True to its pioneering spirit, the Norwegian company became the first major ocean line to restart sailing in June following the global cruise shutdown due to Covid-19. 

But little more than a month later, an outbreak onboard Roald Amundsen during a sailing to Svalbard saw 71 guests and crew test positive and sparked a police investigation, which threatened to derail the wider cruise industry’s return to service.

“It was an incredibly difficult time, the whole company was saddened about what happened,” UK and EMEA general manager Anthony Daniels tells TTG in his first interview since.

The regret in Daniels’ voice over what happened is evident, but he is candid about addressing the situation and how wrong moves have since been rectified.

“We were building up such good protocols – then the incident went against the policies we had put in place. We dropped the ball and people will be questioning our protocols as we move forward… we’ve got to prove ourselves,” he says.

LEARNING FROM THE PAST

Daniels is acutely aware that not only was the wellbeing of those directly involved impacted, but the cruise sector’s return could also have been harmed. “It was an isolated incident and hopefully the wider industry has learned from our mistakes,” he says.

Since the outbreak, he insists everything has been “tightened and enhanced” with more thorough pre-boarding checks, greater use of face masks in public areas and an “open dining facility” under consideration, serving from morning until evening to limit crowds.

Customer and agent information on health and safety is also “being updated on a daily basis” through Hurtigruten’s website; new onboard video footage is due to be released; and new protocols are detailed extensively in its 2021/22 Dover expedition brochures released last month.

“We don’t just expect people to ignore [what happened], but we’ve got to be front and centre and tell people exactly what we’re doing [to improve things],” says Daniels.

“The proof is in the pudding. We’ve got to continue proving ourselves. We know that we can’t rest on our laurels. We want to show consumers and the trade that what we’re doing is as robust as anybody else in the industry.”

Another hurdle Hurtigruten faced this summer was the Foreign Office’s (FCDO) advice against ocean cruising – arriving just two days after Hurtigruten put a programme of ex-UK British Isles September itineraries on sale.

“We had a record number of bookings – the demand was there [then] the advice came out and killed business overnight,” recalls Daniels. 

With no shift in advice after talks with the FCDO and Department for Transport, the sailings were cancelled.

Daniels says Hurtigruten has now “stepped back” from government discussions, but is working to adapt its policies to match a recently published restart framework from the UK Chamber of Shipping.

TRADE TEAM BOOST AND NEW EX-UK VOYAGES

Looking ahead to more prosperous times, Hurtigruten has launched 2021/22 ex-Dover itineraries and created a dedicated expedition arm to fuel growth post-Covid. Tides appear to be turning. 

“I’m ever the optimist and I’ve got to remain that way because that’s what’s needed,” says Daniels. “Has the market turned the corner? Not quite, but it’s only a matter of time.”

Hurtigruten will have a ship in the UK year-round from March, with British Isles, northern lights and Norwegian summer sailings on sale. Daniels says there are “a wide series” of options, with one sailing in May already sold out.

Dover-based ship Maud will be capped at 60% capacity “certainly for the first six months” to manage space onboard, he adds. 

As well as its “book with confidence” policy that ran last month offering free cancellations and refunds “no questions asked”, Hurtigruten is also set to bring back its TV campaign.

The line will be further bolstered with the return to full strength of its UK sales team post-furlough.

“We’ll have flexibility to be more proactive,” says Daniels. “We’ll be running more training sessions… whatever the trade needs.”