As of January 2018 it will be mandatory for ships sailing in the Polar Regions to have a Polar Ship Certificate, and one luxury cruise vessel has already received its certification.

MS Bremen has become one of the first passenger ships in the world to receive the Polar Ship Certificate, a move designed to increase the safety of ships’ operations and reduce the impact on people and the environment in such a vulnerable part of the world.

How is this certification achieved?

Hapag Lloyd’s stunning expedition cruise ship underwent an intense two-year preparation phase in order to achieve its certification. Technical modifications were made and fire lines were fitted with additional insulation, while another ice spotlight was installed when Bremen was in-dock during October 2016. Extra equipment has also been sourced to ensure the survival of everyone on-board should the ship run into a potential emergency. After all, the Polar Regions are famously unforgiving.

And Hapag Lloyd isn’t stopping there. This year, as part of their dry-dock periods, the other ships in the luxury cruise line’s fleet will undergo modifications to meet the criteria of the Polar Code for the 2018 Arctic season.

“The Polar Code will improve the safety of navigation in polar waters significantly,” says Captain Thilo Natke, who oversaw the certification process. “We have taken a pioneering step in certifying the Bremen and paved the way for the other ships in the fleet of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises to comply with the Polar Code. I am happy to have contributed.”

Natke has also prepared a Polar Water Operational Manual that will familiarise younger officers with the very specific requirements of navigating through the ice.

Sail on the newly-certified MS Bremen

Bremen will be embarking on three stunning international cruises during the 2018/2019 season, and will sail the frozen reaches of the North East Passage in the summer of 2018. Would you like to step on-board this epic voyage? Call our Cruise Concierge team on 0207 980 2845 to plan your expedition cruise.