MS Nordstjernen

Here you find large panoramic windows, ample comfortable seats and even a pair of binoculars so you can view the wildlife and details of the ever changing∘ landscape.

On board MS Nordstjernen there is a very limited selection of clothing and expedition equipment for sale. 

The ships have a selection of books on different topics that are available to guests while on board. 

Beverages and refreshments during the day may be purchased on board in the bar.

The Expedition Team is composed of an Expedition Leader, an Assistant Expedition Leader, and several knowledgeable and certified guides. Your Expedition Leader will regularly update you on the progress of the trip as well as the different points of interest and wildlife sightings that may occur.

On MS Nordstjernen, there is no Expedition Desk, it is not possible to book optional excursions on board and lectures are mainly given on shore.

MS Nordstjernen is not suitable for wheelchair users. The ship has no accessible cabins or lifts. Guest in need of special assistance must travel with a companion. Longyearbyen is not suitable for wheelchair embarkation or disembarkation.

If you have special requests (e.g. dietary or medical), please inform us as soon as possible, and no later than 8 weeks prior to your cruise departure. We will do our best to meet such requests but cannot guarantee to do so, and under no circumstance will any such request be accepted by us so as to form part of a contractual agreement.

The dress code on board is informal. Depending on the weather several layers should be worn, as the temperature may vary quite a lot during the day. For the Svalbard expedition cruises we have a limited number of thermal suits available on board in various sizes. These can be borrowed by guests who wish to spend a lot of their time on deck. Sturdy shoes are important for most shore excursions and landings.   

For safety reasons, children under 12 years of age will be considered for participation in excursions at each landing. It is entirely at the captain’s discretion whether or not to allow children on shore landings.

All guests must have personal travel/health insurance. If you depend on medication, remember to bring sufficient supplies to last through any unforeseen delays. We also recommend that you keep your medication in your hand luggage, properly labelled, and with clear instructions for its use. If you depend on vital medication, please inform the ship’s doctor upon arrival. Illness on board can lead to quarantine, and orders from the captain must be followed.

Guests are reminded that only beverages sold and/or provided in the restaurants, bars, cabins, and suites can be consumed on board. Any alcoholic beverages purchased in ports-of-call will need to be stored separately on board the ship by our crew. Your purchases will be returned to you and delivered to your cabin on the last day of your sailing.

You will be issued an ID card upon arrival on board as part of the check-in procedure in accordance with ISPS regulations. All our guests are requested to wear this card when disembarking the ship in all ports of call and landings. The card serves as a control system on the gangway enabling the ship to know which of our guests are on board or ashore at any time. A running tab of all purchases on board will be kept for each cabin. Shortly before the cruise ends the account will be totalled and settled on board, either by credit card, or in cash. We regret that there is no facility for cash withdrawals or currency exchange on board.

Please note that when using your credit card on board the ship, your account will be debited in Norwegian Kroner (NOK). The rate of exchange will be the one stipulated by your credit card company.

Please note the use of passenger-operated drones is not permitted during your voyage. This is for general safety as well as the protection of the vulnerable wildlife and other guests’ personal security.

On MS Nordstjernen, there is no internet connection on board, except while at port in Longyearbyen and Barentsburg. Depending on the operator with whom you have a contract, mobile phones will function in Longyearbyen and Barentsburg.

Announcements are given in English and German. Lectures are in English with simultaneous translation into German. On some occasions, lectures will be given in German and translated simultaneously into English. Daily programmes will be in English and German. There will be English, French, German, and Nordic-speaking staff on board.

The ship complies with international safety requirements, and is a modern vessel suitable for sailing in the respective destinations, including icy waters.

All guests will be instructed in safety procedures and the use and location of the safety equipment before departure. There is a Safety Notice posted on the inside of the cabin door which we encourage all guests to read carefully.

During the sailing, special safety regulations will apply on landings with the expedition boats. Please follow the instructions given by the Expedition Leader and crew/staff. Special lifejackets for use during landings will be provided to all passengers. A mandatory briefing regarding the safety guidelines will also be given.

Safety is always our priority and the ship’s Captain will decide the final itinerary during the cruise. Each cruise is unique, and all published routes are only indicative. 

Your cruise includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The open seating for the breakfast and lunch buffet creates a relaxed atmosphere. Dinner varies between buffets, set meals, and barbeques. The type of dinner is announced in the daily programme. If you have special dietary requirements, such as vegetarian, diabetic, or gluten free, please inform your sales office/travel agent as early as possible, and contact the Restaurant Manager when on board. The chefs will do their best to meet your dietary requirements. Beer, wine, and soft drinks are sold in the restaurant during lunch and dinner.

Information about your table number and mealtimes will be in your cabin upon arrival. Please provide information regarding special requests for seating arrangements. On MS Nordstjernen there is only one sitting for all passengers. Your table in the restaurant will be assigned after embarkation.

Where possible, we plan our menus around seasonal ingredients, taking advantage of local produce to satisfy healthy appetites stimulated by the fresh sea air.

Regular coffee and tea is complimentary throughout the whole cruise. Still water by carafe is included together with your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Other beverages and refreshments during the day are not included, but may be purchased on board in the restaurant, cafeteria, and bar.

There is no room service on MS Nordstjernen. 

On board, smoking is only permitted in designated areas on outside decks. Smoking is not permitted in cabins or private balconies. Throwing cigarette butts overboard is strictly prohibited. A cleaning charge of approximately 150 EUR will be applied for smoking in the cabin, to cover the cost of cleaning linen and curtains to return it to a non-smoking standard. E-Cigarettes, according to Norwegian law, are the equivalent of tobacco cigarettes and therefore smoking these is only permitted in the designated smoking areas.

When the ship is refuelling smoking is prohibited. Announcements will be made on board accordingly.

Smoking is not allowed during nature landings in AECO and IAATO areas, except for city landings. 

Exploring our blue planet for more than a century has taught us the importance of being green.

Meaningful Change

As a result, we are now supporting 41 environmental, cultural and social projects in 11 different countries. These range from helping endangered orcas in the Pacific Northwest and protecting Galápagos seabirds, to securing safe spaces for vulnerable Greenlandic children and enabling community storytelling for the Itquamavit elders in Canada’s frozen north. We hope that the ripples we create today will one day turn into the waves of the future.

With the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as our compass, our cruises to the planet’s most stunning corners are where explorers can truly feel at home.

After all, it’s not about us, it’s about all of us.

Saying Goodbye to Plastic

We announced our war on plastics in 2018 when we were the first expedition company to ban non-essential single-use plastic throughout our entire operation. That means you won’t find items like plastic cups, plastic straws or plastic cutlery on board our ships. You also won’t see our shops selling microplastic-made fleeces but stocking natural wool clothing instead.

Absent too are plastic water bottles. We provide all our guests on an expedition cruise with a complimentary high-quality reusable bottle for use at water refill stations dotted around the ship. This simple act saves at least 1,000 plastic bottles a day on some of our larger ships.

Inspiring Environmental Ambassadors

Witnessing the beauty of our planet is sure to leave a lasting impression on you, and you’ll talk enthusiastically about these stunning destinations with friends and family for decades to come. To make sure you can speak informatively when you return home, every one of our expedition cruises has a focus on the environment.

The Expedition Team give lectures that raise awareness of climate change, ocean plastic, and the measures we can all take to help ease these issues. It is our hope that engaging with nature on our expedition cruises will inspire you to do all you can to cherish and protect the precious world we all share.

Connecting With Communities

We are dedicated to supporting the local communities we visit, and to creating beneficial ripple effects that continue long after we’ve left. By trading locally and sourcing services such as food produce and excursions from local suppliers, we contribute to the livelihood and welfare of people.

We strive not only to connect with these communities, but to share genuine friendship with them while always respecting their values and customs. As guests in their home, our emphasis is on appreciating their unique culture and ensuring our interactions are positive and upbuilding for all. You can therefore enjoy authentic experiences knowing your visit is doing good, both for you and for them.

A Footprint We’re Proud Of

You’ll likely encounter a range of wildlife during your expedition, doing so from a safe distance. We’ll be sure to never get too close to them, out of respect for their welfare as much as yours. By not disturbing wildlife with our presence, you’ll be able to observe their natural behaviour, in their natural habitat. We want to leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures! In fact, in many of the areas we visit in Antarctica, we even specifically wipe out our footprints so as to prevent penguins tripping and falling into them.

Working Together As One

Sustainability isn’t something we can do alone. Everyone in our industry needs to work together for a greener future. We are therefore founding members of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). These trade member organisations work to establish sustainable tourism in polar regions, fighting mass tourism by limiting ships and shore visits, and creating guidelines that protect fragile environments and rare wildlife.

We’ve also committed ourselves to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. These guiding principles will take us steps ahead of current regulations to offer you greener and more sustainable expedition cruises on and for the planet.

Serving Planet-Friendly Plant-Based Food

We offer full menus of delicious plant-based dishes that will impress even those yet to be convinced by this way of eating. These meals not only have low or even zero CO2 footprints, they also promote healthier living and prove conclusively that vegan and vegetarian cuisine can still taste great. We’ve also put in place food management waste programmes on all our ships, aiming to reduce food waste by at least 30%.

Investing in Green Tech

Building our two new hybrid-powered expedition ships, MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen, represents the biggest investment in our almost 130 years of history. They are packed with ground-breaking green technology, such as battery packs, heat recovery systems, and a cutting-edge hull design. These innovations combined reduce carbon emissions by more than 20 %, compared to other cruise ships of the same size.

Hurtigruten stopped using heavy fuel oil more than a decade ago and campaign for its worldwide ban. To set a new standard, we are also considering a range of new, green fuel options, including biofuels made from organic waste.

Doing Your Part

There are a range of simple things you can get involved in during your cruise to do your bit. Help out on a beach clean-up where the refuse we collect is brought back onto the ship to be recycled. Citizen Science projects get you to observe our natural world closely and contribute to current research.

Even hanging a tag on your cabin door to say your towels and bed sheets don’t need changing can save energy and water. You also have the option to donate to the Hurtigruten Foundation which funds projects around the world.

We are setting a new, more sustainable standard for expedition cruising. You can be sure we will continue with our commitment to sustainability; leading the way with green tech, protecting our planet, supporting local communities, and inspiring more to action.

With the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as our compass, our cruises to the planet’s most stunning corners are where explorers can truly feel at home.