Hurtigruten will extend the temporary suspension of operations from pole to pole through May 12, according to a press release.

“The situation is affecting virtually everyone in one way or another. Hurtigruten is no exception. This is a setback for us, for the local communities we work with and for our guests. But the setback is only temporarily,” said Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.

Hurtigruten has not had any confirmed or suspected cases on any ships, the company said.

All Hurtigruten expedition cruises will be suspended until May 12. In addition to already cancelled cruises, this includes the Fridtjof Nansen’s departure from Hamburg, Germany on April 29 as well as the Spitsbergen’s departure from Longyearbyen on May 6. 

In addition, Hurtigruten’s Alaska expedition cruise season will be postponed to July due to new travel restrictions from Canadian authorities.

This means that the May 17, May 31, Jun 12, Jun 24 and July 1 Roald Amundsen Alaska departures will be cancelled. 

Operations on the Norwegian coast will be suspended through May 20. As of now, the first scheduled round trip departure from Bergen will be on May 21.  

In agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Transport, Hurtigruten has deployed two ships in an amended domestic schedule. The newly upgraded Richard With and  Vesterålen are bringing critical supplies and goods to local Norwegian communities hit hard by travel restrictions. 

“Seeing our ships laying idle for a prolonged period of time instead of exploring is difficult. These are extraordinary and emotional times for the entire Hurtigruten team. But I firmly believe it is the only responsible decision in the extraordinary crisis the world is currently facing,” added Skjeldam.