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Hurtigruten MS Roald Amundsen battery powered

Hurtigruten's MS Roald Amundsen to be christened in Antarctica

Hurtigruten's hybrid-powered MS Roald Amundsen, in a first, will be christened in Antarctica.

The expedition ship will be named with a chunk of ice instead of the traditional bottle of champagne. The christening will take place this fall, as the ship makes her way to the white continent on her maiden Antarctica voyage.

Daniel Skjeldam, Hurtigruten CEO, said: ?We can think of no better place to name the truly unique MS Roald Amundsen than the waters of Antarctica ? where no ship has ever been christened before.?

Named after polar hero Roald Amundsen - who led the first expedition to traverse the Northwest Passage, the first expedition to the south pole and the first expedition proven to have reached the North Pole - the cruise ship is set to honour his legacy.

When christening his famed expedition ship 'Maud' in 1917, Roald Amundsen switched the traditional bottle of champagne for a chunk of ice. Before crushing the ice against her bow, he stated: ?It is not my intention to dishonor the glorious grape, but already now you shall get the taste of your real environment. For the ice you have been built, and in the ice, you shall stay most of your life, and in the ice, you shall solve your tasks.?

Hurtigruten and the yet to be disclosed godmother will use the same ritual when naming MS Roald Amundsen.

The hybrid-powered ship made maritime history by being the first cruise ship in the world to sail purely on battery power as she left Kleven yard for her maiden voyage off the coast of Norway in late June.

Its features include the high-tech Amundsen Science Center, vast observation decks, an infinity pool, panoramic sauna, wellness center, three restaurants, bars, Explorer Lounge, and aft-facing suites with private outdoor hot tubs.

The cruise ship is designed and built making sustainability an integral part of the guest experience. In addition to green technology, the ship is single-use plastic-free.

Its maiden season includes expedition cruises along the Norwegian coast, to Svalbard and Greenland.

In addition to eco-friendly expedition cruises along the west coast of North and South America, the hybrid-powered cruise ship will head to the extreme south for a full 2019/2020 Antarctica season.

Onboard facilities include a fully equipped science center, observation decks, infinity pool, panoramic sauna, wellness center, three restaurants, bars, explorer lounge, and more than 50 % of cabins with private balconies.



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