The expedition and coastal voyages cruise line said its bookings for next year were 45% higher than the sales it recorded at the same time during 2019 for 2020 departures.

Hurtigruten Group chief executive Daniel Skjeldam said: “There is a huge pent-up demand for travel, and we see a substantial and growing demand for authentic adventure travel.

“After a very challenging year and a half for the entire travel industry, we are extremely excited about our step-by-step return to operations.”

Hurtigruten has also seen a pick-up in demand for the second half of 2021 over the past 30 days, following positive news about Covid-19 restrictions being lifted for fully vaccinated people.

Skjeldam added that the pandemic had “dramatically pushed forward” the trend for consumers to look for “truly unique travel experiences”.

“Companies offering unique and more sustainable experiences – such as small-ship expedition cruises – are perfectly positioned for a quicker and stronger post-pandemic comeback,” he said.