HX Expeditions has announced its 2028/29 season with 57 unique voyages spanning 14 global destinations, including 26 new itineraries focused on Antarctica, the Arctic, and Scandinavia. The voyages range from six to 25 nights, with the longest lasting 25 nights and covering 6,650 nautical miles. HX operates five modern ships to serve this program.
New Alaska Itineraries Emphasize Community-Led Exploration
The company introduces two seven-night “Alaska’s Inside Passage – Wilderness & Culture” expeditions traveling northbound and southbound between Vancouver, Canada, and Sitka, Alaska. These replace longer 10- and 13-day trips and offer five full days in Southeast Alaska with just one sea day. Since the two
routes share no overlapping ports, travelers can combine them into a 15-day expedition without revisiting destinations.
Additionally, two new 16-night “Aleutians to Katmai: Wild Alaska Revealed” voyages sail northbound and southbound between Vancouver and Whittier, developed in partnership with Indigenous communities and local stakeholders. This reflects HX’s community-led approach established in collaboration with Old Harbor Native Corporation, which helped make HX the first commercial cruise line to call at Old Harbor on Kodiak Island. Stops include new ports such as Kake on the northbound and Elfin Cove on the southbound route.
Antarctica and South Georgia Expeditions Feature Falkland Islands Gateway
HX expands its Antarctic program with an 18-night “Antarctica
& South Georgia – Kingdoms of Ice and Wildlife” itinerary combining two iconic polar destinations. Early-season departures focus on pristine landscapes and abundant wildlife. HX also offers a shorter “In-Depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Expedition” beginning in Stanley, the Falkland Islands, marking the first major cruise company using the Falklands as a gateway to Antarctica in over ten years.
Scandinavia Cruises Introduce Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia Itineraries
The company broadens its Scandinavia offerings aboard MS Spitsbergen with new expeditions in the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia. The “Sweden & Finland: Autumn in the Gulf of Bothnia” sailings operate northbound and southbound routes through the UNESCO-listed Kvarken
Archipelago and coastal communities.
Additional itineraries include the “Southern Scandinavia: Between Norwegian Fjords and Swedish Isles,” sailing between Copenhagen, Denmark, and Bergen, Norway. The itinerary connects Scandinavia’s fjords, archipelagos, and coastal communities. The “Norway Cape to Cape – Beyond the Arctic Circle” route stretches from Lindesnes to the North Cape, offering a chance to view the Northern Lights with HX’s Northern Lights Promise.
Expeditions to Arctic Canada and Greenland Expand HX’s Arctic Reach
HX launches an 18-night “Into the Northwest Passage – Circumnavigating Baffin Island” expedition traveling through seldom-navigated Fury and Hecla Strait. This route covers eastern Baffin Island’s fjords, High Arctic ice channels, and Foxe Basin, including Inuit cultural
stops such as Qikiqtarjuaq and Kinngait in Nunavut.
Greenland cruises debut with a seven-night “Discovering West Greenland – Icebergs & Communities of Disko Bay” itinerary starting from Nuuk. It includes Disko Bay, Ilulissat Icefjord (UNESCO-listed), and Inuit villages like Kangaamiut and Maniitsoq. Additional eastbound and westbound “Exploring the Garden of Greenland” voyages sail between Reykjavik, Iceland, and Nuuk, Greenland, visiting southwest Greenland fjords and Viking-era sites.
Extended Svalbard Season and Year-Round Galápagos Program
HX will operate 23 departures to the Svalbard archipelago in 2028, its most extensive schedule there, extending the season into September for the first time to enable experiences of both the Midnight Sun and
Northern Lights transition. The program includes core voyages aboard MS Spitsbergen and MS Fram and the return of the “Arctic Islands Discovery” itinerary covering Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Greenland, and Iceland.
The Galápagos program continues year-round aboard MS Santa Cruz II, featuring established expeditions including “Galápagos Islands – In Darwin’s Footsteps” and “Nine of the Best Isles.” Some voyages provide extensions connecting to Machu Picchu. These trips focus on small groups and local guides for close wildlife encounters with giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies.
New Ocean Crossing Voyages Connect Atlantic and Pacific
HX launches nine new Ocean Crossing voyages across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, aimed at
travelers who value extended time at sea. These voyages combine relaxed sailing with onboard lectures, workshops, and wildlife observations. Select port stops include Bermuda, Cape Verde, Salvador, Recife, and Golfito. New routes incorporate a sailing to Seville via the Guadalquivir River and Pacific stops at Huatulco and La Paz. Several itineraries cross the Equator, linking expedition regions between hemispheres.
HX Expeditions’ Heritage, Environmental Initiatives, and Scientific Support
Headquartered in London, HX Expeditions operates five modern ships and employs nearly 1,000 staff worldwide. Founded in 1896, it is the world’s first expedition cruise company and the largest operator in Antarctica, executing over 130 years of expedition experience. The company
was the first to eliminate heavy fuel oil use and ban unnecessary single-use plastics across operations. HX actively supports scientific research by providing more than 1,600 complimentary cruise nights annually to scientists and administering the HX Foundation to fund conservation and community projects.
CEO Statement on 2028/29 Voyages
Gebhard Rainer, CEO of HX Expeditions, said: “The voyages may be new, but the expertise behind them is not. At HX, exploration is about more than reaching remote destinations. It’s about how you experience them: with insight, intention and respect. The 2028/29 season builds on more than 130 years of expedition heritage, creating new ways for guests
to connect with the people, wildlife and landscapes that make these places so extraordinary.”
