Take a peek at Hurtigruten’s new polar vessels

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2016 at 14:26 — Last Updated: Thursday, August 26, 2021 at 14:59
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Arctic adventure tourism is top priority for Norwegian company Hurtigruten. (rolls-royce.com)

Rolls-Royce designs the new generation of Arctic cruise ships.

The company this week signed a contract with Norwegian ship building company Kleven on ship design and ship equipment to two new polar cruise vessels. The contract is worth £25 and includes an option for two additional vessels, the company informs.

The contract follows a deal inked by Hurtigruten and Kleven in April. The orders have a cost frame of 280 million Norwegian kroner (€30 million).

The new ships mark the largest investment ever made by Hurtigruten, the company which has operated along the Norwegian coast since 1893.

“This is a milestone for us and an expression of our confidence in the growth of the global market for adventure tourism. We are to build the most formidable expedition ships the world has seen,” Daniel Skjeldam, Hurtigruten’s CEO says in a press release.

The ships are to be ready for service in 2017 and 2018.

As previously reported, Hurtigruten earlier this month launched its latest vessel, the «Spitsbergen». With its 100 meter length and 18 meter width, the «Spitsbergen» will be among the company’s smallest. Unlike the other Hurtigruten ships, it will have no car deck and the passenger capacity is only 335.

Hurtigruten operates a daily passenger and freight shipping service along Norway’s western and northern coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. It also offer explorer voyages in Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, Spitsbergen and across the Transatlantic.