HX Expeditions Launches 2028/29 Season with 26 New Voyages Across Antarctica, the Arctic and Scandinavia

The Voyages Are New. The Expertise Isn't.

London, 15 September 2026 – HX Expeditions, the world's first expedition cruise company, today unveiled its 2028/29 season, introducing 57 voyages across 14 destinations worldwide, including 26 new itineraries, two destinations new to HX and five major product innovations.

Highlights include Antarctic departures from Stanley in the Falkland Islands, the first by a major cruise company in more than a decade, a new Antarctica & South Georgia itinerary, shorter-format expeditions in Alaska and Greenland, HX's first dedicated Scandinavia programme, a landmark Baffin Island circumnavigation into the Northwest Passage, and nine new Ocean Crossing voyages connecting the Arctic and Antarctica.

"The voyages may be new, but the expertise behind them is not," said Gebhard Rainer, CEO of HX Expeditions. "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."

Alaska: Deepening Community-Led Travel with New Eight-Day Sailings

HX is introducing two eight-day (seven-night) Alaska's Inside Passage – Wilderness & Culture expeditions, sailing northbound and southbound between Vancouver and Sitka. Replacing the previous 10- and 13-day itineraries, the voyages offer five full days in Southeast Alaska with only one sea day, prioritising deeper exploration over greater distance.

Because the routes share no ports in common, guests can combine them into a 15-day Vancouver-to-Vancouver expedition without repeating a destination. The season also introduces two new 17-day Aleutians to Katmai: Wild Alaska Revealed expeditions, sailing northbound and southbound between Vancouver and Whittier.

Developed in partnership with Indigenous communities and local stakeholders, the itineraries reflect HX's community-led approach to exploration in Alaska. Building on its partnership with Old Harbor Native Corporation, which led to HX becoming the first commercial cruise line to call at Old Harbor on Kodiak Island, the programme combines cultural exchange with access to lesser-visited bays, fjords and wilderness areas through local knowledge and expertise. Kake joins the northbound itinerary, while Elfin Cove joins the southbound route.

Antarctica & South Georgia: A New Voyage and Gateway South

With more than 20 years of experience in Antarctica and its position as the largest operator on the continent, HX continues to evolve its Antarctic programme with new ways to explore the region.

The season introduces a new 19-day Antarctica & South Georgia - Kingdoms of Ice and Wildlife voyage, combining two of the polar world's most iconic destinations in a single expedition. Guests can explore South Georgia's extraordinary wildlife and Shackleton heritage alongside the Antarctic Peninsula, with early-season departures offering pristine landscapes, dramatic ice formations and exceptional wildlife viewing.

Additionally, for the first time in more than a decade, a major cruise company will use the Falkland Islands as a gateway to Antarctica. HX's In-Depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Expedition starts in Stanley, offering the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica in a shorter timeframe.

Scandinavia: Entering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia

Building on more than 130 years of exploration in Scandinavia, HX is expanding its regional offering aboard MS Spitsbergen.

The headline itinerary is Sweden & Finland: Autumn in the Gulf of Bothnia, sailing northbound and southbound between Sweden and Finland. Among the region's few dedicated expedition experiences, the voyages mark HX's first sailings into the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia. Sailing through the UNESCO-listed Kvarken Archipelago and coastal communities across Sweden and Finland, they bring HX's expedition approach to a part of Europe largely absent from traditional cruise itineraries.

The programme also includes Southern Scandinavia: Between Norwegian Fjords and Swedish Isles, sailing northbound and southbound between Copenhagen and Bergen. Exploring Denmark, Sweden and Norway through archipelagos, coastal communities and iconic fjords, these voyages connect Copenhagen, the Swedish coast and Bergen in a single expedition.

Norway Cape to Cape – Beyond the Arctic Circle takes guests from Lindesnes to the North Cape on one of the market's most complete Norway itineraries, with the chance to witness the Northern Lights backed by HX's Northern Lights Promise.

Arctic Canada: Circumnavigating Baffin Island

HX is introducing one of its most ambitious expeditions yet: the 19-day Into the Northwest Passage – Circumnavigating Baffin Island voyage.

The sailing attempts a transit of the Fury and Hecla Strait, a route rarely navigated by expedition vessels. From the steep fjords of eastern Baffin Island to the narrow ice channels of the High Arctic and remote waters of Foxe Basin, the itinerary showcases some of Arctic Canada's most diverse landscapes.

Combining Arctic wilderness with Inuit culture and history, including visits to communities such as Qikiqtarjuaq and Kinngait, the capital of Inuit art, the voyage offers one of the most comprehensive explorations of Baffin Island ever undertaken by HX.

Greenland: New Eight-Day Disko Bay Voyages

HX is introducing a new eight-day (seven-night) Discovering West Greenland – Icebergs & Communities of Disko Bay itinerary. With no sea days and direct access via Nuuk, the voyage combines Greenland's iconic highlights, including Disko Bay, the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord and remote Inuit communities such as Kangaamiut and Maniitsoq, in a single week-long expedition.

The season also includes Exploring the Garden of Greenland voyages, sailing eastbound and westbound between Reykjavik and Nuuk through southwest Greenland's fjords, Viking-age Norse sites and remote villages.

Together, the itineraries create HX's most flexible Greenland programme to date, with voyages ranging from 8 to 15 days across west, south, east and northern Greenland.

Svalbard: HX's Longest-Ever Season

HX will operate 23 departures to Svalbard in 2028, its most extensive programme ever in the archipelago. The season extends into September for the first time, allowing guests to experience the transition from the Midnight Sun to the return of darker nights and the possibility of Northern Lights.

The programme includes HX's core Svalbard voyages aboard MS Spitsbergen and MS Fram, alongside the return of Arctic Islands Discovery – Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Greenland and Iceland.

Galápagos: Year-Round Wildlife Expeditions Aboard Santa Cruz II

HX continues its year-round Galápagos programme aboard MS Santa Cruz II. The season features the company's established itineraries, including Galápagos Islands – In Darwin's Footsteps and Galápagos Islands – Nine of the Best Isles, alongside voyage extensions incorporating Machu Picchu. Sailing with small guest numbers and local guides, the expeditions offer close encounters with the archipelago's remarkable wildlife, from giant tortoises and marine iguanas to blue-footed boobies and sea lions.

Ocean Crossings: Transforming Repositioning Voyages into Experiences of Their Own

HX is launching nine new Ocean Crossing voyages for guests who enjoy life at sea, featuring extended time on the water enriched by onboard lectures, workshops, wildlife watching and opportunities to connect with HX's expedition teams.

Spanning the Atlantic and Pacific, the collection combines a relaxed pace at sea with select port calls, including Bermuda, Cape Verde, Salvador, Recife and Golfito. Several voyages cross the Equator, taking guests between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres as they sail between expedition regions, while new additions include a sailing to Seville via the Guadalquivir River and Pacific itineraries calling at Huatulco and La Paz.

For more information, including full itineraries, sailing dates and booking information, visit the 2028/29 season webpage.

Featured New Itineraries

• Alaska's Inside Passage – Wilderness & Culture (Northbound)
• Alaska's Inside Passage – Wilderness & Culture (Southbound)
• Aleutians to Katmai: Wild Alaska Revealed (Northbound)
• Aleutians to Katmai: Wild Alaska Revealed (Southbound)
• Antarctica & South Georgia – Kingdoms of Ice and Wildlife
• In-Depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Expedition
• Sweden & Finland: Autumn in the Gulf of Bothnia (Northbound)
• Sweden & Finland: Autumn in the Gulf of Bothnia (Southbound)
• Southern Scandinavia: Between Norwegian Fjords and Swedish Isles (Northbound)
• Southern Scandinavia: Between Norwegian Fjords and Swedish Isles (Southbound)
• Norway Cape to Cape: Beyond the Arctic Circle
• Into the Northwest Passage – Circumnavigating Baffin Island
• Discovering West Greenland – Icebergs & Communities of Disko Bay
• Exploring the Garden of Greenland (Eastbound)
• Exploring the Garden of Greenland (Westbound)
• Arctic Islands Discovery – Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Greenland and Iceland
  

The 2028/29 Season by the Numbers

• 57 unique voyages
• 26 brand-new itineraries
• 14 destinations worldwide
• 2 destinations new to HX
• 1,288 ports of call
• HX's longest voyage: 25 nights and 6,650 nautical miles
• Reaching as far as 81°N and 70°S
• Average voyage length: 11 nights
• Shortest voyage: 6 nights