It is fabulous if it is for you .
It is a ferry that takes people and things from port to port , there are many stops , some just a few minutes , some longer, some during the night . This is for the coastal express etc , but Hurtigruten also do signature cruises which are more geared to tourism, have less and longer stops.
It is not a cruise in the traditional sense , there is no evening entertainment , and normally just an orientation lecture during the day , the scenery and wildlife is the entertainment and, at the right time of year the northern lights.
Food is very good , cabins are fine , don’t waste money on cabin as you will just sleep on it. Drink is expensive in Norway although I think the signature voyages do an option with alcohol during meals included.
Excursions are expensive , but all the towns and villages are just where the ship docks even in big places like Bergen so it’s easy to get off and walk around. We splashed out on a couple of unforgettable excursions eg dog sledding .
Weve been in winter and early spring as the snow makes everything otherworldly and also to see whales. Be aware there are not a lot of daylight hours.
There are hot tubs on board and it’s fun to sit in one when it’s minus something watching ice bergs go past.
The fun of Hurtigruten are they are small, working ships , you make the trip your own. We met some fabulous people including people who grew up on Svalbard who showed up around . Norway is incredibly beautiful . However for some people a Hurtigruten may be too stripped down an experience , we’ve loved it and been back a couple of times.