"Nordlys" was launched on 13 August 1993. She is allocated IMO number 9048914 and her port of registry is Tromsø. She was delivered to Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap AS on 16 March 1994. She sailed to Copenhagen, Denmark for viewing and then on to Hamburg, Germany. 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. She entered service with Hurtigruten on the Bergen – Kirkenes route on 4 April 1994.