Hurtigruten has announced that it will hold a Facebook contest for fans to name its newest ship, which will replace the MS Midnatsol on the line's Norwegian coastal route in the fall of 2016.
The ship, which has been temporarily named the MS Norway Explorer, was constructed in Portugal in 2009 at the Viana do Castelo shipyard, and is currently traveling to Scandinavia. There, the ship will undergo a massive reconstruction including adapting for polar waters, upgrading the cabins, suites and public spaces for 320 guests, and adjusting the power plants and emissions in order to meet Hurtigruten’s standards.
Under the rules of the contest, the new name must begin with the letters MS (motor vessel), and it must be a Norwegian word (or word of Norwegian origin) that can be well translated. Today all Hurtigruten ships are named after natural phenomena, such as MS Nordlys (Northern Lights), MS Midnatsol (Midnight Sun), MS Polarlys (Aurora); places Hurtigruten sails to or passes, such as MS Finnmarken, MS Vesterålen, MS Nordkapp, MS Trollfjord and MS Lofoten; or after important persons, such as Norway’s King Harald or Hurtigruten’s founder Richard With. The proposals for name for the new ship should work with the current naming structure.
Proposals can be submitted on Hurtigruten's Facebook page. Hurtigruten has has said it has the right to delete proposals that are inappropriate or offensive and expects participants in the competition to comply with Facebook terms and conditions. The contest is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. The deadline for submission of proposals is August 10. The winner and a friend get to be guests of the captain on a special sailing aboard the new ship.
Visit facebook.com/HurtigrutenUSA