EUROPEAN CRUISE INVASION

Hurtigruten

Typical is the Norwegian company Hurtigruten, a brand that was active in North America for a number of years under the name Norwegian Coastal Voyages, a nod to its origins as a transportation service along Norway’s craggy peninsulas
and fjords.

A decade ago, it decided to emphasize its expedition business, rather than coastal cruising, in North America.

Well known at home in Europe, Hurtigruten remains obscure to Americans who, if they know about cruising at all, are familiar with names such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess.

Against behemoth ships from those brands, Hurtigruten sails the 317-passenger Fram and the 970-passenger Midnatsol, pitching them from a marketing and reservations office in Seattle with only 50 people, even following a recent expansion. 

Undaunted, Hurtigruten is intent on becoming better known here, said William Harber, president for the Americas at Hurtigruten. In 2012, new investors recapitalized the company, paving the way for it to order a newbuild fleet of 530-passenger,
state-of-the-art polar expedition ships.

The first of the two, the Roald Amundsen, is scheduled for delivery next year, with the second, the Fridtjof Nansen, to follow.

“For Hurtigruten, that means a big opportunity to attract new guests,” Harber said.

The line could rely on countries where it is better known, such as Germany, its No. 1 source market, and the Scandinavian lands, but with new, expensive ships on the way, it has to prospect more broadly.

“Last year, 45,000 people sailed in Antarctica, and 15,000 of them were Americans,” Harber said. “So in terms of the expedition cruise business, the U.S. represents an outsized proportion of total cruisers and also
cruisers to Antarctica.”

Harber and his Hurtigruten team are hoping the line’s long experience in Norway and other icy climes will give it credibility and appeal as it makes its way in the crowded expedition field.

“Cold water cruising is in their DNA. They do it better than anyone,” Harber said. “The captains just know what they’re doing in these waters. That’s what they call home.”