Fancy exploring the rarely visited North East Greenland National Park, the largest in the world and yet the least visited with approximately 500 visitors each year? Or how about exploring Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland? Or why not experience an Equator Baptism by King Neptune on a cross-hemispheric journey from the Canary Islands to Buenos Aires?
All this and much more is possible with Hurtigruten whose latest dedicated programme of Explorer Voyages for 2012/13 in Spitsbergen, Greenland, Antarctica and Europe features new itineraries, experiences and the chance to visit some of the most remote places in the world.
New itineraries introduced, all on board MS Fram, include:
National Park Expedition - This voyage takes in three Arctic islands, Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland. Seven days are spent within the North-East Greenland National Park, which is the largest in the world and the least visited, with approximately 500 visitors each year. It is one of the most isolated places on earth, and hikes, small boat trips, lectures and briefings can all be enjoyed. A day is spent at Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland, and the trappers living here are the only ones allowed to hunt within the National Park. The 14-day voyage from Spitsbergen to Greenland and then on to Iceland departs on September 6, 2012, in the Arctic autumn and before the winter closes in and makes this corner of the planet uninhabitable. Prices are from £4535pp full board, cruise only.
Trans-Atlantic Crossing – This is a completely different, cross-hemispheric offering from Hurtigruten and the first time it has been offered travelling south. This is the main leg of MS Fram’s winter repositioning journey from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to Buenos Aires. With the famous Equator Baptism by King Neptune and his wife for those crossing the Equator for the first time and BBQs on deck, this voyage is all about enjoying life on the ocean wave in a relaxed atmosphere with the ship's crew. The 19-day voyage departs on October 14, 2012, and is priced from £1,292pp full board, cruise only. Just £68 per day.
Autumn Adventure – This new eight-day North Atlantic Islands voyage begins in Reykjavik, Iceland, and sets off across the North Sea toward Torshavn on one of the 18 Faroe Islands and one of the smallest capitals in the world. Next stop is Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, by far the northernmost town in Scotland and Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, with a population of just 8,500. The voyage also calls at Leith/Edinburgh before crossing the North Sea to Bergen. Departing on September 19, 2012, it costs from £872pp full board, cruise only.
Hurtigruten has also doubled the number of departures on its most popular Antarctica voyage, The Classic Expedition’ For 2012/13, there are now six departures. New International Maritime Authority (IMA) fuel rules ban the use of heavy fuel oils from use and carriage from August 1. MS Fram uses Marine Gas Oil (MGO) rather than the heavy fuel oils used by some other ships. A 10-day Classic Expedition costs from £3,443pp, including flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and back, full board.
