DAY 1: UK – OSLO
Scheduled SAS flight to Oslo, self transfer to and overnight at Clarion Oslo Airport Hotel.
DAY 2: OSLO-LONGYEARBYEN
Early morning scheduled flight from to Longyearbyen and transfer to the ship. Time for a look around Longyearbyen before early evening sailing.
DAY 3: KROSSFJORDEN
Sail into Krossfjorden and Zodiac along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. Nearby cliffs have Kittiwakes and Brünnich’s Guillemots nesting whilst Arctic Foxes patrol the base of the cliff in case a hapless chick falls from its nest whilst Bearded Seals cruise this scenic fjord.
DAY 4: LIEFDEFIJORDEN
In Liefdefjorden go ashore on the tundra island of Andøya. Common Eiders and pink-footed Geese nest here along with rare King Eider which may also be seen. Sail along the sheer face of the Monaco Glacier, where thousands of kittiwakes and occasionally polar bears are seen.
DAY 5: PHIPPSø YA
Today we reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet just 545 miles from the North Pole. Possibly sit in the pack ice, taking in the spectacular surroundings.
DAY 6: LAAGOYA
Visit Laagöya today, a low island with a big lagoon where a walrus herd tends to congregate; Sabine’s gulls nest on the island as well. At Sorg Fjord we may find another herd of walruses not far from the graves of 17th century whalers.
DAY 7: HINLOPEN
Sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, polar bears, and ivory gulls. Navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in Zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. Attempt a landing at Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet, home to reindeer, pink-footed geese, breeding ivory gulls, and walruses.
DAY 8: NORDAUSTLANDET
Near Torrelneset, explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world’s third largest ice cap. Sailing south of Nordaustlandet there is good chance of seeing Greenland whales.
DAY 9: FREEMANSUNDET-BARENTSOYA
In Freemansundet to land on Barentsøya to visit an old trapper’s hut and then take a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen Reindeer and Barnacle Geese. Later cruise south to Diskobukta on the west side of Edgeøya and Zodiac through the shallow bay to land on a beach littered with whale bones and logs carried down from the Barents sea. Climb to the rim of a narrow gully inhabited by thousands of Kittiwakes, Black Guillemots and piratical Glaucous Gulls.
DAY 10: HORNSUND
Cruise the side fjords of the Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks: Hornsundtind rises to 1431m while Bautaen there are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and very good chances of encounters with seals and Polar Bears.
DAY 11: AHLSTRANDHALVOYA- RECHERCHEFJORDEN
Land on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of Beluga skeletons (a small white whale), the remains of 19th century slaughter litter the shoreline and there is a good chance we will come across a pod. Cruise into Recherchefjorden during the afternoon and explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many Reindeer feed.
DAY 12 - LONGYEARBYEN- UK
Return to Longyearbyen and disembark for transfer to airport and return flight to the UK via Oslo.
