Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has confirmed that the expedition vessel HANSEATIC nature will continue operating winter voyages in northern Europe during the 2026-2027 season, with all itineraries departing from and returning to Hamburg. The programme will focus on Arctic scenery, Nordic culture, winter activities and opportunities to observe the Northern Lights, while sister ships HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit will operate in Antarctic waters during the same period.
Between October 2026 and April 2027, the expedition ship, accommodating up to 230 guests, will sail a series of itineraries through northern European waters. The deployment will include seven Northern Lights voyages, an Advent itinerary through the Baltic Sea with calls at Stockholm and Copenhagen, three Lapland voyages to Kemi in the Gulf of Bothnia, and a spring voyage to Vaasa as ice conditions begin to ease at the end of winter.
According to the company, two itineraries have been adjusted to reflect increasingly variable ice conditions in the Gulf of Bothnia. One newly designed Baltic expedition will operate flexibly between Sweden, Finland and the Baltic States, sailing as far as ice conditions permit. Another itinerary will make use of more stable ice windows in the Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay, allowing the vessel to adapt expedition days to prevailing weather and ice coverage.
The company indicated that recent winters had produced heavier ice formation in the region, limiting reliable navigation outside the peak winter months of January and February. Additional operational restrictions now require the use of icebreakers during parts of the season to maintain regional supply routes, even for polar-class expedition ships such as HANSEATIC nature.
The Northern Lights voyages will follow the Norwegian coastline northwards toward the North Cape, including calls in destinations such as the Lofoten Islands, Geirangerfjord, Alta and Tromsø. Operating with a smaller expedition vessel allows access to narrow fjords and coastal waterways less accessible to larger cruise ships.
Winter activities planned during the voyages include dog sledding, snowshoe excursions, kayaking in specialised cold-weather equipment, sauna experiences and visits to ice hotels. Cultural elements ashore and onboard programmes focusing on Nordic life and Arctic exploration will also form part of the itineraries.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises stated that the 2026-2027 season would likely represent the final Scandinavian winter programme for HANSEATIC nature before the vessel repositions to warmer regions in the western Indian Ocean during the following season. Future deployments are expected to focus on destinations around Madagascar and the Seychelles.
Among the highlighted voyages is the 15-day “Lapland Winter Adventure” sailing from Hamburg between January 29th and February 4th, 2027, combining winter Baltic cruising, expedition days in the Gulf of Bothnia and visits to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Another featured itinerary, “Scandinavia and the Baltic States,” will depart Hamburg on March 21st, 2027 for a 15-day voyage through Sweden, Finland, the Baltic States, Poland and Denmark, including an expedition day near the ice edge in the Gulf of Bothnia before returning via the Kiel Canal.