Two new ships will join Hurtigruten’s industry-leading explorer fleet in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
“We have been in the expedition industry since 1896. We operated the first expedition sailing then to Svalbard from Hammerfest and we’ve been in those waters since,” said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO. “What sets our new ships apart is that we are taking a major leap forward in sustainability and technology.”
The newbuilds will be the first-ever hybrid cruise ships, with battery power to allow for periods of fully-silent sailing. As the technology evolves, the cruise line expects to add more and better batteries, pending space allotments. The company has an option for two additional vessels.
On coastal Norway sailings, Skjeldam said the future was in battery power combined with shore power and not LNG.
In addition, the line is opening up the map with expedition-style sailings in the Caribbean, and also moving quickly into Canada/New England and Greenland.
“We are very strong on the Norwegian coast, Svalbard and Greenland. We are taking what we do there and positioning it into Canada with a few sailings this year and adding more sailings as we build the product.”
Demand is being generated “all over,” according to Skjeldam.
“We expect to grow the market significantly,” Skjeldam told Cruise Industry News.
As the cruise industry grows, Skjeldam said the record-breaking orderbook of big ships will be good for the adventure market.
“It will drive interest for exotic destinations and the adventure-type product. A lot of people on vacation today don’t want to sit idle and just eat. They want to be active, interact and learn.”
Excerpt from the 2017 Expedition Cruise Market Report.
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About the Expedition Market Report
The 2017 Expedition Cruise Market Report is a comprehensive PDF report detailing the quickly expanding expedition cruise market.
It includes capacity projections through 2027, and profiles of 17 major players with exclusive reporting, research and interviews.
There is also a trends report, original research and a look at the new ships, plus much more.
