Board the Rembrandt van Rijn for this 18-day expedition cruise. View the abundant wildlife, including arctic hare, musk ox, seabirds, and multiple whale species. High cliffs and innumerable glaciers mark the fjords of Greenland's coast - sail through this incredible seascape, taking walks along the coast during the day and watching the Northern Lights at night. A classic three island voyage: Ice, Inuit and Remoteness.
Highlights
Cruise through majestic fjords among the icebergs and glacier-filled bays
See the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned around 200 years ago
Watch for muskoxen, arctic hare, whales and seabirds
Relax on deck as you watch the light display of the Aurora Borealis
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive in Longyearbyen, on Spitsbergen (also called Svalbard), the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to visit this former mining village. The Parish Church and the Polar Museum are well worth visiting, while in the country around the village more than 100 species of plant have been recorded. In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden and heads to Greenland.
Spend the day at sea, on your way to Greenland, along the impressive East Greenland Ice. Keep watch for fin whales, humpback whales and minke whales, and also for migrating seabirds.
If you have experienced fair winds the ship attempts to sail into Foster Bugt, making your first landing at Myggebugten in the late afternoon or evening. Beyond the old hunters’ hut (in the first half of last century Norwegian trappers hunted here for polar bear and arctic fox) there is an extensive tundra populated by musk oxen. The small lakes are home to geese.
Sail through Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, a magnificent fjord with towering mountains on both sides, its inner reaches choked with huge icebergs. In the evening reach the incredible Teufelschloss. This prominent mountain is part of the so-called Eleonora Bay super group: sedimentary rocks which were created between 950 – 610 mil. years ago to a depth of 16 kilometers. The scenery is dominated by this unique geology during the next days.
Land at Blomster Bugt to view the beautiful geological formations. Arctic hare are usually seen here, and Noah Lake sometimes offers great northern diver and their young. Musk oxen are also often spotted in the area and the hiking opportunities are phenomenal. In the afternoon venture deeper into Kejser Franz Joseph Fjord and find shelter in Renbugten. Huge icebergs and spectacular scenery accompany you throughout the passage of this relatively narrow fjord system.
Today you try to land in Renbugten in the search for muskoxen and arctic hare. At lunch time head eastwards and into Antarctic Sound. Enjoy the views of the ancient sedimentary rocks and witness what plate tectonics have done to the once horizontal layers. Aim at arriving at Maria Ø before nightfall.
At Maria Ø you hope to make a landing to investigate evidence of the activities of the Nazi war machine of WWII present in the form of old oil barrels. It is also here that the Danish researcher Lauge Koch established a summer station in 1950 near an old Danish trappers hut. The views all around are stunning. In the afternoon you anchor off the Danish Military station at Ella Ø. If occupied you are not allowed to visit but you can make a nice walk on the island and enjoy the views and possibly see muskoxen.
Exploring the largest National Park in the World is intriguing and fascinating. Today is no less exciting as you lift anchor from Ella Ø in the early morning. Sail via Narhval Sund southwards and enter Segelsällskapets Fjord to land at Skipperdal with its amazing geology and fantastic hiking opportunities. Once again you have good chances of muskoxen, snow hare, and ptarmigan. You may anchor up at the mouth of Alpefjord for the night.
Today you head into King Oscars Fjord and aim to make landfall in the afternoon near Menander Øer, another spectacular place offering good walking opportunities and chances of large land mammals. At night you have good chances for the Aurora Borealis should you be lucky with the weather.
King Oscars Fjord is one of the largest fjords in the area and as you continue to sail east you land in Antarctic Havn. The second half of the day you spend in this wide and extensive valley where you also could see groups of musk oxen. At this time of year the autumnal colors of the sparse vegetation make the landscapes even more beautiful. Intriguing geo-politics played out here in the early 1930s between Norway and Denmark.
At Danmark Ø find the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned around 200 years ago. The circular ‘tent rings’ of stones indicate the summer houses, while the winter houses can be seen closer to a small cape. The sites are well preserved, allowing entrances and even bear-proof meat caches to be identified. There are also grave sites. During the afternoon you sail along the east side of Milne Land with numerous huge icebergs all around.
You land near Sydkap in the morning for the spectacular views. Arctic hare are often seen in this area. During lunch get a glimpse of the entrance to Nordvestfjord in Scoresby Land. Here you encounter huge icebergs, some over 100m high and more than a kilometer in length. Most of the bergs are grounded as the fjord is only about 400m deep here.
Land at Ittoqqortoormiit, the biggest settlement in the Scoresby Sund with about 500 inhabitants. At the post office you can buy stamps for your postcards, or just wander around to see the sledge dogs and the drying skins of seal, musk ox and polar bear.
In the morning you land on the south coast of Jameson Land near Kap Stewart at a lagoon, an area with waders and geese collecting for the autumn migration. The landscape here is gently undulating. Musk oxen and collared lemming survive on the meager vegetation. Further inside Hurry Inlet you may take a walk near the head of the fjord and take a walk near one of the rivers terminating here. You may opt to do an excursion near Hareelv and climb J. P. Kochs Fjeld. In this area they found the fossils of the link between fish and amphibians in the lower Cretaceous. You spend the night at anchor off Constable Pynt.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$6,280
Select a Date
Triple Private Porthole
Main deck, upper and lower berths, private bath facilities and porthole.
Select a Date
Twin Private Inside
Lower deck, upper and lower berths, inside cabins with private bath facilities.
Select a Date
Twin Private Porthole
Lower deck, upper and lower berths or two lower berths, private bath facilities and porthole.
Notes
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy.
- Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.7 times the double occupancy rate.
- Children between the ages of 3-15 receive a 40% discount in triple cabins, one child per cabin.
- Due to the extreme nature of itinerary destinations, travel insurance is mandatory for all cruises aboard the Rembrandt Van Rijn - including medical, accident and repatriation/evacuation insurance.
Initial deposit is 25% cruise cost, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
This was my first experience with Adventure Life - and I couldn't have been more pleased with the trip. The guides and local staff in both Buenos Aires and Uruguay were terrific - extremely helpful and accommodating. I really enjoyed meeting the friendly staff in Buenos Aires in person (I left my bags with them for the afternoon).
Karen Snider
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
