To reply to several points mentioned below:

It was not my decision to classify them as ferries but it was done with the early start of this website, what is now some 15 years ago. I am just photo-editor since one year and must follow the present settings.

To reclassify the Hurtigruten-vessels as passenger ships is a time consuming job. Nordkapp 150+ pic’s., Finnmarken 180+, Richard With 160+, etc.

We can argue about the definition of a ferry but the Hurtigruten-vessels are vessels for inland / national traffic (they don’t cross borders during normal traffic). I have made five voyages in them and have seen myself that in many ports people board them and get off one day or a few ports later; that is in my humble opinion a ferry.

The website was reorganized a few years ago and one of my suggestions was to make two separate categories for ferries: with and without vehicle transportation facilities. It would have solved some issues.

In my again humble opinion we have in modern times only ferries and cruise ships (and the smaller types like excursion vessels). That will do for the vessels of the present day. On the website the category “passenger vessels” is now solely used for passenger ships built before WW2 and for pictures showing more than one ferry or cruiseship. I think that is good use for that category.

Regards, Pieter

That's not what Hurtigruten was originally built for, Peter, on short distances we had local passengerships to transport people. Hurtigruten was originally started to keep a daily, all year link between Northern and Southern Norway. Thats about the distance between Southern Norway and Italy. Don't even try to call them a ferry in front of a Norwegian, and absolutely not to a crewmember on these ships. They may faint.....

Hi Pieter,, I'm not disputing at all :-) it's only my little & rather interesting thought at this moment :

"Definition of a ferry is a vessel to transport *people* from A to B on short distances";
A short distance is usually 1... 2... 5... 10 miles
What is with the distance 50... 80... 180 miles and MORE;
Do *passenger* ships in the classic sense of meaning not exist today anymore?
Note: this comment is applicable for ships that only transport *people* onboard and not for ships of combination people/vehicle transportation;

Kind regards /Jadran

The "some-one" are the photo-editors because a very long time ago the decision was made to put the Hurtigruten-vessels in the FERRIES-category. Definition of a ferry is a vessel to transport people from A to B on short distances and that is what these vessels were originally built for. That they are now mostly used as cruise ships is another subject for discussion. The old LOFOTEN is now 180+ times on the website as Ferry, I would like to keep it that way.....
Pieter - photo-editor