To celebrate its 130th anniversary next year, Hurtigruten has launched two new Norwegian voyages that will offer your clients unique and unforgettable experiences in both the summer and the winter.
The Svalbard Express, which will operate from 2 June till September 2023, has been revived from history as it was last operated by Hurtigruten from 1968 until the 1980s.
The other, the North Cape Express, launching on 25 September 2023, will see Hurtigruten sailing from Oslo for the very first time.
With up to seven hours spent in each port, and all stops made during the day, guests will have more time to explore each destination than on Hurtigruten’s long-established Original Coastal Express voyage.
Based on the soon-to-be refurbished MS Trollfjord, the two new cruises will offer a similar standard of premium comfort to Hurtigruten’s expedition cruises.
“The vibe is going to be very similar to a 1920s cocktail bar, and this will be reflected in the uniforms and throughout the ship, which will also have a Scandi chic feel,” explained Hurtigruten UK Trade Partnerships Manager James Howlett.
A drinks package will be included in the price along with all-day dining, with a modern twist on archived recipes, and daily afternoon tea. There will be onboard lectures and immersive activities such as photography courses and fish smoking classes, plus included activities and optional excursions. Optional excursions will be pre-bookable and commissionable.
Sailing from Bergen to Longyearbyen in Svalbard and back again, the round-trip Svalbard Express takes 16 days, but there is also an option to travel only the northbound or southbound legs in 10 days.
Visiting remote hamlets, historic ports and rarely visited islands, the cruise in the land of the Midnight Sun provides the opportunity to glimpse rare animals, including polar bears, while traveling through stunning, pristine scenery.
In the winter, Hurtigruten will sail to and from Oslo for the first time with the launch of the North Cape Express, which will cruise along the Norwegian coast from the country’s southernmost point to the most northerly, the North Cape, in the snow-covered reaches of 71° north.
Clients can start the 14-day round-trip cruise in either Bergen or Oslo, travelling deep into the Arctic, where they’ll have the best chance to see the Northern Lights.
As with Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express winter sailings, the North Cape Express includes a Northern Lights Promise, so if there are no recorded occurrences during the cruise, guests will be offered a free six- or seven-day cruise the following year.
“With only a small percentage of sailings not witnessing a registered sighting of the Northern Lights, these voyages represent one of the best ways for customers to see that huge bucket list experience,” said James.
Agents can find more information on the two new voyages, as well as the Norwegian Coastal Express and Hurtigruten Expeditions cruises, at hurtigruten-training.co.uk. There are five short training modules, including a dedicated module on the new iconic sailings. Here you’ll also find the best contacts, competitions and events.
To access marketing resources and to be kept up to date on latest news and events, agents can sign up to Hurtigruten’s Agent Portal at agentportal.hurtigruten.com
