Once all guests have embarked, partake in a mandatory safety drill. Join the crew at a Sail Away cocktail party as you depart on your spectacular expedition: “East Siberian Sea Exploration”. During the afternoon be introduced to important members of the crew and your Expedition Team. Familiarize yourself with your new home away from home and meet some of your fellow travelers. In the evening enjoy the first of many memorable meals in The Restaurant.

During the morning approach Provideniya. Start your walking tour of this former military outpost. Many of the houses have been abandoned, but those inhabitants that stayed behind seem to be optimistic that Provideniya will once again be an important port – most probably for the Northeast Passage. Have a look at the very well-presented collections of the local museum, and be entertained by local and Russian songs and dances. For those inclined to more hiking, you can leave the town towards the south in direction of the cemetery for nice views of the town and bay, always accompanied by your Expedition Staff.

At Cape Dezhnev land at a small pebble beach. The Cape was named East Cape by Captain Cook, but since it had been rounded some 130 years before Captain Cook by Semyon Dezhnev, the Russian authorities changed its name in the late 20th century. Ashore hike up to what is considered one of Russia’s most famous lighthouses and the monument honoring Dezhnev. The abandoned village of Aukan is nearby. The small coastal village of Uelen in Chukotka is north of Cape Dezhnev. Located next to the Uelen Lagoon, it is known by the local Yupik as "Land’s End". The village has a population of around 700 inhabitants. Uelen can claim to be Russia’s easternmost settlement. When during Soviet times it had been decided to abandon many of the smaller settlements in favor of larger consolidated ones, Uelen was chosen as one of the four villages to take in the inhabitants of other settlements. The Chukchi and Inuit that now live here are known as excellent carvers, working in walrus, whalebone, and reindeer.

Kolyuchin Island is the site of a famous rescue operation after a Russian icebreaker was crushed by ice nearby. Located close to the Siberian shore, this island has been used as the base for a now-abandoned meteorological station at its western end, while walrus hunters had a few huts on the eastern side. The island has steep, dramatic bird cliffs with pelagic cormorants, thick-billed murres and kittiwakes. Horned and tufted puffins are another highlight for birders and photographers. Zodiac cruises not only permit closer looks at the amazing amount of seabirds but also the walrus herds that frequent the shore and water surrounding Kolyuchin. Kolyuchin Bay is a huge tidal estuary area to go ashore for hiking and exploring the area. Shorebirds can be seen, while on the tundra you might see ground squirrels as well as larger mammals – even brown bears are said to have been seen occasionally. Bowhead whales can sometimes be spotted around the island and a Zodiac cruise is offered looking for these cetaceans.

While the ship sails further west attend lectures about the human exploration of the area or help naturalists on deck looking for whales and short-tailed shearwater that sometimes frequent the area by the thousands.

At the eastern end of the Kolyma Gulf is Ayon Island. Its size of 2000 square kilometers permits the small local Chukchi population to herd reindeer. The village of Ayon has a school with a museum that was put together by the children of the school. Displayed are mammoth tusks, stuffed birds, and some Paleo-Eskimo artifacts. The Russian polar station on Ayon Island is one of the few meteorological stations still in use and is staffed by 12. Since visitors are quite rare be welcomed with warmth and hospitality. Look around the village and try to locate the remains of the Neolithic camps located not too far from the village. These camps indicate that reindeer hunters or herders lived here already during the first millennium AD.

Continue to sail through the Gulf of Kolyma. The goal is to visit the Medvezhyi Islands (=Bear Islands), an uninhabited group of islands at the western side of the Gulf of Kolyma. It is not so much the bears, but the flora and geology that make these six islands so famous. Despite the fact that fast ice surrounds the islands during much of the year, fishing is done near the islands. On Chetyrokstolbovoy flowers, lichen, mosses, and mushrooms are everywhere. See the abandoned weather station and walk to the imposing rock spires – a round-trip distance about five kilometers to the top of the nearby hill. The major feature of them has been compared to a human couple. The height of up to 30 meters makes these geological features quite impressive and gave the island its name: Four-spires-island. A large field of boulders surrounds the spires, increasing in size with decreasing distance from the center. Going ashore at another of the islands enjoy walking on lush grass, among ponds and many flowers and seeing the many large, frost-created mounds. Herds of reindeer can sometimes be observed, as well as the remains of human habitation, usually small semi-underground dwelling.

The lecturers might expand on the lesser-known expeditions into the East Siberian Sea and the different findings. You could also make use of the comfort features Silver Explorer has to offer, visiting the Spa or Gym and enjoying the culinary specialties your chefs have prepared.

The Dimitri Laptev Strait connects the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea and separates the Siberian mainland from the New Siberian Islands. The New Siberian Islands had already been seen and visited in the early 18th century by Russian explorers and on Lyakovsky’s southeastern side is a meteorological station. The study of Lyakhovsky is quite famous for its cliffs, landscape, and fossil finds. There are several indications that the islands had been visited thousands of years ago, and when the sea level was 100-120 meters lower that today the islands would have been part of the Great Arctic Plain. Go ashore and have a look at the island's landscape and flora – mainly grasses, sedges and mosses. Prehistoric bones, shells, and plant material have been well-preserved because of permafrost and tusks of mammoth and other megafauna’s remains, including saber-toothed tigers, have been found on the island.

Take the next two days to get a feeling for the different approaches to these frigid waters by explorers like Nansen, Nordenskjold, and Amundsen. Attend lectures and sample the culinary specialties prepared for you by your chefs or enjoy the Connoisseurs Corner. Consider that several explorers tried to reach the ice to drift towards the North Pole. The aim is to see the ice and walruses on the ice floes, polar bears, and ribbon seals.

Based on the latest ice charts the ship ventures as far north as possible, where few others have been. Continue searching for walrus, seals, and polar bears on the ice, while your Historian might talk about De Long’s expedition and his experience in this part of the world.

Explore the small De Long Islands, which are north of the New Siberian Islands. Like the New Siberian Islands, the De Long Islands were hills of the Great Arctic Plain. These are some of the last-discovered islands in the East Siberian Sea and received their name through the ill-fated American expedition led by De Long on the Jeannette. Although found by De Long and claimed for the US in 1881, the official American version holds that these islands, as they are not part of Alaska, are part of Russia.

Reach one of the most famous islands long hidden from Western eyes. Attend seminars or lectures about the flora and fauna of the largest island in East Siberian waters. Attend a historian's talk about the various explorers and seafarers that went looking for land north of Chukotka. Do not forget to scan the waters for whales and seabirds from the outer decks. A good opportunity would be to have lunch at the Grill while watching the sea.

Explore Wrangel Island for three days. This protected nature area and UNESCO World Heritage Site has the largest amount of polar bears and apparently was the last place where woolly mammoth roamed. The name of the island goes back to the search for land north of the Chukchi Peninsula by Ferdinand von Wrangel. On your approach to the island watch for gray whales, bowhead whales, and beluga whales. The island is an important breeding ground for polar bears and walrus. Introduced mammals include musk oxen and reindeer. Both seem to thrive but numbers of reindeer are kept low so as to not disturb the nesting birds. Land at Cape Ushakova, named after a famous Russian Arctic researcher, near the site of the main settlement, a former fishing village. Here pick up representatives of the nature reserve staff in compliance with the rules and regulations for Wrangel Island. During a tundra walk look for the rich Arctic flora that was the main reason for the island’s UNESCO World Heritage status, obviously always keeping an eye open for polar bears, musk oxen, lemmings, and reindeer.

Always taking in mind that Wrangel has the largest concentration of polar bears, landings depend on whether they are present or not. Cape Florence offers a walk looking for the two types of lemmings found on Wrangel, arctic foxes, snowy owls, and the tundra flora. Your second landing can be at Cape Blossom, the site of a Russian polar station made famous through the work of Nikita Ovsiannikov, a Russian polar bear scientist. This exposed area on the western shore of Wrangell Island is also known for its walrus congregations. Whenever conditions permit or dictate take a Zodiac cruise, looking for whales, walrus, polar bears, and seabirds.

The 3,400-year-old Paleo-Eskimo camp in Krassin Bay is one of the goals of today’s exploration. With your onboard naturalists and Russian park rangers take a hike looking for the remains of ancient inhabitants of Wrangel Island and continue to look for land mammals, birds, and the varied flora. Depending on your interest and willingness there are offers for trekking enthusiasts, the leisurely strollers, and those who just enjoy the view from the beach.

Leaving Wrangel Island behind, head into the Bering Strait. This is another good time to look for whales that frequent the area. Your lecturers recap the various highlights and specialties seen in the East Siberian Sea and prepare you for the last visit in Chukotka with further talks or seminars.

During the early morning cruise the Bering Strait and Bering Sea to reach Proliv Senyavina. This area is sporadically used by fishermen who have a few huts at a small lagoon. Landing ashore promises a nice tundra hike to reach some hot springs located inland. Hike to the hot springs following an excellent track in the tundra. The track ascends a low hill and eventually rounds the crest where a stone cairn marks the descent to hot springs. On your way you might spot ground squirrels and sandhill cranes. For those interested in more activity, naturalists offer a longer hike that also passes the hot springs.

In the very early morning stop in Provideniya for your outward clearance. On your way back to Alaska cross the Dateline again - this time it works in your favor, as you have today’s date twice. Take advantage to sleep in, be on the outer decks to look for marine mammals and seabirds, and attend one of the last lectures recapping your adventures in East Siberian waters. There surely are ways to keep you busy, be it editing your photos, making use of the Spa or Gym, or even if it “only” is sampling the culinary specialties the Hotel Department is preparing for you. Today your onboard Videographer presents your Voyage DVD recounting all the different impressions seen and adventures had during your voyage “East Siberian Sea Exploration”. 

Following breakfast, disembark the Silver Explorer.