Tag Archives: Greenland

HX Announces MS Maud’s Return In April

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HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) announced the return of the Maud to service in April 2024, according to a press release.

After necessary repairs due to weather damage in late December, the Maud will set sail on an expedition around the British Isles. 

Guests will explore diverse coastlines and remote islands, led by HX’s Expedition Team. The ship will welcome Scottish weather presenter Carol Kirkwood on its second British Isles sailing, where guests can expect insightful talks and Q&A sessions while sailing from Douglas to Dover.

In July, HX’s Maud will venture into the Arctic, exploring Greenland and Iceland, with itineraries that bring guests closer to the local communities and wilderness of the north.

Starting in October, the ship will head south to Antarctica for a series of new expeditions combining the majestic Patagonian fjords with Antarctica. Highlighted itinerary is the 17-day Chilean Patagonia and Antarctica expedition. Additionally, the Maud will embark on 23- and 24-day sailings exploring South America, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia in a single adventure.

Holland America Line to cruise from Dover for the first time in 10 years

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Dover photoed from a leaving cruise line photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Holland America Line will sail a full season of round-trip itineraries from Dover for the first time in more than 10 years.

The line will base Pinnacle-class ship Nieuw Statendam out of the UK port for 10 departures in the summer of 2025.
 
From Dover, the vessel will sail itineraries ranging from 14 to 42 days to the Canary Islands, British Isles, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Iberia and the eastern Mediterranean.
 
In addition to Dover, HAL will depart from nine homeports throughout Europe, with an increase in cruises over 10 days, more sailings to Iceland and a combined 62 overnight calls or late-night departures in leading cities.
 
“We’re really excited about Nieuw Statendam homeporting in Dover for a whole season in 2025 and the additional opportunities this provides to the trade, as well as our guests,” said Karen Farndell, director of UK sales and marketing.
 
“The itineraries look incredible and varied, offering something for everyone – beyond Dover, our 10 homeports span Europe, and in 2025 we’re offering the most diverse range of itineraries that include everything from week-long holidays to the Med to month-long explorations to the Arctic.”
She praised the line’s travel agent partners for their continued support and commitment throughout the company’s milestone 150th year.
 
Other highlights of HAL’s 2025 Europe cruising season include seven-day Norway and Denmark and Norwegian Fjords itineraries onboard Rotterdam, while Oosterdam will sail its entire season in the Mediterranean on cruises from Piraeus, Barcelona, Civitavecchia and Trieste.
 
Nieuw Statendam visits the Canary Islands on a 14-day Canary Island Enchantment with Morocco and Portugal cruise departing on 20 April 2025, and the Voyage of the Vikings itinerary returns in 2025 onboard Zuiderdam.

Lindblad Breaks Booking Record, Call Volume Surges

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Adventure travel has become the most popular travel trend of the decade, according to Noah Brodsky, Chief Commercial Officer for Lindblad Expeditions.

The company said it saw its biggest-ever booking day on Jan. 3. 2023, 14 per cent up over the previous record.

In addition to solid bookings, Lindblad Expeditions has also experienced an increase in inbound calls, with the busiest day of the year exceeding the busiest day of 2022 by almost 30%. The company said that this trend has continued, with last Thursday’s inbound call volume being around 40% higher than the average busy Monday.

“With over 50 years of pioneering heritage exploring more than 150 world-opening itineraries, people are turning to Lindblad Expeditions for authentic expedition cruise experiences,” said Brodsky. “This is a strong start to what we strongly believe will be a record-breaking year for our fleet of unique expedition ships.”