Hurtigruten Expeditions has revealed additional details on its 2023/24 season, which is described as "the most extensive in Hurtigruten Expeditions’ more than 125 years of history." The season features new destinations as well as a growing fleet, include three ships in Antarctica for the full season, three ships exploring Canada’s iconic Northwest Passage, additional Alaska expedition cruises, and more.
Three Hurtigruten ships will be positioned in Antarctica for the full season with a selection of 34 cruises spanning from 12-23 days, including several 16-day attempts to push south of the Antarctic Circle. Three ships will also be exploring Canada's Northwest Passage, with the battery-hybrid powered MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen doing full transits in opposite directions and meeting mid-passage.
Other recently released expedition cruises includes exploration of both the East- and West coasts of Greenland, eight full circumnavigations of Iceland, exploration of Chilean fjords and more.
"We are thrilled to give our explorers the first taste of our 2023/24 expedition cruises. From the high north to the deep south of Antarctica, we will offer more options, more destinations and even more activities for modern-day adventurers in a more sustainable way than ever before," said Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen.
Bigger expedition teams
Leading up to the 2023/24 season, the size of the expedition team on all Hurtigruten Expeditions’ ships will be increased even further. More expedition equipment will also be added to the ships.
For the guests, this will mean a wider range of activities to choose from such as more kayaking, more small-boat exploration, hiking, lectures, science projects and other activities. This also means more experts to provide knowledge and understanding of the destinations visited.
Our on-board colleagues, and the way they share their passion, knowledge, and expertise of the areas we explore is the core of the Hurtigruten Expeditions’ experience. Bigger expedition teams means more of everything – more experts, more knowledge, more activities and more options for our guests," Lassesen said.
Ship upgrades
Hurtigruten notes that it has spent its time in the pandemic to add further investments and upgrades to its ships, including the installation of fleet-wide shore-power connections and adding Science Centers to all ships.
The company's Science Program includes scientists on every cruise, as well as a range of "Citizen Science" research projects that guests are encouraged to participate in during their expeditions.
Recently, battery-hybrid-powered MS Fridtjof Nansen, was rated “the safest and most sustainable cruise ship in the world” by Scope ESG Analysis, as previously reported by OpenJaw.
The cruise line also notes that it sees strong demand across all markets, with bookings back at pre-pandemic levels.
"We see a huge pent-up demand for authentic adventure travel, with substantial and growing demand for more sustainable and unique experiences. We expect to see this trend to strengthen as we continue to expand our global offering," said Lassesen.
For more information on Hurtigruten Expeditions, visit its web site.
