HX Grand Greenland

Reaching the northernmost, ice-covered limits of Greenland has long been tricky; limited transportation made it one of the most isolated places on Earth. That’s changing following the November opening of Nuuk International Airport, designed to handle international flights from hubs such as Copenhagen and New York. HX, formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions, is taking advantage of the improved air connectivity by partnering with Air Greenland to launch three new “Grand Greenland” cruises from Nuuk that explore the world’s largest island. The voyages—Icy Giants of Disko Bay, Mythical Lands of the North, and Farthest North to Thule and Kane Basin—will sail farther north up the little-visited western coast than the cruise line has ever gone before, offering guests the chance to see dramatic landscapes (picture the electric-blue glaciers of the sprawling UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord) and spot walrus, narwhals, and polar bears. With sustainability a top priority (Greenland saw a 74% jump in cruise passengers from 2022 to 2023), each cruise, ranging from 13 to 21 days, will be onboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, a hybrid-battery-powered ship with a maximum capacity of just 530 guests.