To main content
Covid-19: Updated information
Hurtigruten logo Hurtigruten logo +441224980439
Find your cruise Destinations Special offers FAQ My Booking
  • Find a cruise
  • Destinations
  • Our ships
  • Special offers
  • Excursions
  • Get inspired
  • My Booking
+441224980439
  • Switch to Global
Search
  • Covid-19: Updated information
  • Port to port in Norway
  • Map
  • Read brochures
  • Newsletter
  • Practical information
  • About Hurtigruten
  • Contact us
  1. Home
  2. Our Destinations
  3. Norwegian Coast
  4. Expedition Team in Norway
Updating your booking
  • Camp fire in Norway
  • A group of people riding skis on top of a grass covered field
  • A man holding a kite in the snow
  • A man wearing glasses
  • A group of people riding skis on top of a snow covered slope

Expedition Team in Norway

Our experts are here to safeguard both explorers and the pristine environment. They serve as your invaluable hosts throughout your expedition cruise.

"I see our guests become bergtatt – which means moved with respect and awe – as soon as we sail into the sublime nature of the Norwegian coast."
- Ralf Westphal, Expedition Leader

Unmatched expertise

Expedition Teams at Hurtigruten represent the best of the best. The Expedition Team Leader and Assistant Expedition Leaders are experts on safety and sustainability, making sure your exploration of these remote destinations is done right. Together with guest lecturers and scientists, they will enhance your voyage with first-hand knowledge and fascinating insights, ensure your complete safety during landings, and guarantee the lightest possible footprint in this pristine environment.

Leading and teaching

During your discovery of Norway, your Expedition Team will lead the way on hiking, walking tours, outings to local performances, and onshore events.

Briefings occur before each activity, making you aware of any potential risks and of strict protocol regarding local wildlife. Both on and off the ship, lectures are held on a wide variety of specialist topics that cover:

  • biology
  • geography and geology
  • history and art
  • culture and local traditions

Expedition Team members in Norway

Get to know some of the Expedition Team members you may encounter on a cruise to Norway:

Ralf Westphal

Germany Expedition Leader

Ralf gained a PhD in outdoor education at Edinburgh University and has since worked in a range of diverse roles such as ranger, Outward Bound instructor, lecturer as well as trekking and sea kayak guide in national parks in Svalbard and North-East Greenland.

“In 8th grade, our class constructed Inuit-style kayaks. It took four months, but it really planted the seeds that led me to want to explore new frontiers.”

Judith Heinrich

Expedition Coordinator Germany

Raised in Germany, Judith completed her Master´s degree in Tourism Business Administration in the UK, which led her to working in a hotel on Mauritius and in Scandinavia as a tour guide.

Next, she moved on to Costa Rica, followed by time in Pucón, Chile. Returning to Germany, she worked as a Product Manager planning polar expedition cruises.

Her role at Hurtigruten gives her the chance to share her extensive travel experience and expertise with guests from around the world.

Bjørn Skogstad

Lecturer in history Norway

Bjørn was born and raised in Svolvær on the Lofoten islands in northern Norway. In 2016, he finished a five-year integrated master’s degree, comprising teaching studies and a research-based master’s thesis at the University of Oslo.

From 2012-2017, he worked as a lecturer and event host at the Fram Museum in Oslo.

Olav Orheim

Lecturer in glaciology and climatology Norway

Olav has led numerous scientific expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. He was managing director of the Norwegian Polar Institute from 1993 to 2005 and administrated polar research at the Research Council of Norway from 2005 to 2012.

Olav acquired his PhD in Glaciology at Ohio State University, studying the glacier history in Antarctica.

Dominic Barrington

Geologist and Photographer Australia

Dom is a first-generation Aussie of English heritage. Dom gained his master’s in exploration geology in London.

His true passion is for photography and exploration, both from above and underwater (Dom is an avid scuba diver and instructor). His images have been published and highly commended in several magazines.

Related cruises

  • Multiple offers
    MS Otto Sverdrup
    15 days 9 Mar 2021 - 8 Mar 2022

    Hamburg - North Cape - Hamburg - Hidden Winter Gems and Northern Lights

    • Experience the Northern Lights and learn all about this spectacular phenomenon
    • Explore Norway’s amazing coastline in winter
    • Join in on fun winter activities
    • Learn about Norwegian culture, history and nature with our Expedition Teams
    Price from
    3999 €
  • Multiple offers
    MS Maud
    15 days 16 Mar 2021 - 9 Mar 2022

    Dover - North Cape - Dover: Northern Lights and Fjords Expedition

    • Experience the Northern Lights and learn all about this spectacular phenomenon
    • Explore Norway’s amazing coastline in winter
    • Join in on fun winter activities
    • Learn about Norwegian culture, history and nature with our Expedition Teams
    Price from 4364 €
    3491 €
  • Multiple offers
    MS Otto Sverdrup
    15 days 6 Apr 2021 - 21 Sep 2021

    Hamburg - North Cape - Hamburg – Fjords and Arctic Summer Expedition

    • Explore the Norwegian coast in spectacular spring, summer and fall
    • Discover the incredible Lofoten Islands and North Cape
    • Explore the cities and towns that spring to life with the return of the sun
    • Sail into majestic and less-visited Hjørundfjord
    Price from
    4699 €

Further reading

  • Norway: Travel Guide
  • The Seasons in Norway

Be the first to know!

Sign up for our newsletter to receive special offers and new itineraries first.

Yes, sign me up!
The leopard seal is named for its spotted fur coat. Famous for their fierce nature, these animals are one of the primary predators in Antarctica, using their powerful jaws and long teeth to hunt fish, squid, penguins, and even other seals.  Fascinatingly, leopard seals have no ear flaps, but rather hear from the inside.
📷: @fotografkalvig /Hurtigruten
.
.
#hurtigruten #weexplore #antarctica #wildlife #seal #leopardseal We agree with @nytimes—there are so many places to love on earth, and Svalbard is definitely one of our favorites, too. What's one place you hope to visit in 2021? Read the article at nytimes.com. 
📷: Espen Mills / Hurtigruten
.
.
.
.
#svalbard #weexplore #hurtigruten #nytimes #newyorktimes Deception Island is a distinctive ring-shaped volcanic caldera, a portion of which has collapsed and created a navigable opening into the flooded interior. The natural harbour within includes Whalers Bay, home to an abandoned whaling station known as Hektor, as well as a derelict British base. Do you have Deception Island on your bucket list?
📷: Karsten Bidstrup / Hurtigruten .
.
.
.
#hurtigruten #weexplore #antarctica #deceptionisland #adventuretravel #expedition #travel #bucketlist

Contact

  •  +441224980439

  • [email protected]
  • Storgata 70, 9008 Tromsø

  • Contact us

About Hurtigruten

  • Why travel with us?
  • Brochures
  • Sustainability
  • Careers
  • Press
  • Hurtigruten Svalbard

Support

  • Covid-19: Updated information
  • FAQ
  • My Booking
  • Payment
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Statement of Privacy
  • Cookies

Social media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Hurtigruten

Search for destinations, attractions or information

Got a promotion code?

To give you a better experience while using our website, Hurtigruten uses cookies. Some of these are necessary to make the website work, others give you a tailor-made experience and relevant marketing.

Some cookies are necessary in order to ensure our website runs optimally, and are therefore required for the continued use of our website. Analytics cookies collect information about your use of the site, and enable us to improve the way it works.

Advertising cookies are set to manage how our advertising collect information about your activities on this site, in order to provide you relevant targeted advertising.

Cookies on hurtigruten.com
Accept cookies More information on cookies