HIGHLIGHTS
- Marvel
at the glistening icebergs that crack and calve spectacularly off
glaciers into the meltwater
- Learn
about the history of the Inuit, Dorset and Thule people from our
experts on board
- Cruise
the nutrient-rich waters of Lancaster Sound, home to harp, ringed and
bearded seals, bowhead whales, beluga and narwhals.
- Gaze
up at the vertiginous cliffs of Prince Leopold Island filled with
nesting birdlife
- Follow
in the wake of early explorers who set out to discover the Northwest
Passage
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Sep 05, 2023 | Sep 21, 2023 | 11,510 |
11,931 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Sep 05, 2023 | Sep 21, 2023 | 11,510 |
11,931 |
ITINERARY
Day
1: Kangerlussuaq
At
the head of one of the longest fjords in western Greenland,
Kangerlussuaq has a history as a World War II airbase. Visit the
60-metre tall face of the Russell Glacier on the edge of the Greenland
ice cap to hear and see it crack and break off into the meltwater.
Other popular activities include kayaking on the fjords and wildlife
tours of the glacial areas that attract muskoxen, reindeer, arctic
foxes and gyrfalcons.
Day
2: Sisimiut
Just
north of the Arctic Circle and the northernmost city in Greenland,
Sisimiut remains ice free in winter and is known as an adventure sports
hub. Inhabited for more than 4,500 years by the Inuit, Dorset and then
Thule people, dog sled remains a common form of transport and we have a
chance to see abandoned settlements but it also has a cool, modern
side. Watch out for humpback whales and walrus between Sisimiut and the
Thule district in the north.
Day
3: At Sea
As
you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring
the ship’s facilities and learning about your
destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard
experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment
at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in
your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the
options are numerous.
Day
4: Pond Inlet, Nunavut
The
scenic views of snow-capped mountains and picturesque fjords have given
Pond Inlet - or Mittimatalik - in northern Baffin Island the name of
Canada’s ‘jewel of the north.’ The area
is a prime breeding ground for narwhals, and bowhead whales, ringed and
harp seals, and walrus also warrant a vigilant eye. Stop by the
Nattinnak Centre to discover more about the region and its wildlife.
The Inuit community here are renowned for their craft skills from
printmaking and stone carving. Nearby, Qulalukat’s
thousand-year-old Inuit sod houses merit a visit.
Day
5: Cruise Navy Board Inlet
An
important high arctic wildlife area and part of Sirmilik National Park,
today you cruise the 70-mile long Navy Board Inlet between Bylot Island
to the east and the Borden Peninsula south of Lancaster Sound. This was
a traditional hunting area for Inuit - watch out for narwhals, bowhead
whales, beluga, orca, harp and ringed seals. As you sail through these
narrow, iceberg-filled waters, spot caribou and polar bears who roam
the shores and on tiny islands, such as Wollaston Islands at the
entrance to Lancaster Sound.
Day
6: Dundas Harbour & Croker Bay
Dundas
Harbour on Lancaster Sound is the eastern entrance of the Northwest
Passage on the southeast coast of the world’s largest
uninhabited island, Devon Island. Despite the harsh terrain, signs of
life remain with the relics of a 1000 A.D. Thule settlement and a 1920s
outpost from where Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) controlled
illegal whaling. Nearby, Croker Bay is one of the deeper inlets into
Devon Island, on the northern shores of iceberg-laden Lancaster Sound.
The Devon ice cap feeds the monumental South Croker Bay Glacier that
calves into the bay. Zodiac excursions take us past floating bergs
dotted with seals and birds to get up close to stunning glacial
waterfalls, and if safe to do so, you can step onto the glacier.
Day
7: At Sea
Days
at sea are the perfect chance to relax, unwind and do whatever takes
your fancy. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa,
trying to spot a whale from the deck, reading a chapter or two, or
simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance
to the green days spent exploring on land.
Day
8: RADSTOCK BAY & BEECHEY ISLAND
This
area is most closely associated with the exploration of
Canada’s High Arctic and the Northwest Passage. Much of the
Canadian Arctic Archipelago was mapped while searching for the missing
crew of British explorer Sir John Franklin’s fateful 1845-46
Northwest Passage Expedition. Radstock Bay sits below the mighty
Caswall Tower mountain and hides many secrets, such as evidence of
sledge tracks, camps and food tins that may help to reveal what
happened. Nearby, Beechey Island Sites are five locations across
desolate Beechey Island, now designated as important historic sites.
These include the sites where Sir John Franklin and his crew wintered.
Day
9: ELWIN BAY
Crossing
the Lancaster Sound to Somerset Island, you pass the most important
bird sanctuary in the Canadian Arctic, the steep cliffs around
flat-topped Prince Leopold Island are home to more than 500,000 nesting
pairs of thick-billed murres, black guillemots, northern fulmars and
black-legged kittiwakes. Beluga whales come to moult in the shallow
gravel beds. Sailing south to Elwin Bay, a breathtaking fjord in Prince
Regent Inlet, keep an eye out for polar bears hunting for ringed seals
that haul out onto the sea ice. Nearby at Port Leopold on Somerset
Island, English explorer James Clark Ross wintered while searching for
the missing Franklin expedition in 1848.
Day
10: At Sea
Today
as you sail, you’ll bask in the endless comforts of your
ship. From the deck, marvel at the dramatic sea views. Relax with a
nurturing facial treatment or massage in the spa or delve into the
ship’s learning resources. Or, simply take refuge in your
cabin and enjoy the opportunity to rest.
Day
11: FORT ROSS & BELLOT STRAIT
Fort
Ross on Somerset Island is the abandoned last trading post of the
Hudson’s Bay Company. The timber building that remains, built
in 1937, formed part of the most northerly established fur trading post
covering the Bellot Strait, before being abandoned due to severe
ice-choked conditions at sea. One of the straits along the Northwest
passage, the narrow 16-mile long Bellot Strait with steep cliffs, is
windy with strong tidal currents. Connecting Brentford Bay to icy Peel
Sound, the strait separates Somerset Island in the north from the
Murchison Promontory on Boothia Peninsula to the south, where Point
Zenith, the northernmost continental point of the Americas is
positioned. It was also here on the 1829 Second Arctic expedition of
Sir John Ross, that his nephew Sir James Clark Ross located the
Magnetic North Pole.
Day
12: At Sea
As
you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring
the ship’s facilities and learning about your
destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard
experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment
at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in
your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the
options are numerous.
Day
13: Port Leopold
An
abandoned trading post, Port Leopold on Somerset Island is where
English explorer James Clark Ross wintered in 1848 while searching for
the missing Franklin expedition. This was one of three expeditions that
set out to find the lost team who had by this time been missing for
three years. Ross’s team made friends with the Inuit
community and learnt skills that helped them survive the journey.
Facing Prince Regent Inlet at the northeast tip of Somerset Island, an
abandoned cabin is all that remains.
Days
14-15: At Sea
Spend
your day at sea enjoying your boutique 5-star ship. Treat yourself to a
spa day, attend an expert-led onboard lecture or enjoy the ocean views
from the deck or the comfort of our Observation Lounge.
Days
16-17: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
At
the head of one of the longest fjords in western Greenland,
Kangerlussuaq has a history as a World War II airbase. Visit the
60-metre tall face of the Russell Glacier on the edge of the Greenland
ice cap to hear and see it crack and break off into the meltwater.
Other popular activities include kayaking on the fjords and wildlife
tours of the glacial areas that attract muskoxen, reindeer, arctic
foxes and gyrfalcons.
SH Vega (Luxury Expedition, 152-guests)
Making her maiden voyage in April 2022, our 5 star elegant Scandi-design boutique ship offers you an intimate setting from which you will be fully immersed in all the sights and scenery of your voyage.
Our brand new ship has been designed to journey to off the beaten path destinations and remote polar regions in style and comfort. The ship incorporates a PC5 ice-strengthened hull combined with extra-large stabilisers to make your journey as smooth as possible.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Return
regional flights to the port of embarkation and/or disembarkation
(where specified)
- Group
return transfers from the airport to the cruise port (via our included
accommodation where applicable)
- One
night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel or
onboard
- All
meals onboard
- 24-hour
room service
- Coffee,
tea, soft drinks and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours
per day
- Lecture
programmes by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
- Standard
WiFi
- Onboard
gratuities and port taxes
- One
selected shore excursion/expedition activity per port of call
- Branded
Swan Hellenic expedition parka and use of rubber boots in Polar Regions
- Itineraries
are correct at time of publishing and may be subject to change
