(Newser) – Always wanted to go on a cruise, but dislike the cost and hassle? Thousands of Norwegians feel the same way, which is why they're catching the beautiful coastal views from their ... living room sofa. Live televised coverage of a midsummer cruise along Norway's picturesque coast of fjords and islands has become the most watched TV show in the Nordic country. The program had 2.5 million viewers—more than half the population—last weekend, with almost 700,000 tuning in just before midnight yesterday, says public broadcaster NRK.

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The program has followed the MS NordNorge on its six-day trip from Norway's second largest city Bergen in the south to Kirkenes, 1,500 miles away in the north near the Russian border. With so much popularity, passers-by have been greeting the ship along its route, with many waving flags or following in speedboats. (Read more Norway stories.)

