Hurtigruten said completion of a second expedition ship that
had been scheduled for delivery in 2019 will be delayed.
It said passengers scheduled on voyages of the 530-passenger
Fridtjof Nansen will receive a full refund, including flight-cancellation
costs. The line will also offer discounts on alternative Hurtigruten voyages.
The company said its current expedition ship the Midnatsol
will replace the Fridtjof Nansen on scheduled voyages in Antarctica in the
2019-20 season.
Hurtigruten had ordered two ships with advanced ecological
features from the Kleven shipyard in Norway, but the yard last year had to
reorganize its finances with Hurtigruten's help. It previously delayed delivery
of the first ship, the Roald Amundsen, from 2018 to 2019.
Amundsen and Nansen were renowned Norwegian explorers.
Hurtigruten said that the yard "informed us that as a
direct result of the delayed delivery of Roald Amundsen, they will not be able
to deliver Fridtjof Nansen on schedule." No new delivery date has been
set.