo, and a rail journey aboard the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen, traveling through spectacular, unspoiled fjord country. Kirkenes, perched at the edge of Veranger Fjord, is home to Pasvik Nasjonal Park, where travelers can stand at the meeting point of Norway, Finland and Russia. In Bergen, founded in the 11th century, guests can explore the city's waterfront, Bryggen, which has been designated a World Heritage site, and travel to Troldhaugen, the home of composer Edvard Grieg, now a museum. Oslo, a city filled with hiking trails, forests and lakes, features dozens of attractions, including the Edvard Munch and Viking Ships museums, and Vigeland Park, with its life-size statues by the country's renowned artists.

Hurtigruten is a world leader in exploration cruising, sailing to the remote destinations of Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic's Spitsbergen. For more information about the cruise and optional excursions, contact Hurtigruten at (800) 323-7436 or (212) 319-1300; fax (212) 319-1390; for brochures, (800) 666-2374, 24 hours a day; www.hurtigruten.us.

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Gillies and Zaiser, 10 Nytko Drive, Suite 115, Pomona, NY 10970-2646

HTN-17-June, 2008