HX Expeditions unveils new ‘1896’ cabin

If you've ever wondered what it felt like to be a polar explorer in 1896 without the frostbite, questionable hygiene standards and general likelihood of dying, HX Expeditions has you covered.

To mark 130 years of expeditioning glory, they’ve unveiled the 1896 Cabin, a lovingly reconstructed late-19th-century explorer’s quarters aboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen - think vintage furnishings, atmospheric lighting, and historic scents.

Launching 29 January 2026 and available for just one night per voyage (because even nostalgia has limits), the cabin lets guests slip back in time for €450 per night. That fee doesn’t just buy you ambience, it also feeds the future, with 50% of profits going straight to the HX Foundation, helping fund conservation and education initiatives. So yes, you can sleep in a wooden time capsule and feel morally superior about it.

The cabin is the handiwork of AROS Marine, whose designers briefly abandoned sleek modernity to deep-dive into 19th-century expedition style. They teamed up with HX’s hotel operations crew to recreate something authentic enough to impress historians but comfortable enough for people who travel with noise-cancelling headphones.

But wait, there’s more. Because what’s a milestone without a drink? HX is also sending a barrel of fortified wine on a fleet-wide world tour, where it will slosh its way from pole to pole before being bottled as a limited-edition vintage in 2027. We’ll take a drop.

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