MS Richard With

The 1993-built MS Richard With cruise ship is one of the six “contemporary” Hurtigruten ships, together with Kong Harald, Nordlys, Nordkapp, Nordnorge, Polarlys. Together with her fleet mates, Richard With serves Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Voyages (NCV) program for cruiseferry travel by cargo-passenger ships.

The vessel (IMO number 9040429) is currently Norway-flagged (MMSI 258500000) 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.

The 700-passenger ship Richard With was named after Captain Richard With, the founder of Hurtigruten. In the distant 1893, he established the "Norwegian Coastal Express" company, which services quickly changed forever the life of Norwegians. Richard With cruise ship was created 100 years after the Captain's first Hurtigruten voyage. The ship was delivered in 1993, a century after Hurtigruten's founder finished his first voyage.

Decks and Cabins

MS Richard With staterooms (219 total, in 8 grades) include 20x Suites, 178x Outside, 21x Inside. Cabin sizes vary from 55 to 325 ft2 (5-30 m2). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 3. Most staterooms are outside and sized 85-140-ft2 (8-14 m2). There are no balcony cabins.

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).

During drydock refurbishment 2018, all staterooms were fully updated and some Deck 7 cabins were merged into 14x bigger-sized Suites (some of which are with large Bay Windows).

The boat has 7 decks, of which 6 are passenger-accessible and 4 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The main restaurant offers a relaxed informal atmosphere in the evenings, and all menus use local fresh ingredients. Ship's aft-facing Torget Restaurant was renovated during drydock refurbishment 2018 and now boasts huge floor-ceiling windows. 

Follows the complete list of ms Richard With restaurants and food bars.

• Torget Restaurant (Deck 4) is the Richard With ship’s 240-seat Dining Room with floor-ceiling windows and a large buffet station in the middle. Here are offered buffet-style Breakfast (7-10 am) and Lunch (11:30 am - 2:30 pm). Dinner is waiter-served, with 4 seatings, a 3-course menu (plus a la carte menu with light snacks). In the Torget Restaurant are also sold Hurtigruten wine packages.
• Multe Bakery (Deck 7 midship) is a patisserie/ice cream bar with a knitting corner and jigsaw puzzles. It offers freshly baked cakes and pastries along with a range of local ice creams. Guests can try the stockfish, brown cheese, and cloudberry ice cream.
• Brygga Bistro (Deck 4) offers cafe-style food and is perfect for a light lunch. It serves beverages, sandwiches, and burgers throughout the day.
• Kysten Arctic Fine Dining (Deck 4) offers a more private, intimate setting. This exquisite restaurant serves some of the world's best seafood, exotic meat and other produce directly sourced from the Arctic.

Unlike most Hurtigruten ships, Richard With has no 24-hour open Cafe Restaurant (Cafeteria with a la carte menu for hot/cold meals, snacks, beverages). The only 24-hour open venue is the Reception, offering guest assistance and information, along with a reduced variety of beverages, packed snacks, and sandwiches.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The onboard entertainment is low-key as most of the time is spent in discussions with fellow passengers. Occasionally, there may be live music performances in the evenings at the Bar Lounge. The ship has a small Fitness (gym room), two spa pools (outdoor jacuzzies), Infirmary. However, the small hospital is not served by a resident doctor/nurse. In cases of emergencies, the crew asks passengers if there is medical personnel, and the ferry is always navigating close to land to deliver sick passengers to a hospital if needed.

During drydock refurbishment 2018, Hurtigruten enlarged the gym, added 2 aft-facing outdoor whirlpools, upgraded the Sauna Room and built 2 new lecture halls next to the Kompass (lobby shopping) area.

Follows the complete list of ms Richard With lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• The Car Deck (capacity of 45 cars)
• Two Lecture Halls / Conference Rooms (Deck 4) host multimedia presentations, lectures by scientists/wildlife experts, Norway-themed films. A show program is not offered.
• Explorer Lounge and Bar (Deck 7 forward) is a Panorama Lounge (with scenic bow views from floor-ceiling windows) that also serves as Library (shelved books, board games and cards playing).
• The Shop (sells Norwegian souvenirs, Hurtigruten logo merchandise, jewelry, toiletries, clothing)
• Promenade Deck (full-circle open-air deck space)
• Observation Lounge and Bar
• TRIM Fitness (equipped with exercise bikes, treadmills, free weights); 2 Saunas (separate for men/women)

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.

The cruise ship doesn't have Kids Playroom (indoor playground), Nursery (babysitting facility), Video Games Arcade, Internet Cafe.

Itineraries

MS Richard With itinerary program is based on Norwegian Coastal Voyages. Ship's routes include the beautiful Norwegian fjords.

Richard With is mostly used as a ferry for both passengers and cars. However, some guests stay on board for roundtrip 12-day itineraries out of Bergen and Kirkenes.

The ship is named after Captain Richard Bernhard With (1846-1930), Hurtigruten company's founder, who in 1893 established the "Norwegian Coastal Express" ferry service along Norway's coast. The vessel was delivered in 1993 - exactly a hundred years after Captain Richard With completed his first Hurtigruten voyage. The liner has a huge onboard art collection by Norwegian authors (Harr family).

Richard With cruises along Norway's coast. Most guests use the vessel as a ferry (transportation of cars and passengers). Departing from homeport Bergen, the ship cruises roundtrip to homeport Kirkenes (Arctic outpost near the Russia-Norway border). Norwegian cruise ferry passengers can opt for 5-11 nights stays, with the full 12-day crossing from Bergen to Kirkenes, then going back southbound. In most ports of call are offered Hurtigruten-sponsored excursions and tours. The traditional onboard (top-deck) ceremony "Crossing the Arctic Circle" welcomes newcomers. On Hurtigruten Norwegian coastal voyages, the company offers fly-cruise package deals. Bookings are protected with ATOL Certificate. ATOL stands for "Air Travel Organisers' Licensing" (Civil Aviation Authority, UK).

Drydock refurbishments review

By 2023-Q4, Hurtigtuten's all 7x "Norwegian Coastal Express" ferryboats (Richard With, Nordlys, Kong Harald, Nordnorge, Polarlys, Trollfjord, Nordkapp) were scheduled to complete drydocks for powerplant conversions (from diesel-only to diesel-electric / battery-hybrid), during which new low-emission diesel engines and large battery packs were installed.

• For this project (budgeted ~EUR 100 million), on May 11, 2021, Hurtigruten Group signed a contract with Kongsberg Maritime to deliver the hybrid equipment packages for the first 3x boats (Richard With, Nordlys, Kong Harald).
• Each ship was fitted with 2x SAVe Energy storage systems (1120 kWh lithium-ion batteries) controlled via SAVe CUBE (drive switchboards that control the thrusters) and 2x Bergen B33:45V diesel engines (diesel generator sets with SCR-Selective Catalytic Reduction to optimize CO emissions control). Kongsberg's equipment also included re-blading of the propellers, installing new thruster motors (retractable stern 360-degree azimuthing thruster), AC (switchboards/current switches), new safety and communication systems, new gears, bulbous bow (the hull was optimized to reduce drag), new boilers (improving heat recovery from the engines), new wastewater treatment plant.
• The drydocks were conducted by Myklebust Verft AS (shipyard in Gursken, Norway's Gurskoya Island).

All Hurtigruten ships now have shoreside-power capabilities (plugs for electricity supply at port berths).

Richard With's drydock was conducted in February 2022 (at Myklebust Verft/shipyard in Gursken, Gurskoya Island). The boat was relaunched as battery-hybrid powered in September 2022.

During drydock 2018 refurbishment, the vessel also underwent major technical improvements, including new central air-conditioning system and shore power capabilities. The ship was retrofitted with big-capacity batteries and new LNG engines, replacing the old marine diesel powerplant.