The purpose was to conduct passenger and freight traffic with mail and goods to Hamburg.
The company cooperated with Bergenske Dampskibsselskab (BDS), first with traffic as far north as Hammerfest, then with the "England Route", Trondhjem–Bergen–Newcastle.
[1] In 1925, Nordenfjeldske entered the cruise ship traffic with SS Prins Olav.
After a hiatus in cruise traffic from 1936, Nordenfjeldske re-entered the business in 1970 as a partner in Royal Viking Line.
[1] During the post-war period Nordenfjeldske invested in tank, bulk, chemical shipping and offshore.