By
Alex Smith |
Expedition ship Polar Pioneer is being refurbished by a group of Scandinavian investors for a return to operation, after being laid up since late 2019.
Her cabins, main lounge and bar area are being refitted by design firm HF Interiors, while the toilet system will be upgraded throughout the ship.
Polar Pioneer is one of 10 Akademik Shuleykin-class Russian ships built in the 1980s in Finland as an ice-strengthened research vessel. She is rated as a 1A Super ice-class vessel, enabling her to operate in difficult ice conditions without assistance.
The ship’s refurbishments are scheduled to be completed in 2022. Polar Pioneer will then return to sailing around the Svalbard archipelago.