Hurtigruten is moving a second vessel to the South Atlantic next winter to offer a new soft adventure cruise to Antarctica.

Midnatsol, a working ferry currently sailing the Norwegian coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes, relocates south in September 2016, unusually moving to Punta Arenas in Chile rather than Ushuaia in Argentina, from where most cruise ships sail to Antarctica.

It means passengers can enjoy a cruise through the Chilean fjords as they journey to and from the White Continent. A 14-day cruise departing November 10 2016 costs from £3,896 per person including return flights from Santiago de Chile to Punta Arenas. International flights cost extra.

Midnatsol will carry up to 500 passengers – the maximum allowed to make landings in Antarctica and more than twice as many as Fram, Hurtigruten’s expedition ship, which is based in Ushuaia each winter.

UK country director Cecilia Abert said: “Having the two ships in Antarctica means we can offer two very different experiences. Fram appeals to more adventurous travellers.”

On board Midnatsol, there’ll be an interactive science laboratory, lectures about the geography and wildlife, as well as photography workshops and polar film shows.