Circumnavigating Spitsbergen - In the Realm of the Polar Bear

Norwegian-based cruise line Hurtigruten, first launched in 1893, offers year-round sailings around the Norwegian coast as well as expedition cruises exploring the polar regions. There are 18 ships within the Hurtigruten fleet, including the newly launched MS Roald Amundsen, which was the first ship ever to be christened in Antarctica and is the world’s first hybrid-powered cruise ship. Sister ship MS Fridtjof Nansen, which launched this year, is the near-identical twin to Roald Amundsen. Three existing Hurtigruten vessels have also been fitted with hybrid technology to become premium expedition ships carrying a maximum of 530 guests and at least six other ships in the fleet will be powered by a combination of electricity, natural gas and fuel made from organic waste by 2021 – making Hurtigruten one of the world’s greenest cruise lines. The line has even introduced electric snowmobiles, charged by the midnight sun and Arctic winds, on the island of Svalbard.