The ferry crossing between Eemshaven in Groningen and the Norwegian city of Kristiansand is busier than expected, Holland Norway Lines told local broadcaster RTV Noord.

The service was launched in April 2022 and so far 186,000 people have made the crossing, 36,000 more than forecast.

Some 60,000 tickets have already been booked for 2023, marketing chief Elmer Roukema told the broadcaster. ‘We’ve had a surprising number of bookings for the coming summer, as well as winter sports fans who are heading to Norway because of the snow.’

The MS Romantika, with capacity for 2,500 passengers, sails between the two locations three times a week. The journey takes around 18 hours.