From iceberg-laden fjords to encounters with whales, discover why Greenland should be your next cruise destination with Hurtigruten. Photo / Hurtigruten Group
Hurtigruten Expeditions’ newest addition to the fleet, the 500-passenger MS Fridtjof Nansen, is the perfect vessel for a trip of a lifetime to Greenland, writes Jo Kessel
As far as cruise stops go, this one will take some beating.
I wake to find our ship surrounded by icebergs. Some are towering and jagged; others are sculpted smooth; one has a hole chiselled out its middle.
It’s a vista designed for a Snow Queen – a floating, frozen seascape.
READ MORE: Everything I Learned Aboard Luxury Ship Regent Seven Seas Grandeur
I’m on an expedition cruise around Greenland with my husband Marc and this is the ice fjord of Ilulissat. We’re sailing on HX Hurtigruten Expeditions’ newest addition to their fleet, the 500-passenger MS Fridtjof Nansen, and it’s believed some of these icebergs might be up to 250,000 years old.
All have broken off from Sermeq Kujalleq which is one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world, constantly calving and regenerating.
Experts believe that the iceberg which sank the Titanic came from here and was drifted by currents and wind to where it was struck off the coast of Canada on that fateful night 112 years ago. It’s a spine-chilling theory that is hard to fathom as I gaze at this eerily calm, ice-pocked vista.
A cruise ship can only go so far; to get deeper into the fjord it’s best to book an excursion on a much smaller boat.
I do this with a handful of fellow cruisers, including Jean from the United Kingdom. As we sail close to gargantuan bergs which sparkle, glitter, and shimmer an iridescent turquoise Jean tells me that she’s travelled widely, including to Antarctica, but this icy otherworld tops them all. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life.”
This fjord is a Unesco World Heritage Site and a mile-long boardwalk has been constructed to enable visitors to walk between viewpoints along the water’s edge. Beyond this boardwalk is a rock-trail that my husband and I are following when we hear a deafening crack. He turns, shocked.
“What was that?”
I suggest it was ice calving.
Five seconds later cue another mega boom, but we’ve still no idea what created it.
Come the third time, however, we see exactly what’s making the noise. There’s a whale in the bay and it’s blowing loudly, the sound ricocheting off the icebergs. We watch as the humpback sprays jets of water high in the sky through its blowhole time and again.
And then, as if to say goodbye, it raises its head above the water, arches its back, and slips below the surface. I manage to capture this moment on camera and replay the footage over and over, in awe of the power of nature.
Back on board the MS Fridtjof Nansen it’s time to warm up. HX Expeditions is a Norwegian line and the decor is Scandi-chic with pale pine and sleek lines. All cabins come with a view, but our large, luxury suite has an oversized balcony, a walk-in wardrobe, a heated bathroom floor and access to an exclusive restaurant. The best perk of all, however, is that we’re entitled to free, unlimited laundry.
Greenland is the world’s biggest island and 80% of the country is covered by a vast, impenetrable ice sheet – the only one outside Antarctica. It belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark (the Danish krone is its currency) and although, until now, its remoteness has made it harder to reach, this is set to change with the opening of a new international airport in November.
The itinerary is well-paced and varied, led by a knowledgeable expedition team. One day we spend several hours in a port, such as Ilulissat; the next we explore remoter regions in zodiac boats.
And in between we walk laps round the ship’s promenade deck, visit the gym and take binoculars to the observation deck. There are whales, seals, birds and, if you’re very lucky, polar bears to spot. There are also lectures about wildlife, glaciers, history, costumes, you name it.
Come early evening we’ve our own mini-ritual: a spell in the hot tub followed by a sauna, shower and dinner. The Fridtjof Nansen has three eateries, but the fine dining Lindstrom restaurant (reserved for suite guests) is the most exclusive. The gourmet three-course menus are a treat: think Red King Crab followed by a filet mignon cooked to perfection and crème brulee. Better still, wine’s included.
Despite Greenland’s icy topography the summer sun is occasionally strong enough for sunbathing and swimming in the ship’s heated pool. That said, during expedition hikes (run in most ports) we soon learn how unpredictable Greenland weather can be. One day we’re trekking in fog; another time it’s snowing; the next it’s T-shirt weather.
The landscapes are epic with big mountains and skies and for an arctic country, there’s a surprising amount of colourful flora, from yellow poppies to purple harebells and pink alpine catchfly.
There are so many cruise highlights, including our visit to the capital Nuuk.
With only 20,000 inhabitants - more than a third of the country’s entire population - it’s the smallest capital in the world and is full of bright clapboard houses as well as an emerging cafe scene.
The native animal is the musk ox, a cross between a shaggy cow and goat. I order a hot dog with a sausage made from its meat and it’s seriously tasty – sweet, rich and gamey.
Talking of food, there’s a Greenlandic tradition called Kaffemik, where locals (who are mostly Inuit) invite others into their homes for tea. HX offers an immersive excursion whereby that invitation is extended to us.
And so in the southern town of Qaqortoq, a grandma, Cecile, welcomes us in for coffee and cake. She shows us photos of her family and the costumes they wear for weddings and so on - it’s a special, insightful experience.
Later we watch the town’s menfolk perform a party trick in their kayaks. One minute they’re sitting upright in their boats in the bay; the next they’re flipping themselves underwater and rolling back up the other side.
It’s an impressive stunt, but one I decide not to attempt when we sign up for a ship kayaking excursion a few days later. We paddle towards a glacier in a quiet, sheltered fjord while a flock of newly fledged kittiwakes flutters overhead. The setting is unbeatable.
Wherever we go, whatever we do, there’s never a dull moment. Occasionally we’re followed by curious seals. At other times we sail past what must be some of the world’s most frozen, isolated settlements. And once we’re given a native dried fish snack to try. It’s like chewy, fishy cardboard and when I pull a face the chef reminds me that it’s ‘packed with protein’.
The ship has a spa and as we near the end of the voyage I treat myself to a hot stone massage. Masseuse JoAnn glides the stones and warm oil across my limbs so expertly that I fall into a deeper-than-ever level of relaxation. Rather like the cruise, I don’t want it to end.
Greenland is an exciting, adventurous destination. You will see things you’ve never seen before; you will taste things you’ve never tasted before; you will do things you’ve never done before.
And as for the fjord of Ilulissat, its icebergs are like nothing you’ll witness anywhere else on the planet. And that’s what makes this the cruise of a lifetime.
HX Hurtigruten Expeditions AU offers a 13-day Grand Greenland cruise on MS Fridtjof Nansen departing June 11 or June 21, 2025. For more information, see travelhx.com/en-au
Viking’s cruise brings Europe to your balcony..