Norwegian coastal voyages
Hurtigruten voyages
Two ways to sail the Norwegian coast
Hurtigruten runs two very different things under one name, and most people never learn the difference until they are already aboard the wrong one. One is a working ship that has carried mail, freight, and local passengers along this coast since 1893. The other is a proper cruise, with long days in port and nearly everything included. Both are wonderful. They are not interchangeable, and I am here to help you know the difference and which would be best for you.
Not sure which line fits you? I can help you choose based on your pace, dates, and what you want to see ashore.
34
ports along the coast
2
distinct lines
Year-round
daily departures
1893
sailing since
Choosing between the two lines
In practice the difference is not luxury versus budget. It is breadth versus depth. The Original Coastal Express shows you the entire coastline, thirty-four ports of it, some for a few hours and some for fifteen minutes at two in the morning. The Signature Line shows you fewer places and gives you real time in each one. People who love one are often lukewarm about the other, which is why it is worth ten minutes of thought before booking.
Signature Line
This is a cruise in the way most people mean the word. You board in Bergen or Oslo and stay aboard for the whole voyage, calling at around fourteen chosen ports with hours ashore rather than minutes. Meals and a wide drinks selection are included, there is a larger guiding team running lectures and workshops, and the ships carry a fraction of the passengers you would find on a mainstream cruise line. Two ships sail these, MS Trollfjord and MS Midnatsol.
- Two ships, MS Trollfjord and MS Midnatsol, carrying a few hundred guests rather than a few thousand
- Around fourteen ports with long daytime calls, so you are ashore for hours instead of minutes
- All meals and a wide selection of drinks included, plus lectures, workshops, and the sauna.
Coastal Express
This is the real thing, and I mean that literally. The Coastal Express is a working transport link that has run since 1893, calling at thirty-four ports along the entire Norwegian coast, carrying freight and local passengers who are simply going one town over. Some calls last fifteen minutes in the middle of the night. Others give you half a day. Your ship is one of seven and is assigned rather than chosen. It is not curated, and that is precisely the appeal.
- Thirty-four ports, year round, day and night, on a schedule built for freight rather than for you.
- Sail the full coast, half of it, or a two or three day segment between towns.
- Full board included on full and half voyages, with drinks and excursions purchased separately.
Not sure which line is yours?
Three questions. No email, no account, no saved answers.
Question 1 of 3
What pulls you north?
Light across the year
How much daylight you get depends entirely on when you sail. This is the same coastline in very different conditions.
Hover or tap a month to read what the light is like.
Hours are for Tromsø, at 69 degrees north.
Megan Farrell
Independent travel advisor, Founder and Owner of MEG Travel Co.
Megan plans Norwegian coastal voyages for travelers who want the trip designed around them rather than sold off a shelf. She has researched both Hurtigruten lines and works directly with the ships on cabins, extensions and shore time. She has a planned sailing in August with Hurtigruten to check off her bucket list destination of Norway, let her help plan yours.
From the journal
Notes from planning and sailing the Norwegian coast.
Common questions about Hurtigruten voyages
What is the actual difference between the Signature Line and the Coastal Express?
Signature is a cruise. The Coastal Express is a working ship you happen to be traveling on. Signature calls at around fourteen ports with long daytime stops and includes your meals and drinks. The Coastal Express calls at thirty-four, some briefly and some in the small hours, and carries cargo and local passengers alongside you. Signature costs more and gives you more comfort. The Coastal Express gives you something Signature cannot, which is the coast as it actually operates.
When is the best time of year to sail the Norwegian coast?
Summer brings the Midnight Sun and a green, busy coastline where the light never fully leaves. Winter brings the aurora, snow-covered ports, and short dark days that make the ship feel like a refuge. Spring and autumn are the quiet middle, with fewer people aboard and the coast changing color around you. There is no wrong answer here, only a match between what you want and what the calendar offers.
Will I actually see the northern lights?
Nobody can promise aurora, but Hurtigruten comes closer than most. On qualifying winter sailings of eleven days or more, if the lights do not appear within sight of the ship, they give you a Coastal Express voyage the following season free of charge. The departure windows, eligible fares, and length of the replacement voyage change from season to season, so let me confirm the current terms for the sailing you are considering rather than relying on what is written here.
What is included in the fare?
On the Signature Line, essentially everything you need: all meals, a wide selection of drinks, and the onboard lecture and activity program. On the Coastal Express, full board is included on full and half voyages, while drinks beyond the basics and all shore excursions are purchased separately. Shorter port to port segments do not include meals at all, which surprises people. There are also different fare levels on the Coastal Express that change what you get, and that is worth a conversation before you book.
Which cabin category should I book?
There are four: Polar Inside, Polar Outside, Arctic Superior, and Expedition Suites. My honest advice is that on a winter voyage an outside cabin earns its cost, because the light is the entire point and you will want to see it from your bed at three in the morning. In summer, when it never truly gets dark, an inside cabin is a far easier place to sleep. This is the single question where a short conversation saves people the most money and the most regret.
Can I add days before or after the voyage?
Yes, and I would encourage it. Bergen, Oslo, and Tromsø all deserve more than the night before embarkation, and flying home the same day you disembark is how people end up remembering airports instead of fjords. Building pre and post extensions around a sailing is most of what I do, so tell me your dates and I will handle the rest of the trip around the voyage.