Stuart will join the cruise line in early April and take responsibility for leading its trade sales strategy across the UK and selected international markets. His role will focus on strengthening relationships with travel partners and supporting further growth through the trade.

The appointment comes as Hurtigruten looks to deepen engagement with agents and broaden its commercial products, including new Norwegian itineraries released last month.

Stuart joins from Celebrity Cruises, part of Royal Caribbean Group, where he spent four years. Most recently he served as strategic account manager, overseeing several of the brand's largest trade partnerships across the UK and Ireland.

Before that, he held senior commercial roles at Club Med across the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, and started his career with Collette Tours.

Hayley Moore, vice-president of sales and marketing for the UK and emerging markets at Hurtigruten, said Stuart's "extensive experience" across the travel sector and strong knowledge of the UK trade made him a strong fit for the role.

She added: "Matthew stood out immediately with his strategic mindset, commercial acumen and passion for both the travel industry and our brand. He will play an important role in deepening our partnerships and driving the next phase of growth for Hurtigruten."

Stuart said he had long admired Hurtigruten’s heritage and position within the travel industry.

"What excites me most is the opportunity to work closely with such a talented team and with travel trade partners," he said. "Hurtigruten has strong momentum and I'm looking forward to building on those relationships and working with the team to drive the next phase of growth."