Hapag Lloyd cruise to explore Siberia

Hapag Lloyd Cruises said its exploration ship Hanseatic will offer two first-time cruises to areas in far eastern Russia next year.

The 184-passenger ship will do a 17-day cruise departing May 10 to visit Siberia on the way from Shanghai to Otaru, Japan. In July, the Hanseatic will visit Wrangel island in the remote Chukchi Sea.

The Siberia cruise visits an area closed to foreigners until 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. It is relatively untouched by tourism development.

Attractions on the cruises include polar bear, walrus, seal, whale and bird watching and tours of unspoiled tundra wilderness.

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