A cruise line has done something nobody saw coming, and it involves wood salvaged from European barns, a secret bar hidden in a barrel, and a night that takes you back to 1896. Expedition cruising just got a whole lot more interesting.
HX Expeditions is celebrating 130 years of Arctic seafaring in the most unexpected way possible. The London-based cruise line has built a replica of an 1896 cabin aboard one of its newest ships, and passengers can actually book it for the night.
It is not a museum piece. It is not a gimmick. It is a fully immersive overnight experience designed to put travelers inside the world of the earliest expedition voyagers.
What Is the 1896 Cabin?
The cabin lives aboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, one of HX’s modern hybrid-powered ships. Step inside and the contrast with the rest of the vessel is immediate.
The walls are clad in reclaimed timber. More than 140 pieces of oak planking and beams, salvaged from old barns and cabins across Europe, line the room and give it the kind of worn, lived-in warmth that no amount of interior design trickery can fake.
Maritime antiques sourced from markets across Europe fill the space. Think vintage trunks, historic maps, and a barrel that opens up to reveal a small bar. At the center of the room sits a fireplace modeled after an old shipboard stove.
A porthole window lets in light from outside. Bunk-style berths sleep up to three guests.
HX even commissioned a custom scent for the cabin, designed to smell like aged timber and sea air. That is the level of detail we are talking about.
Why 1896?
The year is not arbitrary. HX traces its roots back to 1896, when the company launched what it describes as the world’s first expedition cruise. That voyage carried passengers from mainland Norway up to Svalbard, the remote Arctic archipelago that sits roughly halfway between Norway and the North Pole.
The company has gone through several name changes over the years. It was formerly known as Hurtigruten Expeditions and before that was part of the wider Norwegian cruise operator Hurtigruten. Today it operates as a standalone company out of London.
The 1896 Cabin is the centerpiece of a broader anniversary celebration that also includes heritage-inspired menus, commemorative keepsakes, and onboard programming focused on the company’s history.
How to Book It
Here is where it gets practical. The cabin is not a permanent stateroom. It works as a one-night add-on experience available on select 2026 sailings. Guests book their regular cabin as normal, then add a single night in the 1896 Cabin on top of that.
The cost is €100 per person, which works out to around $116 at current exchange rates. Reservations can be made before departure or onboard, subject to availability.
For anyone who misses out on a booking, there is still a chance to see the space. The cabin is open for tours on embarkation days before it is occupied for the evening.
Proceeds from bookings go to the HX Foundation, the company’s charitable arm supporting conservation, scientific research, and community projects in the destinations HX visits.
Where the Ship Is Sailing in 2026
The MS Fridtjof Nansen has an impressive lineup of itineraries this year. Routes include:
- Greenland
- The Canadian Arctic
- Alaska
- Chile
- Antarctica
That means there are multiple opportunities to add this experience onto a genuinely bucket-list-worthy sailing, regardless of whether the Arctic or the southern hemisphere is calling louder.
How It Compares to Other Onboard Experiences
HX is not the only expedition line pushing the boundaries of what a cruise cabin can be.
Lindblad Expeditions offers bookable glass-enclosed igloos on the observation decks of its National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution ships, where guests sleep under Arctic skies or Antarctica’s midnight sun.
Celebrity Cruises has a glamping setup aboard Celebrity Flora in the Galápagos, with outdoor cabanas on the top deck.
What sets the HX cabin apart is its focus. While those experiences are all about what is happening outside the ship, the 1896 Cabin is about what is happening inside. The destination is the room itself, and the 130 years of history baked into every plank of reclaimed oak.
For history lovers, expedition enthusiasts, and anyone who has ever wondered what it felt like to sail toward the Arctic before the age of hybrid engines and heated lounges, this might be the most compelling cruise add-on out there right now.