Ocean Cruising · Expedition

Hurtigruten

A working Norwegian coastal route since 1893, now with expedition ships too.

Hurtigruten logo

Overview

Sailing with Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten started as a coastal mail and cargo route along Norway, reaching small towns nothing else could get to. It still runs that route today, alongside a newer expedition fleet built for polar waters.

Good to know

  • Expedition and coastal styles both offered
  • Strong environmental focus
  • Small ships, remote ports

What Makes Them Different

What sets Hurtigruten apart

Over a century of Norwegian coastal service

Over a century of Norwegian coastal service

The original route between Bergen and Kirkenes still runs today, one of the longest continuously operating coastal routes anywhere.

Hybrid-electric expedition ships

Hybrid-electric expedition ships

MS Roald Amundsen was among the first hybrid-powered cruise ships built, part of a real push to cut emissions in polar waters.

True polar range

True polar range

One of the few lines that actually covers Norway, Svalbard, Greenland, and Antarctica.

The Fleet

Hurtigruten ship classes

Classic Coastal Fleet

Classic Coastal Fleet

Ships like MS Trollfjord, MS Richard With, MS Nordkapp, MS Polarlys, MS Kong Harald, and MS Vesterålen, most dating from the 1990s and 2000s, still running the original Bergen to Kirkenes route and carrying freight and locals along with passengers.

  • Calls at 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes, reaching small coastal towns no standard cruise ship ever visits
  • Interiors built from regionally sourced wood, stone, and slate, so the ship itself reflects the coastline you are sailing
  • All-inclusive dining plus an onboard sauna and outdoor hot tubs for watching the coast, or the Northern Lights, go by
Hybrid Expedition Ships

Hybrid Expedition Ships

MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen, launched in 2019 and 2020. Hybrid-electric power, reinforced hulls, and onboard science facilities built for Antarctica, Svalbard, and Greenland rather than the coastal route.

  • MS Roald Amundsen was the world’s first hybrid electric-powered expedition cruise ship, cutting fuel burn by roughly 20%
  • It is also the first cruise ship to run on battery power and the first hybrid-electric ship to sail the Northwest Passage
  • The Science Center runs real onboard research programming, led by an expedition team rather than a cruise director

Next Step

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