First preview reveals record-breaking Hurtigruten Expeditions 2023/2024 season

Deeper exploration of Antarctica, more ships in Canada’s Northwest Passage, off-the-beaten-track Alaska, more adventures in the cradle of expedition cruising, larger expedition teams and more activities. Here are the first details of Hurtigruten Expeditions’ 2023/24 expedition cruises.

Hurtigruten Expeditions – the world’s largest and leading expedition cruise line – has rapidly expanded the global offering of small-ship expedition cruises in recent years, adding destinations such as Galapagos, West-Africa, Caribbean and Canary Islands.

The 2023/24 season will be the most extensive in Hurtigruten Expeditions’ more than 125 years of history. In addition to new destinations, a growing fleet means more opportunities also for some of Hurtigruten Expeditions’ most popular and iconic expedition destinations, and the reveal of the first part of the program includes:

• Three ships in Antarctica for the full season with a selection of 34 cruises - the largest ever offering on the White Continent, Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Expeditions are spanning from 12-23 days, including several 16-day attempts to push south of the Antarctic Circle and into the remote wilderness
• Three ships exploring Canada’s iconic Northwest Passage, with the battery-hybrid powered MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen doing the first simultaneous full transits in opposite directions and meeting mid-passage.
• More off-the-beaten-track Alaska expedition cruises, fully revealing the last frontier.
• Unique opportunities to explore the cradle of expedition cruising – the remote Arctic jewel of Svalbard – with the company that founded expedition cruising there in 1896.
• Greener exploration on board the recently elected “world’s most sustainable cruise ship” – MS Fridtjof Nansen – and identical sister ship MS Roald Amundsen.

Other recently released expedition cruises includes exploration of both the East- and West coasts of Greenland, eight full circumnavigations of spectacular 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 – even more exploration and activities

Photo: Karsten Bidstrup/Hurtigruten Expeditions

All Hurtigruten Expeditions’ cruises feature a large on-board expedition team with experts handpicked for each itinerary. Building on more than 125 years of experience, Hurtigruten Expeditions offers the widest range of experts in the industry.

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 significant improvement, with an even wider range of activities to choose from – such as more kayaking, more small-boat exploration, hiking, lectures, science projects and other activities – and even more experts to indulge in knowledge and create a deeper understanding of some of the most spectacular destinations of the planet.

“In short, great will get even better. 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.

Explore more – with “the world’s greenest and safest cruise ship”

TRIPLE NORTHWEST PASSAGE: In the 2023/24 season, battery-hybrid powered MS Fridtjof Nansen and MS Roald Amundsen (pictured) will transit the iconic Northwest passage - and meet mid-transit. MS Fram will also explore the iconic Canadian area. Photo: KARSTEN BIDSTRUP/Hurtigruten Expeditions

Hurtigruten Expeditions is widely recognized for a push for more sustainable cruising. The company has spent the recent global pause in cruising to further investments and upgrades, including installation of fleet-wide shore-power connections and adding Hurtigruten Expeditions’ signature state-of-the-art Science Centers to all ships.

The company’s industry-leading Science Program includes scientists on every cruise on every ship, and a wide 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, the leading European provider of ESG analysis in their first ever in-depth assessment of 400 cruise ships.

MORE: MS Fridtjof Nansen rated world's safest and most sustainable cruise ship

Hurtigruten Expeditions sees a strong and consistent 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.