MS Finnmarken deck plans

MS Finnmarken (built in 2002, formerly MS Otto Sverdrup, last refurbished in August 2025) is the first of three Millennium-class (newest) Hurtigruten ships, along with her sisterships Midnatsol and Trollfjord (Eirik Raude). These vessels serve Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Voyages (NCV) program, providing combined ferry and cruise services year-round along Norway’s coast, calling at 34 different ports. MS Finnmarken’s itinerary schedule features sailings between Bergen and Kirkenes, with select departures from Tromso.

MS Finnmarken’s deck plan shows 263 cabins for 526 passengers (reduced from 282 cabins for 628 passengers, with a previous maximum capacity of 740 during Norwegian coastal voyages). The vessel is served by 75 all-Norwegian crew and staff.

The ship has 8 passenger decks (6 with cabins, all connected by 2 elevators), 1 car lift (connecting Decks 2 and 3), 4 bars, 3 lounges, a Spa/Sauna, and a Fitness Center. She is the only Hurtigruten ship featuring both whirlpools and a swimming pool. There are five cabin decks with predominantly twin-bed outside staterooms, all with large picture windows. Smoking is permitted only on designated outdoor deck areas and private balconies.

Deck Plan Changes – 2020 Refurbishment Review

During the scheduled drydock refurbishment (January 4 – March 8, 2020, by Fosen Yard AS in Kvithylla, Norway), MS Finnmarken was renamed “Otto Sverdrup.” The USD 35 million project included a complete renovation and reclassification of all staterooms (cabins and suites). The interiors were redesigned using natural, Scandinavian-sourced materials such as birch, granite, oak, and wool. Five new large suites with floor-to-ceiling windows were added aft on Deck 8, replacing the former wellness area, gym, and sauna.

The refit also introduced four new dining venues: Aune Restaurant (Hurtigruten’s Scandinavian-themed main dining room), Lindstrom Restaurant (specialty dining), Fredheim Restaurant (named after a historic Svalbard hunting station), and an outdoor grill bar on Deck 8.

A new Science Center was added on Deck 4, serving as an educational venue and expedition team headquarters. A larger wellness complex was built on Deck 7, featuring a spa lounge, gym, panoramic sauna, and massage treatment rooms. The outdoor pool deck was completely redesigned and renovated, the Gift Shop expanded, and the Car Deck was converted into a launch area for the ship’s RIBs and inflatable boats, as well as for expedition equipment storage.

The ship’s passenger capacity was reduced from 628 to 526 by implementing double-occupancy-only cabins and reducing the total number of staterooms from 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 ship Otto Sverdrup.

The project involved several subcontractors, including Hareid Group (a long-established supplier of electrical products and services, founded in 1950) and Fjordtec/Fjord Technology AS (an Ulsteinvik-based marine engineering and consultancy company). The ship’s HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems were supplied by AF AeronMollier, while Siemens AG provided the hybrid propulsion package, including shoreside power capabilities.

The “Otto Sverdrup” conversion project followed the early-2020 “Finnmarken” refurbishment carried out at Fosen Yard.