Travelers who want to see the whole Norwegian coast on a working ship that also carries locals and cargo.
Think twice if: This is a working coastal ship: short stops, some calls in the middle of the night, and drinks are not included with meals.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express)'s page for this ship →
What she's like
Easy to find your way around. Fewer crowds getting off in port. About 13 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
Unknown from line's site.
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Signature Voyages (Svalbard Line, North Cape Line) are all-inclusive: cabin bookings include unlimited select drinks in Flora, Brasserie Arran and 1893 Bar during opening hours; suites include more. Original (Coastal Express) inclusions not published. Bergen luggage handling included.
No minimum age; under-12s must travel with an adult.
Informal; pack layers, waterproofs and boots for outdoor activities (no dress code statement found).
Where she sails in Europe
Norwegian coast
We don't have her sailing-by-sailing schedule yet. See the line's site for dates.
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | No gratuity policy found on the help pages downloaded. |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Included on Signature Voyages (select drinks); Original voyages not published. |
| Money on board | NOK onboard (e.g. laundry 'NOK 30 (~$3) per load'); booking charged in the currency of your market (USD for US bookings). |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 1 included, 0 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Torget (main restaurant) | Included |
| Brygga (bistro) | Not stated |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
The line doesn't publish cabin sizes for this ship that we could find.
Good to know before you pick
No cabin warnings found on the plan.
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Accessible cabins with automatic doors: 313 and 317. Accessible toilets on decks 4, 5 and 7. Most public areas step-free from the central lift; at least two wheelchair-accessible public toilets per ship; some outdoor decks have raised thresholds. Wheelchair users asked to travel with a companion and bring their own wheelchair. Guests must carry their own luggage in most ports (except Bergen). Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own drawing, built from the line's deck plan. Tap a deck to see what's on it, or use “Find on board”. Not to scale.
- Deck 7 , Explorer Lounge & Bar
- Deck 6 , Observation deck
- Deck 5 , Trollfjord lounge
- Deck 4 , Torget restaurant; Brygga bistro; Shop; Fitness room; Play corner; Expedition Team
- Deck 3 , Reception; Gangway; Guest laundry
- Deck 2 · Car deck , Car deck
Open Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express)'s official deck plan →
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
Final balance due 90 days before departure. Check-in times vary by voyage (Bergen terminal opens 11am; luggage drop 1-2:30pm).
Paying and cancelling
25% fee at 90+ days; 50% at 60-89; 75% at 30-59; 100% under 30 days.
Tips for her Europe sailings
Coastal Express is a working ferry route: most ports have no luggage handlers, so pack light. Weather can cancel ports in winter.
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express)
- Kind of ship
- Small ship & sail
- Built
- 1983
- Last refit
- 2025
- Guests
- 490
- Guest decks
- 6
- Gross tons
- 6,261
- Length
- 109 m (356 ft)
- Width
- 16 m (54 ft)
- Flag
- Norway
- Class
- One-off (Kaarbø, 1983)
- Ship number
- IMO 8019368
- In Europe 2026–27
- Norwegian coast
Highlights
- Oldest ship in this group (1983); classic brass-and-wood decor, refreshed in 2025
- Only 274 overnight guests, about half the size of the larger Coastal Express ships
- Fitness room but no sauna; lectures held in common areas
- Up to 516 people on board counting local port-to-port passengers
Sources & what we could not confirm · 9 sources · checked 2026-11
- Hurtigruten official ship page: Vesterålen
- Hurtigruten official deck plan PDF: Vesterålen
- VesselFinder registry entry
- Hurtigruten help: refunds and cancellations
- Hurtigruten help: payments
- Hurtigruten help: accessibility
- Hurtigruten help: travel with children
- Hurtigruten help: check-in and boarding
- Hurtigruten help: food and drink
- Deck numbers inferred from the official deck plan drawing (top deck numbered from the WC/deck references in Hurtigruten's FAQ and cabin numbers); check before publishing.
- Vesterålen cabin count conflicts on the official page (spec box 145, FAQ 133 incl. 3 suites); left null.
- Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express): Gratuities
- Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express): Wi-Fi
- Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express): Smoking
- Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express): Original-voyage inclusions
- Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express): Language and nationality mix