Hurtigruten rebrands cruise expedition arm as HX in move to differentiate brands

Hurtigruten Group, the leading cruise company in Norway, is rebranding its adventure travel brand Hurtigruten Expeditions as HX, according to a company statement.

Hurtigruten, which celebrated 130 years of operating the original Norwegian Coastal Express this summer, will continue with the iconic name, but simplified to just “Hurtigruten”.

The original company will thereby carry on the same brand name as when it first launched in 1893, signifying “the fast route” in Norwegian.

“The name Hurtigruten is synonymous with travel in Norway, just as it has been a renowned travel brand for over 130 years,” said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO, Hurtigruten Group.

“Today’s evolution of our brand identities is the culmination of the work that started in 2021 when we split the two brands,” he added. “HX will remain at the forefront of expedition cruising and sustainable travel as we continue to significantly grow its global presence while strengthening Hurtigruten’s iconic position on the Norwegian coast.”

Skjeldam said that HX would grow its high-end expedition itineraries to some of the most adventurous, remote places around the world.

HX will this year be the only cruise line to exclusively sail the West African archipelagos of both Cape Verde and the Bissagos Islands according to a new itinerary that’s launching this fall.

The new HX brand and logo will be fully implemented starting in December, with updates to brochures, websites, and social channels; livery repainting of the fleet’s six ships will commence over the next 18 months.

Hurtigruten announced the strategic separation of the two brands in 2020 to enhance operational and commercial autonomy for each business, allowing for the delivery of distinctly different guest experiences.

Implementation of the separation began in 2021, and earlier this year, Hurtigruten Group completed its internal restructuring to align commercial and support functions with the dedicated ship operations.

The Group also announced a fleet adjustment over the summer, shifting Hurtigruten Expeditions’ battery-hybrid-powered MS Otto Sverdrup to Hurtigruten Norway as of January 2024 while redeploying MS Maud to Antarctica due to growing demand.