EXPEDITION cruise specialist Hurtigruten is currently making plans to deploy one of its state- of-the art new hybrid-powered vessels in Australasian waters. Hurtigruten MD Asia-Pacific, Damian Perry, confirmed he was already in discussions with port authorities in the region about the deployment, expected to occur in the next couple of...
EXPEDITION cruise specialist Hurtigruten is currently making plans to deploy one of its state- of-the art new hybrid-powered vessels in Australasian waters.
Hurtigruten MD Asia-Pacific, Damian Perry, confirmed he was already in discussions with port authorities in the region about the deployment, expected to occur in the next couple of years.
“We believe there is a huge opportunity for our small ship expedition-style product to operate in Australia,” Perry said.
Potential itineraries would include the Kimberley, West Papua and trips featuring Tasmania along with New Zealand and the sub-Antarctic islands.
However, Antarctica trips out of Australia are “not necessarily” on the agenda, Perry said, because of the long sea crossing required.
Hurtigruten’s Roald Amundsen is taking its first polar voyage this week; sister ship Fridtjof Nansen will take to the water in 2020; and also in the pipeline is an as-yet unnamed third 500-pax ship.
One of these three new ships will be part of the Australasian market, Perry confirmed.
Hurtigruten is also boosting its expedition presence on the Norwegian coast with complete refurbishments of existing vessels to the same environmental standards of the trio of new ships, with the fleet powered by a combination of LNG, biogas, shore power and batteries.
Pictured is Roald Amundsen’s first ever polar bear sighting, captured off the coast of Greenland this week (73 19′ N and 18 53′ W) by Patti Cooper of Inspiring Vacations.
