MS Fram

The 2007-built MS Fram cruise ship is a specially designed Antarctica expedition vessel in the Hurtigruten's fleet (“1B” ice-class double hull). The ship's name means “forward” in Norwegian. The ship was named after its wooden namesake used between 1893-1912 by Norwegian North Pole explorers Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, Oscar Wisting and Otto Sverdrup. The original expedition ship is preserved at the “Fram Museum” in Oslo Norway.

NEWS: In 2021, Hurtigruten added 4 old ships to the company's expedition fleet - Spitsbergen, Midnatsol (Eirik Raude), Trollfjord (Maud) and Finnmarken (Otto Sverdrup). This fleet also includes Fram (2007) and the 3 newbuilds - Roald Amundsen (2019), Fridtjof Nansen (2020) and TBN (2022).

History - construction and ownership

The shipowner Hurtigruten is a Norwegian passenger shipping company specializing in cruise and ferry services. The "Norwegian Coastal Express Route" (Bergen-Kirkenes) is a cargo-passenger ferry service along Norway's western and northern coast. Hurtigruten's cruise ferries sail nearly the entire length of Norway and complete this roundtrip itinerary in 11 days. The route also includes Lofoten Islands and Vesteralen Islands.

The 320-passenger ship Fram serves Hurtigruten's Antarctica expedition program. With this addition to its fleet, the cruise line presented an option for both relaxation and discovery. Specially designed for cruising in polar waters, Fram holds the highest safety standards. She is the perfect size for guests’ comfort and optimum nautical maneuverability. Boarding ms Fram will take passengers closer to nature and wildlife.

December 2007, ms Fram lost power and hit a glacier in Antarctica. The vessel was damaged to her starboard side but despite the accident was able to continue the voyage.

Decks and Cabins

MS Fram staterooms (137 total, in 8 grades) include 38x Suites, 88x Outside, 9x Inside, 2x for disabled. Most ms Fram staterooms are 85-140-sq. foot Oceanview rooms. The largest aboard ms Fram is the Grand Suite (400 ft2). These are with one or two rooms and have private balconies, separate sitting area, queen beds and Internet access.

The boat has 8 decks, of which 7 are passenger-accessible and 3 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

All meals take place in Fram's Aune restaurant on Deck 4. Picture windows line on three sides of the 2-level room, offering sweeping ocean views. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style and open-seating. The serving area is situated in the center of the restaurant in a square formation. It's seldom crowded as meals are spread out over a couple of hours. Some dinners are open-seating self-service buffets, while others are plated meals served in four seatings, depending on how full the cruise ship is.

Follows the complete list of ms Fram restaurants and food bars.

• Aune Restaurant (Aune Main Dining) is the ship's complimentary Dining Room (capacity 234 seats) with floor-ceiling windows, buffet station in the middle, self-service beverage station (for coffee-tea-juices), an outdoor seating area (alfresco terrace). The Galley / Kitchen is adjacent to the Restaurant. Aune Restaurant serves complimentary Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Breakfast is buffet-style (bacon, eggs, sausages, cold meats, cheeses, seafood, bread selection, cereals, fruits, porridge). Lunch is also buffet-style (salads, soups, hot/cold meats, seafood, vegetables, desserts). Dinner is 4-seating and waiter-served (3-course menu, including traditional Scandinavian dishes). Wine by the bottle is offered at extra cost. Hurtigruten has a wine package available for purchase at the Restaurant.
• Lindstrom Specialty Restaurant is located aft-portside on Deck 4. Suite-category passengers dine complimentary at Lindstrom daily (all-inclusive breakfast and dinner). Other cabin grade passengers can also dine at Lindstrom (breakfast and/or dinner) but at extra charge (a la carte priced menu, premium wine list).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

From the moment passengers step on board the compact Fram ship, they feel as though they’ve arrived in the polar region. Fram’s artwork reflects both the Antarctic and the Arctic with photos of the early expeditions, snow-capped peaks paintings, and pictures of penguins. Highlights are the Fram artifacts exhibit and the model of Fram sailing ship.

Fram ship's onboard experience is marked by an interior design rich in oak wood, leather, and wool. The observation lounge offers panoramic 270-degree sea views. On its Sun deck 7, located by the gym room are 2 outdoor whirlpools enclosed by glass windows. They are the Hurtigruten's exclusive option to enjoy the panoramic spa experience at sea - no matter the weather.

Follows the complete list of ms Fram lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Ward (wardroom, ship officers’ dining room and relaxation lounge)
• Tender Lobby (embarkation/disembarkation area for easy loading/unloading of passengers going on land expeditions; ship-to-shore tendering is serviced by 6 inflatable boats, used mostly for wildlife watching in Antarctica)
• Lobby (with floor-ceiling windows, reception, expeditions booking, and information)
• Shop (selling hand-made souvenirs, special occasion gifs, Hurtigruten logo merchandise)
• Observation terraces and Promenade Deck (open-air deck spaces)
• Explorer Lounge hosts daily media presentations and lectures by wildlife experts and expert scientists. It is served by its own bar and has an outdoor terrace (Passenger Bridge).
• Fitness Room (with treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machine, ping pong table, free weights); two whirlpools with shower section; two separate Saunas (unisex)
• The Sun Deck is the place for Hurtigruten’s special ceremony “Arctic Circle baptism”, including a Neptune-costumed crewmember, icy seawater, and a shot for warming up.

Fram Science Centre (deck 4 forward, on the below photo) is a large "scientific lounge" (research lab) packed with high-tech gadgets (including microscopes and touch screens) and latest digital technology equipment. The venue consists of Library, Lecture Halls, Photo Center (photo- and video-processing studio), Conference Room, Expedition Team Room, dedicated areas for themed educational activities (workshops in biology, marine life, geography, photography, etc). Hurtigruten's Expedition Team provides here passengers with scientific information and technology assistance.

Itineraries

MS Fram itinerary program is based on Greenland and Arctic cruises (during summer in the northern hemisphere, including Canada). During winter months, the ship cruises to Antarctica leaving from Argentina (roundtrip Buenos Aires).

Hurtigruten offers flight-cruise package deals with bookings protected with ATOL Certificate. ATOL stands for "Air Travel Organisers' Licensing" (Civil Aviation Authority, UK).

The Fincantieri Monfalcone-built Fram cruise ship is an expedition vessel designed for operations in the regions of Arctic (Europe) and Antarctica (South America). The ship is named after the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen's "Fram" ship. The original Fram was a wooden expedition ship (rigged as a 3-masted schooner), which design's most unique feature was that the hull (bow, stern, keel) was rounded off and smoothed, to avoid ice packing around it.

By nationality, the ship's officers are all Norwegian, while the hotel staff and crew are Filipino.

MS Fram refurbishment 2020 review

Before the Arctic season 2020, the cruise ship is scheduled to enter drydock for an extensive refurbishment. Following the refit, the boat has large windows in most venues, new open spaces, new restaurants, completely overhauled staterooms and public areas, new Science Center, new dual-fuel engines.

The dining room was redesigned and renamed "Restaurant Aune". A new specialty restaurant (Lindstrom) was added. The fine-dining venue offers traditional Norwegian specialties and has a separate bar lounge.

The new Science Center is an "edutainment area" where passengers meet and mingle with the ship's staff and crew. The fore-located Qilak Observation Lounge was redesigned and renamed "Explorer Lounge and Bar".

Pole-to-Pole Expedition Cruises 2022

In early-June 2021 Hurtigruten Expeditions announced two (company's first) "pole to pole cruises" scheduled to combine into a single itinerary the regions Alaska (Aleutian Islands, St Matthew Island), Northwest Passage (Arctic Canada's Atlantic-Pacific sea route, Baffin Island), Greenland, Caribbean (Belize, Nicaragua), Panama Canal (full transit), South America (also Chilean Fjords), Antarctica.

• The 93-day itinerary (Vancouver BC Canada to Buenos Aires Argentina) was planned for MS Roald Amundsen, departing on August 8, 2022, and visiting 11 countries. Prices started from USD 64580 (EUR 53045) per person with double occupancy.
• The 66-day itinerary (Edmonton, Alberta Canada, to Valparaiso-Santiago Chile) was planned for MS Fram, departing on September 22, 2022, and visiting 7 countries. Prices started from USD 50140 (EUR 41175) per person with double occupancy.

Hurtigruten's 93-day "Arctic to Antarctica" cruise itinerary schedule included the following segments:

• DAYS 2-17 (Vancouver to Nome AK) - Misty Fjords, Wrangell AK, Sitka AK, Icy Bay (glaciers Guyot, Yahtse, Tyndall, Guyot), Kodiak AK, Katmai National Park, Chignik AK, Unga Village, Dutch Harbor, St Paul and St. Matthew Islands, Nome AK
• DAYS 18-21 (at sea) Bering Strait, Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea
• DAYS 22-32 (Canada and Greenland) Amundsen Gulf, Cape Bathurst, Ulukhaktok, Cambridge Bay (Victoria Island), Gjoa Haven, Somerset Island (Fort Ross on Hudson's Bay), Beechey Island, Devon Island, Baffin Island (Mittimatalik)
• DAYS 33-40 (Greenland and Atlantic Canada) Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Ilulissat, Sisimiut, Red Bay (Belle Isle Strait), Corner Brook
• DAYS 41-48 (Halifax NS to Boston MA) Halifax, Sable Island, Lunenburg NS, Eastport ME, Bar Harbor ME, Provincetown MA, Boston
• DAYS 49-52 (at sea)
• DAYS 53-62 (Miami FL to Colon Panama) Miami, Belize City, Lighthouse Reef Belize, Isla de Providencia Colombia, Corn Islands Nicaragua, Bocas del Toro Panama, Colon
• DAYS 63-76 (Panama Canal to Valparaiso-Santiago Chile) Manta Ecuador, Machala-Puerto Bolivar Ecuador, Salaverry Peru, Lima Peru, Paracas Peru, Arica Chile, Iquique Chile, La Serena Chile, Valparaiso
• DAYS 77-86 (Chilean Patagonia) Castro, Puerto Eden, Puerto Natales, Chilean fjords, Magellan Strait, Cape Horn, Drake Passage
• DAYS 87-90 (Antarctica) Antarctic Peninsula (~20 landing sites), South Shetland Islands
• DAYS 91-93 (Ushuaia/debarkation) flight to Buenos Aires