A preferred summer destination for the expedition operators, the Arctic is set for a big season in 2022.
With most of the major players returning, the region will see ships from over 15 brands during the next few months.
Cruise Industry News looked at the plans of some of the key expedition players in the destination:
Ponant
Ships: Four – Le Boreal, L’Austral, Le Bellot and Le Commandant Charcot
Homeports: Longyearbyen (Norway); Reykjavik (Iceland); Kangerlussuaq (Greenland); and more
Itinerary highlights: Geographic North Pole, Iceland, Svalbard, Greenland, Northwest Passage and more
Ponant has one of the most varied and unique programs in the Arctic in 2022.
Featuring Le Commandant Charcot, the company’s new luxury icebreaker, the season includes itineraries to several destinations, including the Geographic North Pole.
The brand is also offering expeditions to Svalbard, Greenland, the Northwest Passage, Iceland and more.
Hurtigruten Expeditions
Ships: Six – Fram, Fridtjof Nansen, Roald Amundsen, Spitsbergen, Nordstjernen and Maud
Homeports: Longyearbyen and Bergen (Norway); Cambridge Bay (Canada); Nome (United States); Dover (England); Reykjavik (Iceland); and more
Itinerary highlights: Greenland, Spitzbergen, Northwest Passage, Iceland and more
As the biggest player in the region, Hurtigruten Expeditions is offering a complete season in the Arctic in 2022.
Highlighted by its new battery-equipped newbuild, the Roald Amundsen and the Fridtjof Nansen, the six-ship program features itineraries to several different regions, including Iceland, Svalbard, Greenland and the Northwest Passage.
Oceanwide Expeditions
Ships: Three – Hondius, Plancius and Ortelius
Homeports: Longyearbyen and Tromso (Norway); Akureyri (Iceland); and more
Itinerary highlights: Greenland, Spitsbergen, Fair Island, Jan Mayen and more
Oceanwide Expeditions is also offering a full program in the Arctic in 2022.
After returning to the destination in May, the company currently has its three expedition ships sailing varied itineraries in the region. In addition to Spitsbergen, the brand is also sailing to Fair Isle, Jan Mayen and Greenland.
Lindblad Expeditions
Ships: Three – National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Resolution and National Geographic Explorer
Homeports: Bergen, Tromso and Longyearbyen (Norway); Reykjavik (Iceland); and more
Itinerary highlights: Iceland, Greenland, Northwest Passage, Svalbard and more
A traditional operator in the region, Lindblad Expeditions is offering a three-ship program in the Arctic in 2022.
The season is highlighted by the company’s two newbuilds, the National Geographic Endurance and the National Geographic Resolution. After entering service in 2021, the 126-guest vessels will sail complete programs in the region for the first time.
Quark Expeditions
Ships: Two – Ultramarine and Ocean Adventurer
Homeports: Oslo (Norway); Reykjavik (Iceland); Toronto (Canada); and more
Itinerary highlights: Greenland, Svalbard, Northwest Passage, Canadian Arctic, Iceland and more
Two ships are sailing in the Arctic for Quark Expeditions in 2022. In addition to the Ocean Adventurer, the Ultramarine is making its debut in the region with a program that includes expeditions to Greenland, the Northwest Passage and the Canadian Arctic.
During the season, Quark is also offering itineraries to Svalbard, Iceland and more.
Other expedition operators sailing in the region this year include:
- Adventure Canada
- Albatros Expeditions
- Aurora Expeditions
- Hapag-Lloyd Expeditions
- Iceland ProCruises
- Plantours
- Polar Quest
- Poseidon Expeditions
- Scenic
- Silversea Expeditions
- Seabourn
- Swan Hellenic
- and more
