We did the full 12 day trip in May last year on the Finnmarken and had beautiful weather the whole time.
I must admit that towards the end we were ready to get off though. Yes it was very relaxing and the food was all really nice with plenty of choice, the scenery was very interesting with some things being real highlights. We come from a warm climate and managed with hats, gloves and scarves and Gortex jackets and polar fleece as Barbara said and we spent a lot of the time out on deck.

Some of the towns do appear to be made up of concrete bunkers from the ship but considering the weather they have to endure I guess you have to expect that. DH and I got off the ship at every opportunity and walked as far as we could in the time alloted, this ranged from quick 30 minute stops to a couple of hours.

Just be aware that any excursions you will have to pay extra for. We really enjoyed the trips to Svartisen Glacier, Gieranger Fjord and Norcape.

We really enjoyed the casualness of it and appreciated not having to change to go into the evening meal. As another poster said, bedtime got later and later as we just kept staying up to see the midnight sun then we found it difficult to sleep as it was so light.

Many people, including me, caught a virus that was circulating our ship and several others at the time and I guess being quarantined in our cabin for 3 days has soured our memories a bit of our trip. The cabin crew were wonderful in very trying conditions but the overall management of passengers with the virus was extremely poorly executed. We did write to the Hurtigruten office to suggest some things they could do to improve the treatment of ill passengers to this apparently common virus but received a very uninterested letter in return.

One thing that clearly sticks on our minds was the ever present smell of cooked fish so if you don't like fish...............

We did enjoy our journey and we are glad we did it but hindsight we feel the best leg was the northbound journey and yes, for us, maybe 7 days would have been long enough.

Best wishes with your planning.

Little late with a reply but was just looking over Norway and since my wife and I did the round trip Hurtigruten trip in August (a couple years ago) and found it one of the nicest trips we have taken. The train trip from Oslo to Bergen was very nice - during the day. We found the ship very comfortable with an international group of travelers who were very friendly. The cabin was small but we only slept there and there were many public areas where we could check the passing sigths- beautiful! Some stops were short on the way north but you got more time in those towns on the way south. The shore trips were all very interesting and gave you a number of breaks from what some have mentioned - bordom? Anyway, we are senior citizens and thought the trip was GREAT!

We did the southbound itinerary and the time flew by. The stops and excursions are different for the northbound and southbound trips, so a round trip is ideal. Here's our review : http://www.notabletravels.com/destin...rtigruten.html

Thank you LindaFasteson for your wonderful review. I'm more determined than ever to make this trip. Did you book the excursions through Hurtigruten?

The excursions were booked with Hurtigruten and I enjoyed them all. Whether you take a tour of Oslo and Bergen or go on your own depends on your preferences and budget. Both cities are generally compact and walkable.

Oslo:
http://www.notabletravels.com/destin...Oslo/Oslo.html

Bergen:
http://www.notabletravels.com/destin...en/Bergen.html

Have a wonderful trip!