Borealis became the line’s first vessel to take advantage of the technology during a transit call to San Francisco on 17 April as part of an Around the World in 80 Days voyage.

A week later, Fred Olsen’s flagship Bolette connected for seven hours on a call in Bergen, during which the ship was able to utilise up to 27,000 kilowatts of renewable hydropower.

Bolette is due to connect again when the vessel returns to Bergen on 23 May. 

Stuart Ferguson, Fred Olsen’s head of quality and resource, said the ships – which joined the line in September 2020 and August 2021 – had brought “innovative new technologies that allow us to sail the world more sustainably”.

“Being able to connect to shore power allows us to turn off our engines and make use of renewable energy to keep our ships running while in port,” he said.

“Cruising has pioneered the way among the shipping and maritime industries with these sustainable developments in engineering, and we look forward to being able to connect in more ports as shore power technology becomes more accessible across the world.”