Norway's Kleven Verft is poised to delivery early a second expedition cruiseship to compatriot shipowner Hurtrigruten.
The Ulsteinvik shipyard is planning deliver the 20,900-gt Fridtjof Nansen by the end of this year, Hurtigruten said.
The ship was originally scheduled to take its maiden voyage from Hamburg on 1 April, but due to the early delivery, Hurtigruten has decided to start operating in January.
In the past few weeks, Fridtjof Nansen has conducted trials in the waters near to Kleven.
Earlier this year, the company delivered the sistership Roald Amundsen (built 2019) to Hurtigruten a year late due to technical problems. The coastal ferry and cruiseship owner touts the pair as the world’s first hybrid cruiseships.
The shipyard has suffered heavy losses in recent years and had to go through restructuring. Hurtigruten stepped in as the sole owner of the shipbuilder as part of the rescue, but is now seeking to pull out.
Kleven finance director Ole Beinnes Fosse has said that the yard would not have survived without the help of Hurtigruten.
