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First views of Baffin Island

Northwest Passage to Newfoundland: Glaciers, Mountains, and Wildlife

Calgary - St. John - Example 16 Day Cruise aboard Ultramarine
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Embark on a 16-day expedition cruise aboard the Ultramarine. This journey covers 2,500 nautical miles along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian High Arctic, then along the east coast of Baffin Island to Newfoundland and Labrador. Departs from Qausuittuq (Resolute) and explore remote areas, including key stops at Beechey Island, Icy Arm Fjord, Qikiiqtarjuaq, Cape Mercy, Torngat Mountains, L’Anse aux Meadows, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and St. John’s. Additionally, this expedition offers a comprehensive exploration of the remote Canadian wilderness, including Nunavut, Newfoundland, Labrador, and Nunatsiavut.
Graves of Franklin expedition members on Beechey IslandViking settlement, Anse-aux-MeadowsLighthouse and rocky shoresCaribou on the Arctic tundraPangnirtung FjordFirst views of Baffin Island
Highlights
  • Explore the fascinating Western Canadian city of Calgary, home of the Calgary Stampede
  • Discover the historic sites and tragic story of Sir John Franklin's Northwest Passage expedition
  • Experience the vastness and wildlife of Tallurutiup-Imanga (Lancaster Sound) National Marine Conservation Area
  • Witness the stunning and remote Icy Arm Fjord on Baffin Island
Activities
Places Visited
Activity Level: Variable
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive in Calgary, Alberta

Arrive at Calgary International Airport and make your way to your included hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore this fascinating Western Canadian city—home of the world-famous Calgary Stampede—which mixes cosmopolitan flair with cowboy charm.

Day 2: Fly to Qausuittuq (Resolute) | Embark

This morning, catch your flight to the northern gateway of Qausuittuq (Resolute) in Nunavut, where you start your adventure in the middle of the legendary Northwest Passage. Transfer to your ship by Zodiac or helicopter, depending on ship location and weather conditions. 

Qausuittuq (Resolute), located on the southern shores of Cornwallis Island, means "the place with no dawn" in Inuktitut. This name, unsurprisingly, refers to the 24-hour winter nights that occur in this remote northern region.

The timing of this expedition, however, is aptly positioned to take advantage of the late summer and early fall ice conditions, which make Quasuittuq accessible while at the same time welcoming the setting sun high above the Arctic Circle. Upon departing Qausuittuq, your ship will navigate through Tallurutiup-Imanga (Lancaster Sound). This 320-km waterway and the surrounding lands are extremely rich in wildlife and history, both indigenous and European. The Inuit and their predecessors have been home in this domain for thousands of years.

Day 3: Tallurutiup-Imanga (Lancaster Sound)

Today, head to the western end of Devon Island, on the north side of Tallurutiup-Imanga, and go ashore at wind-swept Beechey Island, home to Beechey Island Sites National Historic Sites. These sites, maintained by Parks Canada, tell the story at least the part that's not still shrouded in mystery-of Sir John Franklin's much-chronicled 1845-46 expedition to explore the Northwest Passage.

The island is small, only 2.5 kilometers at its widest point, but its shores are steep and rise to a flat plateau 244 meters high. That's where Franklin and his crew of 128 men spent the winter after embarking from England aboard their two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The ill-fated 1845-46 expedition— to navigate and chart the Northwest Passage— ended in tragedy for all 129 men and their two vessels.

What happened to Franklin and his men is the stuff of legend —but also the focus for several search expeditions over the years, which discovered bodies, personal belongings of crew members, and handwritten notes that suggested starvation, deaths from hypothermia, scurvy, and lead poisoning from the tinned food supplies. Accounts by Inuit suggest the crew split up into small groups and subsequently perished. What is known for certainly is that no one survived.

The graves of three officers from HMS Erebus- John Hartnell, William Braine, and John Torrington-were discovered in 1851. You can have an opportunity to visit their graves and honor the memory of the entire Franklin crew who braved massive challenges to explore the Northwest Passage.

Franklin's story is an integral part of the history of Arctic exploration.

The wrecks of Erebus and Terror were discovered in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

Day 4: At Sea

Continue your exploration of Tallurutiup-Imanga, which, in 2017, became the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area (Lancaster Sound National Marine Conservation Area). At 109,000 square kilometers, it's the largest marine-protected area in Canada. Keep your binoculars ready to view the diverse wildlife that inhabits these waters, especially when out on deck. Upon leaving Tallurutiup-Imanga, the ship heads into the Davis Strait, which separates Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and forms part of the historic Northwest Passage. Clear skies later in the evening herald the promise of a spectacular display of the Northern Lights. Prepare to be awestruck.

Day 5: Bafffin Island Fjords and Heli Flightseeing

This is a fascinating day as you become one of the few travelers to explore the stunningly majestic Icy Arm Fjord, which cuts almost 80 kilometers deep into northern Baffin Island.

Accessible only by water in summer months when the sea ice recedes, this rarely-visited fjord is known for its unrivaled landscape of towering cliffs and stunning glaciers. It is valued as much for its sheer remoteness as its singularly pristine environment. Icy Arm Fjord is the epitome of unspoiled Arctic wilderness. You may observe polar bears, Arctic foxes, seals, walruses, guillemots, kittiwakes, and other Arctic-dwelling birds.

Excitement grows on Day 5 as Ultramarine's two twin-engine helicopters are made ready for Heli Flightseeing excursions. Prepare to view the remote Arctic terrain from the seat of a helicopter camera at the ready. It's also an excellent day for Zodiac cruises, which offer guests a sea-level intimacy with the surrounding lands and waters.

Day 6: At Sea

Cruising along the east coast of Baffin Island, particularly from the middle of the island to the southern tip, brings into sharp perspective the sheer vastness of the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest in the world. Day 6 is an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the features of your ship, including the fitness center, spa, and library. Any surplus time between expert-led polar presentations and delicious meals is perfect for editing digital photos.

Day 7: Qikiqtarjuaq

Qikiqtarjuaq, fondly called Qik, is a small, primarily hamlet-populated by Inuit — north of the Arctic Circle on Broughton Island, off the east coast of Baffin Island. Known as the iceberg capital of Nunavut, Qikiqtarjuaq is located at the northern entrance to the mountainous Auyuittuq National Park, which is home to narwhals, bowhead and orca whales, polar bears, seals, and migratory birds. Community visits, arranged in collaboration with the local partners, enable guests to learn about local culture and purchase art and traditional handicrafts, such as parkas, boots, and local art when available.

Day 8: Cape Mercy

History buffs will enjoy a visit to Cape Mercy, an isolated cove at the southern tip of Cumberland Sound in Nunavut.

Cape Mercy was named by British explorer John Davis, who sailed through this part of the Arctic in 1585. Fast-forward several centuries to the 1950s when Cape Mercy was chosen as the site of a Distant Early Warning Line (DEW) installation, which was part of a system of radar stations set up during the Cold War to detect nuclear attacks.

Today, Cape Mercy, accessible by water, offers modern-day travelers the chance to experience the splendid isolation of the Arctic with no sign of civilization in sight. You can join a guided hike to a glacier-carved freshwater lake on Cape Mercy. Make sure you bring your camera for this off-ship excursion.

Day 9: At Sea

There are plenty of activities on board Ultramarine for your at-sea days. You can relax and rejuvenate in the sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, book a soothing treatment in Tundra Spa, visit the fitness center, practice yoga, or deepen your Arctic knowledge by attending one of the expert-led presentations on geology, wildlife, history, glaciology, or botany, among other polar subjects.

Day 10: Torngat Mountains National Park

Today's wilderness adventure into Torngat Mountains National Park has left you awestruck. Within the 10,000 square-kilometer national park, established in 2008, are Canada's highest mountains east of the venerable Rockies. The park is a wilderness landscape painting brought to life breathtaking fjords, dramatic glacial formations, stunning landscapes, and wildlife. Torngat Mountain National Park is significant for students of Indigenous history: the park is located at the northern edge of autonomous Nunatsiavut territory, recognized as the homeland of the Labrador Inuit in 2005, with its constitution and administration.

These lands have been home to the Nunatsiavut and their predecessors for over 7,500 years. Torngat, in Inuktitut, means "place of the spirits," which reflects the spiritual significance of the region to the Inuit communities. As a national park, this wilderness domain protects boreal woodland caribou, black bears, Labrador wolves, red and Arctic foxes, polar bears, and peregrine falcons, among other species.

You can have incredible opportunities to explore this national wilderness area during helicopter, Zodiac, and kayaking excursions and guided hikes.

Day 11-12: At Sea

As you continue sailing, take note of the ever-changing landscapes and scenery throughout your 2,500-nautical-mile voyage. You have progressed from a pristine tundra environment in the Arctic, then down along the rocky, big-walled coast of Baffin Island, to the wind-battered coastal forests of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Day 13: L'Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site

As you sail toward L'Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site on the northern tip of Newfoundland, consider the differences between modern and ancient marine vessels. Today, you're comfortably ensconced on the state-of-the-art Ultramarine, a beautifully designed ship with helicopters, quick-launch Zodiacs, a sauna and spa, dining areas surrounded by glass, high-tech presentation spaces, cabins with the best of amenities, and a wide array of exciting off-ship adventure options. Then consider the wooden longboats that transported the Vikings an incredible 2,180 kilometers from Greenland to Newfoundland in 1000 AD. Today, visit the archeological remains of where they landed in their hand-hewn vessels. L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site) is North America's only confirmed Norse or Viking settlement.

Enjoy a guided tour to see where Norseman Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, is believed to have founded "Vinland" (the East Coast area including what would later be known as Newfoundland) around 1000 AD. Explore the reconstructed sod huts and Norse ruins throughout the historic site-proof that Vikings discovered North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus's much-chronicled arrival.

Day 14: At Sea

Enjoy another evening of kitchen party music performed by the guest artists. If you haven't already, seize the opportunity when the musicians take a break to inquire about the various musical traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly the origins of kitchen party music. Also, spend time with the expedition team, polar experts with vast expertise always eager to share.

Day 15: Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Experience the traditional culture of France during your visit to the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This small archipelago, only 20 kilometers from Newfoundland, is the only French territory on the North American continent. Disembark in the colorful and vibrant port town of Saint-Pierre, where you can stroll along the seaside, sample French patisseries, and enjoy the café scene. Get a taste of Europe where you least expect it.

While Europeans have been on the tiny archipelago since the early 17th century, the islands are the traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq, the Indigenous people who first appeared in Atlantic Canada 10,000 years ago. The Mi'kmaq culture thrives throughout Eastern Canada.

Day 16: St. John | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
Your ship arrives at the pier in St. John's for a morning disembarkation. After breakfast, you may connect with your homeward flight to St. John's International Airport.

Ship/Hotel

Ultramarine

Ultramarine

Ultramarine

The Ultramarine is designed with an ice rating of 1A+, PC6, making it one of the most capable polar exploring vessels on the planet. Equipped with two twin-engine helicopters, Ultramarine offers the most robust portfolio of adventure activities in the industry, the most spacious suites in its category, breathtaking public spaces, and more outdoor wildlife viewing spaces than other expedition ships its size.
Ultramarine
Ultramarine Dining Room
Bistro 487

Calgary - Hotels

Hotel Clique

Hotel Clique

Located 5 minutes from the Calgary International Airport (YYC), this modern hotel offers modern stylish accommodations, vibrant dining, a 24-hour airport shuttle, two rooftop hot tubs, conference facilities, and a fully-equipped fitness center.
Ramada Hotel Downtown Calgary

Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Calgary Downtown

Enjoy the excitement of downtown at our Ramada Plaza Calgary Downtown hotel. The hotel is conveniently within walking distance to the Telus Convention Centre and a block from the C-train with efficient access to the BMO Convention Centre, Calgary Stampede Park, Calgary Zoo, and many more Calgary attractions.

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Deals

Save up to 20% on Arctic 2025 22993
Book your Arctic 2025 cruise now and enjoy up to 20% savings. This offer is valid only for new bookings, subject to availability, and not combinable with other discounts. Additional restrictions may apply. Please contact us for details.
Applies to Sep 18, 2025 departure
Triple Bonus Offer 26755
Embark on the adventure of a lifetime with these bonuses!
Take advantage of this limited-time offer triple bonus event before you set sail:
  1. $1,500 USD Flight Credit
    • Use this credit toward flights to your gateway city
    • Applicable on select departures in Arctic 2025 and Antarctic 2025 - 2026
    • Promo Code: FLIGHTUSD, FLIGHTEUR, FLIGHTGBP, FLIGHTAUD, FLIGHTCAD
  2. Free Charter Flight and Hotel Package
    • Enjoy a charter flight to the ship with fellow passengers following a hotel night in a vibrant gateway city
    • The cost of the charter and flight hotel package will be waived for select departures in Arctic 2025 and Antarctic 2025 - 2026
    • Offer is only applicable on voyages with existing charter flights and hotel packages
    • Promo Code for Ultramarine Antarctic departures only: TRSFUSD, TRSFEUR, TRSFGBP, TRSFAUD, TRSFCAD
  3. Free Priority PassTM
    • Relax in style with two free visits per passenger to airport lounges offering food, drinks, spa treatment, and more.
    • Promo Code: PRIOPASS
Book by March 31st, 2025, to secure these amazing perks! Offer applies to new bookings only. Additional restrictions may apply. Please contact us for details.
Applies to Sep 18, 2025 departure
Per person starting at
$13,195 2-3 travelers
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
Ultramarine - Solo Panorama Cabin
Solo Panorama
Located on Deck 6, approximately 132 sq. ft. Features a single bed, floor-to-ceiling window, desk, refrigerator, TV, a private bathroom with shower and heated floors.
Ultramarine - Explorer Triple Cabin
Explorer Triple
Located on Deck 3, approximately 285 sq. ft. Features three single beds (two of which can be combined into a double bed), sitting area, picture window, desk, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom with shower and heated floors.
Ultramarine - Explorer Suite Cabin
Explorer Suite
Located on Deck 3, approximately 285 sq. ft. Features one double or two single beds, sitting area with sofa bed, picture window, desk, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom with shower and heated floors.
Ultramarine - Balcony Suite Cabin
Balcony Suite
Located on Decks 4 and 6, with approximately 226 sq. ft. Features one double or two single beds, sitting area with sofa bed, private balcony, desk, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom with shower and heated floors.
Ultramarine - Deluxe Balcony Suite Cabin
Deluxe Balcony Suite
Located on Decks 4 and 6, with approximately 299 sq. ft. Features one double or two single beds, sitting area with sofa bed, private balcony, desk, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom with shower, bathtub and heated floors.
Ultramarine - Terrace Cabin
Terrace Suite
Located on Deck 6, with approximately 350 sq. ft. Features one double or two single beds, sitting area with sofa bed, private extra-wide balcony, desk, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom with shower, bathtub and heated floors.
Ultramarine - Penthouse Suite Cabin
Penthouse Suite
Located on Deck 7, with approximately 369 sq. ft. Features one double or two single beds, sitting area with sofa bed, private balcony, desk, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom with shower, bathtub and heated floors.
Ultramarine - Owner's Suite Cabin
Owner's Suite
Located on Deck 6, with approximately 446 sq. ft. Features one double or two single beds in a private bedroom with walk-in closet, sitting area with sofa bed and additional closet, private balcony, desk, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom with shower, bathtub and heated floors and separate powder room.
Ultramarine - Ultra Suite Cabin
Ultra Suite
Located on Deck 6, with approximately 563 sq. ft. Features one double or two single beds in a private bedroom with walk-in closet, sitting area with sofa bed and additional walk-in hallway closet, private balcony, refrigerator, TV, private bathroom.

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.

- Standard Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.7 times the double occupancy rate. The supplement for a Premium Cabin is 2 times the shared rate.
Included
  • 15 Breakfasts, 13 Lunches, 14 Dinners
  • 15 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Coffee, Tea and Cocoa Available Around the Clock
  • Leadership throughout the expedition by our experienced Expedition Leader
  • Loan of Waterproof Boots for Landings
  • Official Expedition Parka to Keep
  • Photographic Journal Documenting the Expedition
  • All Miscellaneous Service Taxes and Port Charges Throughout the Program
  • All Zodiac transfers and cruising per the daily program
  • Emergency Evacuation insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of USD $500,000 per person
  • All shore landings as per the daily program
  • Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping
  • All meals, snacks, soft drinks and juices on board throughout your voyage
  • All luggage handling aboard the ship
  • Complimentary beer, standard wines, and spirits, as well as cocktails during bar service hours and dinner
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi service on one device permitting basic Internet browsing, email, posting on social media and voice applications. (Premium packages are available for more data intensive applications.)
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Passport and Applicable Visa Expenses
  • Government arrival and departure taxes
  • Internet & Phone Charges
  • Excess baggage charges
  • Mandatory Waterproof Pants for Zodiac Cruising & Any Other Gear Not Specifically Mentioned
  • Arrival and departure transfers, except where explicitly stated
  • Adventure Options not listed in Included Activities
  • Mandatory Transfer Package fees not included, prices vary by departure
  • Canadian eTA required for non-Canadian or U.S. visa-exempt passengers
  • Arrival and departure transfers in Calgary and St. John’s

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