Climates could scarcely be more opposed, yet the Northwest Passage and the South Seas hold in common a singular promise: extraordinary discoveries. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises deploys its compact, highly navigable expedition vessels to chart courses seldom traversed. These ships carry guests to Churchill, where beluga whales presently navigate Hudson Bay, and to distant Pacific outposts such as Palau, Tonga, and Bora Bora, islands strewn across the ocean’s vast cobalt expanse. For those intent on extreme exploration, the Northwest Passage remains a formidable and seldom-mastered route. Aboard each vessel, that small-group discovery is guided by scientific experts who support presentations, Zodiac landings, and excursions. Open decks, glass-front balconies, and bow-deck promenades bring passengers closer to unfolding scenes than almost anywhere else; the natural environment and local cultures are engaged with both humility and respect.
The HANSEATIC nature is presently charting a premiere course between Canada’s northern tundra, the remote islands of Hudson Bay, and Greenland’s ice-sculpted coast—a passage uncharted even by experienced explorers. It recently called at Chesterfield Inlet, an Inuit settlement along Hudson Bay’s west coast, where it became the first expedition vessel to arrive. Its arrival was met with uncommon warmth by the local inhabitants—an event that underscored the singular atmosphere of the voyage. The expedition then reached Churchill in Manitoba, a settlement accessible by train, air, or via Hudson Bay and regarded as one of the few North American outposts where wilderness remains virtually untouched. Here, guests observed beluga whales frolicking in the bay. After guest turnover, the ship retraced its route to Kangerlussuaq, en route to Greenland, where the ice fjord at Ilulissat and the drifting icebergs of Disko Bay are poised to conclude the expedition.
Meanwhile, the HANSEATIC inspiration is navigating one of the planet’s most demanding and longest sea passages: the Northwest Passage. On this Arctic-bound journey—scheduled from Seward, Alaska, to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, from August 6th to September 4th, 2026—the line seeks to meld wilderness with a maritime tradition of daring. The itinerary threads past Popof Island, known for its bison herds, and Unalaska Island, where the onion-domed structure of North America’s oldest Russian Orthodox church preserves a memory of early settlers. Weather and ice conditions permitting, a rendezvous with her sister ship, the HANSEATIC spirit, may take place. Throughout the voyage, guests may observe polar bears, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, and whales—an immersive natural spectacle.
For those who seek sunlit shores rather than polar extremes, the HANSEATIC spirit undertakes a trilogy of South Seas expeditions through the South Pacific. From Palau through the Trobriand and Solomon Islands to Fiji, and on to Tahiti, the voyage reveals island realms far removed from conventional cruise paths. Coral-fringed lagoons, serene beaches, and teeming reefs frame encounters with sea turtles and vibrant tropical birds; the rare orange dove in Fiji is among them. Accompanied by experts, guests disembark via Zodiacs onto remote shores and explore hidden jungle pathways and river inlets.
In each of these voyages—whether crossing ice-strewn seas, tracing glacial fjords, or island-hopping in tropical waters—Hapag-Lloyd Cruises continues a tradition of understated, observant exploration. The company’s expedition ships bind distant worlds with maritime precision and quiet respect.