For 90 years the Coastal Express became the most important communication link between the north and south and it is from these pioneering voyages that the Hurtigruten tradition stems.

Translating as ‘fast route’, it was the quickest and most reliable passage into the remote lands of northern Norway, regardless of weather conditions. Indeed it was not until 1893 that the mail delivery was finally entrusted to road and air routes.

It is this heritage and experience that marks out Hurtigruten as one of the most professional and proficient expedition voyage operations on the planet.

During the middle years of the 19th century a few steamers plied the waters along Norway’s northern coast in an attempt by the Norwegian government to unify the country.

In 1893 the government offered permission for a regular route to be opened up, an offer rejected by all but one man – Richard With.

On 2 July, 1893, Captain With and his boat the Vesterålen sailed from Trondheim, on a journey to Hammerfest that was to take 67 hours and arrived 20 minutes ahead of schedule! Realising the journey was now indeed possible, a number of other companies joined under the Hurtigruten banner.

Following Norway’s independence in 1905, the Great War of 1914 saw the next development in the Hurtigruten story.

Kirkenes was included in the route, whilst the reduced production and increased cost of coal deliveries from England resulted in the service being drastically reduced. The Depression years then saw the route regularly disrupted, before the Coastal Express began a boom period, with 1936 seeing the beginning of a daily sailing from Bergen.

There were now 14 ships linking the coastal communities, visiting more ports than ever and transporting some 230,000 passengers annually.
The Second World War heralded a dark time for Hurtigruten, suffering the loss of 9 ships and some 700 people, with ironically the Allies destroying twice as many vessels as Germany.

Following the war it was vital to rebuild the fleet as quickly as possible. The first 4 commissioned ships set new standards in comfort and service, quickly followed by 11 more over the following decade.

The latter years of the 20th century saw Hurtigruten’s role change, as cars became more popular and the ship's original remit changed. New ships were built with passenger comfort in mind, with more cabins and panoramic lounges being included to accommodate a new kind of traveller.

A new generation of ships was built between 1993 and 2007, ensuring that today we have a fleet of custom designed vessels capable of safely negotiating not only the rugged coastal waters of Norway and the Arctic, but also the remote lands of Spitsbergen and Greenland and the southern oceans off Antarctica.