Hurtigruten orders first newbuilds in more than ten years

Norwegian operator Hurtigruten has ordered up to four new explorer ships, which will be designed by Rolls-Royce, Norwegian ship designer Espen Øino and built by longstanding partner Kleven.

Marking the largest investment Hurtigruten has made in its 120-year history and the first newbuild order in more than a decade, the order covers two vessels with the option for two more. They will debut in 2018-2019.

Both ships will be designed to operate in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as along the Norwegian coastline. They will be equipped with advanced environmentally friendly technology to reduce emissions and help Hurtigruten meet its sustainability goals.

“Every season we’ve seen an increase in demand from guests to travel with Hurtigruten for the unrivalled range of adventure activities we offer,” said Magnus Zetterberg, UK managing director of Hurtigruten. “It has been more than ten years since Hurtigruten last placed an order for the construction of a new ship so the prospect of being able to expand this with the arrival of new vessels is very exciting.”

Guests will be able to attend onboard lectures about the destinations led by experts in history, zoology, botany and environmental science. Meanwhile, experienced expedition teams will accompany passengers on educational excursions to isolated places only accessible by ships or zodiac boats. Highlights will include kayaking, rib-boat tours, and whale and sea eagle safaris.

“This is a milestone for us and an expression of our confidence in the growth of the global market for adventure tourism,” said Daniel Skjeldam, Hurtigruten’s CEO. “People no longer want to spend their holiday time being passive spectators. The new adventure traveller is looking for authentic experiences, which is why sedentary, standardised travel packages are becoming less popular and active adventure travel is booming. We offer real experiences in local environments, just steps away from the wildlife.”