Roald Amundsen

What is MS Roald Amundsen?

MS Roald Amundsen is the older of the two hybrid-powered expedition ships that HX Expeditions (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions) sails to Antarctica: built in 2019 at Kleven Yards in Norway, 459.3 ft (140 m) long, 77.4 ft (23.6 m) wide, 20,889 gross tons, 15 knots and 490 guests in HX's figures.¹ HX calls it the first of its two hybrid ships and says its electric propulsion and other technology cut fuel use and CO2 emissions by 20 percent.¹ The hull is ice-reinforced, and Hurtigruten's 2017 fact sheet for the pair gives ice class PC-6, along with 265 cabins and room for 530 guests.⁴²³ Its identical sister, Fridtjof Nansen, followed in December 2019.¹⁹⁴

Every cabin faces outside, half have private balconies, and the aft suites have their own outdoor hot tubs. The ship's signature space is a two-level indoor and outdoor observation deck.¹ The hardware is shared with Nansen, so what decides between them is the itinerary: in 2026-27 Roald Amundsen carries all of HX's 16-day Antarctic voyages, and in 2027 it sails the Northwest Passage from Alaska to Greenland.²

How did Roald Amundsen make history?

In the summer of 2019 it became the first cruise ship to sail on battery power and the first hybrid electric-powered ship to traverse the Northwest Passage, according to Hurtigruten.³ On November 7, 2019 it was named in Chiriguano Bay off Brabant Island, Antarctica, in what Hurtigruten billed as the first cruise ship naming ever held there; the godmother, polar pioneer Karin Strand, smashed a chunk of ice against the bow in place of a bottle of champagne, reviving a ritual invented by the ship's namesake.³ A 2020 Hurtigruten registration document lists the ship in service from July 2019.⁴

What happened on Roald Amundsen in 2020?

COVID-19 spread on board in late July 2020. By August 14, Norway's Institute of Public Health (FHI) had linked 68 cases to two of the ship's sailings, 42 among the crew and 26 among passengers.²⁴ Norway's Maritime Authority then audited Hurtigruten and found seven nonconformities: no risk assessment had been made before cruising restarted that July, staff suspected infection on board on July 29, two days before the ship reached Tromsø, without managers following it up, and the company's emergency response was alerted too late.²⁵ The authority classed none of the findings as serious and said Hurtigruten had since worked well to update its outbreak procedures and contingency plans, while adding that its risk management was not good enough.²⁵

Which Antarctic voyages does Roald Amundsen sail in 2026-27?

Four, all with a Buenos Aires hotel night and flights to and from Ushuaia in the fare.^9101112 HX's lowest fares on October 15, 2026, per person with two sharing:

"Per Antarctic day" is our arithmetic. The discounts come from HX's 130th anniversary offers; an extra 5% off cabins and 10% off suites applies only to bookings made between September 1 and November 9, 2026.¹³ A March 18, 2027 Antarctica & Falklands departure on Roald Amundsen, listed on October 14 from $10,840, no longer appeared a day later.¹⁶²

The Iconic route spends its nine days in the South Shetland Islands, the Antarctic Sound, the Weddell Sea and the Gerlache and Penola Straits.⁹ The Antarctic Circle trip aims south of the circle to Marguerite Bay, on days 5 to 13 of the voyage, ice permitting.¹⁰ The Falklands trip returns via Stanley and the islands' wildlife colonies, with excursions such as a $338 Volunteer Point trip sold as extras.¹²

Which Roald Amundsen voyage gives the most Antarctica for the money?

Iconic Antarctica, and by a wide margin. On March 4, 2027 it costs $1,127 more per person than the cheapest Highlights departure for four more days in Antarctica, which works out to about $282 for each extra day (our arithmetic).² The October 31, November 14 and December 12 Iconic dates cost $11,103 to $11,540, still under $1,300 per Antarctic day.²

Take the Antarctic Circle trip if crossing the circle and Marguerite Bay matter to you; the December 26 departure is the one to book, because February 18 costs $4,898 more.²¹⁰ The Antarctica & Falklands voyage is the costliest per Antarctic day on this ship, so book it for the Falklands, not for the ice. For a shorter trip at a lower price, Fridtjof Nansen's Highlights departures start at $8,830 on October 30, 2026.¹⁶ Our cheapest way to Antarctica guide compares those fares with other lines.

Where does Roald Amundsen sail in summer 2027?

North and west: after the Chilean fjords it spends spring and early summer in Alaska, then sails the Northwest Passage and two Canadian Arctic and Greenland voyages.²

The Northwest Passage voyage starts with a hotel night in Seattle and an included flight to Nome, Alaska, where you board. The ship then crosses the Bering Strait and the Beaufort Sea past Point Barrow, works west to east through the Canadian Arctic (Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Bellot Strait, Beechey Island, Pond Inlet) and finishes down Greenland's west coast at Ilulissat, Sisimiut and Nuuk, with an included flight to New York.¹⁴ HX labels it an "Attempt": if ice or weather blocks the planned route, the crew sails an adapted one.¹⁴ Fridtjof Nansen sails its own 25-day Northwest Passage voyage from August 11, 2027, from $23,712, so check both before you book.¹⁶

The Baffin Bay voyage is a round trip from New York with flights to Nuuk, taking in the east coast of Baffin Island, Lancaster Sound and Devon Island, the Thule region of north-west Greenland and Ilulissat Icefjord. HX names bowhead whales, narwhals and polar bears among the wildlife it looks for.¹⁵ Roald Amundsen has no Svalbard departures in 2027.² Our Northwest Passage cruises and Greenland cruises guides compare the other ships.

Which cabins should you avoid on Roald Amundsen?

The limited-view balconies. HX lists ten Arctic Superior XT balcony cabins with a limited or obstructed view (711, 712, 731, 735, 738, 742, 747, 754, 806 and 807) and sells XTJ cabins 710, 713, 714, 729, 733, 736 and 740 as limited-view too.¹ If you are paying for a balcony to watch ice from, ask for a number outside those lists. The grades, sizes and suite perks match Fridtjof Nansen's, and our Fridtjof Nansen cabin guide sets them out; the largest non-suite cabin is still a 291 sq ft TT with a window and no balcony.¹

Food has one catch. Meals in Aune, the main dining room, are included, but outside the suites the à la carte Lindstrøm restaurant carries a cover charge of €15 for breakfast, €25 for lunch and €35 for dinner per person.¹ Suite guests eat there free.¹ Before choosing a balcony at all, see our Antarctica cruise balcony guide.

How many guests does Roald Amundsen carry, and what does that mean ashore?

Plan on 490: that is HX's figure on the ship page, while HX's Antarctica FAQ caps the ship at 500 there and IAATO's vessel directory lists it at 530 passengers.¹⁷⁶ IAATO counted 11 Antarctic voyages and 3,568 passengers on Roald Amundsen in 2025-26 and estimates 12 voyages and 4,320 passengers for 2026-27, one voyage and 752 passengers more (our arithmetic).⁸

Ashore, the Antarctic Treaty's visitor guidelines allow 100 passengers ashore from a vessel at a time, with one guide for every 20, so a full ship lands in at least five groups (our arithmetic).¹⁷ Eleven of the 45 published visitor site guidelines exclude ships of more than 200 passengers.¹⁸ Camping is a lottery limited to 30 participants, and kayaking, snowshoeing and camping cost extra, while polar plunges and landings are included.⁷ Our Fridtjof Nansen page explains how the landing limits play out at individual sites.

Should you choose Roald Amundsen or Fridtjof Nansen?

Choose by trip length. The ships are the same; the voyages are not.¹⁹

Pick Roald Amundsen for nine days in Antarctica, the Antarctic Circle or the Northwest Passage from Alaska; pick Nansen for the lowest fare on a short trip. For a smaller ship with fewer landing groups, compare Seabourn Pursuit, 264 guests from $15,998 for 11 days, or Viking Polaris, 378 guests from $14,999 for 13 days.²¹²⁰ Our HX vs Quark comparison and big-ship Antarctica cruises guide go further.

Who should book Roald Amundsen?

Book it if you want the most time in Antarctica for the fare: the March 4, 2027 Iconic Antarctica departure gives nine days on the Antarctic Peninsula and around it for $10,863, with flights from Buenos Aires, drinks and gratuities included.²⁹ Skip it if small landing groups matter more than price. The ship's 490 guests and the 200-passenger limit at some sites are the trade-off for the low fares.¹⁸