MS Norröna

	Norröna in 2013
History
Name	Norröna
Owner	Smyril Line
Operator	Smyril Line
Port of registry	Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Builder	Lübeck, Germany
Launched	2003
Completed	2003
Acquired	2003
In service	2003
Identification	IMO number: 9227390
Status	In service
General characteristics
Length	164 meters
Capacity	1500 passengers and 800 cars
Crew	120

Norröna is the Faroes' largest ferry. It sails between Hirtshals, Denmark to Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands and Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.

Travel to the Faroe Islands and Iceland

Today there are only two options for travel to or from the Faroe Islands as an ordinary passenger: One way is to fly from Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway or The United Kingdom to the Faroe Islands with the Faroese airline Atlantic Airways, and the other way is to sail with the ferry Norröna from the Faroese ferry company Smyril Line, whose home port is Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands. The trip from Denmark to the Faroe Islands directly takes approximately 36 hours and from Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands to Seyðisfjörður on Iceland takes approximately 18 hours. Meanwhile, Norröna is the only way to take your own car with you to the Faroe Islands and Iceland from Denmark or from the Faroe Islands and Iceland and reverse.

The old Norröna

The old Norröna was built in 1973 at Nobiskrug in Rendsburg in Germany as Gustav Wasa. From 1984 she was called the Norröna and sailed for the owner Smyril Line between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway, and in some years Shetland also. The successor is the new Norröna (from 2003). But the old ship is still sailing under the flag of the Faroe Islands, as a missionary ship under the name Logos Hope.^[1]

The new Norröna

The new Norröna is a modern cruiseferry. It was built in Lübeck, Germany, and had its maiden voyage in April 2003. Norröna has a total LOA (length over all) of 165 m, and a width of 30 m (34,23 with lifeboats). She has a total of 318 passenger cabins and 72 crew cabins, which accommodates the space of approximately 1500 passengers and 118 crew members. She has a total of 1830 m of trailer lane, with place for 800 cars. Her cruising speed is approximately 21 knots.

In the winter months

The ferry also sails in the winter months, but there are few tourists on these trips and therefore only a crew of 20-25 is needed. In the winter months the ferry also changes from being a luxury ship to be more a container ship.

The ferry has visited Newcastle upon Tyne, England, as a Christmas shopping special, allowing visitors a day in the city.^[2]

Operation in adverse weather conditions

When the weather is bad on the Faroe Islands, the ship may dock at the alternative ports of Klaksvík or Runavík instead of Tórshavn. In November 2007 the Norröna lost power in heavy seas near the Shetland Islands; the ferry began to roll and eighty cars were damaged on the car deck. The ship was forced to stop at Lerwick for emergency repairs to the heavily damaged stabilisers.^[3]

Accidents

In January 2004 there was an accident with the new Norröna in Tórshavn, when the ferry hit the wharf and suffered slight damage.^[4]^[5]

Smyril Line and the Norröna in economic

The new Norröna cost about 100 million Euro, which later gave Smyril Line some economic problems, but with public support guaranteed the Norröna remains a Faroese ship.^[6]^[7]