EXPEDITION cruise line Hurtigruten has officially launched its highly anticipated MS Roald Amundsen polar vessel, the first ever battery-powered hybrid expedition ship to be built. Picking up its first passengers yesterday from Tromso on its maiden voyage along the Norwegian coast, the new environmentally sustainable vessel combines spacious cabins, three...
EXPEDITION cruise line Hurtigruten has officially launched its highly anticipated MS Roald Amundsen polar vessel, the first ever battery-powered hybrid expedition ship to be built.
Picking up its first passengers yesterday from Tromso on its maiden voyage along the Norwegian coast, the new environmentally sustainable vessel combines spacious cabins, three restaurants and public areas with a dual viewing deck.
“MS Roald Amundsen is the first cruise ship equipped with batteries, something deemed impossible just a few years back,” Hurtigruten Chief Executive Officer Daniel Skjeldam enthused.
“[The ship] sets a new standard not only for cruising, but for the entire shipping industry to follow,” he added.
MS Roald Amundsen’s maiden season is scheduled to include expedition cruises along the Norwegian coast, as well as jaunts from Svalbard and Greenland, before it becomes the first hybrid powered ship to traverse the Northwest Passage.
Hurtigruten Managing Director APAC Damian Perry believes the new trendsetter in sustainable cruising will resonate strongly with the Australian market.
“The interest and support from the Australian industry and travellers alike is overwhelming.,” Perry said.
“The desire to work and travel with the recognised world leader in sustainable expedition cruise travel is a clear indication that innovation of this type is valued,” he added.
Pictured: MS Roald Amundsen.
