M/S Roald Amundsen

M/S Roald Amundsen is a hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship built for polar and high-latitude voyages. Constructed by Kleven Yards in Norway, the vessel was designed as part of Hurtigruten's effort to introduce lower-emission propulsion technology into expedition cruising. It and its sister ship, Fridtjof Nansen, were the first hybrid-powered ships associated with the Hurtigruten fleet. The vessel now operates under the HX Expeditions brand. The ship was launched on 17 February 2018. Delivery was delayed after Hurtigruten announced in February 2018 that it would not accept the vessel from the shipyard until 2019, citing problems at the yard. M/S Roald Amundsen began its maiden voyage on 3 July 2019, sailing from Tromsø to Hamburg. During its first operating season it undertook expedition and coastal itineraries in Norway and voyages toward both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. A major early achievement came in September 2019, when the ship completed the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It reached Nome, Alaska, on 10 September under the command of Captain Kai Albrigtsen. The operator described the voyage as the first complete Northwest Passage crossing conducted with hybrid propulsion. The route covered more than 3,000 nautical miles and demonstrated the vessel's intended role as a technology-focused expedition ship rather than a conventional resort cruise liner. The vessel has a Polar Class 6 rating, supporting operation in specified polar conditions, and its hybrid system is intended to reduce fuel use and emissions during relevant phases of a voyage. Its identity is closely tied to exploration, environmental technology and the legacy of Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen. In Antarctica in autumn 2019, the ship was christened using a piece of ice rather than a traditional champagne bottle, reinforcing its expedition-oriented positioning. M/S Roald Amundsen's public profile was also shaped by the COVID-19 outbreak connected with two July 2020 cruises. After cruise operations had broadly stopped during the pandemic, the vessel resumed sailing from Tromsø on 17 July 2020 with a round trip to Svalbard, followed by another sailing on 24 July. Crew illnesses were identified before the vessel returned to Tromsø on 31 July, and testing subsequently found numerous positive cases among crew members and at least one passenger. Passengers from the affected voyages were required to quarantine, the next scheduled sailing was cancelled, and the handling of passenger notification became the subject of substantial criticism from local and national officials. The ship remains an expedition vessel marketed for voyages in northern Norway, Svalbard, the Northwest Passage and Antarctica. Its brand proposition combines small-ship-style exploration, polar capability and hybrid marine technology. The available reference material does not establish a separate corporate ownership structure, financial information or a complete list of current onboard executives.

M/S Roald Amundsen was conceived as a new-generation expedition cruise ship using hybrid propulsion. It was built by Kleven Yards in Norway for the Hurtigruten fleet, alongside the sister ship Fridtjof Nansen. The hybrid system and Polar Class 6 rating were central to the vessel's technical identity, allowing the operator to market it as a ship designed for demanding polar itineraries with reduced fuel consumption and emissions during suitable operating conditions. The vessel was launched on 17 February 2018. Its entry into service was delayed when Hurtigruten announced later that month that it would not take delivery until 2019 because of problems at the shipyard. The delay postponed the ship's commercial introduction but did not alter its intended expedition role. On 3 July 2019, M/S Roald Amundsen began its maiden voyage from Tromsø to Hamburg. Its early itinerary program included Norwegian coastal voyages and expeditions to northern and southern polar regions. The ship was christened in Antarctica in autumn 2019. Instead of using a conventional champagne bottle, the ceremony used a piece of ice, a symbolic choice aligned with the vessel's polar mission and environmental positioning. The ship achieved a notable exploration milestone in September 2019. On the evening of 10 September it arrived in Nome, Alaska, after completing a passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific through the Northwest Passage. Captain Kai Albrigtsen was in command. The operator described the voyage as the first complete Northwest Passage crossing by a hybrid-powered ship. The achievement connected the vessel's engineering proposition with the exploration legacy of its namesake and helped establish it as a flagship of Hurtigruten's technology-oriented expedition offering. The ship's most consequential operational episode occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the broad suspension of cruise operations, it resumed service on 17 July 2020 with a seven-day round trip from Tromsø to Svalbard, followed by another sailing departing on 24 July. Before the vessel returned to Tromsø on 31 July, two crew members had become ill and were isolated. Testing found COVID-19 in four crew members initially, leading to testing of all 160 crew. Additional cases were subsequently reported, and at least one passenger from the affected voyages also tested positive. The outbreak raised concerns about communication and public-health procedures. Many passengers had already left the ship and begun travelling home before the infections became widely known. Officials reported that a positive passenger case from the first cruise had been communicated to people within the operator and to public-health authorities before the second sailing, while passengers on that sailing were not immediately informed. All 177 passengers on the 24 July cruise and all crew members were directed to quarantine, and the next planned Svalbard voyage was cancelled. Tromsø's mayor criticized the handling of the situation because passengers had spent time in the city before notification, while national officials praised local and public-health efforts to contain the outbreak. M/S Roald Amundsen subsequently continued as an expedition ship under the HX Expeditions brand. Its historical significance rests on the combination of hybrid propulsion, polar-class capability and a high-profile Northwest Passage voyage, while the 2020 outbreak remains an important case in the cruise industry's pandemic history.

• 2020

  Operations resume during pandemic

  [1]MS Roald Amundsenen.wikipedia.org

  The ship resumed cruising with a Tromsø–Svalbard round trip on 17 July after the global suspension of cruise operations.

• 2020

  COVID-19 outbreak

  [1]MS Roald Amundsenen.wikipedia.org

  COVID-19 cases among crew and passengers were identified after two July voyages, leading to quarantine measures and cancellation of the next sailing.

• 2019

  Maiden voyage

  [1]MS Roald Amundsenen.wikipedia.org

  The ship began its maiden voyage from Tromsø to Hamburg on 3 July.

• 2019

  Northwest Passage completed

  [1]MS Roald Amundsenen.wikipedia.org

  The vessel reached Nome, Alaska, on 10 September after completing a hybrid-powered Northwest Passage crossing.

• 2018

  Vessel launched

  [1]MS Roald Amundsenen.wikipedia.org

  M/S Roald Amundsen was launched by Kleven Yards on 17 February 2018.

• 2018

  Delivery postponed

  [1]MS Roald Amundsenen.wikipedia.org

  Hurtigruten announced that delivery would be deferred until 2019 because of problems at the shipyard.

A Norwegian expedition cruise ship positioned around polar exploration, hybrid propulsion and lower-emission cruising. The vessel emphasizes access to Arctic and Antarctic destinations, expedition heritage and operation in challenging high-latitude environments.

• Expedition cruise · 2019

  M/S Roald Amundsen expedition cruises

  The ship's core offering consists of expedition cruises in high-latitude destinations. Voyages have included the Norwegian Coast, Svalbard, the Arctic, Antarctica and the Northwest Passage. The product is built around destination access, expedition operations and polar navigation rather than conventional mass-market cruise entertainment.

• Marine transportation · 2019

  Hybrid-powered polar voyages

  The vessel uses a hybrid propulsion system intended to support more efficient operation and lower emissions during applicable phases of a voyage. Its Polar Class 6 rating and expedition configuration support itineraries in specified Arctic and Antarctic conditions.

• 2020

  COVID-19 outbreak and notification controversy

  A COVID-19 outbreak associated with two July 2020 cruises led to infections among crew and passengers, quarantine requirements and cancellation of the next voyage. The operator faced criticism over the timing and adequacy of passenger notification after a positive case had been reported.

  Source

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• 2020

  Cruise operations resumed during the pandemicStrategy

  Background

  After the global suspension of cruise operations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the operator restarted selected voyages from Tromsø.

  Action taken

  The ship operated Svalbard round trips beginning on 17 July and 24 July 2020.

  Aftermath

  Following the discovery of infections, passengers and crew were quarantined and the next scheduled voyage was cancelled.

  Source

• 2018

  Delivery deferred to 2019Other

  Background

  Problems at Kleven Yards prevented the ship from being delivered on the originally expected schedule.

  Action taken

  Hurtigruten announced that it would not take delivery of M/S Roald Amundsen until 2019.

  Aftermath

  The vessel entered service in July 2019.

  Source

1. 1MS Roald Amundsenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Roald Amundsen — HX Expeditionstravelhx.com