In Amundsen’s Wake: Sailing the Northwest Passage 120 Years On

Sue Halliwell cruises the Canadian High Arctic’s Northwest Passage in the wake of explorer, Roald Amundsen.

If ever there was a salute to high adventure, this expedition cruise was it.

My HX Expeditions’ Northwest Passage – Across The Top of The World voyage of August 2026 traced one of polar travel’s greatest achievements, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen’s three-year quest to be first to sail the Arctic Northwest Passage in its entirety.

Many had tried before him, some with tragic consequences. However, in August 1906, with six crew and on a refurbished fishing vessel called the Gjoa, Amundsen finally reached the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic Ocean through this convoluted, ice-choked maritime channel.

Now, exactly 120 years later, I was sailing his route, only in reverse. Like Amundsen’s voyage, it would be at the leading edge of expedition cruising and feature Arctic wilderness, Inuit culture, wildlife encounters and maritime history. Unlike his, I was aboard HX Expeditions’ luxury boutique flagship which, by happy coincidence, was named the MS Roald Amundsen.

We boarded the vessel in Nome, the end point of Amundsen’s odyssey. The folks here showed us around their rustic part of Alaska, even taking this excited tourist to see her first musk ox grazing the tundra beyond. The locals back in 1906 no doubt gave Amundsen an equally warm reception, perhaps even a victory celebration.

“Victory awaits him who has everything in order – luck, people call it,” Amundsen is famously quoted as saying. So, with everything noticeably shipshape aboard his namesake vessel, I sensed luck would also favour our Passage adventure. It did, from beginning to end.

Settling into cosseted shipboard life, another famous Amundsen quote sprang to mind: “Our daily routine was soon working smoothly, and everyone gave the impression of being eminently fitted for his post.” If our ‘post’ as passengers was to enjoy fine food, familiarisation activities and photo opportunities, we were definitely taking to it like eider ducks to icy water.

Actually, the ice didn’t appear until our second evening at sea. We had come through the Bering Strait and crossed the Arctic Circle to the customary crowning with a ladle of ice by the captain. Whale, seal and bird sightings were becoming more frequent, and as I finally put my binoculars away, the first bergy bit floated by.

By morning, sea ice clogged the horizon. It had been unseasonably thick this year and we were the first cruise ship to attempt traversing it this summer. So, with the ship’s polar 6 class hull and experienced crew up for the challenge, the adventure was on.

The true spirit of the Northwest Passage emerged on leaving the Beaufort Sea and entering the labyrinthine channels, sounds and straits that had stymied explorers for centuries.

Although, for us they became an open-air museum. Places such as Gjoa Haven, Bellot Strait and Lancaster Sound evoked tales of endurance, discovery and tragedy, the onboard expedition team bringing them to life through presentations and onshore excursions.

Particular highlights in this area included Coningham Bay with its 10 polar bears – one swimming over to check out the ship – lunar-like tundra landscapes, and being welcomed into the Inuit communities whose forbears taught Amundsen the polar survival skills that saw him win the race to the South Pole five years later.

Our introduction to Inuit life came at Ulukhaktok, where we were treated to community walks, craft displays, singing and dancing. These beautiful people and others at Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven and Pond Inlet embraced us as warmheartedly as they had Amundsen’s party, offering us generous insights into their lives and cultures.

The sea ice had disappeared by this time, with continuing calm conditions proving ideal for outdoor adventuring. Most passengers took full advantage of off-ship activities although, like me, they were probably grateful to return to a warm ship and hearty meal.

The quality and quantity of food aboard the MS Roald Amundsen would have been unimaginable in Amundsen’s day. Likewise, he’d have been agog at the ship’s hybrid propulsion technology and advanced stabilisation systems helping maintain a comfortable ride through Arctic waters.

A science buff, he might also have envied the ship’s science centre where guests learn directly from expedition experts. This educational component added another – and fun – dimension to our voyage, with many passengers – me included – becoming active citizen scientists contributing data to university-based Arctic research.

With so much to do, time in the Passage seemed to fly. We were soon entering Baffin Bay’s spectacular Pond Inlet to a welcome from orca and local Inuit, from here bearing southeast toward the wonders of Greenland’s west coast.

First stop in Greenland was Disko Bay, famous for its gargantuan icebergs freshly calved from the Ilulissat Icefjord. These remarkable natural phenomena framed and fringed the fishing-based Ilulissat community, and made for even more astounding viewing from the UNESCO-listed icefjord’s scenic walk the next day.

And, as if our visit couldn’t get any more jaw-dropping, humpback whales breached around the ship as we departed Disko Bay, with bergs of every possible shape lining our path.

I had been eagerly anticipating reaching the area below Disko Bay. It formed the coastal edge to Greenland’s newest national park, the West Greenland National Park, designated in June 2026, and I was excited to see it.

We spent a day here around picturesque Sisimiut taking guided walks or optional coastal or hinterland excursions. However, our final – and my favourite – full cruise day was spent exploring Evigheds Icefjord by kayak and zodiac, where proximity to towering Eternity Glacier and its surrounding mountains was almost too beautiful to describe. I now understood Greenland’s wish to protect this region.

And so to Nuuk, Greenland’s colourful capital and our voyage end. We had journeyed across the top of the world through the totally unique history, culture, wilderness and conservation stories of the Northwest Passage, and it had been high adventure in every way.

For that must I salute the man who spent three grueling years forging the way for us, and whose namesake ship continues to sail this remarkable Passage today, adventurer extraordinaire, Mr Roald Amundsen.

To find out more about HX Expeditions’ Northwest Passage and Arctic cruises go to: https://www.travelhx.com/en