First passenger ship in the world to comply with Polar Code, which will be mandatory from January 2018
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ 155-passenger Bremen has become one of the first passenger ships in the world to receive the Polar Ship Certificate, which will be mandatory for ships operating in the polar regions from January 2018.
Adopted by the International Maritime Organization, the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) contains regulations outlining how ships for the polar region must be constructed, what equipment they must carry, and what training crews should be given.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises spent two years making technical modifications to Bremen to ensure she would receive certification from classification society DNV GL. The other ships in Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet will also be upgraded during their 2017 dry docks to ensure they have Polar Code certification by the time the 2018 Arctic season starts.
“The Polar Code will improve the safety of navigation in polar waters significantly,” said Captain Thilo Natke, who oversaw the certification process for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “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.”
Bremen will operate three international cruises during the 2018-2019 season, including a North East Passage sailing in summer 2018.