Winter in Scandinavia

Ice, light and silent vastness: In the winter season from November until March, we offer a series of special voyages to the far north. They will take our guests along Norway's wintry fjord coast and into the icy world of Lapland - with the best views of the Northern Lights, fascinating nature and authentic winter experiences. Numerous departures from Hamburg or Kiel and Tromso make the cruises flexible to plan. The main focus of all tours is the observation of the aurora borealis: the current phase of increased solar activity - the so-called solar maximum - from 2024 to 2026 raises the chance of seeing the breathtaking celestial spectacle.

The cruises explore Norway's fjord world and wintry Lapland on different routes. The highlights range from the Geirangerfjord and the Lofoten Islands to Alta and the rarely visited Kirkenes, which serves as the starting point for exciting outdoor activities. In the Baltic Sea, the course leads through the rarely travelled Arctic Ocean with stops in Sweden and Finland - ideal for an active winter expedition.

Lapland/Bothnian Sea:
- At this time of the year, no other cruise ships sail this region 
- Our guests get to know Nordic metropolises away from the main season
- With luck: polar light sightings
- Numerous outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, ice fishing, dog and reindeer sledding, hiking and more can be booked at a surcharge (partly depending on the snow condition)
- A great adventure: sailing through sea ice, sometimes with icebreaker support
- Mooring times in Lulea and Kemi overnight guarantee a quieter sleep for guests as the ship will not sail through the ice at night time

Norway:
- The size of the ship allows us to sail through narrow fjords and passages (the so-called Inside Passage) - a more protected way than on the open sea. Great views and fewer days at sea are guaranteed.
- Islands, fjords and auroras on Norway's Inside Passage
- Culinary expedition: local cuisine using regional ingredients 
- Intensive adventure days with dog and reindeer sledding tours, winter kayaking and biking, hikes and much more can be booked at a surcharge

• ​Spectacular routes to remote regions where other ships have to turn back
• Cruises with respect to nature and wildlife and with a small group of no more than 230 guests
• Closer to nature on board thanks to an exceptional amount of open deck space
• Safety at the end of the world thanks to the highest ice class for passenger ships (PC 6)
• Captains and crews with decades of expertise
• See and understand more thanks to teams of experts 
• State-of-the-art navigation, positioning and communications systems
• Since 2020, we have been using marine gas oil with a maximum sulphur content of only 0.1 %. By entirely foregoing heavy fuel oil, we are reducing sulphur emissions by 80 % and particulate emission by 30 %.

Our Sales Manager UK & Ireland, James Scott, travelled up north with the HANSEATIC spirit in March 2025. Read more about his experiences and impressions here >>.