RECEIVING HIGH MARKS ACROSS THE BOARD

New York, NY, January 2011 – Not one to sit back and bask in the tried and true formula that has kept the company evolving and growing for more than 100 years, Hurtigruten continuously surveys its guests, looking for areas in which to improve as well as areas where they are exceeding expectations.

The results from the 2010 survey, returned by 4,875 guests, offer a superior report card for the line: 96% of respondents were satisfied to very satisfied with “the world’s most beautiful voyage,” as Lonely Planet describes the 34-port sailing along Norway’s fjord-indented west coast. 97% gave the same thumbs up to the company’s Explorer itineraries aboard the four-year-old, deluxe expedition ship, MS Fram. These marks show continued improvement in guest satisfaction, year over year. 

92% of passengers were happy with Hurtigruten’s excursion offerings – both on the Norwegian Coastal Voyage and the Explorer sailings while 95% would recommend a Hurtigruten trip to their family and friends. Those same respondents placed Hurtigruten above competing brands as 85% who had taken cruises on other lines, rated the Hurtigruten sailing as satisfactory and very satisfactory. More than 2/3rds of the guests were happy with the value they received for the money spent. And more than ½ of the guests confirmed that their original expectations had been exceeded. 

“The positive customer response shows that we are on the right track”, says a delighted Trond Øverås, Product and Marketing Director of Hurtigruten ASA. “Our guests’ praise as well as their criticism help us design and further develop our voyages in line with our customers’ preferences.“ 

One area that was noted as needing improvement was communications along the Coastal Voyage – having to do with Internet connections. “As the Internet grows, so does the demand among our guests to use this medium during their journey” Øverås confirms. “We are working hard on meeting this challenge and adapting the communications technology on board to meet our customers’ requirements.” 

Hurtigruten is a world leader in expedition cruising, sailing to the most remote of destinations including Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic’s Spitsbergen as well as year round along Norway's coast and Europe in the spring.

http://www.hurtigruten.us/About-Hurtigruten/Pressroom/Press-Releases1/US-PressReleases/HURTIGRUTEN-ANNOUNCES-RESULTS-OF-2010-CUSTOMER-SATISFACTION-SURVEY/