Hurtigruten has announced will offer expedition cruises to Norway from Dover, Hamburg and Bergen with three ships, including the MS Maud (former MS Midnatsol).

Powered with biofuel and packed with green technology, three small, custom-built Hurtigruten expedition cruise ships will operate expedition voyages along the Norwegian coast – with year-round departures from Dover, Hamburg and Bergen starting from January 2021, according to a press release.

“We have seen an increasing demand for closer-to-home departures. We expect this to further increase in the wake of COVID-19. To give our guests even more flexibility, we have decided to expand our offering with year-round expedition cruise programs from both UK, Germany and Norway,” said  Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.

From Hamburg, the fully upgraded the MS Otto Sverdrup (current MS Finnmarken), will take guests on two different summer and winter itineraries to the North Cape and back. 

From Dover, the MS Maud (current MS Midnatsol) will offer guests a special winter itinerary, maximizing time above the Arctic circle to enjoy spectacular northern lights – including an overnight stay in Tromsø. During the summer months, the company’s Norway expedition cruises will take guests to North Cape and back.

In addition, Hurtigruten is offering two new summer itineraries from Dover: One exploring the British Isles, the other to off-the-beaten-track destinations in Southern Scandinavia.

From Bergen, Hurtigruten will offer year-round departures with MS Trollfjord. Sailing directly from the fjord capital of Bergen, the MS Trollfjord will maximize the time spent exploring the Norwegian coastline to North Cape and back, the company said, including off-the-beaten-track destinations such as Reine in Lofoten, Fjærland and Træna.

The company said all three ships will run on biodiesel.