Hurtigruten suspends COO as Covid cases rise
Hurtigruten has suspended one of its top executives amid criticism it badly mishandled the outbreak of coronavirus onboard its cruise ship Roald Amundsen.
The cruise line’s Chief Operations Officer Bent Martini was suspended as Hurtigruten confirmed the number of people who have tested positive to Covid-19 is now 41 crew members and 21 passengers.
The company was criticised for not informing passengers about the outbreak before they disembarked in Tromso, Norway, last Friday, after four crew were taken ill and tests positive.
Martini and his family had been on the week-long cruise from Tromso to Svalbard, although it is not known whether he was involved in the decision to send passengers ashore without notifying them of the outbreak.
Two more crew members were admitted to hospital this week with coronavirus and two others have been discharged. All 158 crew members remain quarantined on the ship, which is still in port in Tromso.
Hurtigruten has been widely criticised as irresponsible for the way it has handled the situation, with Norway’s Prime Minister and Health Ministers both expressing their anger and Norwegian publication Aftenposten calling its actions ‘unforgiveable’.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025