AROS Marine recently outfitted multiple public and private spaces on board MS Fram for Norway-based expedition ship company Hurtigruten. The focus of this multi-million euro retrofit was on modernizing onboard public areas as well as updating 85 cabins and 20 suites.

Fram means ‘forward’ – paving the way for the voyage ahead. Hurtigruten built MS Fram with one mission in mind: to bring her guests closer to nature, wildlife, and unforgettable experiences. With space for only 276 passengers, MS Fram provides an intimate experience, allowing travellers to become well acquainted with their fellow passengers.

For this project, the AROS Marine team completed the concept design, engineering drawings, and all onboard works. This included producing all required furniture pieces for the cabins and suites. The outfitter also worked on updating public spaces including the Activity/ Science centre, Explorer lounge, gym, sauna, and BBQ area. This impressive retrofit project began in April 2022 and was completed in May 2022.

All the spaces that AROS Marine outfitted were adapted to fit the Hurtigruten brand, taking inspiration from Scandinavian style. However, aside from this, AROS Marine had a lot of freedom in the design of the cruise interior spaces.

Sustainable-led designs

The AROS Marine team prioritised sustainability within their designs on board MS Fram. Some of their sustainable initiatives included reupholstering and restoring the existing furniture instead of buying it new. Additionally, the team sourced furniture produced in Lithuania, where AROS Marine is based. This ensured not only excellent working conditions for workers but also shortened the delivery distances. This allowed for faster delivery times and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

Another initiative AROS Marine undertook was implementing zoning within public spaces to manage traffic flow effectively. Over the past few years, as our lives become more flexible, more people choose to travel and work remotely. As a result, AROS Marine adapted onboard public areas into multifunctional spaces, allowing for both work and leisure. This gives passengers the option to transform a space to adapt to their needs, overall designing their own unique cruise experience.

Mantas Dubavicius, VP of Business Development at AROS Marine, commented:

“Despite the fact that the retrofit market has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, more and more repair orders are reaching us. It is always a pleasure and honor to work with long–term partners such as Hurtigruten. It is one of the greatest examples of real partnership – full of explored opportunities, joint efforts to deliver the highest customer value, and mutual success developing our business further and beyond our expectations.”


About AROS Marine

From the start, AROS Marine has positioned itself as one of the leading outfitters in the marine industry. The company grew rapidly from humble beginnings over 13 years ago, having a team of over 400 skilled and experienced employees worldwide today. AROS Marine are experts in interior outfitting, HVAC works, turnkey project management, design & engineering, and furniture production. AROS Marine operates globally, with headquarters in Lithuania.


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