13 January 2009

Free flights offered to join Hurtigruten cruises

Free flights to join Hurtigruten cruises around the Norwegian coast are being made available to encourage early bookings.

The free flight offer provides claimed savings of up to £420 per person taking a Classic Round Voyage following the Norwegian Coastal Voyage route for bookings made by February 28.

Available on selected voyages between April and September 2009, this is the first time the company has offered agents free flights to promote on summer departures during the key booking months of January and February.

The deal can also be combined with an early booking discount of up to 30%.

Free flights are available from eight UK airports - Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The offer applies to the full 12-day Classic Round Voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes in the north and back which calls at more than 30 ports of call.

Prices, including early booking discount, start at £1,326 per person including full board accommodation, a night in Bergen and free flights. Transfers and taxes are also included.

Hurtigruten head of commercial Kathryn Beadle said: "Agents have fed back to us that our free flight offers are an excellent hook that helps them close a sale.

"So for this year, we’ve put the offer out in the key booking months of January and February and can offer substantial savings.

"I hope agents up and down the country will get behind this promotion and push it hard to any potential customers.

"Traditionally these are the most popular months on the coastal voyage as the weather warms up and the Midnight Sun can be enjoyed, therefore the opportunity to take advantage of free flights will, I am sure, prove very popular."

by Phil Davies