PUT TO THE TEST: Hybrid powered MS Fridtjof Nansen during sea trials in the Norwegian fjords last week. Photo: MOTIONAIR/Hurtigruten

04-12-2019 13:04 CET

New hybrid poweredcruise ship completessea trials – Hurtigrutenlaunches pre-inauguralvoyagesHurtigruten’s new hybrid battery powered expedition cruise ship MS FridtjofNansen will be completed earlier than expected. As a result, Hurtigruten isadding a series of shorter pre-inaugural voyages.

MS Fridtjof Nansen is packed with green technology and large battery packsand is, alongside her sister ship MS Roald Amundsen, the world’s firstbattery-hybrid powered cruise ship.

The groundbreaking expedition cruise ship is set for delivery by the end of2019, well ahead of her April 1st inaugural voyage from Hamburg to theNorwegian coast.

- Pre-inaugural voyages are normally offered to specially invited guestsonly. We want to share the special occasion and give more explorers theopportunity for a first-hand experience of the incredible MS Fridtjof Nansenand our unique expedition cruises, Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam says.

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Exclusive opportunities – unique destinations

Departing from London (March 7), Liverpool (March 12) and Portsmouth(March 17), the exclusive 5-night pre-inaugural voyages will take guestsexploring hand-picked destinations in and around the British Isles. Thehybrid powered ship will visit destinations such as Isles of Scilly, Fowey, Isleof Man and Dartmouth.

A 4-night voyage to the Norwegian capital of Oslo will take guests throughthe Kiel Canal and Aalborg in Denmark, from a spectacular departure point;London’s iconic Tower Bridge.

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BE THE FIRST TO KNOW: REGISTER ON THE LINKS BELOW FOR MOREINFORMATION ON THE EXCLUSIVE MS FRIDTJOF NANSEN PRE-INAUGURALVOYAGES

USA - Click hereUK - Click hereGermany - Click hereFrance - Click hereAustralia & New Zealand - Click hereOther markets - Click here

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Through the fjords - battery powered

Photo: Motion Air/Hurtigruten

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Custom built as a small ship taking around 500 guests to some of the mostspectacular waters of the planet, MS Fridtjof Nansen is currently in the finalstages of outfitting on Norway’s Kleven Yard.

Over the past week, the ship has been undergoing sea trials off the westcoast of Norway. With the Norwegian fjords as testing ground – and thefamous Sunnmøre alps as a spectacular backdrop – the hybrid poweredcruise ship’s advanced, green technology was put to a test. This includedher battery packs.

- We are extremely satisfied with the results of the sea trials. In fact, sheperformed so well that we concluded the tests a full day early. Building onthe experience we got from MS Roald Amundsen, we are confident indelivering one of the most advanced vessels in the world by end of the year.In cooperation with the Hurtigruten team, our employees, subcontractorsand partners on Fosen Yards have all done a great job, Kleven CEO KjetilBollestad says.

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Driving demand – and change

Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam. Photo: RUNE KONGSRO/Hurtigruten

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In addition to the exclusive pre-inaugural voyages, MS Fridtjof Nansen’smaiden season includes a series of cruises from Hamburg to the Norwegiancoast, before spending the summer of 2020 exploring Greenland andIceland. The 2020/2021 winter season she will join her hybrid poweredsister ship MS Roald Amundsen for Hurtigruten’s signature Antarcticacruises.

- We see great demand for our expedition cruises across all markets and alldestinations. With their green technology and unprecedented focus onsustainable solutions, MS Fridtjof Nansen and MS Roald Amundsen are notonly driving demand, they are driving change in the cruise industry,Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam says.

The introduction of the world’s first hybrid powered cruise ships is the latestin a number of Hurtigruten green initiatives. Hurtigruten celebrated its125th anniversary by banning all single-use-plastics. In another industryfirst, Hurtigruten is completely rebuilding existing ships to run on acombination of large battery packs, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biogas(LBG) – produced from organic waste such as dead fish.

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FOR MEDIA: Images and videos of MS Fridtjof Nansen and the sea trials –can be found here: http://bit.ly/ms-fridtjofnansen

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THE MS FRIDTJOF NANSEN PRE-INAUGURAL VOYAGES

Please note that the itineraries are subject to change.

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Pre-inaugural 1

07.03.2020 London (Tilbury)08.03.2020 Portsmouth09.03.2020 Portland10.03.2020 St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly11.03.2020 Douglas12.03.2020 Liverpool

Pre-inaugural 2

12.03.2020 Liverpool13.03.2020 Dublin14.03.2020 Cardiff15.03.2020 Fowey16.03.2020 Dartmouth17.03.2020 Portsmouth

Pre-inaugural 3

17.03.2020 Portsmouth18.03.2020 Dartmouth19.03.2020 St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly20.03.2020 St. Peter Port21.03.2020 Ostend22.03.2020 London (Tower Bridge)

Pre-inaugural 4

23.03.2020 London (Tower Bridge)24.03.2020 At Sea25.03.2020 Scenic Navigation: Kiel Canal26.03.2020 Aalborg27.03.2020 Oslo

Pre-inaugural 5

28.03.2020 Oslo29.03.2020 Skagen30.03.2020 At Sea31.03.2020 Hamburg

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MS Fridtjof Nansen

MS Fridtjof Nansen and MS Roald Amundsen are the world’s first hybridpowered cruise ships, equipped with large battery packs andgroundbreaking green technology.

Built: 2019 Kleven Yards, NorwayGross tonnage: 20.889Length: 140 mWidth: 23,6 mDraft: 5,5 mGuests: 530 (500 in Antarctica)Staterooms and suites: 265Crew: 151Cruising speed: 15 knotsIce class: PC-6

On board facilities includes: A fully equipped Science Center, observationdecks, infinity pool, panoramic sauna, wellness center, three restaurants,bars, Explorer Lounge, more than 50 % of cabins with private balconies.

Hurtigruten - World leader in exploration travel

Building on 125 years of Norwegian pioneering heritage, Hurtigruten istoday the world's largest expedition cruise company.

Hurtigruten’s rapidly growing fleet of custom-build expedition ships takesmodern-day adventure travellers to the world’s most spectaculardestinations on our Planet - from the High North to Antarctica in the south.

Being the world leader in exploration travel comes with a greatresponsibility. Hurtigruten is enhancing destinations and runs anresponsible, sustainable global operation. Read more about Hurtigruten's

sustainability efforts here.

Hurtigruten is introducing the world’s first hybrid battery powered cruiseships, the MS Roald Amundsen (2019) and the MS Fridtjof Nansen (2020). 

Kontaktpersoner

Rune Thomas EgePressekontaktKommunikasjonssjefege@hurtigruten.com+47 988 288 68

Hurtigruten PressevaktPressekontaktpress@hurtigruten.com(+47) 48 02 77 00