134-hour, hi-definition broadcast of Norwegian coastal voyage garnered nearly six-million viewers in 148 countries

HURTIGRUTEN AND NRK SET GUINNESS RECORD FOR LONGEST LIVE TV DOCUMENTARY

New York, NY, July 2011 – Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten, in partnership with Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, have set the Guinness World Record for “Longest Live TV Documentary” with a 134-hour, non-stop broadcast of Hurtigruten’s classic itinerary along Norway’s west coast.  The live footage of the “world’s most beautiful voyage,” so named by several top travel publications, aired June 16-22 and received unprecedented response both online and on Norway’s national TV-channel NRK2.  Nearly six million viewers from 148 countries tuned into the program including three million from Norway, a number comprising nearly three quarters of the country’s population – a record breaking rating for NRK2.  Highlights of the documentary can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/htnlive. 

“It is the opposite of everything else on TV,” explains NRK2’s project manager, Rune Moeklebust, in response to the outpouring of positive response seen everywhere from TV ratings to twitter.  “It stands out and makes people want to watch.”

The hi-definition documentary provides a comprehensive view of the entire cruising experience with a film crew of 20 and 11 cameras – both fixed and handheld – that offer panoramic views of the voyage, interviews with passengers and scenes aboard the ship.  As the 457-berth MS Nordnorge traversed the route from the cultural center of Bergen to Kirkenes, high above the Arctic Circle, both passengers and viewers got stunning views of the diverse coastal landscape: the small fishing villages of the Lofoten Islands; Art Nouveau Alesund, the medieval Viking capital of Trondheim; the western fjords, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Geiranger; and the North Cape.

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 and fall.  The company’s fleet of 12 intimate ships, with 151 to 646 berths, allows passengers to enjoy unique destinations in a relaxed atmosphere.   Additional information on all of these adventures, as well as brochures and reservations, can be obtained from travel agents or Hurtigruten's visitor-friendly web site, www.hurtigruten.us; or by phone: (877) 301-3117; fax (888) 524-2145; for brochures (800) 582-0835, 24 hours a day.

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