Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amundsen is the world’s first hybrid-battery-powered cruise ship. The ship is named after the Norwegian explorer who became the first person to cross Antarctica and reach the South Pole. In 1882, at 10 years old, Roald Amundsen daydreamed about electric ships. Today, his namesake ship honors his pioneering legacy by being the most sustainable ship to offer voyages to Antarctica. 

 The Rolls Royce engine switches between low-sulfur diesel and battery power that provide a combined power of 1.35 MWh. While the lithium-ion battery, developed by Corvus Energy, could operate the ship for about 30 minutes, it isn’t utilized alone. Instead, the batteries are used for “peak shaving” to get the maximum amount of power from the fuel. The ship’s innovative pointed bow and wave-piercing narrow hull also decrease drag, making MS Roald Amundsen more fuel efficient. Designed by Espen Øino, it’s one of the most eco-friendly cruise ships in the world. 

MS Roald Amundsen in a polar bay under an open sky. | Photo: Hurtigruten

The engine’s hybrid operation has lowered CO2 emissions by 20 percent. Water used to cool the engine system is then upcycled to heat the ship’s showers, hot tubs, and infinity pool. As with all Hurtigruten ships since 2018, the vessel is also free of single-use plastic. 

MS Roald Amundsen made its maiden voyage, an Antarctic expedition, in 2019. While the ship’s capacity is 528 people, voyages to Antarctica that include shore visits are allowed a maximum of 500 people on board. Those trips stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in 2022.

Science-First Voyages

The Norwegian company, which currently visits 250 destinations in over 30 countries, has a rich expedition heritage dating back to 1896. Part of that maritime legacy includes providing transportation to scientific researchers. The state-of-the-art Amundsen Science Center on Deck Six features high-tech gadgets and equipment including microscopes for analyzing field samples of rocks, fossils, and biological specimens. 

Scientists actively conduct research in the center and, as a part of the citizen-science program, they welcome guests to observe and discuss their findings.  The center features museum-style exhibits on Antarctic wildlife and daily educational lectures from scientists covering a diverse range of topics. 

“As a leader of responsible tourism, we bring travelers to various parts of the world in the most sustainable way to increase awareness of unique and critical environments while also allowing scientists to conduct their research free of charge and do scientific dissemination at the same time as guests on board get to learn from this research,” says Dr. Verena Meraldi, the cruise industry’s only chief scientist. “The research we’re supporting will contribute to creating new guidelines and regulations to protect wildlife in remote and fragile environments.”

Wildlife Observation

The Expedition Team is made up of scientific researchers, marine biologists, ecologists, glaciologists, and nature guides who linger on the two-level, indoor/outdoor observation deck accessible from the science center. They’re happy to share their wildlife and geological expertise with curious guests and thrilled to share information about aquatic life such as penguins, seals, and whales in real time while observing them in their wild habitat from the deck. The hybrid engine generates less noise pollution, thus reducing the negative impact on marine animals and fostering better wildlife observation.

First of its Kind Research 

Aboard the 18-day sailing to Antarctica in February 2022, an all-female team of California Ocean Alliance (COA) research biologists was conducting the most robust marine sound research to date in one of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth. “With COA we’re working on finding solutions to minimize the impact on wildlife,” Dr. Meraldi says.

Kiirsten Flynn, Chloe Lew, and Liah McPherson collected acoustic data of baleen whales singing, drone photography, and biopsy samples of whales’ skin and blubber to evaluate the animals’ health, population growth rates, food sources, and stress levels. Lew is a bioacoustic marine researcher who places an acoustic buoy in the water, which is attached to a hydrophone which sinks 10 meters (33 feet) deep. “We’ve recovered humpback whale contact calls and moans. They’ll call one another when they’re coordinating foraging. Those calls travel far because of the low frequency,” she says.

The scientific research reveals whales’ behavior near ships and provides critical information to cruise lines on how they can adapt to minimize interference with whales. “We collect acoustic data of ambient noise levels in the soundscapes in the Antarctic which is a critical environment marine mammals use to carry out foraging, breeding, navigation, and communication. The environment is changing due to climate change and increased human activity. These baseline measurements of ambient noise are crucial in establishing the correct management decisions for ocean noise and sea policies,” Lew says.