Mein Schiff 3 ‘Saves’ Tourists Stranded on Spitsbergen

Mein Schiff 3 ‘Saves’ Tourists Stranded on Spitsbergen

Mein Schiff 3 entering the River Mersey Liverpool, photo credit Spacejunkie2

TUI Cruises Mein Schiff 3 “saved” visitors stranded on Spitsbergen following the Scandinavian Airlines’ pilots' strike, according to Norwegian press reports.

Mein Schiff 3 carried more than 100 people as passengers sailing from Longyearbyen to Tromso in Northern Norway. The ship reportedly had available cabin space.

Scandinavian Airlines’ pilots went on strike on July 3, and with only Norwegian Air also flying regularly to the Arctic archipelago, there have not been enough air seats for tourists and locals to travel to the mainland or return to their country of origin. Thus, effectively stranding many expedition cruise guests in Longyearbyen.

This has also prevented many from being able to fly to Spitsbergen unless their expedition lines had reserved seats with Norwegian or arranged charter flights.

The Longyearbyen harbour master Kjetil Braaten was quoted saying that some expedition ships have sailed with hardly any passengers on board and that discounted sailings are offered to the local population.

Hurtigruten's Fridtjof Nansen To Be Christened in Svalbard

Hurtigruten's Fridtjof Nansen will be christened in Longyearbyen on Svalbard September 14 – in the northernmost naming ceremony ever to be held for a passenger ship, according to a press release.

“When looking for a location for the naming of MS Fridtjof Nansen, we couldn’t think of a better place than Svalbard. For expedition cruising, this is where it all began," said Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen.

“For us, Svalbard and Spitsbergen are much more than just a destination; it’s a part of our history. As history has told us, we need to work closely with local communities when we develop sustainable tourism for future generations of explorers. When we embark on our Svalbard expeditions, we combine our 125 years of experience with our year-round land-based presence, creating jobs and value for the local community that lasts way beyond our cruise calls," Lassesen said.

To further mark commitments and long-lasting relationships with the Svalbard community, Hurtigruten Expeditions has chosen Longyearbyen to be MS Fridtjof Nansen’s port of registry – making her the first cruise ship to proudly call Svalbard her home.

The Fridtjof Nansen will be named by breaking a chunk of ice rather than the traditional bottle of Champagne, just as sister ship MS Roald Amundsen was when she in 2019 was the first ship ever to be named in Antarctica.

The naming ceremony is set to take place on September 14 and will be live-streamed.