Hurtigruten is moving the Midtnatsol to Antarctica for the 2016-2017 season, more than tripling the company’s guest capacity for sailings in the polar region.
The 2003-built 674-passenger Midtnatsol will join Hurtigruten’s 2007-built, 312-passenger Fram, increasing the company’s seasonal berths from 2,268 to 6,800 in 2016-2017.
Antarctica itineraries include highlights such as the Falkland Islands, Chilean fjords, Patagonia, the Magellan Strait and Cape Horn. Sailings will depart from October 2016 to March 2017 with prices ranging from $5,999 to $6,666 per person, double occupancy.
In its first Antarctic season, the Midnatsol will feature voyages departing from Punta Arenas in the Chilean Patagonia, ranging from 15 to 18 days.
To accommodate the additional ship, the Fram will be sailing from Ushuaia and seek out new sites and destinations in Antarctica that are inaccessible to larger groups, according to a company statement. Guests will have the opportunity to take on more challenging and extreme excursions such as skiing on glaciers and expedition camping among penguins.
The Midnatsol will require some minor adjustments, the company said, but already has an ice class 1 C rating, helipad and redundant propulsion system.
