Expedition Cruising is not what you think it is

Cruise of the Week is our weekly YouTube video series taking a closer look at specific cruise lines, ships and itineraries with people who have experienced it themselves. Experts from far and wide come to our lovely studio at Panache Cruises HQ to talk us through all things cruising. 

This week, we spoke to Hayley Van Der Steen from HX Hurtigruten Expeditions. In the video above, her and James talk us through where Hurtigruten comes from (an incredibly old institution), what we can do on board (the Science Centre looks incredible), the food, where you can go on an expedition cruise and more!

For those who prefer to read than watch, we've put the transcript below.

James Cole: Hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of Cruise of the Week. This time I'm talking about one of my favourite subjects—expedition cruising with HX Expeditions. So welcome Hayley. How are you?

Hayley Van Der Steen: I'm good. Thank you so much for having me.

James Cole: No problem at all. Thanks for coming in. So HX Expeditions, give us a little bit of an overview.

Hayley Van Der Steen: So we have been doing expedition cruising since 1896. We're definitely not the new kids on the block. We have a lot of history, heritage and so much culture. One of the things that we're super proud of is the science that's at the epicentre of our ships. We have these fantastic science centres. So people can really come on board to learn and understand the culture and environments that they're travelling to. We delve that little bit deeper into things.

James Cole: Okay. So we can come on to science in a second, but what should we start off with the food? I think on every cruise, everyone tends to love their food. So let's start with that. What are the different food options?

Hayley Van Der Steen: So one thing that we're very conscious of is obviously the environment and we're on a journey towards sustainability. One thing we do is source about 75% of the food from local communities that we're travelling to that keeps our carbon footprint down, but it also gives a really authentic taste on board. Obviously there's regions in the world like Antarctica where we can't get fresh produce. But before we leave, when we leave Argentina, we're taking on an old Argentinian steak, making sure we've got fresh seafood and some superb fresh produce as well. And also, we're very big on offering vegetarian options and vegan options. So there is something that will appeal to everybody. We've got formal restaurants, but we also have a more relaxed menu where you can go for pizzas, burgers and things like that. You're definitely not going to go hungry on an HX Expeditions cruise!

James Cole: The standard of food is pretty exceptional as well.

Hayley Van Der Steen: Absolutely. And that's something that when I travelled recently, it blew my mind because it was something I didn't have in the forefront of my mind. I was excited about wildlife and the science. I didn't think about the food, but then when I was sampling it, I was blown away by the level of quality that we offer.

James Cole: Okay it sounds great. The food always goes down well with me, certainly! But you mentioned before. Let's talk a little bit about the science aspects of the ship as well.

Hayley Van Der Steen: Yeah our ships are all purpose-built expedition vessels. We've stripped out what you get on a standard cruise ship. There's no dancing girls, there's no casinos; no theatres. The epicentre is our science centre. And this is where we have a team of experts that are on hand to offer lectures. We also partner with citizen science projects around the world. We have science boats that go out where you can actually go and get specimens and bring them back and be part of that research. It really is a different level of offerings that we have on a ship. So people that are interested in really learning about the destination.

James Cole: So if you go to an expedition, Antarctica will be an obvious example, it's a great opportunity to learn it and understand and, you know, bring something back. And I think that's why a lot of people say the expedition cruise is a life-changing event rather than just being on holiday. And the more you can learn and absorb really, really appeals to a lot of people.

Hayley Van Der Steen: Actually since 2019, expedition cruising has risen 70 percent. So it's really  coming into its own now. I think before we were this tiny sort of proportion of cruise business, but people are wanting to do and see so much more now. I think, you know, watching Attenborough. People actually want to be there and walk in those footsteps nowadays.

James Cole: Amazing. Yeah, great. And let's go back on board Hayley. So accommodation you know, the suites and staterooms.

Hayley Van Der Steen: I think this is really important because a lot of people, when they think of expedition vessels, think that they're old and that they're not comfortable. But we've got some fantastic ships, very modern. We go back to our Scandinavian roots, so you'll see that it has wood and very comfortable areas to relax. And we have got some wonderful saunas with floor to ceiling windows where you can look out and get the views. We do have a great selection of suites on board the new ships as well, and some of them have hot tubs on the balcony. So, you can still have that level of luxury whilst you're in a very remote part of the world as well.

James Cole: Which is great. A great way to see different things. Yeah, no doubt about it. and then before we go on to what you can do in a location, let's just talk about the different locations that you go to. So we've already mentioned Antarctica. Where would you say the other destinations are?

Hayley Van Der Steen: A lot of people just think expedition cruising is to cold water destinations, and that's really not the case. We do go as well, so you can do an expedition and get a sun tan! It's not all Arctic conditions. We've actually found recently that Greenland is one of our fastest growing destinations. So just really opening up somewhere else. That's a big one for us. We've recently launched Arctic Norway sailings, so you can do an expedition cruise up to the Arctic Circle and have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights as well. Also, we do places like Alaska and we even do around Britain. We do some great itineraries in Scotland. And because our ships are so much smaller, we're stopping in very remote Scottish islands that all the ships just can't get to.

James Cole: That sounds great. Like you say, I think sometimes you get people think expedition: "Oh, it's not all about Antarctica." But there's so much more, isn't it? Like you said, you mentioned Greenland and the warmer climates, like, Galapagos.

Hayley Van Der Steen: Yeah. I think, expedition cruising can really be anywhere in the world. I think as long as you've got a hunger and a real desire to go out and explore all that can't be whether that's on the doorstep in the UK or farther afield. It's possible anywhere. 

James Cole: When you're actually in a destination, what type of excursions and what people do during them.

Hayley Van Der Steen: So, generally speaking, you'll go ashore twice a day for a landing. So that's where you can actually step ashore. And then we offer Zodiac cruising and that's where you go in our reps and you're looking for wildlife or ice formations. Lots of different reasons but we do use the Rips for fun. So you're likely to go ashore twice. I was in Antarctica earlier this year on a Zodiac cruise and we were surrounded by 12 humpback whales. You're never going to be able to get that close to wildlife in their natural habitat like that. It's phenomenal.

James Cole: Well, it sounds like it's got everything Hayley bit of adventure, great food, good accommodation, fantastic excursions, you know, great locations that you're going in and really exploring the fleet. I'm sold on HX Expeditions. That's  for sure. So, thanks very much for joining me today. It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you. Thanks very much.

How exciting does this once in a life time trip sound?