HX, the world’s largest expedition cruise company, has proudly announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind excursion programme in Arctic Canada - developed in partnership with Inuit Elders, local residents and community-born staff.
It marks the first time a global cruise company has introduced a community-led programme of this scale in the region.
Launching in summer 2025, the community-led excursions will be offered on HX’s 26-day Northwest Passage sailings: westbound from Greenland to Alaska aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen, HX’s newest hybrid-powered vessel, and eastbound from Alaska to Greenland aboard MS Roald Amundsen, the world’s first battery hybrid-powered cruise ship.
A key member of the development team for these new experiences is Mariah Erkloo, an HX Product Planner and Inuk, who was born and raised in Pond Inlet. She has helped shape the concept and strengthen relationships between HX and local partners.
“This kind of collaboration is exactly what’s needed in Arctic tourism. It’s encouraging to see it begin in a way that centres Inuit voices and priorities. From the community side, if this model continues to grow with care, it will strengthen the experience for both locals and visitors. I look forward to seeing how it evolves and the lasting positive impact it will have for our communities and the people who travel through them,” said Erkloo.
This new line of community-led excursions will debut in Gjøa Haven, Pond Inlet, and Cambridge Bay - communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic that can be visited only during a short summer window.
Each excursion has been created in partnership with Inuit hosts to offer guests a rare opportunity to engage with daily life, culture, and traditions in the Canadian Arctic through the perspective of the people who live there.
“These intimate excursions are an opportunity for travellers to create meaningful personal connections with local residents and experience the beauty of Inuit hospitality like never before,” said Chief Expedition Officer, Alex McNeil.
“By keeping excursions to an average of 10 to 12 guests, we ensure each experience is personal and rooted in genuine exchange, offering a level of access, connection, and cultural integration you won’t find with other cruise lines, “ said McNeil.
HX worked hand-in-hand with Inuit to create experiences that invite guests to share in the day-to-day life of those who call these shores home.
“It’s redefining what’s possible in Arctic travel,” McNeil added.
A new model for Arctic travel
This summer, HX guests sailing through the Northwest Passage, a route so remote it has been transited fewer than 450 times by ship in recorded history, will have the opportunity to take part in locally created, community-led experiences such as:
- Guided hikes to local landmarks with Inuit storytelling
- Participating in the lighting of the traditional Qillig and learning its cultural significance
- “Arctic Conversations”: small group discussions with community members about life in the North
- Arctic char fishing with local harvesters using traditional weir techniques
- Visiting summer cabins to learn how Inuit continue to live off the land
- Collaborative art-making sessions using techniques and materials unique to each region
- Storytelling with respected Elders sharing personal experiences and ancestral knowledge
- Joining community events like bingo, card games, or demonstrations of Arctic sports
These excursions offer a rare and meaningful opportunity to connect with life in the Arctic, designed not just to inform but to foster genuine connection between guests and hosts.
“We are not just visitors; we are partners,” McNeil emphasised.
Economic empowerment and community ownership
In a move that sets a new precedent in the cruise industry, HX will not take any margin from these excursions in their first phase.
100% of the revenue will go directly to individuals, artists, and local businesses in Nunavut, supporting sustainable economic growth, fostering local pride, and ensuring these experiences remain community-owned.
Excursion pricing ranges from £29 for a community bingo event to £125 for a four-hour Arctic char fishing tour, capped at eight guests.
“This project was inspired by the spirit of Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian explorers who came of age alongside HX during the golden era of polar exploration, and after whom the only two HX vessels that cross the Northwest Passage each year are named,” continued McNeil.
“They were among the first European explorers to acknowledge Inuit ingenuity, knowledge and talent, which greatly enabled their success. This type of product innovation is key for HX; it’s about working with communities, not around them.”
This initiative reinforces HX’s commitment to long-term collaboration, cultural partnership, and a more inclusive future for Arctic travel.
“This is just the beginning,” McNeil added. “We believe the future of exploration lies in collaboration with the people who have called these regions home for generations.”
