Kleven to Build Up to Four Expedition Vessels for Hurtigruten

25 April 2016 Image credit: Hurtigruten AS Norwegian shipbuilder Kleven Maritime has signed an agreement with tour company Hurtigruten Cruises to build up to four expedition-style ships. Hurtigruten Cruises, based in Narvik, Norway, offers car and passenger service along Norway’s rugged west coast, as well as upscale cruise vacations to Norwegian fjords, Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, and the Arctic. The Memorandum of Understanding involves the construction of two ships with options to build two additional vessels. The agreement marks the largest investment in Hurtigruten’s 120-year history. The vessels will be built at the Kleven Verft yard in Ulsteinvik, Norway with delivery beginning in 2018. Hurtigruten’s current fleet consists of 14 ships, including four expedition-style vessels built at Kleven Verft. Over the years Kleven has done a good job of diversifying its product portfolio, building everything from offshore support vessels, such as anchor handling tugs and seismic vessels, to stern trawlers, live fish vessels, expedition yachts, and even subsea mining vessels. The company also offers repair and rebuild services from its two shipyards Myklebust Verft and Kleven Verft. Kleven says the vessels for Hurtigruten will be designed by Rolls-Royce. The order is expected to secured hundreds of jobs at Kleven. Source: gCaptain.com