Hurtigruten’s First Hybrid Electric–Powered Expedition Ship Completes Northwest Passage Crossing

SEATTLE, WA (Sept. 13, 2019) – Hurtigruten, the world leader in exploration travel, made history this week when their groundbreaking expedition cruise ship, MS Roald Amundsen, wrote a new chapter in exploration history—becoming the first hybrid electric–powered expedition ship to traverse the legendary Northwest Passage.

As MS Roald Amundsen arrived in Nome, Alaska on September 10, 2019, Captain Kai Albrigtsen made a monumental entry in the ship’s logbook: The first complete crossing of the more than 3,000 nautical miles passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, by hybrid propulsion.

A Green Milestone

“Every expedition cruise with Hurtigruten is unique, yet this green milestone is literally making history with our guests. Only a few years ago, building cruise ships with battery packs was considered impossible; now, MS Roald Amundsen pays tribute to the great explorer she is named after by traversing one of the world’s most fabled stretches of sea by hybrid propulsion,” says Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.

For centuries, the renowned passage connecting East and West has spellbound ocean explorers. Norwegian polar pioneer Roald Amundsen made the first complete passage from 1903 to 1906.

“We have experienced gale winds, snow, and ice. We have also witnessed spectacular sunsets, striking scenery, and wildlife. However, what has had the biggest impact on us, is how warmly we’ve been welcomed by the local communities along the route, just as Roald Amundsen himself was. Their unparalleled hospitality is what has made this a genuinely inspirational voyage,” says Captain Albrigtsen.

Polar Pioneers

Equipped with large battery packs and groundbreaking technology, MS Roald Amundsen has made global green waves in the cruise and shipping industry after she launched earlier this summer. Using batteries to support her engines, emissions are reduced by more than 20 percent.

Having traversed the Northwest Passage, MS Roald Amundsen will continue to sail further along the coast of North and South America, before spending the winter offering one-of-a-kind expedition cruises in Antarctica. In the summer of 2020, MS Roald Amundsen will then return to North America, for a series of expedition cruises in Alaska.

Editor’s note, photos of MS Roald Amundsen in the Northwest Passage can be found here: http://bit.ly/ms-roaldamundsen

For more information, please contact:
Daniel Sacerio
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
+1 305 443 5454
[email protected]

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About Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten is the world leader in exploration travel. As the largest cruise operator in polar waters, and with 126 years of know-how, they offer immersive experiences to some of the world’s most pristine and remote destinations, including Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Canada and the Northwest Passage, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Svalbard, and more. Hurtigruten’s fleet consists of 14 expedition ships, custom built for adventure travel. In addition, three new groundbreaking ships will be delivered: MS Roald Amundsen in 2019, MS Fridtjof Nansen in 2020, and a third new build in 2021. These will be the most advanced and environmentally friendly expedition vessels at sea, as well as the world’s first hybrid electric-powered cruise ships. Hurtigruten is an industry leader in sustainability, with a deep commitment to improving the marine environments they call home.

For more information, visit www.hurtigruten.com.