In August 2013, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will be offering a Northwest Passage itinerary aboard the MS Hanseatic. The Hanseatic's cruise will be guaranteed bilingual, departing Kangerlussuaq, Greenland on Aug. 16, 2013 for a 24-day voyage starting in Greenland and cruising north of the Arctic Circle and ending in Nome, Alaska on Sept. 9.
The Hanseatic premiered the Northwest Passage for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in 1994. Since then both Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ expedition ships, the Hanseatic and the Bremen have successfully cruised through the Northwest Passage a total of twelve times. In summer 2009, for the first time in Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ history, both ships met in the Northwest Passage, traveling in opposite directions.
The passage for the Hanseatic starts in Greenland and crosses Disko Bay, where guests can observe the icebergs. The ship will then cross the Canadian Arctic, the heart of the Northwest Passage. Thanks to its shallow draught, the Hanseatic is able to sail close to the Canadian Arctic coast, giving guests box seats on the outer decks for viewing the icy panoramas of the shores.
Other planned highlights (weather permitting): a visit to a former whaling base on Herschel Island; a landing in Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, including a visit to the wreck of the "Maud," in which Roald Amundsen conquered the Northwest Passage; zodiac landings in Peel Sound, the Franklin Strait and Larsen Sound; and a stop in Barrow, Alaska, the most northern city in the world.
The itinerary starts at $20,320 per person, based on double occupancy for an outside cabin.
For more information, visit www.hl-cruises.com.