by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:06 AM ET, Mon July 1, 2019
When the MS Roald Amundsen sailed off the west coast of Norway, the hybrid Hurtigruten ship made history as the first cruise vessel in the world to sail purely on battery power.
Powered by large battery packs, MS Roald Amundsen features groundbreaking green technology and sets a new standard not only for cruising but for the entire shipping industry to follow, according to Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.
The hybrid-powered cruise ship will explore some of the most spectacular areas of the planet using battery packs to support her low-emission engines, which will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20 percent compared to other vessels of the same size.
The MS Roald Amundsen will also feature several exciting amenities, including vast observation decks, an infinity pool, panoramic sauna, wellness center, three restaurants, bars, Explorer Lounge, aft-facing suites with private outdoor hot tubs and a laidback atmosphere.
In addition to the green technology, the cruise ship is the first in the world designed to be single-use plastic free. Skjeldam went on to say Hurtigruten will give the guests a deeper understanding of the areas the cruise line explores with the help of the Hurtigruten Expedition Team, the industry-first Science Center and more.
Hurtigruten took delivery of the world's first hybrid-powered cruise ship from Norway's Kleven yard in June. The new vessel was built alongside sister ship MS Fridtjof Nansen, which is scheduled to debut in 2020.
MS Roald Amundsen's maiden season includes expedition cruises along the Norwegian coast to Svalbard and Greenland, before becoming the first hybrid-powered ship to attempt a traverse of the legendary Northwest Passage.
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