HX One Year In: Travel Advisors Pivotal to Continued Success

Two months into his new role as CEO, Gebhard Rainer is ready to take HX to the next level. 

The former Sandals CEO took over HX this summer, officially stepping in to lead the freshly rebranded expedition cruise line effective July 15. 

Rainer has built a career in hospitality and luxury brands, holding C-suite roles at companies like Coach and Hyatt Hotels. The move to HX was a daring one: The company is in the process of rebranding, and expedition cruising was unfamiliar territory to the industry vet. In fact, Rainer had never even been on an expedition cruise before accepting the role.    

“I’ve always been very adventurous,” he told TMR. “I like the unknown. I like to learn things that I don’t know yet – and that’s part of what this company represents.”

TMR sat down with Rainer and Alex Delamere-White, chief commercial officer, during HX’s biggest-ever FAM on the MS Fridtjof Nansen. In both conversations, it was clear the cruise line is attempting to push into the U.S. market in a big way – and for that to be successful, HX needs the support of travel advisors. 

HX rebrand: one year in

Delamere-White joined the HX team in July 2023, just two months before the rebrand was announced. Over the last year, he’s been involved in initiatives to better connect with the trade and explain what HX offers.   

“The feedback so far has been fantastic,” he told TMR. “The brand tracking results that we’ve had through the last quarter have been really positive.” 

With the rebrand, the cruise company is trying to “tell the story of HX”: it’s not just a refreshed logo and color scheme, but an all-new emphasis on brand identity. In Europe, that meant re-educating consumers who were already familiar with Hurtigruten. 

On this side of the pond, the company is relatively unknown.

“It’s a long journey to build a brand in the U.S. market, and that’s why travel advisors are pivotal to our success,” he told TMR.

The CCO noted the rebrand was motivated, in part, by feedback from travel advisors and their clients. 

“A few things came out of that,” he said. “The first one was that people aren’t clear what HX stands for, or even Hurtigruten Expeditions before that.” 

Another change was the switch to truly all-inclusive pricing.

“The move to inclusive was primarily driven by, one, the U.S. market, and two, feedback from talking to customers and travel advisors,” said Delamere-White. “Customers and travel advisors want to know they’re not going to get penny-pinched on things.”

With the more English-friendly new name (short for Hurtigruten Expeditions), HX is hoping to connect with their target demo: curious travelers.  

The average age of guests is approximately mid-fifties, but Delamere-White argues HX guests are better defined by a shared interest in adventure and education than factors like age or economic status. “They genuinely want to come back from their adventure feeling like they’ve learned and grown and are better informed as an individual,” he said. “We’re driven by a common purpose: to want to explore the world and the destinations that we go to.”  

Expedition cruise market challenges

The expedition cruise market poses unique challenges, especially for North America where the segment isn’t as popular as it is in Europe. Still, Rainer believes the segment is poised for significant growth in the near future. 

“I think the expedition cruise segment in the future is going to grow exponentially,” said Rainer, citing increased demand and decreased competition.

“There was a huge amount of supply coming in after the pandemic … [but] companies have scaled back to wait and see what happens with the segment.”  

Both Rainer and Delamere-White agree that HX requires confidence and comprehension to sell. 

“The product is not easy. It’s complex in terms of selling because it’s not just a cruise,” Rainer told TMR. 

“It’s actually not about cruising,” he continued. “It’s about the expedition. It’s about the mindset change we’re trying to affect with what we do and where we go,” he said, in reference to the brand’s focus on sustainability, education, and scientific research. 

HX sailings include scientists who are working on research projects. Guests can participate in the research during their journey, if they choose. “It’s not staged,” Rainer clarified – these projects are active and ongoing. Last year, the company donated over 1,800 free cruise nights to onboard scientists.   

Rainer suggested travel advisors play a critical role in communicating the unique “story” of an HX expedition. 

“It’s an incredibly fast-growing category, but it hugely benefits from a trusted travel advisor explaining [it] to their customers,” added Delamere-White. 

HX is also exploring ways to increase trade sale frequency, mainly by developing relationships with those who want to specialize in selling expedition.  

“If we look at the mix of the travel advisors selling us, typically they’re selling two or three bookings a year. That is a challenge … So our goal is not to be everything to every travel advisor,” said Delamere-White. 

“It’s about getting the right travel advisors on board to experience the product so they have the confidence to go back and sell it,” he added.  

What’s next for HX

In the coming months, HX plans to add more business development managers to support those already out on the road. 

“The welcome [the BDMS have] got from all the travel advisors has been great. They’re just very busy, so we’ll be adding more to the team,” Delamere-White told TMR. 

Rainer is optimistic about HX’s future. In the long term, he’s hoping to expand the fleet and add more warm-water destinations. He also wants to take HX to more places that no other cruise lines go, maintaining a balance between cold-water and warm-water destinations.

In terms of market growth, the CEO sees huge potential in North America. “Currently 18% of our market demographic comes from the U.S. and Canada. That number should be almost 50%.” 

That goal could be reached in just a few short years – Rainer predicts as early as 2026. “One phenomenon in the U.S. market that I’ve also seen on the hospitality side, specifically for all-inclusive, is once the market gains traction, the U.S. consumer absorbs it very quickly.”

To get the message out, HX is sending the team to trade events and speaking engagements across North America, while the sales and marketing team offer support and resources. And, of course, FAM opportunities for advisors who want to experience expedition cruising firsthand.