HIGHLIGHTS
The trips are
aimed at anyone with a passion for exploring the Arctic with a small
group of like minded individuals on a comfortable small ship cruise and
include :
Amazing Wildlife
We will visit areas where walruses haul out, encounter reindeer and
Arctic foxes on land, observe whales and other marine life and explore
coasts where polar bears are known to roam.
Stunning Scenery
We will encounter mighty glaciers, cruise tranquil steep-sided fjords
and spend time outside exploring the beautiful untouched
wilderness.
Expedition Vessel With 12
Guests
We believe the best way to experience an environmentally sensitive
place such as the Arctic is with a small group of travellers. With the
new expedition cruise ships now taking over 300 passengers, we believe
smaller is better.
Expedition Leader and
Guide
An aspect of our journeys is to learn about the place you are visiting.
Our onboard guides are the core of what we do and will share their
passion and knowledge of Svalbard throughout the trip. We offer the
best guide to guest ratio available.
Zodiac landing craft for
shore landings
Shore landings are the essence of every expedition and your guides will
take you exploring on a daily basis. The vessel is equipped with
landing craft that can be used to reach remote beaches so you can
experience the wilderness firsthand.
Climate Compensated
Caring for the environment is what we do. For every trip, we run we
plant trees in Greenland to offset the emissions. As a member of AECO,
we follow strict guidelines to ensure we do not cause a disturbance to
wildlife.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
Start Date | End Date | Cabin D Single shared facility | Cabin C Twin shared facility | Cabin B Twin | Cabin A Dbl |
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
Start Date | End Date | (Starting from) Cabin D Single shared facility | (Mid-range) Cabin B Twin | (High-end) Cabin A Dbl |
ITINERARY
Day
1 Depart Tromso
Day 2 Crossing the Barents Sea
Day 3-5 Exploring Bear Island
Day 6 Sailing north to Svalbard
Day 7-9 Exploring southern Svalbard
Day 10 Arrive Longyearbyen
Days 1 : Tromso, Norway
The voyage casts off from the city of Tromso, situated at the top of
mainland Norway above the Arctic circle. Tromso is served with good air
connections making it the perfect departure place for a cruise from
Norway to Svalbard. Depending on the weather we will either spend a day
exploring the fjords close to Tromso or if we have a favourable weather
window head straight north towards Bear Island.
Days 2 : Crossing the
Barents Sea
With the compass pointing north, we will say goodbye to mainland Norway
as we head across the Barents Sea. Our expedition leader will do a
lecture on Bear Island so you learn about its history, wildlife, and
some of the places we plan to land. This is a good day to do
some relaxing for the adventure ahead. Spend some time out on the deck
watching out for wildlife or read a book in the comfortable saloon.
Days 3 to 5 : Exploring
Bear Island
After a day at sea, we will make our first sighting of the seldom
visited Bear Island, first discovered in 1596 by Dutch explorers
William Barentz and Jacob van Heemskerck. We will have 3 full days to
explore the island and make landings at different sites including the
remains of a whaling station. The island is also home to an abundance
of birdlife and if conditions allow we will explore the bird cliffs by
Zodiac landing craft. We plan to do some hikes ashore. As it is early
in the season the shores will likely still be snow-covered and we will
supply snowshoes for walking.
Days 6 – 9 :
Exploring Southern Spitsbergen
After spending another day at sea will reach the southern coast of
Spitsbergen, the largest of Svalbard’s Islands. We have a
full three days to explore the coast with the plan on doing shore
landings each day to experience the frozen wilderness of Svalbard as it
emerges from the winter months. We will visit the area around Hornsund
and use the opportunity for some short hikes ashore. As we sail towards
our final destination we will enter the Isfjord where we plan to visit
a glacier.
Day 10 : Longyearbyen
After an exciting Tromso to Svalbard cruise, we have our final
breakfast together before we say our goodbyes. We disembark in the
morning at the port of Longyearbyen after making new friends and
sharing an exciting adventure together. Longyearbyen is well served by
domestic airlines that connect to Oslo in Norway. Longyearbyen is also
a great place to spend a few additional days. Please see our
Longyearbyen guide for some suggestions of places to stay and things to
do.
The above itinerary is a
guide only. A part of any Tromso to Svalbard cruise is the flexibility
to take advantage of the weather and ice conditions. Our expedition
leader will make sure you see as much a possible.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Expert Svalbard Expedition Leader
- Lectures on Svalbard
- Use of Zodiac (Dinghies) for shore landings and photography
opportunities
- Polar Bear protection guides for shore landings
- Full Board (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Bedding and towels
- Highly experienced Captain and Cook