Midnatsol, having operated as Maud, is set to return to the Hurtigruten Coastal Express.
WILLIAM MAYES
After three years in the Hurtigruten Expeditions (now HX) fleet as Maud, the former Midnatsol has returned to the coastal express route and regained her original name and her Norwegian registry, having switched from the Norwegian International Register. The 16,151gt ship was built in Norway in 2002 and originally had a passenger capacity of 674, but when she was converted for expedition cruising that was reduced to 500.
Midnatsol was going to be used on the coastal service as a replacement for Vesteralen while that ship has an extensive refit, not expected to be finished until late 2025, but she seems to have disappeared from the HX schedules completely, with her Antarctic cruises no longer being available.