Kjell Inge Rokke-controlled Rev Ocean foresees a delay of up to five years in a plan to build a luxury research vessel and Rokke's organisation is blaming the shipbuilder.

But the Norwegian shipowner and industrialist is not pulling the plug on the high-profile project.

The company's namesake vessel, the 16,854-gt Rev Ocean is under construction at an originally estimated cost of between $350m and $500m.