HX Expeditions’ Maud is set to be renamed before rejoining Hurtigruten’s coastal service route in Norway later this year.

Currently offering expeditions for HX in Northern Europe, the 2001-built vessel is scheduled to return to the Hurtigruten fleet on a temporary basis.

According to the company, the ship will regain its original name, Midnatsol, for operations on the Norwegian coast.

The Maud will also be re-flagged from the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) to the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register (NOR), Hurtigruten said in a press release.

Serving as a replacement for the Vesterålen, the 500-guest vessel will sail the Coastal Express Route between late November 2024 and early December 2025.

The regular service operates between Bergen and Kirkenes, with visits to 34 ports in between. In addition to guests, the ship will transport goods and cars during the 11-day voyages.

“It is natural that we bring back the beautiful Midnatsol name when the ship is temporarily placed on the route along the coast,” said Hurtigruten’s CEO Hedda Felin.

According to Hurtigruten, the vessel currently sailing as the Maud was the first to carry the name Midnatsol in the company’s 130-year history.

The ship’s temporary transfer is part of its ongoing environmental upgrade program, the company added, which includes more vessels now undergoing significant refurbishments.

In 2024, the Nordlys is scheduled to receive a series of new green technologies, remaining out of service for several months before emerging as a hybrid ship, the company said.

Among the new features being added to the 1994-built vessel are large battery packs, new engines, and hull optimizations.

“It is important to have coastal voyages departing every day, so that it is a real alternative for both local passengers and goods. Therefore, we strive as best we can to replace ships that are going to shipyards, and it is very gratifying that we have now been able to temporarily add Midnatsol to the fleet,” added Felin.