MS Midnatsol
MS Midnatsol / Hurtigruten
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Observation Deck
Observation Deck / Hurtigruten
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Sun deck hot tub
Sun deck hot tub / Hurtigruten
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Chess on the sun deck
Chess on the sun deck / Hurtigruten
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Chef's demonstration
Chef's demonstration / Hurtigruten
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Polar Outside Cabin
Polar Outside Cabin / Hurtigruten
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Panorama Lounge Deck
Panorama Lounge Deck / Hurtigruten
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Cruise

MS Maud

Our Ship Review
by Theodore Scull
Deal Expert / Travel Blogger

Long a mainstay on the Norwegian coast, the 570-guest MS Maud (formerly the MS Midnatsol) has more recently been venturing to more distant shores. As part of Hurtigruten‘s rebranded HX expedition fleet, MS Maud has cruised Antarctica and the Chilean fjords, as well as the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland. Hurtigruten said in early 2024, that the ship will rejoin its coastal Norway fleet for 2024 and 2025, filling in as other ships undergo environmental upgrades, before returning to HX expedition cruising in 2026. MS Maud is named after Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen’s 1917 polar vessel, Maud. 

What We Love

Stunning Views: The scenery is an important part of the cruise, and the ship delivers on that demand in many different ways: There's a two-deck panoramic lounge that's flooded with natural light, wraparound windows in the aft dining room, and nooks on just about every level where you can peer out from floor-to-ceiling windows — including from the onboard sauna.

Best Known For

All-Weather Construction: Built to withstand heavy weather, this ice-strengthened vessel is well suited for ocean voyages to Antarctica and passages through the Chilean fjords, as well as coastal Norway.

Nature- and Landscape-Spotting: Expedition cruising is noted for allowing passengers to experience spectacular ice formations and resilient forms of wildlife both on land and in the sea, whether that be penguins, seals, seabirds, or whales. The Norwegian coast, where MS Maud will sail in 2024 and 2025, is drop-dead gorgeous at all times of the year, with colorfully painted towns and sparsely populated fishing and farming settlements.

Who It's Best For

Low-Key Adventurers: Though MS Maud explores some of the world's most rugged terrain, these cruises are more moderately paced and less hardcore than those on other expedition ships. There's not a whiff of stuffiness on board either. 

Don't Say We Didn't Warn You

Food Can Be Inconsistent: Most would say that the lunchtime and continental buffets are the best, breakfasts typical and pleasing, while dinners, a set multi-course meal, range from fair to quite good. Special diets can be accommodated with advance notice.

Standard Cabins Are Hardly Spacious: Most staterooms aren't going to be the type of places where you can spread out your belongings or jump around and turn cartwheels in. For less tight quarters, head to deck eight for almost an entire floor of public spaces, or book one of the Expedition suites.