MS Otto Sverdrup

Former name: MS Finnmarken

MS Otto Sverdrup current position

MS Otto Sverdrup current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 64.67133 N / 10.79658 E) cruising at speed of 13.6 kn (25 km/h | 16 mph) en route to Svolvaer. The AIS position was reported 3 minutes ago.

All Itineraries Current Position

Current itinerary of MS Otto Sverdrup

MS Otto Sverdrup current cruise is 14 days, round-trip 14 Night Norway Winter Expedition Cruise from Hamburg Cruise, themed as "Easter". Prices start from USD 5013 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 29 Mar, 2024 and ends on 12 Apr, 2024.

Date / TimePort
29 Mar    Departing from Hamburg, Germany hotels
29 Mar    Cuxhaven, Germany
31 Mar    Bergen, Norway
01 Apr    Norwegian fjords cruising
01 Apr    Loen, Norway
03 Apr    Norwegian fjords cruising
03 Apr    Svolvaer, Austvagoya Island Lofoten Norway
04 Apr    Alta, Norway
05 Apr    Honningsvag, Mageroya Island Norway
05 Apr    Nordkapp-North Cape, Mageroya Island Norway
05 Apr    Honningsvag, Mageroya Island Norway
06 Apr    Tromso, Norway
07 Apr    Svolvaer, Austvagoya Island Lofoten Norway
07 Apr    Lofoten Islands, Norway
07 Apr    Svolvaer, Austvagoya Island Lofoten Norway
08 Apr    coastal cruising
09 Apr    Alesund, Norway
10 Apr    Eidfjord, Norway Hardangerfjord
12 Apr    Arriving in Hamburg, Germany hotels

Specifications of MS Otto Sverdrup

Year of build2002  /  Age: 22
Flag state Norway
BuilderKvaerner Kleven Verft AS (Ulsteinvik, Norway)
Classcruiseferry (Ro-Pax ship)
Ferry route / homeportsBergen-Kirkenes
Speed15 kn / 28 km/h / 17 mph
Length (LOA)139 m / 456 ft
Beam (width)21 m / 69 ft
Gross Tonnage15690 gt
Passengers526
Crew150
Cars47
Beds526
Decks8
Cabins263
Decks with cabins6
Last Refurbishment2021
Sister-shipsMS Midnatsol (Maud), MS Trollfjord (Eirik Raude)
Former namesMS Finnmarken
OwnerHurtigruten AS
OperatorHurtigruten Cruises

MS Otto Sverdrup Itineraries

DateItineraryDeparture PortPrice from
2024 Feb 16 14 days, round-trip 14 Night Norway Winter Expedition Cruise from Hamburg Cruise Hamburg $5449
2024 Mar 29 14 days, round-trip 14 Night Norway Winter Expedition Cruise from Hamburg Cruise Hamburg $5013

MS Otto Sverdrup Review

Review of MS Otto Sverdrup

The 2002-built (as "MS Finnmarken") cruise ship MS Otto Sverdrup was the first of three Millennium-class Hurtigruten cruiseferries - together with the fleetmates Midnatsol (Maud) and Trollfjord. In 2021, Hurtigruten adds 4 old ships to the company's expedition fleet - Spitsbergen (2009), Midnatsol (2003), Trollfjord (2002) and Finnmarken (2002). This fleet also includes Fram (2007) and the 3 newbuilds - Roald Amundsen (2019), Fridtjof Nansen (2020) and TBN (2021).

Following a USD 35 million (~EUR 32 million) drydock refurbishment and refit (January 4 through March 8, 2020), the ship was renamed from Finnmarken to "Otto Sverdrup" - after the Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer Otto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup (1854-1930). He participated in the polar expeditions of 1888 (Greenland) and 1898-1902 (circumnavigation of Greenland via Nares Strait, mapping approx 260,000 km2 / 100,390 mi2 of the Canadian Arctic territories).

The Finnmarken ship was named after Finnmark (formerly known as “Finmarkens amt”) - a county located in Norway’s extreme northeastern part, boarding with Finland (south) and Russia (east).

The vessel (IMO number 9231951) is currently Norway-flagged (MMSI 259210000) and registered in Tromso.

History - construction and ownership

The shipowner Hurtigruten is a Norwegian passenger shipping company specializing in cruise and ferry services. The "Norwegian Coastal Express Route" (Bergen-Kirkenes) is a cargo-passenger ferry service along Norway's western and northern coast. Hurtigruten's cruise ferries sail nearly the entire length of Norway and complete this roundtrip itinerary in 11 days. The route also includes Lofoten Islands and Vesteralen Islands.

MS Finnmarken cruise ship

MS Finnmarken is Hurtigruten's first ship to bear this name after- the 1912-launched Finnmarken. Launched in 2002, the vessel belongs to the same class as the fleetmates Midnatsol and Trollfjord but is fleet's only to have both Jacuzzis and swimming pool on the sundeck. Another signature feature is the bow accessibility on Deck 5 (Promenade) where passengers can walk all the way to the front of the ship.

Decks and Cabins

MS Otto Sverdrup staterooms (282 total, in 10 grades) include 32x Suites, 192x Outside, 55x Inside. Cabin sizes vary from 85 to 400 ft2 (8-37 m2). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 3. Most staterooms are sized 75-140 ft2 (7-13 m2).

Standard cabin amenities include lower and upper bunk beds, bedside reading lamps, foldable table with chair, LCDTV, radio, phone, mini-fridge, electronic safe box, wardrobe with dressers and cabinets, en-suite bathroom (WC-shower, bath products, hairdryer), individual air-conditioning, blankets (for sitting outside).

Mini-Suites also have large picture windows and a sitting area, and the suites include bathrobes, minibar, coffee and tea making facilities (kettle and glasses), fresh fruits daily, sparkling wine upon arrival.

The boat has 8 decks, of which 7 are passenger-accessible and 6 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

MS Otto Sverdrup ship has 3 restaurants - Aune (dining room), Lindstrom and Fredheim.

MS Finnmarken cruise ship

Aft on Deck 4 is Aune Restaurant (Aune Main Dining, fka Imag Restaurant). This is the ship's complimentary Dining Room (capacity 335 seats) with floor-ceiling windows, buffet station in the middle, self-service beverage station (for coffee-tea-juices), an outdoor seating area (alfresco terrace). The Galley / Kitchen is adjacent to the Restaurant. Aune Restaurant serves complimentary Breakfast (7-10 am), Lunch (11:30 am - 2:30 pm) and Dinner (2 fixed seatings - at 6:30 or 8:30 pm). Breakfast is buffet-style (bacon, eggs, sausages, cold meats, cheeses, seafood, bread selection, cereals, fruits, porridge, desserts). Lunch is also buffet-style (salads, soups, hot/cold meats, seafood, vegetables, desserts). Dinner is 2-seating and waiter-served (3-course menu, including traditional Scandinavian dishes). Wine by the bottle is offered at extra cost. Hurtigruten has a wine package available for purchase at the Reception. At Dinner additionally is offered a la carte menu items (light snacks, sandwiches, hot meals). Meals are prepared with locally sourced fresh ingredients from the ports of call. Soft drinks, beer, and wine are included for all meals. Tea and coffee are included throughout the day.

Midship-portside on Deck 4 is Lindstrom Specialty Restaurant. Suite-category passengers dine complimentary at Lindstrom daily (all-inclusive breakfast and dinner). Other cabin grade passengers can also dine at Lindstrom (breakfast and/or dinner) but at extra charge (a la carte priced menu, premium wine list).

Midship on Deck 7 is Fredheim Restaurant featuring large windows (partially obstructed by lifeboats). Fredheim is open all day and offers international "street food". Fredheim is complimentary only for Suite passengers.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

MS Finnmarken has a Naturalist for lectures about ports of call. There is a fitness centre onboard with cardio equipment and free weights, as well as two saunas (separate for men and women). The heated swimming pool, as well as the two Jacuzzi whirlpools, are on Deck 7. The Beauty Salon and Spa offer manicures, pedicures, cuts, and massage treatments.

MS Finnmarken cruise ship

Next are listed MS Otto Sverdrup ship's main venues

  • Conference Rooms (two portside - Lyderhorn and Lovstakken; two starboard - Rundemannen and Ulriken; host multimedia presentations, lectures by scientists/wildlife experts, films about Norway; no onboard show program is offered)
  • Floybaren Lounge and Bar (show lounge with full-service bar and live music for entertainment)
  • Finstuen Club Room
  • Morestuen Cafe (24-hour cafeteria with full-service Bar and a la carte menu for sandwiches, burgers, snacks, drinks, hot meals)
  • Internet Cafe (for personal laptops only; Wi-Fi onboard is free, shipwide coverage is provided)
  • Boutique Shop sells Norwegian souvenirs, Hurtigruten-logoed merchandise, jewelry, limited toiletries, warm clothing, postcards, toys (stuffed animals).
  • The cruise ship has a full-circle Promenade Deck - an open-air deck space perfect for daily observation (including wildlife viewing) and strolling. A unique feature of this vessel is that even its bow is passenger-accessible.
  • 4 smaller Conference Rooms (for special occasion events)
  • Stiftsstaden Lounge and Bar (with a full-service bar)
  • Babbettes Cafe (serves as patisserie for specialty coffee and daily special sweets)
  • The Cafes (seating areas often used for reading)
  • The swimming pool is with heated water and flanked by 2 Whirlpools. The pool deck has plenty of sunloungers and small tables with chairs.
  • Brotoppen Panorama Lounge and Bar (indoor observation lounge with floor-ceiling windows; has an Internet Cafe and a small dance floor)
  • The ship’s wellness center includes TRIM Fitness, Outdoor Gym, 2x Saunas (men/women), locker rooms with showers, reception desk, Spa & Beauty Salon (massage room, haircuts, face-, hand- and foot treatments). TRIM Fitness is a 2-room gym (open 6 am - 12midnight) equipped with a stepper machine, an elliptical machine, treadmills, rowers, exercise bikes, free weights, weight machines, medicine balls, yoga mats.
  • The Sun Deck is the place for Hurtigruten's special ceremony "Arctic Circle baptism", including a Neptune-costumed crewmember, icy seawater, and a shot for warming up.
  • Observation Deck (deck 8) has an open-air promenade space providing the best vantage points for passengers to enjoy the Arctic scenery along the current itinerary route. The area is accessible via both stairs and the aft elevator.

Otto Sverdrup Science Centre (deck 4 forward, on the below photo) is a large "scientific lounge" (research lab) packed with high-tech gadgets (including microscopes and touch screens) and latest digital technology equipment. The venue consists of Library, Lecture Halls, Photo Center (photo- and video-processing studio), Conference Room, Expedition Team Room, dedicated areas for themed educational activities (workshops in biology, marine life, geography, photography, etc), Bar. Hurtigruten's Expedition Team provides here passengers with scientific information and technology assistance.

Hurtigruten new ships (Science Centre Lounge)

Follows the complete list of MS Finnmarken lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

  • Car Deck had cargo capacity 47 vehicles/cars.
  • Cafe (24-hours open cafeteria with full-service Bar and a la carte menu for snacks, sandwiches, burgers, hot meals, drinks). The Cafe serves mainly local passengers, who use the ship as a port-to-port ferry boat.
  • A small Kids Playroom (no organized activities or babysitting) is equipped with a ball pit, chairs, table for craft activities, legos). There is a Video Games Arcade with consoles.
  • Explorer Bar Lounge is an indoor observation lounge (Finnmarken ship's largest) with comfortable furniture (plush sofas and chairs) and floor-ceiling windows. The lounge has also an Internet Cafe (with 2 PC stations) and a small dance floor. The Internet Cafe is for personal laptops only (cables are not provided). Wi-Fi onboard is free, with shipwide coverage.

Itineraries

MS Finnmarken itinerary program was based on Norwegian Coastal Voyages, featuring scenic cruising through the Norwegian Fjords. Finnmarken was mostly used as a ferry for both passengers and cars, with some guests staying on board for the roundtrip 12-day itineraries out of Bergen and Kirkenes.

MS Otto Sverdrup itinerary program started with the Maiden Voyage on August 24, 2021, leaving roundtrip from homeport Hamburg Germany. The year-round expedition voyages (14-day itineraries out of Hamburg) visit ports in Norway.

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MS Otto Sverdrup Wiki

The Finnmarken cruise ship belongs to the fleet of the Norwegian coastal voyage operator Hurtigruten (cruise ferry services). The vessel joined the fleet in 2002 as number one of the new Millennium-class liner. It is larger than the so-called modern ships (built in the 1990s) and offers amenities not found on its predecessors, like outdoor swimming pool, health club, outdoor/indoor cafe. Cruise passengers are 50+ Europeans and some Americans.

Fun fact is, that the first Hurtigruten ship with the same name was introduced in 1912. The new Finnmarken's onboard experience is marked by Art Nouveau style decor. Eleven Norwegian artists created all drawings, oil paintings, watercolours, lithographs, charcoal drawings, sculptures. Even the glass-walled elevators and the saunas have sea views.

Finnmarken operated year-round (365-day/24-7) cruises along Norway's coastal regions. The vessel was mainly used for domestic travel/transportation (as ferry boat), but also many booked the full 12-day voyages between homeports Bergen and Kirkenes. This route reaches Russia's border, stopping at uniquely picturesque 34 cruise ports along the itinerary. All voyages are made over the course of 6 days, with daily stops at different ports, and a return journey of the same duration. Norwegian Coastal cruise passengers can opt for 5-11-nights stays, with the full 12-day voyage Bergen-Kirkenes, then going back southbound. In most call ports are offered Hurtigruten-sponsored excursions and tours. A ceremony "Crossing the Arctic Circle" welcomes newcomers.

On Hurtigruten Norwegian coastal voyages, the company offers flight-cruise package deals. Bookings are protected with ATOL Certificate. ATOL stands for "Air Travel Organisers' Licensing" (Civil Aviation Authority, UK).

Finnmarken-Otto Sverdrup refurbishment (2020-2021) review

During the scheduled for 2020 drydock refurbishment (January 4 - March 8, by Fosen Yard AS, in Kvithylla Norway), the Finnmarken ship was renamed "Otto Sverdrup". The USD 35 million drydocking project included complete renovations to all staterooms (cabins and suites) and recategorization. For the project were used only natural Scandinavia-sourced materials, like birch, granite, oak, wool. Aft on Deck 8 (former wellness area/gym and sauna) were added 5 large suites with floor-ceiling windows.

The refurb also added 4 new restaurants - Aune Restaurant (Hurtigruten's new, Scandinavian-themed Dining Room), Lindstrom Restaurant (speciality dining venue), Fredheim Restaurant (named after a hunting station in Svalbard Norway) and an outdoor grill bar (Deck 8).

Another new venue is the Science Center (Deck 4) - education room also serving as cruise ship's expedition team headquarters. A larger wellness complex (Spa lounge, Gym, Panoramic Sauna, massage treatment rooms) was added on Deck 7. Ship's outdoor pool deck was redesigned and fully renovated, the Gift Shop expanded, the Car Deck was transformed into boat-launch area serving cruise liner's own fleet of RIBs and inflatable boats and for expedition equipment storage.

Ship's passenger capacity was reduced from 628 to 526 via double-occupancy only rooms and reduced number of cabins (282 to 263).

In February 2021, the Hurtigruten-owned Kleven Verft (shipyard in Ulsteinvik Norway) announced a contract to rebuild Finnmarken into the hybrid expedition cruise ship Otto Sverdrup. In addition to the hybrid package (battery pack plus diesel engines), the vessel was upgraded with new shaft generators (combined with drive motors) and shore power (Shore to Ship Frequency Converters).

As subcontractors, in the project participated Hareid Group (1950-founded supplier of electrical products and services) and Fjordtec/Fjord Technology AS (Ulsteinvik-based, marine engineering and consultancy company). The vessel's HVAC systems (Heating-Ventilation-Air-Conditioning) were supplied by AF AeronMollier. The hybrid package (including the shoreside power capabilities) was supplied by Siemens AG.

The "Otto Sverdrup" project followed the 2020-Q1's "Finnmarken" refurbishment project conducted at Fosen Yard.

Otto Sverdrup's Inaugural cruise was on August 24, 2021. Next tables shows the Maiden Voyage, as well as the call ports along the 14-day "Norwegian Fjords" Germany to Norway itinerary.

Date / TimePort
24 AugDeparting from Hamburg, Germany
26 AugBergen
27 AugMolde
27 AugKristiansund
28 AugBronnoysund
29 AugReine, Moskenes Island/Lofoten
29 AugSvolvaer, Austvagoya Island/Lofoten
29 AugTrollfjord
30 AugFinnsnes
31 AugHonningsvag, Mageroya Island
01 SepTromso
02 SepBodo
03 SepTrondheim
04 SepHjorundfjord/Urke-Saebo
04 SepAlesund
05 SepStavanger
07 SepArriving in Hamburg

Godspeed!