Having not yet personally sailed on Hurtigruten, I have a passing understanding of the cruise line, but a new webinar hosted by the brand's CEO, Daniel Skjeldam, shed more light on what the company is all about. Its past history is deeper than I had known, and its future endeavors are wider reaching than expected.
Skjeldam was passionate to present Hurtigruten as the leading and largest explorer company in the world, one with almost 125 years' worth of experience in polar waters specifically. This has allowed the cruise line to take guests into shallower fjords and narrower passages with purpose-built vessels. In fact, he said there are fjords that only Hurtigruten navigates.
Most surprising to me was discovering that Hurtigruten's timeline goes back all the way to 1893 including hotel operations on land with an opening shortly thereafter in 1896.
Now the company is most known for its sailings at sea that are all the more intriguing to photographers. Hearing that the line has a greater probability of seeing the northern lights in Norway with reduced light pollution and a larger area traversed from which to see them from is music to our ears. The chance to capture the early morning blue hour is also enticing.
Additionally in Norway-home to some spectacular seafood-the company impressively goes so far as to highlight the fishermen and boats that caught the fresh fish featured onboard. Fishermen are even brought out on deck to discuss their process. Furthermore, local produce is also showcased as well as seasonal variations and vegan options.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Insider Look at Hurtigruten's Upcoming Hybrid Expedition Ships[/READMORE]
On the complete opposite side of the earth, Antarctica also remains part of the brand's mainstay. But how's this for cool (literally and figuratively)? Expedition cruises there often feature day landings. However, Hurtigruten pulls out all the stops by offering the option to tent on the continent overnight. Now, that's truly exciting.
Plus, the company is building a new generation of expedition ships, and the first Roald Amundsen will be heading to Antarctica with its fresh Nordic design as soon as the fall of 2018. As covered previously, these ships will be remarkable in their hybrid nature with partial battery pack power making them very environmentally-friendly.
From an amenities perspective, the new fleet will have all outside cabins, 50 percent with balconies. Even the warm sauna onboard will have a large window to look out upon the beautiful scenery. Hurtigruten admits the ships will not be amusement parks at sea with show theaters but will rather focus on nature as floating base camps.
[READMORE]WATCH: Hurtigruten's Growth in Expedition Travel[/READMORE]
They're stylish ones at that. Examining renderings closely reveals that the ships will have a scenic Explorer observation lounge and bar at the top. Plus, the inside of deck six also extends all the way to the bow with some sort of glass-enclosed viewing area right at the tip of the bow, never before seen in such a contiguous expanse.
Not all that Hurtigruten has to offer is located closest to the poles, though.
Beginning in April 2018, the cruise line will traverse the eastern United States and Canada too. The line will present seven itineraries ranging in length from 8 to 17 days, departing conveniently from homeports like Miami, Florida and New York City, New York. Destination highlights will include the coast of Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; Halifax, Canada; Newfoundland; Labrador; Louisbourg and even Reykjavik, Iceland.
Amazingly, these are only a handful of 300 total excursions that Hurtigruten sells on a current fleet of 14 ships with up to four more coming. Two new expedition ships including the Roald Amundsen are firmly ordered, and an option for two additional ones is also in place.
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