Hurtigruten founded expedition cruising back in 1896 and 125 years later, what has grown to become the world's largest expedition cruise company is naming its newest, battery-hybrid powered ship MS Fridtjof Nansen on Norway's Arctic Archipelago Svalbard - the birthplace of expedition cruising.
Fridtjof Nansen is the latest addition to Hurtigruten's fleet of smaller, more sustainable vessels. Packed with green technology, this next-generation boat is designed for exploring some of the planet's most spectacular destinations, building on Hurtigruten's 125 years of experience.
Hurtigruten will host the naming ceremony of MS Fridtjof Nansen in Longyearbyen on Svalbard on September 14, 2021, in the northernmost naming ceremony ever held for a passenger ship.
Hurtigruten Expeditions chose Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen Island) to be Fridtjof Nansen’s port of registry thus making her the first cruiser to proudly call Svalbard home.
Hurtigruten Expeditions’ newest ship is named after one of the greatest polar heroes, Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930), who led the first expedition to ski across Greenland back in 1888 and ventured further north during his Fram expedition (1893-1896). Nansen devoted his life to international humanitarian work and diplomacy.
MS Fridtjof Nansen will be christened by breaking a chunk of ice rather than the traditional Champagne, just as sistership MS Roald Amundsen was when in 2019 she became the first ship ever to be named in Antarctica.
The official naming ceremony is due to take place on September 14. It will be live-streamed.