Arctic Cruise : Circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, 11 days / 10 nights
Polar Pioneer was built in Finland in 1985 as an ice-strengthened research ship, and for many years she plied the treacherous waters of the USSR's northern coast. In 2000 she was refurbished in St Petersburg to provide comfortable accommodation for 56 passengers. This class of vessel has a fine reputation for polar expedition cruising, due to its strength, manoeuvrability and small number of cabins. All cabins have outside portholes plus ample storage space. The Russian captain and crew are among the most experienced ice-navigators in the world and their enthusiasm is legendary. Polar Pioneer is not a luxury vessel as such, but this is our most popular ship for travel to the Polar regions. The accommodation is simple yet comfortable, and the meals are wholesome and uncomplicated. A small fleet of inflatable Zodiacs with outboard motors enable us to travel from ship to shore.
Triple
Two lower and one upper bunk, desk, small washbasin, ample storage and hanging space, portholes. Showers and toilets are close by and are shared with other cabins. Located on the main deck
Triple Occupancy
$5790.00
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Lush tundra between young, jagged peaks on the west coast, formidable pack ice in the north and a polar desert in the east, Spitsbergen offers a variety of landscapes and abundant wildlife including the mighty polar bear.
Day 1 :
Today we will be met at the airport or hotel in Longyearbyen and taken on a sightseeing tour to explore the remote outskirts and village of Longyearbyen, ‘capital’ of Spitsbergen. After our tour we will be transferred to the port in the late afternoon and board our ship, the Polar Pioneer. Our circumnavigation commences, cruising out of the beautiful Isfjorden, escorted by gliding fulmars and perhaps the occasional puffin.
Days 2–3 :
We cruise northwards along the west coast of Spitsbergen stopping at intriguing places like Kongsfjorden or Magdallenefjorden. Our actual program will vary to take best advantage of local conditions, spontaneous opportunities and wildlife. We spend long periods ashore walking on the lush tundra amongst the summer flowers and observing the remarkable bird cliffs near the 14th July Glacier, named and mapped by the expeditions organized by Albert I of Monaco in 1906. We hope to Zodiac cruise around these pristine areas, where puffins and guillemots nest between the cracks in the cliffs and often, bearded seals are seen resting on ice floes. We feel a sense of history at the 350-year-old remains of Dutch whaling settlements at Smeerenberg (blubber town) on Amsterdamoya and the 100-year-old relics of the famous Swedish explorer Andree, who set out from Danskoya in an unsuccessful attempt to fly a balloon to the North Pole.
Days 4–6 :
As we work our way along the north coast we explore new places such as Woodfjorden and Leifdefjorden in search of the remarkable polar bear. Spitsbergen supports one of the world’s densest populations of these magnificent animals. From Zodiacs we enjoy magnificent views of sweeping glaciers winding their way into the sea. We may walk on smooth, raised beach terraces to a magnificent viewpoint, or hike in the mountains on the flowering tundra where reindeer graze. The Svalbard reindeer, an endemic subspecies, are generally not shy of humans and we hope to have some close encounters during our shore excursions. We visit trappers’ huts of yesteryear – all the while remaining alert for wandering polar bears. We come face-to-face with the formidable pack ice of the Arctic Ocean and keep our eyes peeled for bobbing walrus feeding on clams or hauled out on the beach in wallows.
Days 7–10 :
Along the east coast of Spitsbergen we enter a different world – a polar desert. If ice conditions allow we will pass south through the narrow Hinlopen Strait. The strait is flanked by creamy coloured slabs of rock that are rich in fossils, as we discover for ourselves when we go ashore. On our walks we will search for some of the specialist birds that live on the tundra including snow bunting and the elusive Svalbard ptarmigan. We may hike to visit nesting guillemots or cruise past active glacial fronts. We visit Alkefjellet home to millions of Brunnich’s guillemots that occupy every available nook and cranny. Elsewhere we seek out Eider ducks and geese, and hope to spot Arctic fox and beautiful ivory gulls. As Polar Pioneer passes between Spitsbergen and the smaller Barentsoya and Edgeoya we cross the main polar bear migration routes and the beautiful fertile plain of Sundeneset. We explore this beautiful terrain on foot, marveling at the contrast between the colorful soft ground and the barren, rocky terrain from further north. We round South Cape, Spitsbergen’s most southerly point, before continuing our journey northwards. If conditions allow, we visit the Polish research station at Isbjornhamna in Hornsund fjord where we are shown around by the base leader and walk to a spectacular colony of little auks.
Day 11 :
During the early morning we cruise back into Isfjorden before docking in Longyearbyen. After bidding farewell to newfound friends, we are transferred into the village of Longyearbyen where there’s time to explore before we are transferred to the airport in the afternoon.
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