|
| |
First
Cruise Ship Built For
Exclusive Use In Greenland
Artist
Rendering of MS Fram
Photo
Courtesy of Norwegian Coastal Voyage
Norwegian Coastal Voyages’
MS Fram On Track For April 2007 Launch
Norwegian Coastal Voyage’s
MS Fram, currently being built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri, is on
schedule for its maiden voyage in April, 2007. The 12,700-ton, 328-berth,
eight-deck ship, the first cruise ship built exclusively for sailing in
Greenland from May through September, makes significant use of the country’s
culture as inspiration for design while incorporating a striking Scandinavian
feel with the extensive use of wool, leather and oak. The ship is
named after the polar ship built and used by Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen
on a three-year expedition around Greenland in the late 1800s.
Original artwork is a theme on all of NCV’s ships and the MS Fram
continues the tradition -- Ane Birthe Hove, from Nuuk in Greenland, chosen as
the ship’s main artist, and several other artists from Greenland and Norway have
been commissioned. The ship’s architect, Arne Johansen, made use of
concept terms from the Intuit language in describing the design philosophy of
the ship’s interior: "Imaq," or "sea", describes the ship’s main dining room,
situated at the aft of the ship and close to the sea; "Nunami" means "ashore",
and entails the forward areas where the main reception and lobby are situated to
better guide guests; and "Qilak," or "sky", is the perfect term for the ship’s
glass-enclosed observation salon offering panoramic views of the outside scenery
– from the sea to the sky. Additional highlights include excellent
conference and meeting facilities, a wellness center with saunas, work-out room
and two glass-screened heated outdoor whirlpools, a bistro, a guest bridge for
viewing selected data from the ship’s bridge and a ship’s library.
The MS Fram’s 2007 Greenland season begins in May with a 12-day
sailing from Iceland’s Reykjavik to the eastern and southern Greenland coasts
(with a reverse itinerary at the end of the season) followed by eight-day
cruises in the Disko Bay region, and ending with 15-day itineraries that take in
both the Disko Bay region and Thule in the far northern area of Greenland and
home to the US Armed Forces' northernmost installation. The sailings
combine sea and land-based excursions, presentations on numerous aspects of life
in Greenland and many included and optional activities: museum visits,
helicopter trips, dog-sledding and hiking tours, just to name a few.
For additional information on Norwegian Coastal Voyage please visit their
website at
NorwegianCoastalVoyage.us
|
