Board your flight in Norway and arrive in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. This remarkable little city is not only the northernmost town in the world (if one excludes the tiny research community of Ny-Ålesund, slightly further north on Svalbard) but also hosts the world's northernmost civilian airport, schools, bank, and supermarket. The town's rugged frontier edge belies a core of warm Nordic hospitality and coziness -hyggligt, as you say in Denmark!

Immediately after landing in Longyearbyen, you find yourself in a different world. You can feel the chilly Arctic breeze as soon as you step onto the tarmac, and the famous signpost outside the terminal reminds visitors how far north they are and to keep watch for bears! The snow-capped mountain Hjorthfjellet looms over the airport on the far side of Adventfjorden, and off in the distance, see the saw-toothed peaks and languid glaciers of northern Spitzbergen.

After arrival, board the awaiting Ocean Albatros. After your mandatory safety briefing and lifeboat drill, head onto the outer decks to enjoy a glass of champagne while watching your expedition vessel leave civilization behind and set an adventure course!

One of Europe's largest protected wilderness areas, North West Svalbard, was declared a national park in 1973. The area is famed for its history, which documents some of the earliest human arrivals on Svalbard. While Norse explorers may have sighted these icy shores during the Viking Age, the first definite arrival was the expedition of William Barents, the legendary Dutch explorer for whom the Barents Sea is named. While now protected from human disruption, when Barents arrived in 1596, he noted the vast numbers of whales and seals, soon prey to English and Dutch whalers, who came within a decade of Barents to pillage the area's wildlife. The area occupied the triple point between land, sea, and ice, and as such, was the perfect location to harvest the gentle giants of the oceans. Sites used to dismember whale carcasses and render them for their precious oil include the Dutch settlement of Smeerenburg, where the remains of 16th-century blubber ovens and building foundations can still be seen. Other sites, such as nearby Ytre Norskøya, record the darker side of this industrialized slaughter, where hundreds of young men who hoped to make their fortunes are buried thousands of miles from home. 

Today, all that remains from this period of history are bones and the scant remnants of human habitation. Slowly reclaimed by creeping Arctic nature, the region is now a nature lovers paradise. Tiny Arctic poppies and purple saxifrage defy the brutal conditions to flower in the summer, while geese, eider ducks, and other seabirds return to the island to raise their young. Walrus can be found hauled out on beaches, and you must always be on the lookout for wandering polar bears in this now-again wild region.

In the morning, cruise into the vast icy wilderness of northeastern Svalbard. This region does not receive the ocean currents that keep western Svalbard warm and wet, and thus, the environment is radically different, with rocky polar desert landscapes. Vast glaciers flow from the mountains into the sea, often choked with ice, even in summer. 

While it may appear barren, the truth is it is anything but. Hardy animals such as Arctic foxes eke out a living on these chilly shores, constantly on the lookout for prey. Hundreds of thousands of seabirds crowd on rocky ledges in the cliffs above the sea, carefully tending their precious eggs. While the area's coastal waters are cold, they are incredibly productive; shellfish are grown in abundance, and these, in turn, are preyed upon by walrus, which are common in the area. 

The exact locations you visit will depend on the sea, wind, and ice conditions in the area, which vary year on year and can change rapidly even in summer - this is the essence of polar exploration, moving with the rhythms of Mother Nature, and taking the opportunities to explore which she provides!

Now you reach some of Earth's northernmost pieces of land - the northern coasts of Svalbard, barren landscapes almost permanently beset by ice. With luck, you may reach the island of Nordaustlandet and hopefully the seven (or nine, depending on how you count) smaller islands of Sjuøyane in the far north of Svalbard. The almost vegetation-free, rocky islands are located around 1000 km more northernly than mainland Norway's famous Nordkapp.

Weather permitting, land and walk upon these most northern landmasses. The high Arctic islands are barren; only moss and lichens cover the stones. The birdlife is rich in this area, with flocks of grazing geese and some of the rarer gulls frequently seen on these islands. Bring your binoculars!

Start cruising towards the Arctic ice pack, stretching from Svalbard to the North Pole.

An icy breeze touches your exposed cheeks. The scent of snow and sea fills your nostrils. Sunlight reflects off the floating ice, illuminating the clouds overhead. Enter an environment like no other, the vast shape-shifting realm of floating ice that crowns the planet. The vast ever-changing ice pack to the north of Svalbard stretches from this already isolated archipelago to the North Pole and across the Arctic Ocean towards the northern shores of Chukotka and Alaska. 

The Arctic ice pack is one of Earth's most significant habitats, although unlike most, it varies hugely year on year, expanding in winter and retreating in summer. The location of the sea ice around Svalbard can also differ wildly. However, your Expedition Leader will work hard to maximize your chances of finding and exploring this impossibly remote environment. At first glance, this stark white wilderness seems barren, empty, and lifeless. This icy wilderness holds on to its mysteries, and wildlife sightings are at the whims of Mother Nature. With a bit of perseverance, however, the ice reveals its secrets.

As Ocean Albatros pushes through the narrow channels in the ice, tiny cod-like fish can be seen silhouetted against the ice in the clear water. Kittiwakes and Glaucous Gulls follow the vessel as it disturbs the water. Black dots appear further out on the ice; moving closer, they resolve into seals, basking on the ice. A plume of water reflects the sunshine - a pod of belugas perhaps, or maybe even the vast gentle bowhead whale crushing the ice from below as its massive body surfaces. There, beyond the banks of rucked ice - a yellowish dot pads along the ice, the head swinging from side to side: the King of the Arctic continues his never-ending quest for prey. This is the kingdom of the polar bear, the vast icy waste at the top of the world.

During the 'night' (what is a night when the sun never sets?), Ocean Albatros will have repositioned past the saw-toothed mountains of  Prins Karls Forland and arrived in magnificent Kongsfjord. Surrounded by craggy mountains, bounded by the magnificent Kongsbreen and Kongvegen Glaciers, and crowned by the Three Crowns (a set of pyramidal mountains said to represent the monarchies of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark), this is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and tranquil corners anywhere in the world. 

Your first landing will be at the small settlement of Ny Ålesund. Situated further north than Longyearbyen, Ny-Ålesund is Earth's northernmost settlement.

These islands' geographical location has made them the staging post for exploratory and scientific expeditions for centuries - a proud legacy that continues today. The setting is spectacular, and the scientific projects are as fascinating as the history of the town, which has hosted the Nobile, the Norge, and the Fram, Amundsen, Nansen, and Nordenskiöld, all legends of polar exploration who passed this lonely outpost seeking to push the boundaries of humanity. The remnants of these expeditions (such as the mooring mast of the Norge) can still be seen today.

During the evening, the Ocean Albatros will reposition to return to the port of Longyearbyen. Even this tiny town will feel like a metropolis after days of isolation in the wilderness of the Arctic! 

After enjoying exploring Longyearbyen and a fond farewell to the crew and fellow guests of Ocean Albatros.