Vesterålen

About us Vesterålen

Vesterålen is Hurtigruten's smallest and oldest current coastal ship, built in 1983 at Kaarbø Mekaniske Verksted. Its permanent IMO number is 8019368. Norwegian coastal authority particulars identify 6,261 gross tonnage, the Norwegian flag and 108.55 metres length. The operator gives 16.5 metres beam. This is the present vessel, distinct from the first coastal steamer of 1893 whose name it commemorates.

Its current character reflects a completed 2025 refurbishment. Hurtigruten says 100 cabins were refreshed and new Arctic Superior rooms and Mini Suites introduced, while wood, brass and Norwegian art were retained as part of the traditional interior. The number of cabins worked on is not the total accommodation inventory. The annual fleet report also records the 2025 refurbishment, independently of the individual marketing description.

The technical history includes a full engine replacement. The operator's 2022 upgrade release states that new engines and SCR exhaust treatment had already been installed in 2019; its current sustainability overview confirms the replacement within the completed fleet programme. The annual report identifies Vesterålen as non-hybrid. Shore-power capability, now described for all the company's ships, is distinct from battery propulsion and requires a compatible port connection.

The offer is simpler than on larger ships. There is a fitness room, while the current FAQ explicitly excludes hot tubs, a sauna and a dedicated lecture hall. Talks use shared spaces, and organised bridge visits provide insight into working ship routines when available. Torget and Brygga supply the two dining settings. Travellers should compare those actual facilities with their priorities rather than assume the same wellness and restaurant range across the fleet.

Accommodation totals remain contradictory. The current specification lists 145 cabins, while its FAQ lists 133; the latest annual report gives capacity of 490, whereas the current page distinguishes 274 overnight guests and up to 516 people including local port-to-port travellers. These differences remain disclosed and unresolved in the structured cabin and maximum fields. The same Coastal Express route can still be booked for its coastal scenery and transport role, but a room's precise category and the sailing timetable deserve attention before choosing this more traditional ship.

Specifications

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.

Sources

• Hurtigruten — currentindividualfleetmembership — Accessed Oct 28, 2026
• Hurtigruten — current individual specifications and FAQ — Accessed Oct 28, 2026

  Guest plans not total physical decks; speed not explicit maximum. Conflicting capacity/cabins disclosed where present.

• Hurtigruten — latest 2025 fleet report — Accessed Oct 28, 2026

  All four non-hybrid. Nordkapp 590/Nordnorge 452 agree current FAQ; Polarlys 507 versus FAQ580; Vesteralen490 versus current differentiated274/516.

• Norwegian Coastal Administration — matching vessel particulars — Accessed Oct 28, 2026

  Vessel particulars only; personal certificate-holder information not retained.

• Hurtigruten — completed programme, 2026 sustainability status — Accessed Oct 28, 2026

  Shore-power capability all vessels; four named hybrids exclude these four ships. Vesteralen full engine replacement explicit.

• Hurtigruten — already completed Vesteralen engine work, February2022 — Accessed Oct 28, 2026

  Vesteralen new engines/SCR already2019. Other ships future schedules not completion proof.