For the 2018 season, Hurtigruten has expanded its Antarctica operation to a total of three expedition ships, spearheaded by the new Roald Amundsen, the company announced in a statement.

“All operators must commit to the highest environmental standards to put as little strain as possible on the nature and wildlife of these pristine areas,” said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten. “Hurtigruten is leading by example by introducing the world’s first hybrid powered expedition ship”.

Itineraries on the new hybrid ship, Roald Amundsen, combine the fjords of Chile, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica.

The new Hurtigruten program also includes a large number of new off-the-beaten path itineraries and destinations – ranging from exotic jungles to frozen landscapes.

The Fram will lead expedition sailings in the Caribbean Sea and along the Atlantic coast of the US. The expedition destinations are spread across eight countries along the coast of Central America and includes landings at ports: San Blas Islands, Fort San Lorenzo, Bocas del Toro, Corn Islands, Isla de Providencia, Cayos Cochinos and Lighthouse Reef.

“We will do the Caribbean Sea the Hurtigruten way; explorer style. The moderate size, extreme manoeuvrability and highly competent crew of Fram allows for a high degree of freestyling. We may sail into a bay or an estuary because there are birds or dolphins to see there. And we could drop our tender boats to go scuba diving or snorkelling, before lighting a bonfire on the beach to prepare a bbq dinner,” said Skjeldam.

For the eastern coast of the US, Hurtigruten’s itineraries will include calls in cities such as New York and Boston.

For the northern summer season, the Fram take travellers on an expedition to Arctic Canada.

Hurtigruten’s newest expedition ship, the Spitsbergen, will offer explorer-style circumnavigations of the island she is named after in Svalbard.