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Hurtigruten AS

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the shipping company. For the route along the coast of Norway that the company is also named after, see Hurtigruten.
Hurtigruten AS
Company typeLimited
IndustryTransport
Founded1866 as Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap
1881 as Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab
1912 as Ofotens Dampskibsselskab
FounderRichard With (VDS)
HeadquartersOslo, Norway
Area served
Norway
Svalbard
Key people
Hedda Felin (CEO)
ProductsCruise line
Ferry transport
Freight shipping
Revenue655.6 euro (2023) Edit this on Wikidata
SubsidiariesHurtigruten Svalbard
WebsiteHurtigruten (in English)
MS Kong Harald (coastal express) in Geirangerfjord.

Hurtigruten AS is a Norwegian coastal ferry service and cruise line headquartered in Oslo, Norway.[1] It is the larger of two companies currently operating Hurtigruten, the coastal ferry service along the Norwegian coast from which it takes its name.[2]

The CEO is Hedda Felin.[3]

History

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Hurtigruten AS is the result of a merger between the previous operators of the Hurtigruten service, Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap (TFDS) and Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (OVDS). TFDS was founded in 1866, and OVDS was established in 1868. The two companies merged in March 2006 to form Hurtigruten Group ASA, and twelve months later the merged entity assumed the name Hurtigruten ASA.[citation needed]

Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab and the company founder, Richard With, pioneered the Norwegian Coastal Express in 1893, and Hurtigruten has continuously served the route since then[4].  

In 2012, the company headquarters was moved from Narvik to Tromsø.[1] In October 2014, TDR Capital purchased a majority ownership of Hurtigruten.[5] In 2015, the legal form of Hurtigruten was changed from ASA to AS.[6]

In 2021, the international and the Norwegian branches of the company was separated operationally. In 2024, HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) and Hurtigruten became completely separate as independent companies[7].  

Operations

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The Coastal Express

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Hurtigruten is one of two operators sailing the original and iconic route of the Hurtigruten (literally "The Fast Route"), stopping at 34 ports from the southern city of Bergen and the northeastern city of Kirkenes. A total of 8 ships operate this route[8].

Signature

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In addition to the Coastal Express, Hurtigruten also sails two Signature routes[9] along the Norwegian coast: The North Cape Line[10] and The Svalbard Line[11].  

These routes are currently operated by two ships: MS Trollfjord[12], which sails The Svalbard Line between Bergen and Longyearbyen in summer and The North Cape Line between Oslo and Honningvsåg in winter; and MS Finnmarken[13], which operates The North Cape Line from Hamburg to Honningsvåg. MS Midnatsol will join the fleet as a Signature ship from May 2026[14], sailing The Svalbard Line and The North Cape Line from Hamburg.  

Tourism

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The company also owns Hurtigruten Svalbard[15] (formerly Spitsbergen Travel), a tour and hotel company based in Longyearbyen.

The Hurtigruten Museum

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The Hurtigruten Museum is a maritime museum located in the port city of Stokmarknes, Norway that showcases the history of Hurtigruten. The MS Finnmarken, retired from the coastal express and a museum ship now, is located within the Hurtigruten Museum.

Current fleet

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As of 2024, Hurtigruten AS operates 10 ships in its fleet:[16]

Ship Built Last refit Dimensions Capacity Notes Ship image Ref
Length (m) Beam (m) Gross tonnage Beds Passengers Cars
MS Vesterålen 1983 2022 108.55 16.5 6,261 301 490 24 [17]
MS Kong Harald 1993 2016 121.8 19.2 11,204 498 590 - [18]
MS Richard With 1993 2018 121.8 19.2 11,205 458 590 12 [19]
MS Nordlys 1994 2019 121.8 19.2 11,204 471 590 24 [20]
MS Polarlys 1996 2016 123 19.5 11,341 503 619 26 [21]
MS Nordkapp 1996 2016 123.3 19.5 11,386 480 590 24 [22]
MS Nordnorge 1997 2016 123.3 19.5 11,384 476 590 32 [23]
MS Finnmarken 2002 2020 138.5 21.5 15,690 554 - - Formerly MS Otto Sverdrup until 2025 drydock[24] [25]
MS Trollfjord 2002 2023 135.75 21.5 16,140 576 822 35 [26]
MS Midnatsol 2003 - 135.75 21.5 16,151 632 970 32 Formerly MS Maud between 2021 and 2024[27] [28]

Former assets

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Buses

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Hurtigruten ASA owned 71.3% of the transportation company TIRB. The shares were sold to Boreal Transport Nord AS in July 2014 for 95.9 million NOK.[29]

Car ferries

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Hurtigruten AS operated a number of roll-on/roll-off car ferries in Nordland, Troms, Finnmark and Møre og Romsdal.

Hotels

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Hurtigruten AS owned two hotels in Bergen; Neptun Hotel and Strand Hotel. The hotels were sold to Bergen Hotel in 2008.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lysvold, Susanne (6 December 2012). "Hurtigruten legger ned i Narvik og flytter til Tromsø". NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  2. ^ "'Hurtigruten' (Norwegian Coastal Express) ferry, and coastal cruises". Archived from the original on 19 September 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Meet Hedda Felin | Hurtigruten CEO". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  4. ^ "Timeline of Hurtigruten's History | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  5. ^ Eilertsen, Hege (28 November 2017). "Hurtigruten First To Use Hybrid-Fueled Expedition Vessels". High North News. Translated by Bergquist, Elisabeth. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  6. ^ Vaeng Sæbbe, Linda (3 February 2015). "Slik blir hovedkontoret, form og styret i nye Hurtigruten AS". Vest 24 (in Norwegian). Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Hurtigruten Announces Acquisition by Consortium of Existing Investors Contributing More Than EUR 360m of New Capital into the Business". Mynewsdesk. 2024-11-28. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  8. ^ "Cruise Ships | Hurtigruten Cruise Ships | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  9. ^ "All-Inclusive Hurtigruten Cruises | Signature Voyages | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  10. ^ "Learn more about The North Cape Line | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  11. ^ "Svalbard Cruise | The Svalbard Line | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  12. ^ "MS Trollfjord: Discover Norway's Coastal Majesty | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  13. ^ "MS Finnmarken (prev. Otto Sverdrup): About the Ship | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  14. ^ "Hurtigruten Expands Signature Fleet with MS Midnatsol from Summer 2026". Mynewsdesk. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  15. ^ "Hurtigruten Svalbard | Hotels, Activities, Mini Cruise and Restaurants". hurtigrutensvalbard.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  16. ^ "Our ships". global.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  17. ^ "MS Vesterålen: Explore Norway's Coastal Heritage | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  18. ^ "MS Kong Harald: Explore Norway's Coast | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  19. ^ "MS Richard With". global.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  20. ^ "MS Nordlys: Experience Norway's Northern Lights | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  21. ^ "MS Polarlys: Uncover Norway's Northern Wonders | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  22. ^ "MS Nordkapp: Explore Norway's Northern Cape | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  23. ^ "MS Nordnorge: Voyage to Norway's Northern Regions | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  24. ^ "Hurtigruten ship returns to its original name – MS Finnmarken". Mynewsdesk. 2025-04-11. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  25. ^ "MS Otto Sverdrup: Discover Coastal Explorations | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  26. ^ "MS Trollfjord: Discover Norway's Coastal Majesty | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  27. ^ "MS Maud". global.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  28. ^ "MS Midnatsol | Hurtigruten". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  29. ^ Bjørklund, Marco (9 July 2014). "TIRB er solgt". Troms Folkeblad. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014.
  30. ^ "Bergen Hotel overtar Hurtigruten Hotels". Horecanytt. 19 June 2008. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
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