HX Expeditions

Purpose-built expedition ships for Antarctica, the Arctic and the Galápagos, with all-inclusive drinks, gear and Zodiac landings rather than a big-ship itinerary. Australians fly in to join every voyage.

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About HX Expeditions

HX Expeditions is the purpose-built expedition arm that grew out of Hurtigruten’s polar voyages, now sailing its own fleet of small ships built for ice rather than entertainment. Its ships carry between 90 and 490 guests, run a hands-on Science Centre instead of a casino, and put guests ashore by Zodiac most days rather than at a cruise terminal. It suits travellers who want Antarctica, the Arctic or the Galápagos done properly, with an expert-led Expedition Team rather than a self-guided shore tour.

There is no Australian homeport, so the trip starts with a flight: to Buenos Aires or Santiago for Antarctica, then on to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas to join the ship, with an overnight in Buenos Aires and a two-day Drake Passage crossing built into most itineraries. Svalbard voyages fly via Oslo and Longyearbyen, and the Galápagos via Ecuador. Fares are quoted in AUD by our booking partner and typically bundle the flights, a pre-cruise hotel night and the cruise itself.

MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen are HX’s two hybrid-powered, 490-guest ships, with restaurants Aune, Fredheim and the à la carte Lindstrøm, a Science Centre and the Explorer Lounge & Bar. MS Fram and MS Spitsbergen are smaller and were refurbished in 2025, and MS Santa Cruz II carries just 90 guests around the Galápagos. Drinks with meals, gratuities, an expedition jacket to keep and Wi-Fi are included on every ship.

Best for

Antarctica, the Arctic or the Galápagos over a typical cruise itinerary
Small ships with real Zodiac landings and a hands-on Science Centre
All-inclusive fares: meals, drinks, gratuities, gear and a jacket to keep
Couples and solo travellers who want an expedition, not a resort at sea

Look elsewhere if you want

Big-ship entertainment, casinos or a wide choice of restaurants
A fixed daily plan: weather and ice can change the itinerary
Travellers who want an Australian homeport or a short cruise

Ships: 5 ships, 90 to 490 guests
Getting there: Fly to Buenos Aires, Santiago or Punta Arenas
Style: All-inclusive expedition: meals, drinks, gear, landings
Expeditions: Antarctica, Svalbard, the Arctic, Greenland, Galápagos

MS Fram in the Lemaire Channel, Antarctica

The Explorer Lounge & Bar on MS Fridtjof Nansen

Sea kayaking among icebergs in Antarctica

HX Expeditions sailings from Australia

Starting-from fare per person, twin share, as listed by HX’s own Australian site and our booking partner on 14 September 2026. Antarctica, Arctic and Galápagos voyages are usually sold as a fly-cruise-stay package; ask us for the departure you want and we will confirm exactly what is bundled in.

Every HX Expeditions sailing worldwide ›

Highlights of Antarctica

MS Fridtjof Nansen · from Fly to Buenos Aires, cruise Ushuaia to Ushuaia · 30 October 2026, 12 days including the flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia

FromA$13,477pp

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Iconic Antarctica, The Explorer’s Route

MS Roald Amundsen · from Buenos Aires return · 8 November 2027, 15 nights with charter flights and a night in Buenos Aires

FromA$16,695pp

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Svalbard in Spring, The Return of the Sun

MS Spitsbergen · from Oslo return · 5 June 2027, 8 nights with charter flights and a night in Longyearbyen

FromA$10,745pp

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Want the total for two on a specific date? Our experts check availability and every extra before you commit.

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The expedition ships

Purpose-built for polar and equatorial waters. Australians fly in to join them.

Hybrid-powered expedition ship · Built 2019 · 490 guests · Antarctica from Ushuaia, Alaska in the northern summer

MS Roald Amundsen

One of HX’s two fully hybrid ships, cutting emissions with battery-assisted propulsion. All cabins are outside, half with private balconies, and the aft suites have their own hot tub. The two-level Observation Deck is the best place to watch for whales, and the Science Centre is where the Expedition Team run daily lectures between Zodiac landings. Sails Antarctica and the Falklands from Ushuaia, then Alaska’s Inside Passage in the northern summer.

Science Centre
Explorer Lounge
Hybrid power
Observation Deck

Ask about Roald Amundsen sailings

Hybrid-powered expedition ship · Built 2020 · 490 guests · Antarctica from Ushuaia and Punta Arenas

MS Fridtjof Nansen

Roald Amundsen’s hybrid sister ship, named for the polar explorer whose Fram expedition inspired HX. The same battery-assisted propulsion and Scandinavian interiors, with three restaurants: Aune for included dining, the informal Fredheim, and the à la carte Lindstrøm, complimentary for suite guests. The Science Centre and Explorer Lounge & Bar anchor life on board between Zodiac landings in Antarctica, the Falklands and South Georgia.

Three restaurants
Science Centre
Hybrid power
Zodiac landings

Ask about Fridtjof Nansen sailings

Expedition ship · Built 2007, refurbished 2025 · 200 guests · Antarctica, Greenland, Svalbard and Norway across the year

MS Fram

Refurbished in 2025 with new cabins and an expanded Science Centre, MS Fram carries the name of the ship that once drifted through Arctic ice under Fridtjof Nansen. Dine in Aune or the à la carte Lindstrøm, join a hand-crafted cocktail in the forward-facing Explorer Lounge & Bar, or watch the scenery from an outdoor hot tub. Fram moves between Antarctica, Greenland, Svalbard and Norway through the year.

Refurbished 2025
Science Centre
Explorer Lounge
Outdoor BBQ

Ask about Fram sailings

Expedition ship · Built 2009, refurbished 2025 · 150 guests · Svalbard and the Norwegian coast

MS Spitsbergen

The smallest and most manoeuvrable ship in the fleet, able to reach landing sites larger ships cannot. Refurbished in 2025 with a new casual dining venue, Brygga Bistro, alongside the main restaurant Aune, a panoramic sauna and two open-air hot tubs. MS Spitsbergen is named after Norway’s largest Svalbard island and spends the northern summer exploring the archipelago’s fjords and glaciers.

Brygga Bistro
Panoramic sauna
Small-ship access
Refurbished 2025

Ask about Spitsbergen sailings

Also in the fleet: MS Santa Cruz II, a 90-guest ship dedicated to the Galápagos Islands.

Cabins & rates

What each cabin type gives you. Fares vary by ship, sailing and date, so ask us for the rate on the departure you want.

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Polar Inside

No window, the lowest fare on board (MS Fram and Fridtjof Nansen only)
Double bed, optional twin, some with a sofa bed
Private bathroom, TV, safe and tea and coffee-making facilities

RateOn requestquoted per sailing and dateAsk for a rate

Polar Outside

A window rather than a balcony, sleeps up to 3
Double bed, optional twin
Private bathroom, TV, safe and a minibar (charges apply)

RateOn requestquoted per sailing and dateAsk for a rate

Arctic Superior

Private balcony on most cabins, a few with a limited view
Double bed, optional twin, some sleep up to 4
Bathrobes and slippers included, minibar charges apply

RateOn requestquoted per sailing and dateAsk for a rate

Expedition Suite

The best cabins on board: a separate living area and wide windows or a balcony
Selected suites have a private outdoor hot tub
All meals included at the fine-dining restaurant Lindstrøm

RateOn requestquoted per sailing and dateAsk for a rate

Enquire Today

Tell us where and when. A HX Expeditions specialist comes back with sailings, cabins and prices in Australian dollars.

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Life on board

A taste of the restaurants, bars and spaces. Anything marked Included carries no extra cost.

Dining & bars

Included

Restaurant Aune

The main dining room on every ship, named after a family of Tromsø ship chandlers who once supplied polar explorers. All meals included.

Included

Restaurant Fredheim

The informal, social spot for pastries and international dishes, named after a 1900s hunting station on Svalbard. Takeaway to your cabin is available.

Extra Charge

Restaurant Lindstrøm

The à la carte fine-dining restaurant, named after the polar heroes’ favourite chef. Included for suite guests, a cover charge for everyone else.

Included

Explorer Lounge & Bar

Floor-to-ceiling windows, armchairs and a bar for a drink before dinner or a recap after a landing.

Exclusive to HX Expeditions

Science Centre

Touch screens, microscopes and a small library where the Expedition Team run lectures and citizen-science projects.

Included

Pool Bar

A drink by the pool or hot tub on the open deck, weather permitting.

Extra Charge

Wellness Centre

Sauna, treatment rooms and a relaxation lounge for a massage or facial after a day ashore.

Spaces & activities

Included

Zodiac landings

Small rigid inflatable boats put you ashore or cruising close to ice and wildlife, led by the Expedition Team most days.

Extra Charge

Sea kayaking

Paddle among icebergs or along a fjord in a two-person kayak, weather permitting and bookable in advance.

Extra Charge

Camping on the ice

A night in a bivvy bag on the Antarctic ice on selected voyages, a small-group add-on that books out early.

Included

Expedition Team lectures

Naturalists, historians and scientists brief every landing and lecture on the wildlife, geology and history you are sailing through.

Included

Hot tubs and sauna

Warm up after a landing in an open-air hot tub or the sauna, some with views over the ice or fjord.

Included

Fitness Room

A well-equipped gym on every ship, some with sweeping views, for a workout between landings and sea days.

What’s included in your fare

HX includes the meals and drinks, the landings and your expedition jacket. There is a single expedition fare; the step up is a suite, not a fare tier.

In a suite? Add the Lindstrøm restaurant for every meal, premium drinks, laundry and, on Antarctic sailings, a day at a resort in Ushuaia before you sail.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, beer and spirits
A wind and waterproof expedition jacket
Escorted Zodiac landings
Lectures from the expedition team and the onboard science programme
Wi-Fi, though not for streaming
The sauna, hot tubs, pool, gym and lounges
Photos of your voyage from the onboard photographer
On Antarctic voyages, a night in Buenos Aires, the flight to Ushuaia and the transfer

Available at an additional cost

International flights and any extra nights they require
Optional shore excursions, kayaking, snowshoeing and camping
Spa and wellness treatments
Pre and post voyage programmes
Travel insurance

Gratuities are not charged: HX says tipping is optional and none is expected on board.

HX Expeditions, answered

How do Australians get to an HX Antarctica departure?

There is no direct flight, so you fly to Buenos Aires or Santiago, connect to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas, and join the ship there. Most Antarctica itineraries build in an overnight in Buenos Aires before the flight south, and a two-day Drake Passage crossing each way. Svalbard voyages fly via Oslo and Longyearbyen; the Galápagos via Ecuador.

What is included in an HX fare?

Your cabin, all meals in Aune and Fredheim, house wine, beer and soft drinks with meals, gratuities, the daily Zodiac excursions and lectures, an expedition jacket to keep, a refillable water bottle and Wi-Fi. Extra-cost items are fine dining at Lindstrøm for non-suite guests, wellness treatments, laundry and optional add-ons such as kayaking or camping on the ice.

What is MS Roald Amundsen like?

HX’s flagship, one of two fully hybrid, 490-guest ships built for polar waters. Every cabin is outside, half with a private balcony, and the aft suites have their own hot tub. On board there is a Science Centre, the Explorer Lounge & Bar and three restaurants, and the two-level Observation Deck is where guests gather to watch for whales and seabirds.

Who is HX Expeditions best suited to?

Couples, solo travellers and small groups who want a genuine expedition rather than a big-ship holiday: daily Zodiac landings, lectures from the Expedition Team and a hands-on Science Centre instead of a casino or a waterslide. Families are welcome, though there is no kids’ club, so it suits older children more than toddlers.

What happens if the weather or ice changes the itinerary?

Antarctica and the Arctic do not run to a fixed schedule. The Expedition Team plans each day around the ice, weather and wildlife, and a landing can be swapped, shortened or replaced at short notice for safety. This is normal on every expedition voyage and part of what makes each sailing different.

When is the best time to sail to Antarctica or Svalbard?

Antarctica season runs from late October to March. Go in November for pristine ice and courting penguins, December to February for penguin chicks, and February to March for the most whale sightings. Svalbard sails from around April to September, with the midnight sun through the northern summer.

How do I book HX Expeditions through Luxury Cruises Guide?

Tell us the dates or destination in the enquiry form on this page, or call 1300 214 840. We are an independent Australian cruise agency: you get HX’s advertised fare, we confirm what is included and what is extra, price the total for two in AUD with taxes and fees, and one specialist looks after the booking from quote to homecoming.

Reservations

Call 1300 214 840, message us on WhatsApp, email, or tell us what you want and a HX Expeditions specialist will come back with a quote.

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Luxury Cruises Guide is an independent Australian cruise agency operated by Orange Ninja Pty Ltd, ABN 17 682 640 713. It is not owned or operated by HX Expeditions. HX Expeditions and its ship names are trademarks of their owner and are used here to identify the cruise line. Fares shown were published by the cruise line at the time of writing and change with availability.