REVIEW ROALD AMUNDSEN The viewing area in the extra-high bow is enclosed with toughened glass. HURTIGRUTEN’S LONG-AWAITED Photo: Andrea Klaussner / Hurtigruten ROALD AMUNDSEN EXHIBITS A SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE BY SUE BRYANT urtigruten’s 20,889-ton MS smashed a block of ice against the hull of vapour-effect fires add a feeling of warmth. Roald Amundsen is a ship his expedition ship, Maud , in 1917. All public spaces are flooded with natural that can boast several firsts. Headline-grabbing records aside, the light, even the giant sauna, in which a whole It’s the world’s first hybrid- beginnings for Amundsen’s 21st-century wall of glass faces the ocean. powered expedition ship, as namesake were less auspicious. The atrium is dominated by a 17.5 m Hwell as the first ship to be named in Miscalculations of the level of detail in the high LED screen of astonishingly high Antarctica – to be precise, in Chiriguano build, combined with financial issues, led to clarity, displaying slow-moving scenes of Bay, Brabant Island, on 7 November 2019. the near-bankruptcy in 2017 of Norway’s waterfalls, mountains, and Hurtigruten ships It’s also the first vessel of the modern era to Kleven shipyard. Hurtigruten and its backer, squeezing through narrow fjords. “We be inaugurated with a block of ice, rather UK-based TVR Capital, led a group of wanted to go for a Scandinavian than a bottle of champagne, in tribute to the investors in buying the yard, where sister contemporary style, not too much bling but Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who ship Fridtjof Nansen was also recently built. not too cold,” says Thomas Westergaard, MS Roald Amundsen was launched a year late, with further concern about whether the ship was ready following an unscheduled dry-dock in Vancouver in September and the cancellation of two n n cruises as she sailed empty from there to e e t t u u Valparaíso, Chile. r r g g i i t t r r u u H H A venture worth the wait? : : o o t t Having boarded in Valparaíso for the o o h h maiden Antarctica voyage, I would say it is P P certainly worth the wait. Tillberg Design of Sweden, which can name Regent Seven Seas Cruises and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection among its clients, has created a beautiful ship, embracing the colours and textures of Norway. Patterns of runes adorn the carpets. Slate-effect tiles line the walls of the stairways. Potted artificial birch trees are Thomas Westergaard, SVP, Hurtigruten AS. dotted around, while fleecy blankets and Daniel Skjeldam, CEO, Hurtigruten AS. 58 www.cruisetimes.net Visit us in our stand #1693 at Seatrade Miami at Seatrade Cerro El Plomo 5855, Suite 507, Telephone: +56-2-27189400 Las Condes, Santiago, Chile. Head Office: Office: Head Antartica21 REVIEW ROALD AMUNDSEN senior vice president of design and concepts for Hurtigruten. Cabins raise the level of Hurtigruten’s other expedition ships. All face outwards, and half have a balcony. Decor is in shades of cream, chocolate, and grey, with pale wood accents, while useful touches include boot Photo: Andrea warmers, multiple power points, and USB Klaussner / sockets. Hurtigruten The suites would stand up against those of any luxury vessel, particularly the six MC- grade rooms, which have a hot tub on the aft- facing balcony. The sleek hull was designed by Rolls- Royce and Espen Øino, one of the world’s foremost yacht designers, with the highest ice class of PC6 and a structure custom-built for the big seas of the Drake Passage. A patented, wave-piercing bow is designed to Godmother Karin Strand named the ship with a block of ice, following the example of Roald cut through the swell and reduce fuel Amundsen himself, who smashed a block of ice over the hull of his ship, Maud. consumption. “This is not a converted Mediterranean cruise ship that just happens to be in Antarctica,” says Hurtigruten’s CEO, Daniel Skjeldam. “You’ll see that the main public deck, deck 6, is much higher up on the hull. The reason is that this ship will take more waves than others. You need ships that are purpose-built to sail in polar waters.” Sustainable features reflect ambitious goals Then there is the much-publicised hybrid power. Two banks of batteries, supplied by Vancouver-based Corvus Energy, sit next to the engine room. “We wanted to create the world’s most environmentally friendly expedition ship,” says Skjeldam. “Hybrid power takes Hurtigruten up to a whole new level.” The ship doesn’t sail on battery power The ship’s expedition team includes historians, geologists, and marine biologists. alone; instead, the batteries allow peak Photo: Andrea Klaussner / Hurtigruten shaving, which keeps the engines running at optimum level and reduces fuel usage by 20 per cent. There is space for four more banks Photo: Dan & Zora Avila of batteries, but at present this would add too / Hurtigruten much weight to the ship to be efficient. “Our final goal is to be completely emission free,” explains Jonny Johnsen, chief engineer. “But instead of waiting for the technology, we believe in starting with what we can do now.” MS Roald Amundsen is packed with other sustainable features. Two hydrodynamic Azipull propellers attached to magnetic motors reduce drag, noise, and vibration and improve manoeuvrability – essential in the narrow, fast-flowing channels of the Chilean fjords. The water used to cool the engines delivers heat to the galley, passenger and crew showers, hot tubs, and the infinity pool. Dynamic positioning means there is no need to drop anchor anywhere in sensitive areas. The cloth bags for the hairdryers and Clear November weather on the Antarctic peninsula. 60 www.cruisetimes.net REVIEW ROALD AMUNDSEN laundry are made from upcycled hotel of helicopters as embraced by rivals like pressure off the main dining room. There’s sheets, while some of the crew uniforms are Crystal and Scenic. also a communal table for 12 where the made from recycled plastic collected by “I really dislike the focus on helicopters,” expedition team hosts informal, family-style Spanish fishermen. In 2018, Hurtigruten Skjeldam continues. “They impact animal dinners at no extra charge. conducted a thorough review of single-use life and they impact the experience of Lindstrøm, the fine dining restaurant, is plastic usage and scrapped some 72 items everybody else on the ship.” Instead, Roald reserved for occupants of suites, although across the fleet, from straws to shower Amundsen is equipped with an underwater other passengers can dine there for €25 a caps. Many were not replaced. What’s drone built by Trondheim-based Blueye, head. Named after Adolf Lindstrøm, the more, every guest cabin has a “green stay” which can beam footage from as deep as personal chef for Roald Amundsen, it has sign, which can be hung on the door if the 150 metres onto big screens, iPads, and 60 covers, offering two sittings every night. guest is happy to skip cleaning for a day. headsets on the ship. The menu currently reflects fine Norwegian “Around 30 per cent of guests use this,” The dining concept on Roald Amundsen dining, but this will change. “We will be says Magne Jacobsen, vice president, hotel is different from that on Hurtigruten’s older redoing the concept next year to be more operations. “It saves on water and expedition vessels. “We wanted to create like the Coastal Kitchen on our other ships, chemicals and we donate €0.50 for every standalone restaurants that have their own reflecting the food of where the ship is saved clean to the Hurtigruten Foundation.” life and are not too generic,” explains sailing,” says Westergaard. “So we’ll have Skjeldam. “They’re more about the heritage dishes from northern California, Washington Entertainment and dining options of Hurtigruten. We will be duplicating these State, Alaska, Chile. We already source celebrate Hurtigruten heritage concepts across the fleet.” seafood from Chile and lamb from Entertainment revolves around the Aune is the main dining room, seating Patagonia. It’s all about being more ship’s Science Centre, a space on deck 6 240 and open for breakfast, lunch, and sustainable.” packed with reference books, touchscreen dinner. It’s named after an old ship chandler technology, and microscopes, and the base in Tromsø that, 100 years ago, used to kit Expedition logistics of various ongoing citizen science projects out expedition ships headed north to Roald Amundsen is big for an expedition in which guests are encouraged to Svalbard. Fredheim is a casual café, its ship, carrying 530, or a maximum of 500 in participate. colourful decor inspired by the hut of a Antarctica, where, in compliance with IAATO “One of our goals is that guests leave us famous trapper on Svalbard. The menu regulations, passengers are landed in a bit more enlightened than they were when includes burgers, quesadillas, spring rolls, waves of 100 at a time. As such, precision they joined us,” Skjeldam says. The and milkshakes; diners in Fredheim can timing is essential to ensure everybody gets company has not, however, gone the route also order from the menu in Aune, taking their turn ashore. This is facilitated by a ENHANCING CRUISE EXPEDITIONS PALFINGER o ers tailor-made deck equipment solutions such as cranes, access equipment and slipway systems. The wide product range also covers Polar Code-compliant lifesaving appliances including boats and davits, taking expedition cruising to a new level. With sophisticated designs, customized solutions and specialized services, PALFINGER is the expert for deck equipment and lifesaving appliances for the cruise industry. VISIT US AT: SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL − APRIL, MIAMI BOOTH: PALFINGERMARINE.COM www.cruisetimes.net 61 REVIEW ROALD AMUNDSEN hidden tender garage on deck 3, where all the line’s custom-built RIBs are stored, eliminating the need for winches and clutter on the upper deck.