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University of Montana

University of Montana Alumni Arctic

Example 13 Day Cruise aboard Ocean Endeavour
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This 13-day journey encompasses the beating heart of the Arctic from Nunavik in northern Quebec to Nunavut and, finally, the coast of Greenland across the Davis Strait. Travel with fellow University of Montana Alumni just after the summer solstice, when the midnight sun is near its zenith. The chances of seeing wildlife, including polar bears, walrus, and musk ox are excellent. This expedition is far and away the most community- and art-focused Arctic itinerary. Kinngait (Cape Dorset) is widely hailed as the Inuit art capital and is home to some of the most celebrated stonecarvers in the Arctic. Steeped in a culture all its own, the heart of the Arctic stays with you long after you return home.
An arctic fox looks across the tundra.A beautiful sunset on the arctic coast.Witness incredible whales on your journey.A beautiful arctic reflection.An arctic village full of colorful houses sits on the arctic coast.
Highlights
  • Cross the Arctic Circle while sailing a spectacular Greenlandic fjord
  • Spot polar bears, walrus, marine mammals, & bird colonies in Hudson Strait
  • Mingle with world-renowned Inuit carvers in Kinngait
  • Learn first-hand about the history and culture of the Inuit
  • Enjoy the sounds of talented throat-singers
  • Visit a colorful Greenlandic settlement
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Embark in Iqaluit, Nunavut

Take your charter flight from Ottawa to Iqaluit this morning.  Located at the end of historic Frobisher Bay and sitting amid gentle rolling hills is the transportation hub of the Arctic, Iqaluit. A major transfer point between flights to other northern communities, Iqaluit is also the smallest capital city in Canada with a population of just over 7,000! At one time dotted with Inuit huts, the beaches are now adorned with modern houses, shops, and public buildings reflecting Iqaluit’s importance as a government town. You have time to tour the town before embarking on your ship, the Ocean Endeavour.

Day 2: Akpatok Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Uninhabited Akpatok Island features soaring bird cliffs and small rocky beaches. Indeed, the island is named for the akpat—the thick-billed murres—that live on the ledges of the limestone cliffs that surround it. Zodiacs are used to scout the beaches in search of walrus and polar bears. 

Day 3: Ungava Peninsula

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today your group continues exploring Nunavik, heading northwest along the Ungava Peninsula. This section of treeless tundra is rich in geology and tundra flora, and has a number of small communities along its shores. Depending on the weather and wildlife, your will make a stop along this dramatic coast. 

Day 4: Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Along the northwest shore of Dorset Island, surrounded by rocky hills on one side and by the Hudson Strait on the other, lies a community that art built. Between 1950 and 1962, Cape Dorset hosted a historic collaboration between James & Alma Houston and local Inuit. The collaboration launched Inuit art onto the world stage. In 1959, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative was established: it remains the oldest arts organization in the Canadian Arctic and the oldest professional Inuit printmaking studio in Canada. Old and new generations of outstanding artists, carvers, and printmakers have made Kinngait the Inuit art capital of the world. 

Day 5: South Baffin Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend the first of two days exploring the southern coast of Baffin Island, the fifth largest island in the world! The objective is to spend half the time out on the land—hiking, exploring, and taking in the sights—and the remainder cruising the shoreline in the fleet of Zodiacs. The ship's route is adaptable to unpredictable weather and ice conditions. Wildlife sightings in Baffin have also proven unpredictable, so keep an open mind and flexible attitude! The island is home to a wide variety of life, including a notable bear population - be on alert for these kings of the north. Your days at Baffin are exploratory in every sense, and you can look forward to seeing what the island has to offer.

Day 6: Kimmirut (Lake Harbour)

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Located on the southern portion of Baffin Island, the scenic oceanside hamlet of Kimmirut is considered one of the most picturesque communities in the region. Kimmirut means “the heel” in Inuktitut and refers to an outcrop of marble across the bay that holds a striking resemblance to a human heel. Art has played a major role here and the newly renovated Dewey Soper Building is home to a gallery of outstanding works of art.

Day 7: South Baffin

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Again, your objective is to spend half the time out on the land—hiking, exploring, and taking in the sights—and the remainder cruising the shoreline in the fleet of Zodiacs. The ship's route is adaptable to unpredictable weather and ice conditions. Wildlife sightings in Baffin have also proven unpredictable, so keep an open mind and flexible attitude! The island is home to a wide variety of life, including a notable bear population - be on alert for these kings of the north. Your days at Baffin are exploratory in every sense, and you can look forward to seeing what the island has to offer.

Day 8: Pangnirtung, Nunavut

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Pangnirtung—“the place of the bull caribou” in Inuktitut—is located on a narrow coastal plain against a spectacular backdrop of high mountains and a winding river valley. It is a small community bordered by snow-capped mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. 

Pangnirtung, or ‘Pang’ as locals call it, is famed for its art. One of the great attractions is the Uqqurmiut Inuit Arts Centre. The Centre welcomes visitors to the print and weave shops, where local artists create beautifully woven tapestries and prints. Artists from Pangnirtung are known around the world and are exhibited widely across Canada and beyond. The acclaimed “Pang” hats, colorfully patterned crocheted toques, can also be purchased at the centre’s gift shop. 

Day 9: East Baffin Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today is an expedition day in the truest sense as you navigate the east coast of Baffin Island. The Ocean Endeavour is the perfect vessel for exploring these hidden treasures of the north, as her maneuverability allows her to access regions that would be impassable to larger vessels. Be on alert for changing weather and ice conditions - the expert crew uses its judgment as to which route along the coast is currently the most spectacular! As ever, the elite team is on deck for the duration, searching for wildlife and contextualizing the mighty landscape through which you travel. 

Day 10: At Sea in the Davis Strait

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The presentation series continues as you steam across the Davis Strait towards Greenland. While out on deck, keep your eyes peeled for minke and humpback whales amid potential pack ice, as well as the seabirds that are sure to mark your passage. 

Day 11: Nuuk, Greenland

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Welcome to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland and one of the world’s northernmost capital cities! Nuuk means "the headland" and is situated at the mouth of a gigantic fjord system. Established as the very first Greenlandic town in 1728, Nuuk's history dates back over 4,200 years. Here you have a chance to spot humpback whales in the fjord, reindeer roaming the land, and birds soaring in the sky. The town itself is home to the University of Greenland (you can all compare the campus to the University of Montana's!), a cathedral dating back to 1849, and Greenland’s National Museum. Visit some of the city’s most important sites before free time to explore on your own. 

Day 12: Qeqqata Kommunia

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
There are a number of charming fishing villages along the west coast of Greenland. Depending on timing and sea conditions, call in at one of these communities to experience small town Greenlandic life, or navigate into the stunning fjords that line the coast. This is a day spent in the true spirit of expedition travel.

Day 13: Disembark in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

  • 1 Breakfast
Today the Ocean Endeavour makes its way up the spectacular Sondre Stromfjord! Early risers have a chance to experience the beauty of the fjord before disembarking. Sondre Stromfjord is one of the longest fjords in the world and boasts 168 kilometers of superb scenery. Kangerlussuaq, the town at its eastern head, means ‘the big fjord.’ 

Today your group of UM Alumni will disembark the Ocean Endeavour and make your way to the airport for outbound charter flights to Toronto.  

Ship/Hotel

Ocean Endeavour

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$3,995
Ocean Endeavour - Cat 1 Quad
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Quadruple - Category 1
Deck four: Interior cabin, four lower berths, private bath (separate shower room and powder room) - approx. 240 sq. ft.
Ocean Endeavour - Cat 2 Triple
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Triple - Category 2
Deck four: Interior cabin, three lower berths, two private baths - approx. 200 sq. ft.
Interior Twin cabin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Interior Twin - Category 3
Deck five: Interior cabin, two lower berths, private bath - approx. 125 sq. ft. (twin)/110 sq. ft. (single)
Exterior Twin Cabin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Exterior Twin - Category 4
Deck four: Porthole window, unobstructed view, two lower berths, private bath - approx. 100 sq. ft. (twin)/90 sq. ft. (single)
Exterior Twin Cabin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Main Twin - Category 5
Deck five: Picture window, unobstructed view, two lower berths, private bath - approx. 115 sq. ft.
Comfort Twin cabin on board Ocean Endeavour
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Comfort Twin - Category 6
Deck four: Two portholes windows, unobstructed view, two lower berths - 175 sq.ft. Deck seven: picture window, partial view, two lower berths- 135 sq.ft. Deck eight: Picture windows, obstructed view, matrimonial bed, pvt. bath, fridge - 160 sq.ft.
Top Deck Twin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Select Twin - Category 7
Deck five. Picture windows, unobstructed view, two lower berths, approx. 190 sq. ft. Deck eight: oversize windows, partially obstruction view, matrimonial bed, private bath, refrigerator - approx. 145 sq. ft.
Superior Twin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Superior Twin - Category 8
Deck five. Two picture windows, unobstructed view, two lower berths, sitting area- 210 sq.ft. Deck seven: forward-facing windows with unobstructed view, matrimonial, private bath w/full tub- 180 sq.ft. Deck seven midship: picture windows, partially obstructed view, matrimonial, private bath, fridge - 190 sq.ft
Ocean Endeavour Cabin Category 9
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Junior Suite - Category 9
Deck five: Picture windows, unobstructed views, matrimonial bed, sitting area- approx. 270 sq. ft. Deck seven: forward-facing picture windows, views, matrimonial bed, private bath w/full tub, sitting area, private bath, refrigerator - approx. 290 sq. ft.
Ocean Endeavour Cabin Category 10
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Suite - Category 10
Deck seven. Forward-facing picture windows, unobstructed view, matrimonial bed, private bath with full tub, refrigerator - approx. 310 sq. ft.

Notes

- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy. Request the Twin Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.

- Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.5 times the double occupancy rate.
Included
  • 12 Breakfasts, 11 Lunches, 12 Dinners

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Beyond expectations! Then again we weren't sure what to expect. Lovely stay at the lodge, met other like-minded travelers (many had their trips planned by Adventure Life) and the owner was a gracious hostess. It felt like you were one happy family, visiting with a favorite aunt.
Nancy Sin

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