NEW YORK CITY, USA (April 20, 2026) – This 4/20, Hurtigruten, the Norwegian cruise line at the forefront of sustainable travel, is spotlighting seaweed—an ingredient deeply rooted in Nordic food traditions and increasingly embraced for its culinary versatility and sustainability credentials. Dating back to the Vikings a thousand years ago, it is today featured across Hurtigruten's guest experience — from dishes and drinks to onboard bath and body products. The cruise line also serves seaweed gin and beer produced exclusively for Hurtigruten.

“Seaweed has become an exciting expression of modern Norwegian cuisine – flavorful, versatile and deeply connected to the coastline we sail every day,” said André Pettersen, Chief Product and Hotel Officer, Hurtigruten. “Innovating with local ingredients from the sea, such as seaweed, allows us to showcase a highly sustainable resource with a low environmental impact.

From cocktails and fine dining dishes to tea, bread, and amenities on board, it allows us to bring guests closer to both Norwegian traditions and the ingredients shaping the future of food.”

Widely regarded as a nutrient-rich superfood, seaweed contains significantly higher levels of minerals than many land vegetables and is a source of vitamins, dietary fiber, protein, essential amino acids, and polyphenols. It is also increasingly recognized for benefits linked to gut, heart and metabolic health. In 2023, seaweed became classified as seafood by the Norwegian Parliament.

Around 60 dishes served onboard feature seaweed, representing approximately 20% of all meals, whether in soups, pasta, butter, or as a seasoning. Hurtigruten's F&B program, Norway's Coastal Kitchen, is centered around providing guests with the freshest and most sustainable produce, delivered along the coast the same day it is served. Seaweed is now an integral part of the program and is primarily used as a flavor enhancer and complexity builder in the dishes. For instance, in Kysten, the fine dining restaurant on Hurtigruten's original Coastal Express itineraries, which the company has operated since 1893, seaweed is featured in every dish of the menu. The menu's culinary narrative is built around the ingredient. Truffle seaweed, for instance, is included in dishes like raw shrimp with sea urchins, butter-fried snow crab, and Aquavit-marinated cloudberries with Arctic ice cream.

Hurtigruten was among the first in Norway to introduce seaweed caviar on its menu, which is available in the fine dining restaurant onboard Hurtigruten's Signature ships. More recent additions include the seaweed signature bread introduced in 2024, which is made with freshly harvested sugar kelp from Lyngen Seaweed, which Hurtigruten partly owns. The company also works with Lofoten Seaweed, which guests on its Culinary Voyage itineraries get to visit.

On the beverage side, seaweed also appears in tea, gin, and beer, extending the ingredient's reach beyond the plate and into the glass. Hurtigruten's seaweed gin is an exclusive collaboration with partner Bivrost, distilled by Lyngen Fjord in Arctic Norway. The seaweed that gives the gin its distinctive character is harvested from the Hurtigruten Seaweed Farm on the opposite side of the fjord, where Arctic conditions create high-quality raw materials. The result is a refined and complex gin with subtle maritime notes and a clear connection to the natural landscape of Northern Norway.

On board, this gin is also featured in handcrafted signature cocktails developed by the bartenders as a sensory interpretation of the coastline. Each cocktail is carefully composed using seasonal ingredients and precise techniques, where the ocean's mineral qualities are balanced with fresh and aromatic elements.  

Hurtigruten's seaweed lager is developed in collaboration with the innovative brewery Bådin, which is known for its commitment to quality and local ingredients. The beer is brewed with seaweed harvested from nearby coastal areas, creating a unique flavor profile with fresh, mineral undertones and a subtle umami character. This specially crafted lager is exclusively available on board all Hurtigruten ships and represents a modern interpretation of Norwegian brewing traditions—where the ocean's ingredients are elevated into an elegant and highly drinkable form.

For the afternoon tea service in Røst, the fine dining restaurant onboard Hurtigruten's premium Signature ships, a special seaweed tea is also available.

In their cabins, guests can enjoy hair and body wash, and conditioners that include seaweed, as well as body lotion available in the ship's gift shop.

Images can be downloaded from this Dropbox folder, which also includes the on board amenity products featuring seaweed.

For more information, please contact:
Anders Lindström
Head of PR & Communications, the Americas
646.944.9029