HX Expeditions unveiled its 2028/29 cruise schedule featuring 57 voyages spanning 14 global destinations, including 26 new itineraries and two new regions for the company. The season marks expanded expedition options across polar areas such as Antarctica, the Arctic, Greenland, and the addition of a first dedicated program in Scandinavia.
Expanded Alaska and Antarctic Itineraries with New Gateway in Falkland Islands
The line introduced two new 8-day Alaska’s Inside Passage itineraries sailing northbound and southbound between Vancouver and Sitka, designed to allow deeper exploration with five full days in Southeast Alaska. Two 17-day Aleutians to Katmai expeditions are also added, operating northbound and southbound routes between Vancouver and Whittier. Developed in
partnership with Indigenous communities and local stakeholders, these itineraries include calls at Old Harbor on Kodiak Island, where HX is the first commercial cruise line to dock, alongside stops at Kake and Elfin Cove.
HX Expeditions expanded its Antarctic presence by adding a 19-day Antarctica & South Georgia expedition that combines these iconic destinations with wildlife and historical exploration. A notable development is the introduction of the Falkland Islands’ Stanley as a gateway port for Antarctic voyages, a first for a major cruise company in over ten years. This new route supports an “In-Depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia” expedition
departing from Stanley.
Scandinavia Program Debuts with New Expeditions in Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia
For the first time, HX launched a dedicated Scandinavia program aboard MS Spitsbergen, featuring voyages such as “Sweden & Finland: Autumn in the Gulf of Bothnia” traveling northbound and southbound between Sweden and Finland. These routes navigate through the UNESCO-listed Kvarken Archipelago and coastal communities, providing rare expedition experiences in the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia.
The program also includes “Southern Scandinavia: Between Norwegian Fjords and Swedish Isles” sailing between Copenhagen and Bergen, and “Norway Cape to Cape – Beyond the Arctic Circle,” a route from Lindesnes to the North Cape that offers opportunities to witness
the Northern Lights supported by HX’s Northern Lights Promise.
New Arctic Canada, Greenland, and Extended Svalbard Season
HX offers a 19-day expedition titled “Into the Northwest Passage – Circumnavigating Baffin Island,” navigating rarely sailed routes such as Fury and Hecla Strait and covering Arctic settlements including Qikiqtarjuaq and Kinngait. This voyage highlights Arctic wilderness alongside Inuit culture and history.
Greenland gets a new 8-day Discovering West Greenland itinerary focused on Disko Bay, which includes no sea days with direct access via Nuuk and visits to Ilulissat Icefjord and remote communities. The season also includes eastbound and westbound Exploring the Garden of Greenland voyages lasting between 8 and 15
days, encompassing fjords, Viking sites, and villages. HX will operate 23 departures to Svalbard in 2028, extending the season into September for the first time to showcase transitions from the Midnight Sun to Northern Lights with ships MS Spitsbergen and MS Fram.
Year-Round Galápagos Program and New Ocean Crossing Voyages
The Galápagos program continues year-round aboard MS Santa Cruz II with itineraries such as “Galápagos Islands – In Darwin’s Footsteps” and “Nine of the Best Isles,” including extensions to Machu Picchu. The company also introduced nine new Ocean Crossing voyages across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These voyages offer an average of 11 nights at sea featuring enrichment
programs including lectures, workshops, and wildlife viewing, with port calls at locations like Bermuda, Cape Verde, Salvador, Recife, Golfito, Seville via Guadalquivir River, Huatulco, and La Paz.
HX operates a fleet of five modern ships visiting more than 250 destinations across over 30 countries.
Heritage, Environmental Initiatives, and Scientific Collaboration
Founded over 130 years ago, HX Expeditions is the world’s first expedition cruise company and the largest provider of cruises to Antarctica. It leads in responsible tourism, having eliminated heavy fuel oil usage and banned unnecessary single-use plastics on its vessels. The line also supports scientific research by offering more than 1,600 complimentary cruise nights annually
to third-party scientists and manages the HX Foundation, which funds environmental conservation and community development projects.
Gebhard Rainer, CEO of HX Expeditions, stated, “The voyages may be new, but the expertise behind them is not.” He emphasized that exploration is about experiencing remote destinations with insight, intention, and respect, with the 2028/29 season building on the company’s extensive expedition heritage.
The added itineraries provide travelers with increased expedition cruise options, including shorter formats in Alaska and Greenland, new gateway opportunities via the Falkland Islands, and exclusive access to the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia. The extended Svalbard schedule into
September allows guests to witness the seasonal transition from continuous daylight to Northern Lights.
