Hurtigruten Expeditions‘ newest next-generation ship, MS Fridtjof Nansen, is expected to shortly resume operation five months after the vessel received extensive damage to its hull having run aground in Norway.
Delivered in early 2020 but with its formal launch delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, MS Fridtjof Nansen was officially christened in Longyearbyen, Svalbard in September last year.
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The battery-powered expedition ship operated a series of successful voyages in the last quarter of 2021. While sailing from Lofoten to Flåm during strong winds upwards of 70 knots on 12 January, MS Fridtjof Nansen briefly ran aground off Risoya islet during the early hours, near the Norwegian town of Måløy.
The incident reportedly caused water to breach one of the ship’s watertight compartments, requiring all guests and crew to disembark the ship in Måløy. Understandably, expeditions following the incident, including a series of voyages between Hamburg and Lisbon and to the British Isles, were cancelled as the ship was out of action for several months while under repair.
Having undergone a series of sea trials in recent weeks following the repairs, MS Fridtjof Nansen is currently docked in Reykjavik, Iceland (as pictured today – 31 May 2022), and is understood to be en route to Stykkisholmur, Iceland – according to information from websites that track ship movements.
The ship will resume operation with voyages around Iceland and to Greenland throughout June, July and August.
Hurtigruten Expeditions’ website lists multiple departures for the next-generation ship, including the next with availability – the 9-day Circumnavigating Iceland: The Land of Elves, Sagas and Volcanoes itinerary, departing on 17 June 2022. The first scheduled voyage is slated for tomorrow, 1 June 2022.