FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Get to Know Daniel Skjeldam CEO, Hurtigruten Group

Sep 3, 2022

PHOTO: © ØYSTEIN KNOPH

September 2022

THE BASICS
Name: Daniel Skjeldam
Title: CEO
Company, city: Hurtigruten Group; Oslo, Norway, and London, England
First job: I was a check-in and gate agent at Bergen Airport; it was an amazing job, and I absolutely loved it.
Where to next: In the next few weeks I head out on a Hurtigruten Expeditions cruise to Greenland.

A LITTLE BIT MORE
What actor or actress would play you in a movie of your life?
If he were still alive, Steve McQueen. After all this time, his style is still super cool.

What would you be doing professionally if you weren’t in your current industry?
So many different possible answers to this question, but something like a photographer on assignment with National Geographic or a vintage car mechanic.

What is your favorite book, movie or television show?
There are many great TV shows, but one of my current favorites is Succession on HBO. I’ve been reading Paul Theroux’s 1975 The Great Railway Bazaar and his 2009 Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, and it’s fascinating to read about the differences in travel from 1975 to 2009.

What historical figure, dead or alive, would you love to have dinner with?
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who led the first team to successfully reach the South Pole in 1911. I’d love to hear about him managing his expedition teams, and the dinner would take place on board his old expedition ship, Fram, now on display at The Fram Museum in Oslo.

THE BUSINESS

What is your most recent project, and what was the inspiration behind it?
Hurtigruten Norway just launched the legendary product Svalbard Express, offering a very high-end cruising experience. It marks the return of one of Norway’s iconic sailing routes and will transport both cruisers and cargo beginning in June 2023.

What is your favorite aspect of the job?
Without question, the super-exciting people I meet and the great places I’ve been able to visit, including Greenland, Antarctica and the Galápagos.

What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken?
Actually, it’s taking on the CEO position at Hurtigruten in 2012. The company had been loss-making for 20 years prior, and the role was part of a massive turnaround for the company. We shined the diamond hiding under all the dust.

Who is someone you admire professionally in the travel industry?
From history, it’s our founder, Richard With, a Norwegian ship captain, businessman and politician. And I admire what Torstein Hagen created with Viking, which has seen incredible growth. However, I’d still choose a Hurtigruten Expeditions cruise many times over!

AS A TRAVELER
Tell us about a travel nightmare: I have quite the high leniency when it comes to travel. However, I had the interesting experience of being detained by paramilitaries in Sotk valley, at that time a no-man’s land between Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

Share a comical travel experience: In the early part of the pandemic, I flew [from] New York City to Boston with my month-old son. He was strapped to my chest in a baby wrap, sleeping quite well, as he didn’t move or make a sound. Toward the end of the flight, he started to move and the flight attendant approached me to share a funny story — she was talking to the other flight attendants about the weird guy in Seat 4D who had a baby doll strapped to his chest!

What is your preferred method of travel — planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships — and why?
Of course, expedition cruise ships are up there, but my favorite thing is to travel like locals, on local trains, ships, buses and so on. I’ve traveled to almost 100 countries, including Iran, North Korea and Myanmar, and traveling like the locals always gives the best experiences.

What has been the best example of customer service you’ve experienced during your travels? When it comes to high-end travel, I expect a high standard, and I’m often disappointed, especially in our post-pandemic world. On a third-class train voyage in India, however, it was a fantastic experience watching both the crew and fellow passengers go out of their way to make our trip good.

Introducing

FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Explore Excursions

#globility

Insta Feed
Daily
Sep 27, 2023

On This Cruise, You’re Guaranteed to See the Northern Lights or Your Second One’s Free

There’s no doubt the northern lights are awe-inspiring and spectacular. Unfortunately, they’re also fickle and fleeting, and despite your best-laid plans of checking this item off your bucket list, sometimes Mother Nature’s luminescent show just doesn’t cooperate. But one cruise line has a new fail-safe in place.

Dream a Little Dreamliner: Air Tahiti Nui Brings The Islands of Tahiti to the Air

From the moment you step onboard Air Tahiti Nui’s Tahitian Dreamliner, you will be transported to The Islands of Tahiti. The French Polynesian carrier considered every detail to awaken its passengers’ senses, creating the feeling you are already on the Islands while 30,000 feet in the air.

Daily
Sep 27, 2023

Sail Away on Dream Yacht Worldwide’s Easy Crewed Expeditions

Think you need a degree in sailing to enjoy a yachting holiday? Dream Yacht Worldwide, a leader in yacht charters, wants you to relax and enjoy the journey. Newly expanded to include the British Virgin Islands, Martinique, Tahiti and the Seychelles, the "Easy Crewed” offered by Dream Yacht Worldwide also include charter options in Greece and Croatia.

Daily
Sep 27, 2023

The Netherlands, Denmark Receive New UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2023

Two Scandinavian countries now boast a longer list of UNESCO World Heritage sites with the addition of five historic Viking-age ring fortresses in Denmark and a planetarium in Friesland, the Netherlands.

IHG® Hotels & Resorts Introduces Effortless WiFi Connection for Guests Worldwide

IHG Hotels & Resorts is thrilled to announce the launch of a new mobile product feature for members: IHG Wi-Fi Auto Connect. This feature is now available exclusively in the IHG One Rewards mobile app for both iOS and Android users and will automatically connect IHG One Rewards members to WiFi upon arrival at more than 5,000 IHG hotels worldwide — no separate passwords or log-ins needed. This is in addition to the exciting benefits of being an IHG Business Edge member. IHG Business Edge provides small- and medium-sized businesses access to a user-friendly portal that displays comprehensive spending and savings data while providing the convenience of direct booking with a guaranteed discount.

Daily
Sep 26, 2023

Perelman Performing Arts Center Opens in New York

The Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), the cultural cornerstone and final public element of the World Trade Center site, opened this September.  The new performing arts center in Lower Manhattan provides a dynamic home for the arts, serving audiences and creators through flexible venues enabling the facility to embrace wide-ranging artistic programs.

eFlyer Deals
Sep 26, 2023

Plan for a Christmas at Scotland’s Gleneagles

As September comes to an end, it’s never too early to plan your Christmas or winter trip. This winter, Gleneagles and its Edinburgh outpost, Gleneagles Townhouse, are proud to announce a full line-up of Christmas and New Year’s programming, as well as a special Christmas at Gleneagles offer.

The Ultimate Itinerary in The Islands of Tahiti

The Islands of Tahiti are among the most beautiful and sought-after vacation destinations in the world. The endless images of overwater bungalows with Bora Bora’s majestic peak towering over waters of every shade of blue have an intrinsic pull. But with 118 islands and atolls to explore, there is so much more to this spectacular region of the Pacific.

eFlyer Deals
Sep 26, 2023

Romance in Nanuku Resort Fiji

Indulge in a romantic getaway at Nanuku Resort Fiji thanks to the resort’s not one but four new romance offers. For that special proposal, choose from three proposal offers as part of the resort’s Marry Me Menu. The Island Paradise Proposal, In-Suite Escape Proposal and Giving Back the Love Proposal all see the resort help coordinate the perfect moment with special gifts.