This week, Hurtigruten’s expedition cruise ship MS Roald Amundsen became the first battery-hybrid powered vessel to ever traverse the Northwest Passage.
As MS Roald Amundsen arrived in Nome, Alaska, Tuesday evening, September 10, capt. Kai Albrigtsen could make the monumental entry in the cruise ship’s logbook: “The first complete passage of the more than 3.000 nautical miles passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, by hybrid propulsion”.
The renowned passage linking East and West has fascinated ocean explorers for centuries. The first complete passage was made by Norwegian polar pioneer Roald Amundsen from 1903 to 1906.
Having traversed the Northwest Passage, Hurtigruten's Roald Amundsen will sail further along the North- and South America's coasts, prior to spending the winter offering expedition cruises in Antarctica.
In the summer of 2020, the ship is scheduled to return to North America for a series of Alaska expedition cruises.