MS Fridtjof Nansen

The 2020-built/2021-inaugurated MS Fridtjof Nansen cruise ship is the second in a 2-ship series of hybrid-powered Hurtigruten expedition ships. The two newbuilds (Roald Amundsen and “Fridtjof Nansen”) were both named after the most influential Norwegian polar explorers from the time when the Hurtigruten company started to offer expedition cruise itineraries.

In 2021, Hurtigruten allocated 4 old ships to its expedition fleet - Spitsbergen (2009), Midnatsol (2003), Trollfjord (2002) and Finnmarken (2002).

MS Fridtjof Nansen is now part of the Hurtigruten Expeditions/HX fleet.

The vessel (IMO number 9813084) is currently Norway-flagged (MMSI 257088070) and registered in Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen Island). The port registry made MS Fridtjof Nansen the ever-first cruise ship to be registered in Svalbard.

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.

This cruise vessel class was purposefully designed for Norwegian coastal and Polar expedition cruises (Arctic and Antarctica itineraries). The Rolls-Royce company's Marine division received a GBP 25 million (USD 33 million) from the shipyard to provide the vessel's design and equipment.

The new series of Hurtigruten expedition vessels feature the latest environmentally friendly marine technologies. The new hybrid technology allows cruising with fully electric propulsion for up to 30 min. The main gain is the total reduction in fuel consumption and CO2-emissions. The technology, along with the effective use of electricity onboard and the optimized hull design, reduces bad emissions by nearly 20%.

Building materials used during construction were predominantly Norwegian, with extensive use of granite, oak and wool, among others.

Fridtjof Nansen is Hurtigruten's second liner fitted with the largest at sea LED screen. The 7-deck high screen (with sound) has height 17,5 m (57,5 ft) and is vertically-positioned midship (in the Atrium) facing the glass-walled elevators. The huge LED screen displays live footage (of the surrounding scenery and wildlife) and can also be used for live-streaming lectures and media presentations, or just to create different moods with HD images and videos.

The ship has 4 Lifts (passenger elevators) of which 2 (midship) connect all decks while the other 2 (forward) interconnects only the cabin decks.

Decks and Cabins

Hurtigruten Fridtjof Nansen ship has a total of 265 passenger cabins (all outside, 50% balconied) in 13 categories and 3 main types - EXPEDITION SUITES, ARCTIC SUPERIOR (balcony cabin) and POLAR OUTSIDE (oceanview cabin). The ship has 5 wheelchair-accessible handicap cabins (adapted for passengers with disabilities), but they are also available for general booking.

The boat has 11 decks, of which 9 are passenger-accessible and 5 with cabins.

All staterooms (regardless cabin category) offer as standard (complimentary) amenities Queen-size double bed (under-bed storage for suitcases), bedside cabinets, wall-mounted reading lamps, double sofabed, floor lamps, recessed ceiling lights, mirrored vanity table (writing desk) with chair and magnifying mirror, low table with 2 lounge chairs (with footstools), mirrored wardrobe, electronic safe box (in the closet), coffee/tea making facility (kettle, tray with packed coffee and teas), phone (intercom), smart HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, wall-mounted), mini-bar (refrigerator), carpet flooring, individually controlled air-conditioning, en-suite bathroom (WC / wall-mounted toilet, glass shower, single-sink vanity, bathrobes, hairdryer), 220V power outlets, USB ports.

EXPEDITION SUITES are with floor-ceiling windows (some slanted), private step-out balconies, 4-seat dining table, espresso coffee maker (in addition to the kettle with packed teas-coffee). Top-tier suites are with larger bathrooms with double-sink vanities. Aft corner suites have outdoor Jacuzzis (on their balconies).

Categories MA-MB (XL Suite), MD (Large) and MC (Aft) are all corner suites with balconies. Category MC has hot tub in the bathroom. ME-Suites are with balconies, while MF-Suites are with large windows (no balcony). EXPEDITION SUITES (by category) are sized as follows - MA (46-48 m2 / 495-515 ft2), MB (44 m2 / 470 ft2), MC (20-30 m2 / 215-320 ft2), MD (35 m2 / 375 ft2), ME (20-28 m2 / 215-300 ft2), MF (22 m2 / 235 ft2).

ARCTIC SUPERIOR staterooms are balcony cabins (with step-out private verandas) and (by category) are sized as follows - XT and XTD (15-19 m2 / 160-205 ft2), XY (19 m2 / 205 ft2). POLAR OUTSIDE are oceanview cabins without balconies and (by category) are sized as follows - TT (27 m2 / 290 ft2), TY (24-26 m2 / 260-280 ft2), RR (19-23 m2 / 205-250 ft2), RS (17 m2 / 180 ft2).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Breakfast and lunch on the Fridtjof Nansen ship are buffet-style and open-seating. The serving area is situated in the center of the ship's restaurant in a square formation. Meals are spread out over a couple of hours, so the dining room is seldom crowded. Some dinners are open-seating, self-service buffets, while others are plated meals served in one or two seatings, depending on how full the cruise ship is.

The Fridtjof Nansen ship has three restaurants.

• The Restaurant / Aune Main Dining (named after the Norwegian polar expedition supplier Tinus Aune) is the ship's dining room (capacity 234 seats) with large floor-ceiling windows, buffet station in the middle, outdoor seating area (alfresco terrace).
• The Bistro / Fredheim (capacity 71 seats) is a casual dining lounge named after Villa Fredheim (early-20th-century hunting station on Spits­ber­gen Island). Fredheim Restaurant offers light snacks and beverages (in a lounge seating) and has a separate buffet dining area.
• Lindstrom Specialty Restaurant (capacity 62 seats) is named after Adolf Henrik Lindstrom (1866-1939) - Norwegian chef who took part in four polar expeditions (1898-1902, 1903-06, 1910-12, 1914-16). All 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

MV Fridtjof Nansen features innovative Scandinavian design, large observation platforms (on several decks), pool deck with infinity pools, Jacuzzis and bars.

From the moment passengers step onboard the compact Fridtjof Nansen ship, they feel as though they’ve arrived in the polar region. The artwork reflects both the Antarctic and the Arctic with photos of the early expeditions, snow-capped peaks paintings and pictures of penguins. MS Fridtjof Nansen brings her guests close to nature and unforgettable experiences. She offers numerous lounges to relax, as well as a well-equipped gym for the more active passengers.

The vessel has a variety of custom-built expedition equipment, such as a fleet of Blueye underwater drones, large inflatable Explorer Boats (zodiacs) and kayaks. After completing their daily adventures, passengers are able to rejuvenate in the vessels' Wellness area, panoramic sauna, gym, or on the pool deck with an infinity pool, pool bar and jacuzzis. Follows the complete list of Fridtjof Nansen ship lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Wardroom (ship officers’ dining room and relaxation lounge)
• Embarkation/disembarkation area/lobby for easy loading/unloading of passengers going on land expeditions; ship-to-shore tendering is serviced by inflatable boats, used mostly for wildlife watching)
• Lecture halls (offer expert lectures and multimedia presentations)
• The Lobby (with floor-ceiling windows, reception, expeditions booking and information), 7-deck high Atrium (with glass-wall elevators)
• Internet corner (Internet Cafe with 4 Internet computers, combined with a library)
• Shop (selling hand-made souvenirs, special occasion gifs, Hurtigruten logo merchandise); Video Games Arcade.
• The ship features a 2-level Observation Deck (indoor viewing area with large windows) located forward (at the ship's bow) on decks 6 and 7.
• Explorer Lounge (forward on deck 10 / pool deck) is an indoor Observation Lounge (bow-located) with a full-service Bar, slanted floor-ceiling windows (270-degree views), comfortable seating, an outdoor terrace (named ”Passenger Bridge”).
• Fitness Centre is a large Gym Room equipped with treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machine, ping-pong table, free weights, yoga mats).
• On Sun Deck are located two outdoor gym areas, walking/running track and aft Observation Deck (viewing area). Sundeck is also where Hurtigruten holds the special ceremony “Arctic Circle baptism” that includes a Neptune-costumed crew, icy seawater, and a vodka shot for warming up.

Aft on Pool Deck are the ship's outdoor infinity pool (rectangular swimming pool with heated water) flanked by two outdoor Jacuzzis (whirlpools), pool showers, Pool Bar. Two separate Sauna Rooms (unisex) are located midship-starboard.

Nansen Science Centre (deck 6 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.

The Norway-flagged MS Fridtjof Nansen is the second of Hurtigruten's new expedition cruise ships built in Poland (Montex Shipyard in Gdansk, hull and superstructure) and Norway (Kleven Shipyard in Ulsteinvik, marine interior and outfitting). The company signed a letter of intent with the shipbuilder Kleven Verft In April 2016 for 2 vessels, with an included option for 2 more ships of the same class/design. The shipbuilding contract was signed in July 2016. MS Roald Amundsen was scheduled for delivery in July 2018, and MS Fridtjof Nansen - in July 2019.

The vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) at Kleven Shipyard on December 9, 2018, and delivered to Hurtigruten AS on December 20, 2019.

The ship's inaugural cruise was planned for April 1, 2020 (Norwegian Fjords roundtrip from Hamburg). Also were planned a series of exclusive pre-inaugural voyages for VIP passengers only (specially invited guests).

The ship's christening was on September 15, 2021, held dockside in Longyearbyen (Svalbard Norway).

• On Sept 8, 2021, Daniel Skjeldam (Hurtigruten Group's CEO) announced the names of the vessel's godmothers - Sunniva Sorby (Canadian) and Hilde Falun Strom (Norwegian). In 2019-2020, they became the first women to overwinter solo on Spitsbergen Island (Norway's Svalbard Archipelago). By the "Hearts in the Ice" project, they spent 9 months (August 2019 thru May 2020) at Spitsbergen's Bamsebu (trapper hut) located approx 140 km / 87 mi from Longyearbyen. The 1930-built Bamsebu Cabin is sized 20 m2 (215 ft2) and has no running water. The electricity is provided by a wind turbine and solar panels, the Internet is satellite.
• The live-streamed naming ceremony included breaking an ice chunk in the hull - instead of the traditional Champagne bottle. The traditional monetary gift given to the boat's godmother was donated to the Hurtigruten Foundation.

Fridtjof Nansen ship technology

The ship's design features an ice-strengthened hull, a wave-piercing bulbous bow, Rolls-Royce Unified Bridge (navigation consoles, software interfaces, etc) for safe and efficient performances. The vessel integrates a DP0 (Bridge Mate dynamic positioning system), Aquarius 100 stabilizers, ACON (integrated automation and control) system. Vessel's max draught / draft is 5,3 m (17 ft).

Ship's hybrid powerplant combines electric power systems, which efficiency allows fuel reduction by approx 20% and approx 20% lower CO2 emissions (an equivalent of over 3000 tons3 CO2 per year). The vessel is powered by all four "Bergen B33:45L" diesel engines (by Rolls-Royce) plus batteries. The engines are equipped with an SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system to meet IMO Tier III NOx emissions limit.

Scanship is the supplier of the ship's cleaning systems - food waste processing, garbage handling, wastewater treatment plants. The ship has "Jets Vacuum" systems (for toilets and wastewater collecting). Scanship's blackwater purification system is IMO Marpol certified.

Hurtigruten newbuilds also feature underwater drones (ROV / remotely operated underwater vehicle) developed by Blueye Robotics (Norway). Each drone weights 7 kg and has 4 thrusters for propulsion. The ROV also features a wide-angle video camera (Blueye Pioneer) designed to work in limited-light conditions. It streams true-color live images to all shipboard TV screens, to all cabin TVs and also to the digital diving masks of the passengers cruising on the ship's Zodiac boats. The ship's fully electric propulsion includes two Azipull thrusters (powered by a permanent magnet motor) plus two tunnel thrusters. The permanent magnet motor delivers high efficiency at various speeds.

In November 2018, Hurtigruten announced its fleet will be powered with LBG (liquified biogas) produced mainly from dead fish using organic-waste recycling methods. LBG will be sourced from Norway and other Northern European countries with large fisheries and forestry industries producing large volumes of organic waste. By 2021, the company plans to have six ships powered by a combination of LBG, LNG and batteries. The project (budgeted USD 850 million) will result in creating the world's greenest cruise brand.