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HX Expedition Ship · Built 2019
The ship that started the hybrid era in expedition cruising, named after the first man to reach the South Pole. She takes 490 guests on HX's longer Antarctic Peninsula voyages, including the Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Circle.
About the Ship
Roald Amundsen was the most methodical of the great polar explorers. Born near Fredrikstad in 1872, he cut his teeth as first mate on Adrien de Gerlache's Belgica, the first expedition to spend a winter in the Antarctic, between 1897 and 1899. A few years later he became the first person to sail the Northwest Passage, threading the little herring boat Gjøa through the Canadian Arctic between 1903 and 1906 and learning from the Netsilik Inuit how to dress, travel and survive in extreme cold.
Those lessons won him the South Pole. Sailing south in Nansen's old ship Fram, he set up base at the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf, and on 14 December 1911 he and four companions reached the Pole with their dog teams, five weeks ahead of Captain Scott. In 1926 he flew over the North Pole in the airship Norge, and two years later he disappeared over the Barents Sea while searching for the crew of another airship. It is hard to think of a better name for a ship that was built to break new ground.
And break new ground she did. When MS Roald Amundsen left the Kleven yard on Norway's west coast in the summer of 2019 she became the first cruise ship to sail on battery power alone, and in her very first season she followed her namesake through the Northwest Passage. Her hybrid system pairs efficient engines with large battery packs, which store surplus energy and allow short spells of quiet, emission free sailing. HX say it cuts carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20 percent compared with similar ships of the same size, and it means you sometimes glide into a bay with barely a hum beneath your feet.
Underneath the technology she is a proper polar ship. Her hull is built to Polar Class 6, designed for summer and autumn operation in medium first year ice, and she is stable and comfortable in the open swells of the Drake Passage. The interior designers drew on Norway's landscape, using granite, oak, birch and wool, and every cabin has a window. About half have a private balcony, which is a real luxury when a humpback surfaces alongside at breakfast.
She is the ship HX choose for their longer Peninsula expeditions. In 2026/27 she sails the new Iconic Antarctica, The Explorer's Route, which passes through the Gerlache Strait where her namesake first saw the continent, as well as the Antarctic Circle Expedition and the Antarctica & Falklands Expedition.
On Board
There is a lot of ship to explore between landings. The top decks have an infinity pool, two hot tubs, an outdoor gym and a 150 metre outdoor running track, and there is a panoramic sauna with floor to ceiling windows, a wellness area and spa, and an indoor gym. Three restaurants cover everything from a quick burger to a tasting menu.
The heart of the ship on sea days. Lectures on glaciology, whales and polar history, microscopes for looking at the krill and plankton the Expedition Team bring back, a library and Citizen Science projects you can join.
Big panoramic windows make this the place to be when the ship is moving through ice. The Expedition Team hold their evening recap here, and drinks are included in your fare.
Aune is the main restaurant, Fredheim the relaxed diner with burgers and milkshakes, and Lindstrøm the à la carte room, named after Amundsen's own expedition cook. Lindstrøm is included for suite guests.
From compact suites to extra large corner suites of up to 48 square metres, several with a private hot tub on the balcony. Suite guests also get room service, a minibar and daily laundry.
Down near the waterline, the expedition launch is where you pull on your boots and step into the small boats for landings, and there are open observation decks for watching the ice go by. Read more about the daily routine, the Expedition Team and what to wear on our life on board page.
Ship Facts
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shipyard | Kleven Verft, Norway |
| Year built | 2019 |
| Flag | Norway |
| Gross tonnage | 20,889 |
| Length | 140 metres |
| Beam | 23.6 metres |
| Service speed | 15 knots |
| Guests | Up to 490 |
| Cabins | 265, all with windows, about half with balconies |
| Ice class | Polar Class 6 |
| Propulsion | Hybrid, with engines supported by large battery packs |
| Restaurants | Aune, Fredheim and Lindstrøm |
| Facilities | Science Centre, Explorer Lounge & Bar, infinity pool, two hot tubs, panoramic sauna, indoor and outdoor gyms, running track, wellness area and spa, shop, medical centre, expedition boats and kayaks |
Where You Sleep
Every cabin has a private shower room, bathrobe, toiletries, TV, safe, minibar (charges may apply for cabin guests), European two pin sockets and tea and coffee making facilities. Most have a double bed as standard, which can be set up as twins if you tell us when you book. HX sell the cabins in three grades: Polar Outside, Arctic Superior and Expedition Suite.
| Code | Type | Description | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition Suites | |||
| MA | XL Suite | Extra large corner suite with private balcony, large windows and sofa bed. Deck 8. | 46 to 48 m² |
| MB | XL Suite | Extra large corner suite with large windows, bathtub, double Murphy bed and seating area. Deck 5. | 44 m² |
| MC | Corner Suite | Corner suite with private balcony and its own hot tub. Decks 7, 8 and 9. | 20 to 30 m² |
| MD | L Suite | Large wheelchair accessible corner suite with balcony, large windows and bathtub. Deck 7. | 35 m² |
| ME | Suite | Suite with private balcony and sofa bed or seating area. Decks 8 and 9. | 22 to 28 m² |
| MF | Suite | Corner suite with large windows, seating area and chaise longue. Deck 7. | 22 m² |
| Arctic Superior | |||
| XT | Balcony cabin | Cabin with private balcony and sofa bed or seating area. Decks 7 and 8. | 18 m² |
| XTD | Balcony cabin | Cabin with private balcony and double bed. Decks 7 and 8. | 15 to 19 m² |
| XTJ | Balcony cabin | Cabin with balcony and limited view, some with sofa bed. Deck 7. | 18 m² |
| XY | Balcony cabin | Wheelchair accessible cabin with balcony and double bed. Deck 7. | 19 m² |
| TT | Large cabin | Large outside cabin, some with sofa bed. Decks 4 and 5. | 27 m² |
| TY | Large cabin | Large wheelchair accessible outside cabin. Deck 5. | 24 to 26 m² |
| Polar Outside | |||
| RR | Outside cabin | Outside cabin with window, some with sofa bed. Decks 4 and 5. | 19 to 23 m² |
Cabins MD-701, XY-719, XY-726, TY-533 and TY-540 are wheelchair accessible and may also be sold for general booking, so please mention any access needs as early as possible. Wheelchairs on board can be no wider than 60 cm. All information is subject to change by HX.
Not sure which grade suits you? Our what's included page explains the extras that come with a suite, and fares for each voyage are listed on the voyage pages below.
2026/27 Season
All three of her Antarctica itineraries start with a night in Buenos Aires and an included flight to Ushuaia, and all three last 16 days.
16 days · up to 9 in Antarctica
New for 2026/27. The South Shetlands, Antarctic Sound, Weddell Sea and Gerlache Strait, following the routes of the great explorers.
View voyage
16 days · up to 9 in Antarctica
An attempt to cross 66°33′ south into Marguerite Bay, sailing at the height of summer when the ice is at its most open.
View voyage
16 days · up to 5 in Antarctica
Five days on the Peninsula followed by three in the Falkland Islands, with rockhopper penguins, albatrosses and the little capital of Stanley.
View voyageWant to compare her with her sister and with the smaller MS Fram? Our HX fleet page puts all three side by side.