The captain of one of Norway’s classic Hurtigruten coastal vessels had to evacuate 70 passengers after they all woke up to a terrible stink on Tuesday. Water used to clean a cargo hold that had stored salted fish accidentally flooded into passenger cabins, making them anything but hospitable. “There were around 600 liters of the […]
Smoother seas for Hurtigruten
May 21, 2013
Norway’s famed coastal shipping line Hurtigruten could report some improved results last week but continues to face booking challenges during the winter season. Bookings from European passengers were also said to be tough, given economic problems on the continent. Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) reported that the legendary shipping line, however, logged its best operating result […]
Classic ‘Lofoten’ calls at Lofoten
March 25, 2013
PHOTO FEATURE: As the Easter holidays settled in, there was no break for the “Hurtigruten” vessels that sail up and down the Norwegian coast. We spotted several calling at Svolvær in Lofoten over the weekend, including the classic old ‘MS Lofoten,’ which still plies the route between Bergen and Kirkenes and berthed once again in […]
Hurtigruten ship ran aground
March 5, 2013
Norway’s coastal shipping line Hurtigruten suffered another accident Monday night, this one rather embarrassing, admitted the captain involved. While showing tourists the opening of the famous Trollfjord on the eastern end of the Lofoten peninsula, the vessel ran aground. “This isn’t any fun, but what can I say,” Brynjar Ulvøy, captain on board the Hurtigruten vessel […]
Rough seas for Hurtigruten
February 14, 2013
Higher costs, lower revenues and a spate of unfortunate events cast Norway’s venerable coastal shipping line Hurtigruten into rough seas last year. The line logged a heavy loss, twice as big as the one the year before, but now hopes for smoother sailing. This year also seems off to a turbulent start, with recent reports […]
Ship tunnel plan sails forward
January 28, 2013
Plans for a huge tunnel for ships at Norway’s stormy West Cape might finally be given the go-ahead this spring. It would be the first such tunnel in the world and could become a major tourist attraction, but critics blast the project as being a fantasy without social merit. If approved, reports newspaper Aftenposten, the […]
Hurtigrute ship sailing again after crash in Bergen
January 9, 2013
The Hurtigruten ship MS Vesterålen was cleared to resume sailing along Norway’s coast on Wednesday after what officials call a “mysterious” crash into its pier at Bergen on Tuesday. The collision tore down a passenger bridge and caused minor damage to the vessel as well. “It’s still a mystery why the Vesterålen suddenly lost power […]
Cost cuts propel Hurtigruten’s move
December 9, 2012
Another round of cost-cutting is behind an impending move by Hurtigruten, the coastal passenger and cargo shipping line, to a new, consolidated head office in Tromsø. Hurtigruten will be leaving Narvik after 100 years, affecting the jobs of around 140 employees. Hurtigruten sent a message to the Oslo Stock Exchange late last week saying that […]
Extra Hurtigruten support was illegal
October 9, 2012
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) has ruled that a transport contract between the Norwegian state and the coastal shipping line Hurtigruten has included illegal state support of the shipping line. An EFTA court upheld an earlier conclusion by EFTA’s Surveillance Authority (ESA) on Monday, and its ruling can’t be appealed. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that […]
Hurtigruten ads banned in China
July 2, 2012
Norway’s famed coastal voyage called “Hurtigruten” had targeted the emerging market of Chinese tourists but suddenly seems to have found itself Shanghaied by Chinese authorities who are angry with the Norwegian government. Hurtigruten will no longer be allowed to market or promote Norway or its coastal cruises along the Norwegian coast in China, according to […]
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