This Expedition Cabin Recreates 1896 at Sea
HX Expeditions is marking 130 years since the sailing of what it describes as the world’s first expedition cruise with a new limited-edition 1896 Cabin. The experience is available aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen and is designed to recall the era when DS Lofoten sailed from mainland Norway to Svalbard in 1896.
The 1896 cabin has been styled to look like a 19th-century explorer’s room, while still keeping modern cruise comforts. It includes wooden wall planks, ceiling beams, wooden flooring, bunk beds, vintage maritime décor and wooden chests. There is also an old-fashioned wooden toilet seat, a hidden bar inside a barrel and a scent pod with salt air and aged wood notes.
“This cabin was always meant to honour our origins, and sometimes the journey to create something meaningful mirrors the journeys we undertake at sea."
How guests can book it
The 1896 Cabin is available as an optional upgrade on MS Fridtjof Nansen voyages during 2026.
Key conditions include:
- €100 per night per person
- One-night stay limit per guest on each sailing
- Booking through the HX app or onboard reception
- Open viewing during voyages if not booked
Historian talks will also cover HX’s early expedition heritage.
The experience gives guests another layer to Arctic and expedition-style travel, especially on routes linked to Norway, Svalbard and polar exploration history. Instead of only reading about early voyages, passengers can spend a night in a cabin built around that atmosphere, then connect it with lectures, sea days and visits to remote northern landscapes.
The 1896 Cabin is not a standard room category for a full cruise, so availability will be limited. Anyone interested should check the app or reception early in the sailing. For passengers who miss the overnight slot, the open viewing still makes the cabin part of the voyage rather than a locked-away upgrade.