Hurtigruten debuts first hybrid cruise ship Roald Amundsen

The line claims to have made maritime history by launching the first battery-powered cruise vessel.

The expedition ship is silent and produces fewer emissions thanks to its large battery packs.

Named after explorer Roald Amundsen, who led the first expedition traversing the Northwest Passage en route to the North Pole, the ship will set “a new standard” for cruising and the entire shipping industry, according to Hurtigruten chief executive Daniel Skjeldam.

Battery packs support the ship’s low-emission engines, reducing carbon emissions by more than 20% compared to other ships of the same size.

The ship is also free of single-use plastics and has been designed and built “with sustainability at the core” of every detail.

Onboard features include the Amundsen Science Centre, observation decks, an infinity pool, panoramic sauna, wellness centre, three restaurants, various bars and suites with private outdoor hot tubs.

Hurtigruten took delivery of the ship last week, built at Norway’s Kleven shipyard where it embarked on its maiden voyage along the country’s coastline with Kai Albrigtsen at the helm.

Sister ship, MS Fridtjof Nansen, will debut in 2020.

“This opens a new chapter in maritime history,” said Skjeldam. “MS Roald Amundsen is the first cruise ship equipped with batteries, something deemed impossible a few years back.

"With the introduction of MS Roald Amundsen, Hurtigruten sets a new standard not only for cruising, but for the entire shipping industry to follow.”

Roald Amundsen’s maiden season will include cruises along the Norwegian coast to Svalbard and Greenland, the west coast of North and South America, and Antarctica.

It will also become the first hybrid-powered ship, according to Hurtigruten, to attempt to sail the Northwest Passage.