Expedition cruise line Hurtigruten has responded to the global coronavirus outbreak, announcing the temporary halt of its global ship operations until the end of April.
“To temporarily suspend operations was a difficult decision to make,” Hurtigruten CEO Danial Skjeldam said. “But I firmly believe it is the only responsible decision in the extraordinary crisis the world is currently facing.”Last week Hurtigruten committed to pause operations in US waters for 30 days, as implemented by CLIA at the Trump Administration. Over the past weeks, Hurtigruten has encouraged guests to move their bookings, free of charge, and has been working around the clock to help guests return to their home countries.
Now, the expedition cruise company pauses their global expedition cruise operations through 28 April and its Norwegian coastal cruises through 19 April.
“One of Hurtigruten’s core values is ‘We care‘. We care about our staff, we care about our guests, we care about the local communities we visit, and not least: We care about our role in the global society. That is why we are now taking these monumental steps to follow up on our continued commitment to take all appropriate actions to combat the spread of COVID-19,” said Skjeldam.
To assist thousands of Hurtigruten travellers left in limbo, the Norwegian cruise line’s dedicated teams have been working around the clock to assist the limited number of guests still on board Hurtigruten’s ships back home.
Ships will now gradually be taken out of operation. Two ships will be added to the country’s domestic schedule to provide “critical supplies and goods to local communities on the Norwegian coast at this time of crisis,” Skjeldam added.
Passengers impacted by the service suspension are being offered a range of rebooking options including future cruise credit to the sum of 125% of amounts paid. Guests booked on voyages through 30 September 2020 are also able to rebook, with conditions.
All of Hurtigruten’s rebooking options are available online here.Want to be in the luxury travel know? Subscribe to our free eNewsletter here to keep up to date with everything in the luxury travel industry.
