Hurtigruten Expeditions’ two battery-hybrid ships, the Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, crossed paths for the first time in the Northwest Passage on August 28, 2023. 

The meeting of the ships took place in Cambridge Bay, Canada. Guests and crew were invited onboard to celebrate with flags, banners and warm drinks.

“This gathering serves as a moment to celebrate our legacy,” said Hurtigruten Expeditions’ Group CEO, Daniel Skjeldam. “As the founders of expedition cruising in 1896, we are born explorers, taking generations of travelers into the unknown.”

The two ships met during the Fridtjof Nansen’s 27-day westbound Northwest Passage voyage to Nome, Alaska and the Roald Amundsen’s 26-day eastbound Northwest Passage sailing to Halifax, Canada. 

“Passing Zenith Point, I’m struck by the remarkable achievements of past explorers in these cold, remote places more than one hundred years ago. However, it’s the enduring presence of today’s inhabitants, surviving here since the Thule era, that commands my utmost respect,” said Captain Raymond Martinsen.