Ship reference
Midnatsol
Ship specifications and sources.
Quick facts
- Cruise line
- Hurtigruten
- Entered service
- 2003
- Status
- In service
About us Midnatsol
Midnatsol is an existing ship with a new role, rather than a newbuild delivered in 2026. The Fosen-built vessel dates from 2003 and previously sailed as Maud. Hurtigruten's current page confirms that it joined the Signature fleet in May 2026 after a spring refurbishment. Its permanent IMO number is 9247728, and Gard records 16,151 gross tonnage under the Norwegian flag.
The seasonal programme is central to its present identity. Summer voyages use the Svalbard Line, while the winter North Cape programme starts in Hamburg. These are different travel patterns, with different endpoints and practical arrangements. Compare the actual departure and the journey to the ship before treating the same vessel as an identical holiday throughout the year.
The conversion was intended to bring the ship into the same broad service family as Trollfjord and Finnmarken. Current facilities include panoramic lounges, an expanded expedition team and three restaurants. Flora, Brasserie Árran and Røst provide different dining settings, but Røst is included for suite guests and offered as an upgrade to other cabin categories. A room-price comparison should allow for that distinction rather than assume every restaurant is equally covered.
Currency is explicitly route-dependent. The operator lists Norwegian kroner on the Svalbard Line and euros on the North Cape Line from Hamburg. Its general FAQ describes English and Norwegian announcements, while the Hamburg voyage is marketed as German-speaking. Check the programme attached to the booked route rather than use a blanket ship-wide language assumption. This matters especially when talks and guided activities are a major part of the trip.
The current technical page lists 135.75 metres length, 21.5 metres beam and 272 cabins, with an explicit maximum of 570 guests. Published 15 knots is not established as maximum speed. Some promotional photographs on the earlier refurbishment page illustrate Trollfjord and are labelled as examples; they should not be treated as photographs of every completed Midnatsol room. Use the current cabin category and plan for the actual accommodation decision.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Year built | 2003 |
| Entered service | 2003 |
| Gross tonnage (GT) | 16,151 |
| Guests at double occupancy | — |
| Maximum guests | 570 |
| Crew | — |
| Cabins | 272 |
| Decks (total) | — |
| Length (m) | 135.75 |
| Beam (m) | 21.5 |
| Last verified refurbishment year | 2026 |
| Maximum speed (knots) | — |
| IMO | 9247728 |
| Shipyard | Fosen Mekaniske Verksteder, Norway |
| Flag | Norway |
| Propulsion / fuel description | — |
| Previous names | Maud |
A dash means no independently verified value is available. Guest counts at double occupancy and maximum capacity are different measures. GT measures enclosed volume, not weight.
Last checked:
Sources
- Hurtigruten — currentindividualfleetmembership — Accessed
- Hurtigruten — currentindividualspecificationsandFAQ — Accessed
CurrentshipFAQexplicitmaximum500/570; speed15notmaximum. FinnmarkenFAQ263/526versussamepage530cabins/554bedsunresolved. MidnatsolgeneralFAQEN/NOversusHamburgGermansailing:checkroute.
- Gard — current2026/27matchinginsuranceidentity — Accessed
NOflagfromexplicitNOR/NIS, notGardBermunderwritingcompany. Yardworkingnamesnotaddedaspassengernames.
- Hurtigruten — latest2025annualreport — Accessed
ReportpublishedApril2026;Finnmarken500capacitydifferscurrentFAQ526, notsilentlyoverridden. Midnatsol2026refitplannedherebutcurrentpageconfirmscomplete.
- Hurtigruten — datedSignatureconversionconcept — Accessed
EarlierfutureMarch-May2026planandillustrativeTrollfjordimages; actualcompletiononlycurrentmainpage. HamburgvoyageexplicitGermanlanguage; olderrestofpagegeneralEN/NOisroute-dependent.
- Cruise Gate Hamburg — individualMidnatsoldimensions — Accessed
135.75/21.5, generic970portcapacitynotcurrentSignatureguestmaximum.