MS Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen in Lysefjord, seen from Fv523 looking west, Bergsholmen in the background. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Norway | |
| Name | Fridtjof Nansen |
| Namesake | Fridtjof Nansen |
| Operator | HX Expeditions |
| Builder | Kleven Verft, Ulsteinvik, Norway[1] |
| Identification | IMO number: 9813084 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage | 20,889 GT |
MS Fridtjof Nansen is a Norwegian cruise ship (though marketed as an "expedition ship"). Named after polar explorer and scientist Fridtjof Nansen, it is a near identical twin to MS Roald Amundsen. It is a hybrid powered Polar Class 6 ship built by Kleven Yards Ulsteinvik for Hurtigruten, and today sails for HX.[2]
History
Hurtigruten tentatively ordered in April 2016 two newbuildings at Kleven Verft, which should be delivered in July 2018 and 2019.[3] Fridtjof Nansen was officially ordered on 30 June 2016, together with her sister ship Roald Amundsen, at Kleven Verft. Fridtjof Nansen should originally have been delivered in summer 2019.[3] Kleven yard ran into financial difficulties and ended up being bought outright by Hurtigruten.[4] The ship was launched on 9. December 2018. The first cruises should have started in April 2020 from Hamburg.[5] Due to COVID-19 the planned cruises had to be cancelled.[6]
On 11 January 2022, the ship ran aground while on a voyage from Lofoten to Flåm. None of her two-hundred-thirty-three passengers and one-hundred-sixty-five crew were injured. The passengers were taken off the ship and transported to Ålesund. After repairs the ship resumed cruising with passengers on 1 June, departing from Reykjavík.
Technology
Fridtjof Nansen is the second expedition ship of its class with hybrid power, a combination of diesel-electrical power and pure electrical power, fed from accumulators. The hull is particularly suited for polar regions (Polar class 6) and has a bow like an axe. The propulsion occurs via two Azimuth thrusters.[7]
Sister ships
The development and construction of Fridtjof Nansen is part of a 850 million dollar investment of Hurtigruten AS with the objective to have the most environment-friendly expedition fleet of the world. The first vessel Roald Amundsen has been in operation since July 2019. A third ship was ordered in October 2018 for delivery in 2021.[8] This order was later cancelled.
References
- ^ "MS Fridtjof Nansen". CruiseMapper. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "MS Fridtjof Nansen | HX Hurtigruten Expeditions UK". www.travelhx.com. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ^ a b "Hurtigruten bestellt neue Expeditionsschiffe". 2016-04-25. Archived from the original on 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ "Hurtigruten Buys Kleven Shipyard". 11 June 2018.
- ^ "Auf der Postschiffroute ab Hamburg". Hurtigruten AS. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
- ^ "News". Touristik Aktuell (in German). Euro Business Communication Verlag GmbH. 2020-04-06.
- ^ "Nachhaltige Technologie, die Maßstäbe setzt". Hurtigruten AS. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
- ^ "Hurtigruten bestellt neues Hybrid-Expeditionsschiff". Hurtigruten AS. 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2019-07-07.