MS Spitsbergen
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MS Spitsbergen
The MS Spitsbergen is a MS Spitsbergen operated by Hurtigruten Expeditions, specializing in Arctic expedition cruises. Its itineraries include Iceland, Greenland, and Norway, with opportunities for Northern Lights observation and exploration of polar landscapes. The ship features Scandinavian design with panoramic views, along with cabin categories including Arctic Superior, Mini Suite, Grand Suite, and Owners Suite. Onboard facilities include an expedition deck, a fitness center, an outdoor jacuzzi, and an expedition team, within a hybrid and sustainability-focused cruise framework. The MS Spitsbergen is well suited for travelers seeking an immersive expedition cruise experience centered on Arctic exploration, nature observation, and remote polar environments.
Itineraries of the MS Spitsbergen
Price and Availability Notice
Prices displayed are provided for informational purposes only. They reflect the rates in effect at the time of their most recent update and are shown in Canadian dollars, per person, based on double occupancy, unless otherwise specified.
Supplier rates, exchange rates, taxes and fees, room or cabin categories, and promotions are subject to change at any time. The applicable price is the one confirmed by a travel advisor at the time of booking, subject to availability. Only the confirmed price shall be considered valid.
It is the traveler's responsibility to confirm the price, inclusions, and applicable terms and conditions before making a reservation. While every effort is made to keep our content up to date, transmission, display, or pricing errors may occur. In such cases, the correct price will be communicated to the traveler before any booking is confirmed. Certain terms, restrictions, and exclusions may apply.
decks plans
Deck 8
Observation deck
Deck 7
Observation deck, cabins, hot tubs, sauna
Deck 6
Cabins, lounge & bar
Deck 5
Observation deck, reception, restaurant, bistro
Deck 4
Cabins, medical center
Deck 3
Technical specifications
- Tonnage: 7344
- Speed: 14.5 knots
- Decks: 8
- Length: 98 m
- Width: 18 m
History
- 2009: Année de construction
- 2016: Année de rénovation
Frequently Asked Questions
Two of the company's own texts disagree. The ship page announces them as included, followed by an asterisk whose footnote appears nowhere. The frequently asked questions reserve them for suite guests and leave them to your judgement in other categories. Ask for the written list for your departure before comparing with another line.
It depends which text you trust, and that is the problem. The March 2024 marketing announcement promised daily activities fleetwide. The operator's frequently asked questions describe them as optional and booked separately, with one outing at no charge in some ports. Get the list confirmed in writing.
Free access is announced, but it is limited and packages are sold beyond it. The real factor is not the package, it is the latitude. Near the poles the satellite link drops regularly. Plan not to work on board and you will not be disappointed.
The house list is: water, soft drinks, draught beer and house wine at both main meals, plus tea and coffee all day. Anything premium is charged, and the terms and conditions say so plainly, with an exception for suite guests.
Yes, on written conditions. The wheelchair must be your own and no wider than sixty centimetres. Above all, the operator asks that you be agile enough to board the inflatable boats: on an expedition that is how you get ashore, not by gangway.
Five for Antarctica and the Galapagos. Beyond age there is a condition rarely discussed: the captain may refuse a landing to a child under twelve depending on the sea and the site. Better said before departure than on the day.
The contract for departures sold in the Americas binds HX US Inc, registered in Delaware. It is governed by English law and the courts of England have sole jurisdiction. Relatively good news: no arbitration clause and no class-action waiver, which several competitors do impose.
The windows are short. Two years for personal injury, death or luggage; one year for any other claim. The Athens Convention caps liability away from US ports, and everything else is capped at three times the total booking price.
Not the operator: nothing establishes that it holds a Quebec licence. What protects you is on this side. Voyages AquaTerra holds a licence from the Office de la protection du consommateur, the money passes through a trust account, and the compensation fund for travel agency customers covers the departure.
Partly. Rubber boots are provided where the landing requires them, in Antarctica, Svalbard and East Greenland. Hiking boots stay your responsibility. An expedition jacket is announced in the company's communications but not in its conditions: have it confirmed.
Two, and neither is negotiable. A medical form completed six weeks before departure for any Antarctic voyage. And no travel at all if you will reach twenty-four weeks of pregnancy before the trip ends.
No. She left the Portuguese Estaleiros Navais yard in 2009 as the MV Atlantida, a ferry ordered for the Azores. She never worked that route. Hurtigruten bought her in early 2015, converted her with a strengthened hull and christened her on 8 July 2016 at Svolvaer.
That is not settled. One specialist database says one hundred and eighty, another speaks of about a hundred after the conversion. Both may describe two states of the same ship, but nobody says so. We ask for the exact plan on each booking rather than putting a figure forward.
One hundred and one metres by eighteen, which makes her, with the Fram, one of the two small ships in the fleet. That is a real advantage on an expedition: a compact ship anchors in bays the larger hulls cannot reach, and puts everyone ashore in fewer rotations.
Twice. In 2020 for the windows, the dining room and the lounge, then in 2025 for the polar cabin bathrooms, the crew areas, a science centre and a new restaurant. That second refit is the heaviest this hull has seen since her conversion.
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