11 Day Spitsbergen Expedition Cruise
11 Day Spitsbergen Expedition Cruise
Follow in Amundsen’s footsteps to these islands of extraordinary beauty with their glacial landscapes, migratory bird life and remote settlements. Here, where the sun never sets in summer, you lose touch with time, whilst slowly savouring a mountainous beauty unmatched anywhere in the world.
The Plancius
Originally built as an oceanographic research vessel for the Dutch Navy and subsequently completely re-built as a polar exploration vessel and modified to include 53 cabins in different configurations: 9 twin, 2 triple and 4 quads with porthole plus 26 twin, 2 twin de-luxe and 10 superior cabins with window. All cabins have private WC/shower and deck level bunks other than the triples (1 deck level and 2 bunks and quads which have 2 two bunks).
Deck 3 has a restaurant cum lecture room and deck 5 an observation lounge with glazed surrounds for maximum panoramic views of shoreline scenery and wildlife. Deck 4 also has free run deck space fore and aft down both sides for viewing.
The ship has gangways on both starboard and port sides and carries ten 40 HP zodiac inflatables all of which make for swift shore landings.
The ship’s crew is multi-national in the hospitality areas but deck officers are invariably Russian being acknowledged for their polar navigation skills and seamanship.
The Expedition Leaders
Cruises are led by experienced leaders with a strong and academically based enthusiasm for the Polar Region in general and their specialist subject in particular. As eclectic a group by way of nationality, gender, career path, experience and academic discipline as it is possible to find, they nonetheless find common ground in their love of nature and the environment.
Some of those who have led expeditions in recent years are: Robin Buzza who moved to Spitsbergen after rowing from England to the North Cape in an open boat. During his 25 years in Spitsbergen he’s spent a winter in a trapper’s cabin and dog sledded over the greater part of the archipelago.
Rolf Strange has published several books including ‘Rocks and Ice’ on the geography and geology of Svalbard and has worked as a guide and zodiac driver for Oceanwide Expeditions for over a decade doing somewhere over a 100 trips.
Ian Stone, a Polar historian and honorary research associate at the Polar Research Institute at Cambridge.
Morten Jorgensen has worked for the Danish Ornithological Society and as an observer for the Danish Polar Centre.
Day 1 UK – Oslo
Scheduled SAS flight to Oslo, overnight at Clarion Airport Hotel.
Day 2 Oslo-Longyearbyen
Early morning scheduled flight to Longyearbyen and transfer to the ship. Check in to your cabin. Time for a brief look at Longyearbyen before early evening sailing.
Day 3
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
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
Today we reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet just over 500 miles from the North Pole. Possibly sit in the pack ice, taking in the spectacular surroundings.
Day 6
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 Sorgfjord we may find another herd of walruses not far from the graves of 17th century whalers.
Day 7
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
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
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
Cruise the side fjords of the Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks: Hornsundtind rises to 1431m dramatically demonstrating why Spitsbergen (the land of jagged peaks) is so called; there are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and very good chances of encounters with seals and Polar Bears.
Day 11
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
Dock at Longyearbyen in time for your return SAS flight(s) to the UK via Oslo.
What's Included
• Return SAS flights from Heathrow to Longyearbyen via Oslo
• Passenger service charges and airport departure taxes
• Overnight hotel accommodation in twin bedded room(s) either outbound or inbound in Oslo or Longyearbyen as required by airline schedule.
• 7 or 10 nights onboard ship according to selected cruise in chosen cabin category
• All meals on board ship including daytime snacks, coffee and tea
• All shore excursions and activities by Zodiac throughout expedition cruise
• Programme of lectures by naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff
• Transfers in Longyearbyen
• Pre-departure pack and Spitzbergen wildlife guide book
Typical Tour Price
Prices from £4695pp
