The second of Hurtigruten’s advanced hybrid battery-powered expedition ships, the Fridtjof Nansen, is also delayed, the company announced in a letter sent to travel agents and guests on May 24.
The ship, like its sister the Roald Amundsen, is under construction at the Kleven shipyard in Norway.
“Earlier this year, the yard informed us that due to the complexity of the construction of the Roald Amundsen, they will not be able to deliver the ship as scheduled,” Hurtigruten said, as the delivery of the first ship was pushed back to spring 2019, an eight-month delay.
“Unfortunately, we have just been informed by the yard that this delay will also affect the construction of the Fridtjof Nansen, and the yard will not be able to deliver her as scheduled. This delay is linked to the yard’s challenges with the delivery of the Road Amundsen,” Hurtigruten said.
Hurtigruten is issuing full refunds, including flight cancellation costs to guests, and presenting them with alternative sailings.
Roald Amundsen’s first voyage is now expected to depart on May 3, 2019 from Lisbon, while a delivery date for the Fridtjof Nansen has yet to be announced.
Kleven shipyard faced financial issues in 2017 and was subsequently bailed out by a consortium of investors, led by Hurtigruten, which combined with other parties to take a 40 percent interest in the yard.