There are still pages to be filled in the chronicle of the far north – it’s up to you to continue the story. Add your own chapter to the annals of a waterway that has been both a legend and a daring feat for centuries: the Northwest Passage. Legendary pioneers wrote history here, and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is adding a new pioneering feat to it. For the first time ever, two ships of our new expedition class are sailing the route at the same time – in opposite directions. Take part in this adventure with the HANSEATIC inspiration on the west–east route from Alaska to Greenland. Around 5,800 km (3,604 mi.) long, with places that have often never been captured on film and remain shrouded in myths and vagueness. Despite all this, the passage is a focus for the world. Global warming could open the icy gates to the natural resources of the Arctic. Countries around the world are eyeing the huge gas and oil reserves or elements such as lithium. An ice-free passage would also make shipping transport between the continents significantly shorter. Virtually no other routes bring together the past, present and future of exploration better than this one. Paint your own picture on this epoch-making cruise, where the journey matters more than the destination.

In 1906, Roald Amundsen navigated the entire Northwest Passage for the first time. Now you, too, can tackle this pioneering feat on board the HANSEATIC inspiration. The first chapter of your adventurous weeks start on the coast of the Alaska Peninsula. As you cruise off Kak Island, the cliffs teeming with birds will stir up your anticipation of what lies ahead. Chignik means “strong wind” in the Alutiiq language. Gain an insight into life in this small fishing town, which has around 80 residents. The volcanic island chain of the Aleutian Islands stretches into the Pacific like a great arc.

Here you’ll visit Popof Island, where bison roam the land and bald eagles rule the skies. Your gaze will instinctively be drawn upwards when you hear their call above Unalaska Island. The settlers in Dutch Harbor looked to the heavens for different reasons, as can been seen from the oldest Russian Orthodox church in North America with its white towers topped with onion domes.

A colony of northern fur seals might welcome you as you hike with your experts on Saint Paul Island – a taste of the intensive encounters that await you with the diverse fauna of this remote region. As you cruise through the Bering Sea, keep a lookout for whales from the excellent vantage point offered by the many open deck spaces. 

Just like rich experiences have drawn you to this region, it was gold that was the magnet in Alaska in the early 1900s. The town of Nome is still shaped by the gold rush of bygone times, with disused steam trains, tracks and gold dredges.

The excitement on board grows as you cruise through the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea and draw nearer to the lifelong dream and magnet for countless adventurers and explorers ...

The adventure of the Northwest Passage: to this day, fascinating legends surround this famous waterway. To start your adventures, the rarely visited Herschel Island sets the scene. If the local conditions permit, you can explore the former whaling station. With a little luck, rough-legged buzzards will herald your arrival and the timid Arctic fox might even make an appearance. Franklin Bay is enveloped by the history of Franklin the explorer and the phenomenon of the Smoking Hills. The smoky effect is caused by layers of rocks within the hills that contain pyrite and have ignited themselves. A Zodiac ride offers unique perspectives of this mystical spectacle.
On Victoria Island, named after the British queen, you might have the chance to see mighty musk oxen weighing up to 400 kg (882 lb). Will you perhaps even see polar bears here? Look forward to amazing insights into the way of life and history of the Inuit. For centuries, the area around Cambridge Bay was the summer meeting point for the “Copper Eskimo” families – named after their copper tools. The wreck of Roald Amundsen’s research ship Maud bore silent witness to his bravery from its resting place in the ice here for around 90 years before being taken back to Norway in 2018. Depending on the ice as well as the local conditions, you will witness a historic moment: the meeting of the HANSEATIC inspiration and the HANSEATIC spirit expedition ships. The extraordinary rendezvous will be celebrated on deck and, according to old nautical custom, be accompanied by the sounding of the ship horns. A great voice echoes on Jenny Lind Island, which owes its name to a Swedish opera singer from the 19th century lovingly known as the “nightingale”. You may find yourself surprised by four-legged residents such as Arctic hares, Arctic foxes and caribou.
As the ship cruises in Victoria Strait, the dramatic scenery will reflect the moving history of this area. For a long time, the lost ships of the Franklin expedition, which tried and failed to find the Northwest Passage in 1845, were thought to be at the entrance to the strait. One of them, the Terror, was discovered in 2016 in Terror Bay, around 100 km (62 mi.) further south than expected. Find out about the fate and the unflinching courage of those who braved the forces of nature back then from your experts on board. The conditions will decide whether your adventure continues by cruising in Peel Sound – the ice sets the pace as the HANSEATIC inspiration manoeuvres safely through the island labyrinth to its next destinations. Very few ships are capable of this feat, which requires first-class equipment and an experienced crew. Zodiac rides and landings are possible throughout the habitat of whales, seals and polar bears. For example, Prince of Wales Island invites you to hike through the untouched nature. Follow in the footsteps of past explorers on Beechey Island. A walk to the graves of members of the Franklin expedition will bring its historic significance to the fore. The world’s largest uninhabited island, Devon Island, welcomes you with its vast wilderness. An abandoned station of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reinforces the impression of remote silence. As the ship then sets sail from Lancaster Sound for Greenland, you’ll have completed the feat and be among the few people who can say they have conquered the Northwest Passage.

The final chapter in your adventure takes you along the west coast of Greenland. Small but perfectly formed, Uummannaq nestles at the foot of a spectacular heart-shaped mountain. The splendid Jakobshavn Glacier near Ilulissat is the “birthplace” of around 10 % of Greenland’s icebergs. Marvel at the glistening ice masses that gather here with a hike to the ice fjord. This is followed by an amazing natural spectacle: in the glittering splendour of Disko Bay, mighty icebergs drift majestically through the water – an event that you can watch unfold around you from the deck and in a Zodiac. Sisimiut provides an atmospheric end to your expedition, with its houses dotted across several hills. Almost an entire month filled with milestones of seafaring history lies behind you now – the experiences of a lifetime and wonderful memories will stay with you for years to come.