Arctic Odyssey

Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Svalbard and the starting point of the Arctic expedition. At the airport, staff provide a transfer to a hotel, which is included in the itinerary. The town center is compact and walkable, allowing for independent exploration.
The Svalbard Museum is a good starting point for learning about the region and offers polar books and maps for purchase. Dinner can be taken at one of the town’s restaurants. During this period, the sun does not set, remaining above the horizon even at midnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, the morning is free to explore Longyearbyen. Views of icy fjords and glaciated mountains surround this former coal-mining town. Shops offer souvenirs and cold-weather gear, though a personal parka and waterproof boots are provided on board the ship. Lunch options in town include pizza and kebabs.
In the afternoon, a transfer takes passengers to the pier to board the expedition vessel M/V Sea Spirit. Cabins can be settled into, and the ship can be explored. Once underway, briefings and introductions from the expedition staff take place. Dinner is followed by time on the deck to observe the surrounding scenery and wildlife under 24-hour daylight in Isfjorden.

Svalbard is a true High Arctic wilderness and this part of the voyage is a real expedition. The route and exploration opportunities here are heavily dependent on the weather and sea ice conditions you encounter. The experienced captain and expedition leader decide the itinerary and continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant. You can be sure that the best possible advantage is taken of the circumstances presented to you by Nature in this wild and remote corner of the Arctic.

Anticipate exploring the northwestern part of the island of Spitsbergen. This area contains the archipelago’s most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities. Deep fjords and narrow channels are flanked by jagged snowy mountain peaks. Immense tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into turquoise waters. Fields of flowering tundra are home to grazing reindeer and playful Arctic fox. Bountiful inshore and offshore waters are home to a wide variety of marine mammals. Polar Bears can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and around Svalbard.

Also in this area is Ny Ålesund, a former mining town that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers, complete with museum, gift shop, and post office. This was also a staging area for historic attempts to discover the North Pole.

From Svalbard, you head southwest across the Greenland Sea toward East Greenland. In these far northern latitudes it is possible to encounter sea ice any time of the year. All along the way you remain vigilant for sightings of marine mammals such as whales and seals.

This is expedition cruising at its most authentic. The itinerary and exploration opportunities in East Greenland are dependent on weather and sea ice conditions. Again you can be sure that the experienced captain and expedition leader take advantage of every opportunity to experience excellent wildlife viewing, to discover incredible scenery, and to go ashore wherever possible.

The Franz Josef Fjord and Kong Oscar Fjord systems are part of Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park. Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world. Anticipate exploring these fjord systems to the extent made possible by ever-changing ice conditions.

This whole area contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by ice-clad peaks up to 2000 meters high, reach far into the mountainous heart of Greenland. Tidewater glaciers create colossal icebergs that float with wind and tide throughout the fjord system. On shore, fields of multicolored tundra are home to musk oxen and Arctic hare. The landscape—vast, open, and seemingly untouched since the beginning of time—is a hikers’ paradise. Throughout this area you also find ancient Thule archeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and modern Inuit hunters’ cabins.

The Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit is the only permanent settlement in the region. The community boasts an excellent museum, a gift shop, a post office, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and of course the opportunity to meet Inuit people.

The days are filled with memorable excursions, sumptuous meals, presentations by the experts, and enough stunning scenery to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions. Each night brings new possibilities for incredible displays of aurora borealis—the Northern Lights. This is the perfect time and one of the world’s best places to experience this otherworldly celestial phenomenon.

After the amazing time in East Greenland you cross Denmark Strait toward Iceland, crossing the Arctic Circle on the way. Presentations and workshops by the expert staff, as well as the range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. Seabird viewing and whale sightings can be enjoyed from panoramic open decks as well as exterior stateroom windows and balconies.

The Vestfirdir (Westfjords) of Iceland is a sparsely populated region characterized by rugged mountains and a deeply indented, crenulated coastline. Despite its dramatic beauty, it receives only 10% of Iceland’s visitors. The deep fjords are home to whales, while estuaries abound with seals and rich birdlife.

After breakfast, say farewell in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland and ending point of the expedition. A transfer is provided to the airport or to the city center if you wish to spend another day or more in Iceland before flying home.

Reykjavík is home to a wealth of cultural institutions such as museums, galleries, and the Hallgrímskirkja church. Leisure possibilities inside the city include parks, gardens, and thermal baths. You can also take advantage of Reykjavík’s wide range of shopping possibilities, excellent dining options, and famous nightlife. And of course the entire country of Iceland is accessible through day tours or longer journeys by rental car. The options for additional adventures are endless!