The line is set to host the vessel’s naming ceremony on 14 September in its homeport of Longyearbyen on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

A chunk of ice will be broken against the hull of Fridtjof Nansen instead of the traditional bottle of champagne.

Chief executive of Hurtigruten Expeditions, Asta Lassesen, said the line "couldn’t think of a better place than Svalbard" to host the ship’s naming ceremony.

"For us, Svalbard and Spitsbergen is much more than just a destination; it’s a part of our history," Lassesen added. "As history has told us, we need to work closely with local communities when we develop sustainable tourism for future generations of explorers."

Lassesen said naming the ship Fridtjof Nansen was a "tribute to him by virtue of his achievements both as an explorer and a humanitarian".

"At the same time, we aim to honour the importance of Svalbard in Arctic exploration and tourism, not only in the past, but today," she added.