Dec 19, 2020
Best time of our life - Thank you for the amazing experience! The captain was really kind and helpfull! We would really recommand this private tour! It is a once in a lifetime experience!
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Mar 15, 2020
Petting a beluga whale! - Had a great time with Captain Per on a trip aboard Arctic Queen to a fjord south of Tromso where a beluga whale had been sighted a day or so before. We entered the fjord and sure enough, the beluga came up to the boat. My wife leaned down and petted him. Quite the experience.
The Arctic Queen is a 35-40-foot diesel-powered boat and is quite comfortable for six (there were five passengers and Per on our trip). Safety was definitely on Per's mind; he insisted that we wear life jackets and survival suits while outside the cabin. The survival suits are bulky to put on but are quite comfortable and were warm in the near-freezing air temperature.
On the way back to Tromso we were all served Norwegian fish soup. That alone was worth the trip--it was delicious! That night I ordered Norwegian fish soup at dinner. It was good, but not as good as Per's!
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Nov 1, 2019
A great day exploring the fjords - We booked the whale watching tour, however as soon as we boarded we were told that due to a storm in the whale watching area we would be unlikely to see many, if any whales, and would be going to a less stormy area. Although this was disappointing at first, we had an amazing day on this boat. Jerome was a very attentive host, making sure we were all comfortable always. We went to an uninhabited island, and caught our own fish for dinner. It can get pretty cold outside, so it was good to have a cosy cabin to retreat to with hot drinks and snacks always available. We had a really memorable day.
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Apr 20, 2019
Norway should be enjoyed from the sea - It was an amazing experience. The whole trip lasted about 7-8 hours from departure to arrival. We got to chase around a couple of orcas from up close and see a few other whales from a distance. But the real experience is looking upon the beuatiful Norway fjords and breathing in the cold fresh air. Experienced and very friendly captain and very nice comfy boat with hot drinks and a few snacks. Got a bedroom if you feel like lying down. Cold resistant overalls are provided, but better bring a fullface and snow-goggles depending on when you go. Recommend for sure.
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Nov 6, 2018
Excellent trip around the Fjords - We had a wonderful trip on the sea. Thomas was a fabulous skipper, who not only explained a lot of what we were able to see but also cooked a wonderful fish soup for us. Thank you very much!
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Feb 9, 2023
Horrible ! - We were supposed to go on a trip on the arctic queen. After a phone call a few days prior to ask id we could switch days - to be then told that we will keep the same dates afterall … we had to call several times to make sure the reservation was confirmed. I was indeed a bit worried regarding the organization of the trip. On the morning of the trip- my friend and I showed up just to be told amongst other people that the trip is cancelled because we are not enough people. If they hadn’t move the dates around like they did they would have noticed.
We were then placed on another boat with many other people. Exactly what I wanted to avoid by going on a “luxurious” boat.
The organization is terrible, we ended up loosing money since they still refuse to give us a refund ( they payed the alleged difference but forgot conversion rate) and are not answering my emails anymore.
If you want ro book with them … just expect the worse
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Feb 2, 2019
A traumatising experience that left me sick for days - I was looking forward to this experience, joining my wife and a few cousins on this boat trip to see the whales and orcas. There was very little of anything positive to take away from the experience. Firstly, we had understood that the vessel would only carry a total of 6-7, instead there were 11 of us in total. The size of the boat should only be permitted to carry 6-7 max. It was too cramped, with some of us having to stay in the cabin, whilst the rest of us were cramped in the dining area. The whole trip was only supposed to take 5 hours in total, and we thought we would be back by early afternoon. Instead, we didn't get back until around 6pm, with a total of around 9 hours on the boat. The trip out to the sightseeing destination was OK, but when we got to the final destination, the Captain wasted time in heading towards what he thought were whales on his radar, only to see that they actually just buoys. I would have thought that he'd know what they were, given he would have frequented this area on other trips out. We then spent a significant amount of time finding the whales; ultimately he just headed to where the other boats were so we can see them. Due to this, we were only able to do the actual whale watching for around 45 min to 1 hour.
Heading back to Tromso was a terrible experience. I can't emphasise this enough. The water was super choppy and the rain was thundering down, and for a decent amount of time, I felt that the boat was going way too fast, causing the front end of the boat to crash constantly. We understand that weather conditions can't be controlled, but for safety reasons, I would have expected the Company to anticipate this and make an assessment on whether to go ahead with the tour. The trip back took almost 4 hours, and I couldn't wait to get off. Due to the time, we weren't provided with the designated meal (fish soup). From start to end, we were basically stuck on a cramped boat with only chips and biscuits until 6pm.
On the way back, a number of us were throwing up, as the boat continued to crash the waves. Due to the lack of space, a number of us had to sit on the floor. An awful experience.
As a result of the boat ride, I became very sick and was bed ridden for a few days, completely ruining my 'sweden' leg of the trip. I couldn't go out, instead having to stay in bed until I was better.
I won't lie, this was a traumatising experience, only saved by the short time we had seeing these majestic creatures.
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