Metropolitan Touring and Hurtigruten Expeditions are partnering up to head to the Galapagos, in a first for the cruise line.
Starting from January 2022, Hurtigruten Expeditions will offer seven-day adventures on-board Metropolitan Touring’s 90-guest MS Santa Cruz II, allowing guests to get up close and personal with some of the most fabled sites (and creatures) of the archipelago.
As part of the partnership, the MS Santa Cruz II — including all suites and cabins, explorer lounge, dining room, bar and other public areas — will be fully renovated and upgraded, and a Science Area will also be added, where guests can learn about the Galapagos with the onboard expedition team.
A match made in heaven
Metropolitan Touring has been leading expedition cruises in Galapagos for almost 70 years, and Hurtigruten Expeditions pioneered expedition cruises in 1896, since growing to become the world’s largest expedition cruise line.
Metropolitan Touring CEO Paulina Burbano de Lara says: “This partnership brings together two companies that combine the best of two worlds: Hurtigruten Expeditions as a global player with an excellent reputation in expedition cruises, and our long history, deep knowledge and amazing, experienced teams working in the Galapagos Islands. We believe the partnership will bolster the Galapagos’ reputation as a nature-based, responsible travel destination on the global stage.”
Hurtigruten Expeditions has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Ecuador-based Metropolitan Touring, the most experienced and renowned travel company in the Galapagos.
“Our unmatched experience, passionate teams, dedicated service and expert naturalist guides enable us to create the perfect journeys of discovery across the Galapagos, where expedition cruise travelers can enjoy in-depth connections with the islands’ natural wonders and share truly transformative experiences,” Burbano de Lara says.
All Hurtigruten Expeditions cruises to Galapagos are carbon neutral, and Hurtigruten Expeditions guests will contribute directly to the protection of biodiverse forests in northwestern Ecuador, named a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2018.
