She has two sister ships, Kong Harald and Richard With which also sail for Hurtigruten.

The ship caught fire in September 2011 while sailing off Ålesund, Norway.

[2] The ship has capacity for 691 passengers in 482 berths and her cargo deck can accommodate 50 cars.

[4] The Nordlys has two six-cylinder MaK 6M552C medium-speed diesel engines, each producing 4,500 kilowatts (6,000 hp) and giving her a service speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph),[3] coupled to KaMeWa controllable-pitch propellers through Lohmann & Stolterfoht reduction gears.

On 22 March, she was christened in Oslo, Norway before sailing to Stavanger and across the North Sea to Newcastle upon Tyne and London, United Kingdom.