Hurtigruten’s hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship, MS Roald Amundsen made history this morning as the very first ship to be named in Antarctica.
With crew and guests from more than 20 countries taking part in the world’s first hybrid-powered cruise ship’s maiden Antarctica voyage, MS Roald Amundsen was officially named in spectacular surroundings in Chiriguano Bay, Brabant Island, Antarctica.
“We could not think of a better location than Antarctica to name a truly unique ship like MS Roald Amundsen,” Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said.
Spectacular location – spectacular ceremony
Replacing the traditional bottle of champagne with a chunk of ice, godmother and polar pioneer Karin Strand revived a ritual invented by polar hero Roald Amundsen himself.
As Strand crushed the ice against the hybrid powered ship’s raked bow, she chose Amundsen’s own words, first used when he christened the polar ship Maud in 1917:
“It is not my intention to dishonour the glorious grape, but already now you shall get the taste of your real environment. For the ice you have been built, in the ice you shall stay most of your life, and in the ice, you shall solve your tasks”.
With green technology to the White continent
The hybrid powered expedition ship honours her namesake’s legacy by taking guests to destinations such as Antarctica, Alaska and the Northwest Passage.
“For all of us on board MS Roald Amundsen this is a very special day for a very special ship. She is the most innovative vessel to hit the waters in decades and we hope she will serve as an inspiration for others to follow,” captain Kai Albrigtsen said.
Packed with groundbreaking green technology, MS Roald Amundsen uses large battery packs to support her low-emission engines, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 20% compared to other cruise ships of the same size.
Creating history
Godmother Karin Strand
As the guests of MS Roald Amundsen followed the naming ceremony from inflatable explorer boats, they were joined by guests and crew on board Hurtigruten’s MS Midnatsol – currently on an expedition cruise exploring Antarctica.
“As Roald Amundsen was the symbol of a new era of exploration, MS Roald Amundsen is the symbol of a new era in the cruise industry.”
Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam
During the ceremony, Skjeldam revealed that Karin Strand had asked for the traditional godmother gift to be replaced by a donation to Hurtigruten Foundation, a foundation specially set up to contribute to areas Hurtigruten explores.
In the wake of great explorers
This summer, MS Roald Amundsen made history as the first cruise ship to sail on battery power and became the first hybrid-powered ship to traverse the legendary Northwest Passage.
After completing the 2019/2020 Antarctica season, MS Roald Amundsen will spend the summer of 2020 in Alaska.
A second battery hybrid powered expedition cruise ship – MS Fridtjof Nansen – will join the growing Hurtigruten fleet next spring. She is currently under construction at Norway’s Kleven Yard and is expected to be delivered well ahead of her April 2020 debut.