Onsite: Norwegian Coastal Voyage Rebrands as Hurtigruten

NEW YORK-Norwegian Costal Voyage announced on Monday that it was shedding its North American name and reverting to Hurtigruten, the official name of the parent company as it's known worldwide. The name change is just one measure the cruise line is taking to establish itself globally. Along with the name change, Hurtigruten, which operates itineraries in Greenland, the Arctic and Antarctica, launched a new exploration ship this year, the 318-passenger Fram.

"Today is the day," said Hurtigruten President Hans Rood, "There was a clear disconnect between Hurtigruten and Norwegian Coastal Voyage."

One of the problems was that many in North America assumed NCV only sailed around Norway, which is false. "Now we have to get the word out," Rood added. New marketing campaigns will feature Hurtigruten, and the line has set up an additional call center in Florida to support growth. There is also a new web site and booking engine through the Amadeus global distribution system. Visit [www.hurtigruten.us].