Our Circumnavigation of Svalbard being a cruise, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that we spent much of our time around water. The two weeks we spent abroad exposed us to a new Ocean (the Arctic) and three new seas (the Norwegian, Barents, and Greenland Seas). Large bodies of water aside, however, it surprised me to see just how much water surrounded me at any given time. Whether it was the glacial ice which was served in our cocktails or the gentle mist that surrounded the ship in the early mornings, the presence of water was a big aspect of our trip.
Our guides were delighted when Svalbard was dusted with the first snow of the season – transforming the islands from summer to early winter in a matter of hours. The large and imposing fronts of glaciers seemed to crop up regardless of which direction I looked, and the rain that seemed to reluctantly fall down as we sailed our way north only heightened our moods as the temperature dropped with it.
At our highest point, the MV Sea Spirit reached 81 degrees north - about 500 nautical miles from the North Pole. We reached this latitude after a day of sailing– leaving behind the jagged peaks of Svalbard in search of the Arctic ice shelf. Due to tricky ice conditions, the ship never reached the shelf but what we did find were its reaching tendrils as they stretched across the sea. We had reached the frozen top of the planet – and I shivered more from excitement than the cold as the earth’s horizon curved more and more.
Even though the pieces of ice surrounding the ship surely pale in comparison to the shelf from which they came, I marveled at the size of them as they went by. At one point, Molly leaned over the railing to get a better view of a particularly large berg and, after much consideration, rose her head with a very serious question on her mind: “how many elephants do you think it would take to sink it?”
Unfortunately, we’ll never know.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.