The 1896 Cabin – HX Expeditions – MS Fridtjof Nansen

Submitted by: Vilma Songailaite Mininger
Lead Designer: Mantas Lataitis
Studio: AROS
Outfitter: AROS
Shipyard: HX
Completion Date: 09/05/2026

How do you bring 130 years of expedition history to life aboard a modern cruise ship?

Together with HX Expeditions, AROS created the “1896 Cabin aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen” – an immersive overnight experience marking HX’s 130th anniversary and inspired by the 1896 voyage of DS Lofoten to Svalbard, identified by HX as the world’s first expedition cruise.
Opened to guests in May 2026, the cabin transforms heritage into something guests can experience rather than simply observe. Inside cabin TT-428, contemporary expedition cruising gives way to the atmosphere of the late 19th century.

Working closely with HX, AROS researched historic expedition interiors and translated them into a safe, functional onboard space. Handcrafted timber walls and beams, vintage-inspired furniture, wooden chests, period-style beds, bespoke linens, atmospheric lighting, rustic bathroom details and a hidden barrel bar all contribute to the experience. Even scent was considered, evoking salt air and aged timber.

For AROS, the project combined design research, craftsmanship, maritime expertise and problem-solving. The result is more than accommodation: it is a storytelling platform that allows guests to connect today’s polar exploration with the pioneering voyages that helped shape expedition cruising.

HX brought the heritage and guest-experience vision; AROS brought the expertise to turn it into a functioning space onboard.
Together, we brought 1896 back to sea.