Cruises are restarting in the oddest of places, including (today) the Arctic Circle
If you asked us a few months ago where we thought cruising would come back first, we're pretty sure we wouldn't have said the Arctic Circle.
But starting today, that's exactly where some of the first cruises since the start of the coronavirus-caused cruising shutdown will take place.
Norwegian cruise expedition company Hurtigruten today is resuming trips to the Arctic's wildlife-filled Svalbard archipelago with two ships: the 335-passenger Spitsbergen and the 530-passenger Roald Amundsen. Both vessels will operate at a sharply reduced capacity of 120 and 250 passengers, respectively, to ensure social distancing.
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Spitsbergen will operate four- to five-day Svalbard sailings out of Longyearbyen, a small town in the archipelago. Roald Amundsen will operate seven- to 15-day expedition cruises to the archipelago from Tromso, Norway.
The Spitsbergen trips will begin today for passengers with flights to Longyearbyen and an overnight in a local hotel. The ship will depart from Longyearbyen on Friday.
The Roald Amundsen trips will begin on Friday.
Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles
"We a thrilled to mark the restart of Arctic cruises," Hurtigruten spokesperson Rune Thomas Ege told TPG. "Svalbard is the spectacular and remote corner of our own front yard, and we can’t wait to take our guests back exploring one of our favorite parts of the planet."
Both Spitsbergen and Roald Amundsen have been custom-built to operate in polar regions. Spitsbergen is named after an island in the Svalbard archipelago. Roald Amundsen is named after the famous polar explorer.
All of the Svalbard trips will include Zodiac landings for wildlife sightseeing as well as kayaking and other expedition-related activities.
The trips are starting up just three weeks after Hurtigruten began cruises to Norway out of Hamburg, Germany -- the first ocean cruises offered by any line since the cruising shutdown began.
Related: Hit hard by the pandemic, this storied cruise line will lose 29% of its ships
The cruises out of Hamburg were notable in that they didn't include a single port stop -- a novel approach to resuming voyages in an era when many ports are restricting cruise ship visits. The voyages, on the company’s new, 530-passenger Fridtjof Nansen, offered passengers the opportunity to see Norway‘s famous coastal fjords, glaciers and mountains as the ship traveled all the way up the coast to North Cape — one of the northernmost points in Europe.
Designed as an expedition ship, Fridtjof Nansen carries small Zodiac boats for exploring as well as kayaks and paddleboards. A Hurtigruten spokesperson told TPG they all have been put to use for adventures during the sailings.
While the new Svalbard sailings are Hurtigruten's first Arctic-focused trips since the cruising shutdown began, the Fridtjof Nansen trips along the Norway coast also have included some time above the Arctic Circle.
Ege suggested that passengers on the new Svalbard sailings were in for a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," given how devoid of tourists the destination will be this summer.
"The Arctic is always remote," he noted. "But for the first time in 125 years, we will more or less have the entire area all by ourselves – only sharing the vast beauty of the Arctic with polar bears and other wildlife."
Hurtigruten pioneered cruises to Svalbard in 1896.
Cruises to Svalbard and other parts of the Arctic are somewhat simpler to run in an era of coronavirus as they don't involve much passenger interaction with other humans. The typical Arctic voyage is an expedition-style sailing that involves landings and Zodiac excursions to see wildlife, glaciers and floating ice formations.
Related: Cruise lines struggle to make a comeback in North America
Hurtigruten has been at the forefront of a growing movement among cruise companies to bring back cruising in Europe, which -- unlike the United States -- has seen coronavirus case counts plunge to low levels in recent months. Germany this week has been recording fewer than 400 new cases a day. The United States, by contrast, has been recording more than 60,000 new cases a day.
In addition to Hurtigruten, several other small lines -- mostly river cruise lines -- have restarted operations in Europe in the past few weeks.
All have instituted new health and safety measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus on ships. The measures vary from line to line but often include health screenings for passengers before boarding, onboard temperature checks and requirements for mask wearing and social distancing. Some lines also have closed the pools, spas and fitness areas on their ships.
For now, the cruises that are resuming in Europe only are open to Europeans. Due to the high coronavirus case counts in the United States, Europe has banned the arrival of American tourists.
The new Hurtigruten trips to Svalbard initially only were marketed to Norwegians, but Hurtigruten is now allowing travelers from a wide range of European countries to book the sailings.
Related: Is cruising done until 2021? This cruise line thinks so
Known for its expedition cruises in polar regions such as Antarctica and a regular coastal cruise-and-ferry service along the Norwegian coast, Hurtigruten often draws American cruisers as well as large numbers of Germans and Norwegians.
In recent weeks, Hurtigruten also has restarted its Norwegian coastal service, which often draws traditional cruisers as well as locals traveling between Norwegian towns.
The company's new Svalbard trips start around $2,100 per person for seven nights.
Additional resources for cruisers during the coronavirus outbreak:
- When will cruising resume? A line-by-line guide
- Why you shouldn't expect bargain-basement cruise deals anytime soon
- How to cancel or postpone a cruise due to coronavirus
- Expecting a refund for a canceled cruise? Here's how long it will take
- Some of the year's hottest new ships could be delayed
- Stream these 13 movies, television shows to get your cruise ship fix
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.