For more than a century, the ferries of the Norwegian Coastal Express have been transporting passengers and freight back and forth between the quaint, isolated port towns along Norway's ruggedly scenic western and northern coasts.

Deemed by many to be among the world's most splendidly beautiful coastal itineraries, the service-oriented ferries have been adopted by tourists seeking a unique cruising experience.

Northbound, the voyage takes seven days; southbound, it's six. And of course, there's the 11-day round-trip option. Two factors of the cruise set it apart from all others: First and foremost, from the shipboard vantage point, coastal vistas are absolutely breathtaking. And second, the trip offers great opportunities to meet Norwegians — the Tors and Henriks, who're commuting from one town to another or who, like you, have come aboard to ogle at the spectacular scenery.

It's a fabulous trip — one that should not be missed. But if you call your travel agent to book, don't request Norwegian Coastal Express; it no longer exists.

Well, actually, the company and ferries exist, but the name has been expunged and replaced with a new one: Hurtigruten (or HER-te-grew-ten, and if you think that's hard to say, try pronouncing the name of Hurtigruten's original parent company, Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab).

Hurtigruten means "express (or fast) route" in Norwegian, and when the service was initiated in 1893, that was an accurate description of the route. It was actually a tremendous boon for the isolated communities tucked between majestic fjords. It meant that mail en route from central Norway to Hammerfest, for example — that had taken up to three weeks for delivery during the summer (or up to five months during the winter) — could now reach its destination in just seven days. Essential and luxury goods, too. And relatives or workers. Now that was a real revolution in lifestyle.

Then, the voyage was somewhat treacherous during the winter, but the Norwegians are terrific sailors, and the ferries have operated nonstop for 365 days a year since the service started up. Now, of course, the ships are perfectly safe, and winter voyages are among the most wonderful because you get to see the mysterious northern lights.

The ships sail almost the entire length of Norway, from the Hanseatic League city of Bergen, southwestern Norway's center of politics and culture, to Kirkenes in the country's northeast region. Highlights include the spectacular Geiranger Fjord (during the summers only) and the remote Lofoten Islands.

During the 1980s, Hurtigruten began marketing specifically to tourists. Thinking that Americans would have difficulty with the name Hurtigruten, the company called itself Norwegian Coastal Express.

To attract tourists, ferries were upgraded to include luxuriously appointed and spacious cabins, excellent restaurants, lively bars, onboard entertainment and other amenities. Because they're still working ferries, the ships' onboard atmosphere isn't quite ship-cum-resort in the way that it is on cruise ships, but the differences are actually quite refreshing and relaxing.

Altogether, the company runs 11 Hurtigruten ferries along the Norwegian coast. Most of them were built between 1982 and 2000, but two vintage vessels, MS Nordstjernen (1956) and MS Lofoten (1964), are particularly popular, although they're used only during the winter as replacements for newer ships that are repositioned annually for recently inaugurated Antarctic cruises.

This year, the company is inaugurating a new ship, MS Fram (named after

Frithjof Nansen's famous exploratory vessel), to transit from the Arctic to Antarctica, spend the winter plying Antarctic tourism itineraries and return to Norway and the Arctic for the summer months. Most likely, MS Nordstjernen and MS Lofoten will be retired, so 2007 is probably the last chance to sail on them and enjoy their tradition and ambience.

Additional itineraries intended exclusively for tourists are offered to exotic and pristine Svalbard (which includes Spitsbergen's incomparable population of polar bears), Greenland and the Lofoten Islands.

Because the company operates 11 ferries on the coastal route, each town is guaranteed a visit two times each day. While the ships unload and take on cargo, tourists can wander around the town, see historic sites, browse charming shops, grab a munch, hike or bird watch on the cliffs.

Of course, in this day and age, a ribbon of blacktop connects the towns, and a car may be the fastest route, but Hurtigruten is still the most popular.

See www.hurtigruten.us for more information.

To find out more about Jennifer Merin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.