In June 1871 investors formed the Dampfschiffsrhederei Norden to “bring traffic to the islands of Norderney and Juist in an orderly fashion”, or so it was stated in the company’s prospectus. A year later its first steam ferry was placed into service and a fortified jetty was constructed in the port of Norderney for a landing stage. Competition arrived in 1893 with the formation of the Norderneyer Dampfschiffsrhederei Einigkeit, but the two firms soon reached an understanding and commenced complementary services to meet the needs of the popular summer resorts, and services were expanded to the neighbouring islands of Baltrum, Langeoog, and Spiekeroog. Further competition arrived in 1906 with the formation of the Neue Dampfschiffs-Reederei Frisia. To avoid a ruinous rate war, a plan of amalgamation was worked out and in 1909 the Reederei Norden-Frisia was formed to operate general passenger and cargo services to the East Frisian Islands, chiefly the resorts of Norderney and Juist.
1922 the shares of the Wyker Dampfschiffs-Rhederei were acquired. This enterprise, first formed in 1885, operated ferry services from the mainland ports of Dagebüll and Amrum to the outer Frisian islands of Wyk and Sylt. The Wyker Line formally became a subsidiary of the Reederei Norden-Frisia in 1929. That summer services were opened to Heligoland from Hörnum, Wyk, Wittdün, and Dagebüll.