Across the Top of the World

You arrive in Seattle, known as the Emerald City, on the Pacific coast of the United States. If you arrive early, explore the city at your own pace. Visit Olympic Sculpture Park for views of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains, or explore Pike Place Market, a lively market with food, bars, buskers, and fishmongers. You spend the night in Seattle before your connecting flight to Alaska the following day.

You take an early flight from Seattle to Nome, Alaska, where your expedition ship awaits. Explore Nome and see evidence of its Gold Rush history, including abandoned dredges, old steam engines, and railroad tracks. You can also learn about the town’s connections to Wyatt Earp and Roald Amundsen. After boarding the ship and collecting your complimentary expedition jacket, check out your cabin, meet the Expedition Team, and explore the ship.

Science and wildlife watching at sea

As you navigate the Beaufort Sea towards Amundsen Gulf, which is the gateway to the Northwest Passage, these days at sea provide the perfect opportunity to prepare for the adventures ahead. 

 Immerse yourself in the onboard Science and Education program and learn about topics such as wildlife, glaciology, and local history with your Expedition Team. You also gain authentic insight into Inuit culture and heritage with the onboard Cultural Ambassadors. Their stories reveal the Inuit people’s profound connection to the land, shaped by generations of tradition and resilience. 

Keep an eye out for bowhead and grey whales as you cross the Beaufort Sea to Point Barrow, the northernmost point of the United States. If sea ice is present, you may also see congregations of Pacific walrus on the ice floes.   

The highlights of this transit include: 

• The Bering Strait 
• International Date Line 
• Sailing Across the Beaufort Sea 
• Wildlife Watching 

Spend eight days exploring the Western section of the fabled Northwest Passage

Your excursions begin on Day 7 as you enter the Western Canadian Arctic. Over the next eight days, in this section of your voyage you transit through three distinct regions—Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon—and two traditional Inuit Territories—Inuvialuit and Nunavut. 

During your time here, you anticipate up to five days of shore excursions and four transit days. Excursion stops and local highlights you hope to be able to visit include: 

• Sachs Harbor
• Smoking Hills 
• Ulukhaktok 
• Coronation Gulf 
• Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq) 
• Gjoa Haven (Uqsuqtuuk) 

Navigate the dividing line between west and east

The “Rubicon” of the Canadian Arctic that divides west from east is the infamous Bellot Strait. This narrow body of water separates the northernmost part of mainland North America from Somerset Island, one of the largest islands in the Canadian Arctic archipelago.  

Bellot Strait is approximately 15 nautical miles long and just over half a mile wide at its narrowest point. Your ability to navigate this passage will be determined by ice and weather conditions.

Explore the eastern stretch of the Passage

On the eastern shores of Somerset Island, you find yourself in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. The main waterway of this area is Lancaster Sound (Tallurutiup Imanga), the eastern gate to the Northwest Passage. 

This chapter of your exploration is likely to be action-packed, with excursions planned on each of the five days you hope to spend in and around this area. Remember: all your excursion plans depend on the weather and ice, but conditions permitting, your days will be filled with excitement and discovery.  

Possible excursion stops and local highlights include:  

• Fort Ross 
• Prince Leopold Island (Appait) 
• Beechey Island (Iluvilik) 
• Croker Bay 
• Dundas Harbor 
• Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik)  

Watch for wildlife and get involved in Citizen Science

Leaving Nunavut behind, your expedition cruise continues to Greenland across Baffin Bay.  

While at sea, your Expedition Team continues to lead lectures on topics such as Arctic wildlife and the history of exploration in the region, and you can still take part in Citizen Science, such as the GLOBE Program, observing clouds to help scientists study your climate. You’ll also continue to learn about the cultures and traditions of the communities in Greenland with the onboard Cultural Ambassadors. 

Or if you prefer, simply take time to relax – enjoy a drink with fellow explorers, watch the world drift by from the hot tub, or soothe your body and mind in the sauna. 

Discover the magical beauty of Greenland

The final chapter of your journey encompasses the majestic coast of West Greenland.  

You will begin by sailing into Disko Bay—a haven for whales and seals. Over the next three days, you’ll experience some of the most iconic sites in all of Greenland. Your objectives include: 

 Ilulissat 
Nestled at the edge of the magnificent Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is Ilulissat. Here you’ll find an ever-changing gallery of passing icebergs set against a backdrop of colorful houses. In town, you can visit a multitude of shops selling local crafts, and on the outskirts, walking trails take you along the epic icefjord.  

 Sisimiut 
Sisimiut is Greenland’s second city and is situated in a spectacular location just above the Arctic Circle. This area has history spanning more than 4,500 years, and old traditions are alive and well.  

Learn more about ancient Saqqaq artifacts in the local museum, or stretch your legs on a hike.  If you're looking for a special souvenir, pick up a scarf, hat or mittens made of qiviut, the inner wool of the musk ox that’s said to be 10 times warmer than sheep’s wool.   

Evighedsfjord 
As you head north, you plan to offer an exploration day in the magical and pristine Evighedsfjord near Maniitsoq. Each day, you determine which adventures you can take part in. 

 The “Fjord of Eternity” is fed by an ice cap that calves huge icebergs into its 2,300 ft-deep waters. It's surrounded by mist-cloaked mountains with beautiful white ridges, punctuated by crystal blue ice caves.

End your voyage in colorful Nuuk, flight to New York

Today you arrive in Nuuk, Greenland’s colorful capital. It has a population of 18,000 and boasts a striking mix of old and new buildings. You explore this fascinating city, comparing the old buildings – such as Hans Egede House and Nuuk Cathedral – with the ultra-modern architecture of the Parliament of Greenland. From here, you'll catch a flight back to New York for the end of your expedition, taking with you a wealth of fantastic memories that will no doubt stay with you forever.