Hurtigruten’s ‘Richard With’ and ‘Nordlys’ are due to be upgraded by Fosen this year and next.
Fosen CEO, Anders Straumsheim claimed in a statement that Fosen had won the contract in competition with foreign yards.
Hurtigruten has undertaken several refurbishments, rebuilds and maintenance projects at the yard during the past few years.
‘Richard With’ is scheduled to enter the yard in November to have her cabins renovated, both for passengers and crew. In addition, all the public areas will be refurbished to include new restaurants, bars, lounges and outdoor hot tubs.
Floor to ceiling windows will also be installed in the main restaurant, which is located aft.
Some of the cabins will be converted to suites, and the suites aft on Deck 6 will be fitted with larger windows, Fosen said.
The ‘Nordlys’ is expected to follow in the Spring of next year. She will also go through a similar renovation project.
Subsequently, both ships are due to be fitted with hybrid propulsion units able to operate on LNG combined with batteries. While the yard to carry out this work is still to be finalised, the conversion is due to be completed before 2021.
It has been reported that the delivery of the second of Hurtigruten’s hybrid battery-powered expedition ships,’Fridtjof Nansen’, has been delayed.
Like her sister ’Roald Amundsen’, she 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 reportedly told the travel industry last month.
The delivery of the first ship was postponed 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 reportedly said in a letter.
