MS Hanseatic's passengers explore Disko Bay.
Photo courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Countless explorers lost their lives to this unforgiving, harsh wilderness which remained largely uncharted even up to the beginning of the last century. While numerous expeditions tried – and failed – to force their way through the maze of ice, islands, and dead-end straits that stood between them and fame, it was the 1845 Franklin Expedition that brought this region its greatest notoriety.
Setting out from England on a mission to ‘force’ the passage, Sir John Franklin led 128 men and two ships, HMS Terror and Erebus on what would become a three-year ordeal and result in the deaths of everyone on the expedition . The Expedition wintered at Beechy Island in 1845 where three crew members succumbed in quick succession. In 1846, the ships managed to leave Beechy Island before becoming trapped in the ice off King William Island. The ice never thawed during the summer of 1847, and they remained locked in place until abandoning the ships in the spring of 1848 when they set off on foot in a desperate attempt to reach the Hudson’s Bay outpost via Back River.
Much has changed since then. Norwegian Explorer Roald Amundsen was the first person to successfully navigate the passage in 1906, but unpredictable ice flows and changing conditions mean that even today, the passage is essentially impassable for the better part of the year.
Taking advantage of the small window during which the passage can be safely transited is Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which takes cruisers on a once-in-a-lifetime, 26-day experience from Greenland to Alaska in the ultimate in comfort and safety.
The Observation Lounge onboard MS Hanseatic.
Photo courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Departing from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland on Monday, August 16th, 2010 the MS Hanseatic completes an entire transit of the Northwest Passage, ending in Nome, Alaska on Thursday, September 9th.
The MS Hanseatic isn’t your normal expedition ship. Where other expedition ships are typically icebreakers or modified freighters, MS Hanseatic is a proper five-star, ultra-luxury vessel purpose-built to cruise some of the harshest climates in the world today.
Carrying just 184 passengers, the 402.9-foot long Hanseatic offers a multitude of cabins and well-appointed public rooms designed to please even the most discerning guests. She also boasts an E4 ice class rating – the highest possible rating for passenger ships, ensuring the safety of her passengers at all time.
The ship alone would be worth the price of admission, but it is the itinerary Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has put together which makes this voyage truly remarkable.
16 Aug – Depart Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, 18.00 hrs
17 Aug – Aasiaat (Egedesminde), Greenland
18 Aug – Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn), Greenland
19 Aug – Upernavik, Greenland
20 Aug – At Sea
21 Aug – Pond Inlet / Baffin Island, Canada
22 Aug – Dundas Harbor / Devon Island, Canada
24 Aug to 05 Sep – Northwest Passage Adventure
06 Sep to 07 Sep – Barrow / Point Hope, Alaska
08 Sep – At Sea
09 Sep – Nome, Alaska (Disembark)
MS Hanseatic near Ross Island.
Photo courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Photo courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
As one would expect for an itinerary of this calibre, pricing for this voyage isn’t for the faint of heart. Standard cabins start at $21,000 per person and run up to $49,100 per person for the top of the line suites, including butler service. Still – that’s less than many world cruise segments, and this type of voyage appeals to the adventure traveller or history buff looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This is about as far from your average seven-day run down to Cozumel and back as you can get.
Can’t quite muster up the time or cash to transit the Northwest Passage? Why not sail on Hanseatic’s next voyage: a unique journey through Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Departing from Nome, Alaska on 09 September 2010, this equally-incredible (and fully bilingual) 19-day voyage sails first to the Chukchi Peninsula , Kamchatka, and the isolated Kuril Islands before ending in Yokohama, Japan on September 29th.
A multitude of unique excursion opportunities are available to passengers on this itinerary, including a helicopter flight over the Kamchatka Volcanoes, a visit to the remote fishing village of Meynypilgino, and a walk around Atlasova – an uninhabited island home to the largest active volcano on the Kuril Islands.
Pricing for this unique voyage starts at $12,240 per person for an outside cabin.
For detailed itinerary, pricing, and excursion information on both of these fantastic itineraries, be sure visit the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises website.
0 comments:
Post a Comment