Covid-19 Requirements Update

For voyages departing on or after:

- 15th May 2023 on MS Nordstjernen

- 23rd June 2023 on Otto Sverdrup

- 29th June 2023 on Maud & Fridtjof Nansen

- 2nd July 2023 Spitsbergen

- 3rd July 2023 Fram and Roald Amundsen

Except for voyages to Antarctica, Northwest Passage, and West Africa voyages departing from or returning to Dakar, Covid-19 vaccination will no longer be mandatory for guests travelling on Hurtigruten Expedition ships*.

Prior to these dates, we require all guests over the age of 12 to have completed the primary series of WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccination.  For more information on Hurtigruten’s current vaccine and testing policy and to see if your destination has vaccination and testing requirements, please visit our health & safety page and the Smartvel country requirement tool.

*There will still be some voyages that will require Covid-19 vaccination. See below:

Remaining Covid-19 vaccination requirements for Antarctica, Northwest Passage, and West Africa voyages departing from or returning to Dakar.

Please note that COVID-19 vaccinations will still be required for guests aged 12 and over travelling on voyages to Antarctica, Northwest Passage. All persons regardless of age must be vaccinated for West Africa, departing from or returning to Dakar until the end of March 2024.

While Covid-19 vaccinations will no longer be required for most Hurtigruten Expedition voyages, we still highly recommend that all guests travelling on our ships are fully vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters if eligible.

During your voyage it is your responsibility to meet all entry requirements for countries you visit at the time of sailing. If you are travelling to join the ship in another country or disembark in another country, please be aware that the entry requirements to travel by land or air may differ from the requirements to embark the ship.

Please note the following national requirements:  

All persons entering Guinea Bissau must be either fully vaccinated or take a PCR test prior to entry according to local regulations. According to Hurtigruten Expedition’s policies, all guests must be fully vaccinated on West Africa voyages.

Please check the government website of the country you are travelling to, to ensure you are aware of the most up-to-date country requirements.  We can’t accept responsibility if you are denied entry to a country because you don’t meet its entry requirements.

Please note that the Covid-19 requirements are subject to change.

We centre our business around our travellers

Your safety is our priority

The safety of our guests, our employees and the communities we visit is our priority. We’ve partnered with experts in health and safety to design and implement protocols and procedures across our expedition fleet. *

We continuously evaluate our health and safety procedures and update the information on this page. Therefore, the procedures are subject to change. Specific measures may vary per sailing due to local regulations, updates in scientific and medical advice, and the conditions at the time of sailing. We will do our best to inform you of the specific measures in place for your cruise before departure.

What we do

We’ve put in place embarkation requirements for both guests and crew members, which may vary by sailing or destination. We also operate enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols on board. What’s more, we monitor the health of our guests and crew, and if required, we’ll initiate the robust procedures we’ve established for outbreak prevention and response.

What you do

We expect you to follow all applicable travel or quarantine restrictions you may be subject to, whether at home or your expedition destination. We also ask all guests to be alert for symptoms of COVID-19 and follow procedures for informing our crew if you develop any symptoms.

Positive Covid test prior to embarkation? Read about our cancellation policy here

Please note that our embarkation procedures and requirements may be stricter than national regulations. Therefore, it’s important that you read the information below, where we provide an overview of our procedures and requirements.

COVID-19 travel map: Use our interactive map to keep updated on what’s open for travel and get details on any potential entry requirements.

Below you can find the key embarkation requirements. The embarkation screening process may vary per sailing due to different local regulations, updates in scientific and medical advice, and the conditions at the time of sailing. Instructions from local health authorities and changes in legislation may also impact our procedures and how we handle specific cases. Before your departure date, we will do our best to inform you of the latest requirements for your cruise if material changes are made before the sailing. 

Expeditions to the Galápagos Islands 

• In accordance with the changes made by the Ecuadorian government for entrance into the Galapagos Islands,  Guests are no longer required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccinations prior to boarding.

Please note requirements could be re-implement if cases rise.

You may still require proof of vaccination while visiting other countries where Covid regulations are still in place.

Rest of the world

• We require all guests aged 12 years and over to have completed their primary vaccination series against COVID-19 with WHO-approved vaccines or in accordance with the local regulations of where you travel, whichever is stricter.

• A booster dose is no longer required to embark our ships, although we do recommend to have it. However, some countries may require a booster dose to enter. Please check before travelling.

What is a primary vaccination series?

You are considered to have completed your primary vaccination series 14 days after receiving the final dose of a WHO-approved vaccine. Please note: A primary vaccination series refers to the initial number of doses required. It does not include booster doses. For example, the primary series of Moderna or Pfizer consists of two doses.   

The vaccine and vaccine certificate must comply with the local regulations in the area of the cruise.  

Hurtigruten Expeditions reserves the right to deny embarkation to guests who do not fulfil the current regulations of each country on the sailing, at the time of embarkation.    

If you’re unable to be vaccinated, please contact us to discuss rebooking options.  If your booking was made prior to the adoption of this policy on 1 July 2021, and you are unable to get vaccinated in time for your departure or provide the required proof, please contact us to discuss your options for refund or rebooking to a future departure.   

This vaccine requirement does not apply to Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express voyages.  

Embarkation forms 

You will be required to submit certain forms during the embarkation, this includes our health declaration form with specific covid-19 questions that must be answered. You’ll receive more information in the travel documents, which are sent to you 3-4 weeks before your expedition cruise.    

Our standard forms are still required for each expedition cruise, such as a doctor’s approval for remote destinations including Antarctica, Northwest Passage, Northeast Greenland and transatlantic crossings.    

Denial of boarding – exclusion policy  

During the embarkation process, you may be denied boarding if you do not fulfil the requirements in our procedures. We particularly draw attention to the following:  

• Guests who do not comply with the vaccination policy will be denied embarkation to the vessel.  You will be asked to provide proof of being fully vaccinated during the embarkation process.

• Guests who have tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days of embarkation.

• Following a medical assessment, guests may be denied embarking the vessel if they experience new onset symptoms of the following:     

  • Cough 

  • Shortness of breath 

  • Difficulty breathing 

  • Fever or chills 

  • Loss of taste or smell 

  • Vomiting or Diarrhoea  

Please note that during the medical assessment, you may be requested to take an antigen test if our medical team deem it necessary.

Face masks onboard 

We advise all guests aged 5 years and over to wear a medical face mask when moving around the ship.

Guest may be required to wear face masks if there is a significant increase of covid-19 positive cases on board.

Cleaning and hygiene 

We’ve enhanced our standard practices with additional cleaning protocols to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.    

All public spaces are regularly cleaned and disinfected throughout the day, and hand sanitizer is available throughout the ship. We have increased the frequency of all cleaning procedures, especially for high touch areas and wellness facilities .    

Guest cabins are cleaned and disinfected daily. Our housekeeping staff are equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and are trained in new methods to reduce the risk of COVID-19. 

Medical services 

Our expedition ships feature a small onboard hospital available at all hours. Every ship has a medical team with a doctor and at least one nurse, supported 24/7 by dedicated land-based experts. Our medical staff can conduct a rapid antigen or PCR COVID-19*** test on board and are trained in outbreak prevention and response.  

Testing 

You may be required to be tested on board during the cruise. Additional testing may be required, for example if a positive case is detected during your cruise.  

Positive cases, isolation and quarantine 

Guests are requested to self-isolate in their cabin and call reception immediately if they experience any COVID-19 symptoms, such as a cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fever or chills, new loss of taste or smell, vomiting or diarrhoea. Our medical staff will conduct a rapid COVID-19 test on board if guests or crew develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19. If required, we have robust procedures in place for outbreak prevention and response.   

Because the COVID-19 pandemic is developing, we are assessing our procedures for isolation and quarantine. Our procedures are based on local legislation, medical advice and risk assessments. The isolation and quarantine periods may be reduced or removed and may vary depending on the location of your expedition cruise.

Currently, we operate with the following standards: 

Galapagos Regulations

Suspicion of COVID-19

Guests who are show symptoms of COVID-19 will be tested by the on board doctor. If the test result is positive or inconclusive, local authorities will be called to the vessel to perform an official test.  

If the guest tests positive, they will be placed in isolation on one of the larger islands for 7 days or until a negative test has been provided, whichever comes first. The isolation period is counted from the time of the official test result.  

Close contacts 

• Guests deemed a close contact will get tested. Provided the test is negative, they can continue the voyage. If they test positive, they will have to isolate as per the above. 

Rest of the world 

Positive COVID-19 case

• Guests who test positive for COVID-19 will isolate for 5 x 24-hour periods from symptoms onset.  

• Asymptomatic guests who test positive for COVID-19 will isolate for 5 x 24-hour periods from the date of their first positive test.    

• Guests who test positive will move to a single cabin, if availability permits. If a single cabin is not available, they will isolate in their current cabin.  

• Guests in isolation will take an antigen test on day 3 and 4. They can leave isolation on day 4 if both tests are negative. If an antigen test returns a positive result, the guest will stay in isolation.  (Please note: Guests on Antarctic sailings must isolate for 5 x 24-hour periods and will not be tested on days 3 and 4 due to Chilean and Argentinian regulations.) 

• Guests are permitted to leave isolation on day 5 if they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and other symptoms have improved. There is no requirement for any further testing. 

• Guests that disembark the ship before completing their isolation period may need to isolate shoreside as per local regulations. Please note that the isolation period differs from country to country, meaning persons may have to isolate for longer than 5 days in total.  

• Guests will have the option to disembark at their own expense or remain onboard as above. 

Activities, landings and shore excursions

We’ll follow all mandates from local governments and communities when exploring on land, adjusting our plans and procedures as needed. This may mean some activities or independent exploration are restricted in some cases.

Disclaimer

* Even with infection control procedures, there are some unavoidable risks to passengers and property associated with expedition travel. These may, for example, include illness or disease caused by exposure to viruses, bacteria or pathogens, including the coronavirus, despite screening and testing and other steps taken by us to reduce these risks.  

If someone on board a ship tests positive for COVID-19 and/or develops symptoms of COVID-19, local authorities may require a 7-day or longer quarantine of all individuals on the ship, either on board or at another location. Hurtigruten Expeditions has no control over such requirements and must adhere to orders made by the local authorities.  

Hurtigruten Expeditions is not liable for any claims, demands, and/or damages arising from, or relating to, any exposure to the coronavirus and/or the contraction of any illness or disease as a result of any such exposure, including but not limited to COVID-19, by passengers or any other person. 

**Our expeditions to the Galápagos Islands follow COVID-19 regulations set by the Galapagos Islands authorities. ***PCR testing is not available on board MS Santa Cruz II.