The broadcaster carried out checks on three ferry lines that sail in and out of Oslo – Stena Saga, DFDS Crown Seaways and Color Fantasy. 

 

What it found is that when you check into a room on one of the ferries, you’re likely to – quite literally – find traces of the previous occupants. TV2’s crew found semen, blood stains, hairs, boogers and food crumbs in some of the ferry rooms. 

 

On both Stena Saga and Crown Seaways, semen was on the walls above guests’ beds. 

 

“That’s not the way it should be,” Stena Line communications manager Jesper Waltersson told TV2 Norge. 

 

Stena Saga appeared to be the worst offender, with the broadcast crew finding a large number of stains and mildewed mattresses that could make guests sick. The ferry operator said it is taking the findings very seriously and claimed to have already planned to get new mattresses before the TV2 investigation. 

 

Aboard Crown Seaways, TV2 found what it described as “a gel-like clump” that turned out to be a rather large booger in one of the beds. 

 

In the ten rooms that TV2 checked on the three ferries, the crew used the so-called ATP test to measure the presence of microorganisms on the room’s surfaces. Aboard all three ferry operators, they found levels much higher than what qualifies as ‘clean’. Aboard the Stena Saga, the microorganism level was a full 200 times higher than what is recommended. 

 

Following TV2’s revelations, both Stena Saga and Crown Seaways vowed to review their cleaning protocols and bring in expert help to improve hygiene levels. 

 

Color Fantasy was the cleanest ferry in the test but operator Color Line said it would purchase ATP kits as a result of TV2’s investigation.

 

TV2 Norge's report can be viewed here.