In a nutshell
- A working fjord cruiser with a heated saloon, an open deck and a wheelhouse you can look into.
- The red king crab is an introduced species in the Barents Sea, released in Murmanskfjorden in the 1960s.[1]
- The cruise is a self-captured lunch: the crab you eat is the crab this boat hauled aboard.[2]
- The tour lasts 4.5 hours with a live guide speaking Norwegian and English.[2]
- Priced from US$261, it lets you book now and pay later, with no-cost cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.[2]
- Top choice Arctic King Crab Cruise from US$261 Duration4.5 hours[2]Live guideNorwegian, English[2]Rating4.45 from 87 reviews[2]CancellationFree up to 24 hours[2] Check availability
- Polar Fishing Adventure from US$136 Duration2 - 3 hours[3]Live guideEnglish[3]Rating4.72 from 421 reviews[3]CancellationFree up to 24 hours[3] See this tour
- Fjord Cruise & Fishing from US$136 Duration4 - 5 hours[4]Live guideEnglish[4]Rating4.72 from 5,096 reviews[4]CancellationFree up to 24 hours[4] See this tour
The winter months January and February 2021 were relatively cold along the entire Norwegian coast, and while the cold trend remained throughout May in the northern part, the temperature conditions were more normal or warmer in the southern, western, and central parts of Norway.
Verdict: This boat earns its lunch
On the boat
What kind of boat this is
The boat on this tour is a working cruiser, the kind Norwegian skippers use when they need to get a small group out to the fjord in comfort and still do a real job when they get there. She has a wheelhouse up top, a saloon inside, and an open deck with rail space for everyone during the haul. The windows are placed so you can keep watching the water even when you would rather be warm. This is the boat behind the Tromsø Arctic king crab cruise with self-captured lunch.[2]
She sits between a ferry and a fishing trawler: steady in the water, easy to board, and set up so you can move from cold deck work to warm seats in seconds. The red king crab she is after is an introduced species in the Barents Sea. Russian scientists released it in Murmanskfjorden in the 1960s, and from there it spread to Norwegian waters.[1] That history is part of why the crew treat the catch with care and respect.
In 4.5 hours the crew takes you out, hauls the pots and brings you back to port.[2] The cruise is built around a single idea: go out, haul, and eat what you caught. It is a working day at sea, arranged so that you can simply enjoy it, and the boat is small enough that you see every part of that work up close.
The saloon
Inside, the saloon is where the trip becomes lunch. Tables are set with cloths, big windows let you watch the water, and the heating takes the edge off the Arctic. With Tromsø's average winter temperature near -4°C,[5] that warm room turns a winter cruise into a pleasure instead of a challenge. You will arrive with cold cheeks and leave with a full plate.
The crew gathers everyone here before sailing and again after the haul. This is the self-captured lunch part of the listing name: the crab you eat is the crab the boat caught on the same trip.[2] Guests who started as strangers finish lunch as tablemates, comparing what they saw on deck while the plates of split legs go round.
Snow falls beyond the glass, the table fills with food, and for a while the cold outside seems very far away. That contrast, bright deck and warm saloon, is the rhythm of the trip. You will want a seat by the window.
The catch comes aboard, then it comes to the table.
The deck, and the haul
The deck is the working heart of the boat. The crew passes out insulated suits, you take a spot along the rail, and the wind hits your face in the way you came north for. When the pots come up, the deck fills with movement: rope, snow, seabirds, and the heavy shape of the crab itself. It is quick and a little thrilling, and it happens right in front of you.
King crab fishing in Norway is managed, and the main boundary for the fishery runs at 26°E, about at Nordkapp.[9] The detail that stays with you, though, is the moment the catch appears and the crew explains what you are looking at. It is honest work, done in full view of everyone on board, and the crew let you follow the catch from pot to table.
You do not need boat skills. The crew does the hauling; you do the watching. What you take away is the memory of standing in falling snow as the pots come over the rail, then following the same crab inside for lunch. That is the self-captured part of the day.[2]
The wheelhouse
Up top, the wheelhouse is the captain's space, and on a day trip it is also a fine place to watch the fjord open up. The electronics, chart screens and controls do the navigating while the skipper talks about tides, depths and the places the crab like to sit. You are welcome to look in and ask questions; the crew are used to curious guests.
From the wheelhouse you get the highest view on the boat: islands sliding past, snow over the water, and the low winter light that makes northern Norway look like a photograph. The crew's pride in the boat shows in the details, polished rails, tidy lines, a wheelhouse that feels lived-in rather than showroom. That is the boat you want under you when the weather turns.
If the skipper has time, you will hear stories about the fjord and the seasons, told without hurry. The wheelhouse is a working place, but it is also part of the experience, and one of the best spots for photographs.
from US$261
A 4.5-hour Tromsø king crab cruise with a self-captured lunch and live guiding in Norwegian and English.[2]
How it rides
The cruise stays in the sheltered waters around Tromsø, so the ride is gentle for most of the trip. Fjord water can still chop up when the wind arrives, but the hull is built for it. In winter 2021 the seawater along the Norwegian coast was relatively cold, and in the north that cold lasted through May.[10] The short winter days mean you may sail in soft light all afternoon.
Winter is also when the wildlife shows up. North of Tromsø, in the fjords, orcas and humpback whales gather to eat herring.[11] In September and October, the herring set off, moving northeast to spend winter off the coast and in northern Norway's fjords.[12] Keep your eyes on the water and the crew will point out what they see.
If you sail in aurora season, the northern lights may be visible from late August to early April, whenever the sky is dark and clear enough.[8] On a boat, that means watching the green light from the deck with no city glow in the way, then warming up in the saloon before the next look.
Choosing this boat over another
Tromsø has plenty of boats: fjord cruises, whale watching trips, polar fishing adventures. For this tour, the reason to choose the king crab boat is the catch itself. The listing is the Arctic king crab cruise with self-captured lunch.[2] Everything else, the saloon, the deck, the crew, serves that one goal.
Compare it with a standard fishing trip. From Tromsø, a polar fishing adventure costs from US$136 and runs 2-3 hours.[3] A fjord cruise with fishing costs from US$136 and runs 4-5 hours.[4] The king crab cruise costs from US$261 and runs 4.5 hours: a live guide speaks Norwegian and English, and the meal comes from your own haul.[2]
You pay more than a basic fishing trip, and the difference is the crab. On this boat, the objective is a single, spectacular catch that becomes lunch, not a bucket of small fish. If that sounds like your kind of day, this is the boat, and the self-captured lunch is what you will remember.
Where the boat leaves from
The cruise departs from Tromsø, the city people call the gateway to the Arctic. Getting there is straightforward: Tromsø Airport sits about 10-20 minutes away from the city centre.[13] If you are staying in town, the quay is a short walk or taxi ride away, and the crew will tell you exactly where to meet when you book.
Tromsø is far north, and the seasons are dramatic. Polar night in Tromsø runs for about 27 November until 15 January.[6] The midnight sun is generally present from around 20 May through 22 July.[7] Between those, winter brings short, bright days and long dark evenings made for aurora chasing.
Layer up for changeable weather: thermal base layers, a warm mid layer, waterproof outer layer. The boat provides the right protection for standing on deck, but your own layers keep you comfortable before boarding and after stepping off. Tromsø's average winter temperature sits near -4°C.[5] Plan for cold and you will not be surprised.
King crab tour from-prices
From-prices in US$: Tromsø cruise, official Tromsø fish tour, Kirkenes RIB safari, Kirkenes winter fishing.[2][14][15][16]
Compare king crab tour prices
From-prices in US$.[2][14][16]
When to go
How your trip unfolds
Meet at the quay
Head to the departure point in Tromsø with time to spare and find the crew.
Settle in
Find a seat in the heated saloon and watch the harbour slip away.
Sail to the pots
The crew steers for the fjord and the places the crab like to sit.
Watch the haul
Insulated suits keep you warm as the pots come up over the rail.
Share the lunch
Back inside, the day's catch becomes a self-captured lunch.
Return to port
The whole cruise runs 4.5 hours.[2]
Ready to board the king crab boat?
from US$261Reserve now & pay later
