BEST OF  SVALBARD

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

SEA SPIRIT

The Sea Spirit was built in Italy in 1991. She’s a very comfortable ice-strengthened, small (114 guests), all-suite expedition ship. The vessel was updated in late 2010 and had additional refurbishment in April 2017. All suites have private facilities and exterior views. Some of the suites feature private balconies for enjoying fantastic landscapes of Antarctica.

She has a fleet of ten rubber inflatable zodiac boats for landings, an experienced crew, and a set of retractable fin stabilizers for smooth sailing. This ship features an open bridge, 2 rear outdoor viewing areas, an outdoor viewing area at the front of the vessel, a bar, lounge, presentation room and dining area all lined with windows. There is also a gym on-board as well as a library and media centre.

Day 1 Longyearbyen, Norway

Welcome to Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Svalbard and starting point of our Arctic expedition! Be transferred from the airport to a quality hotel, which has been arranged is included in the price of the itinerary. You will then be free to explore the charming, walkable town centre. Enjoy an excellent dinner at one of Longyearbyen’s many delightful restaurants. If you are still awake at midnight, you will notice the sun has not set. In fact, the sun will not set for the entire duration of our time in Svalbard.

The next morning, after breakfast at your hotel, the morning is yours to enjoy Longyearbyen. Take in the views of icy fjords and glaciated mountains surrounding this historic former coal-mining town. Take advantage of shopping for souvenirs or some last-minute necessities.

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the pier to board the M/V Sea Spirit. Get settled in your spacious suite and explore the ship that will be your comfortable home during the extraordinary adventure to come. After the first of many delicious dinners on board, step out onto the open decks to admire the gorgeous scenery in 24-hour daylight as we pass through the wildlife-rich waters of Isfjorden.

Days 3 – 11 Svalbard & Polar Ice Edge

Western Spitsbergen contains Svalbard’s most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities. Your exact schedule and route will be shaped by the weather and ice conditions you encounter. Polar bears and other iconic Arctic animals can be spotted at anytime, anywhere.

One of the pristine natural areas on this itinerary is South Spitsbergen National Park, a vast region of varied landscapes including polar deserts and impassible mountain ranges. The centerpiece of this park is Hornsund, a picture-perfect fjord where countless mighty glaciers cascade from soaring mountaintops into icy inlets. At this time of year, you are sure to encounter fast ice—that is, sea ice that is fastened to the shore. This situation offers an excellent chance of observing polar bears on the hunt for ringed seals. The park also includes the southern shores of Bellsund, a picturesque bay where you can find the remains of historical whaling operations, including wooden boats, cabins and thousands of whale bones. This area also offers great hiking opportunities through landscapes rich with Arctic flora and birdlife, as well as fascinating geology.

Find deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain peaks and immense tidewater glaciers calving icebergs into turquoise waters in Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, the crown jewel of Svalbard’s scenic wonders. The whole area is alive with migratory Arctic seabirds. Witness the return of millions of murres, guillemots and little auks to the small islands, mountainsides and sea cliffs where they breed within the park. This is also a great area to encounter marine mammals, including various kinds of whales and Arctic seals. Set among this incredible scenery and wildlife activity, find evidence of Svalbard’s earliest sealers and whalers.

Your area of exploration also includes gorgeous Forlandet National Park. Here, you’ll find Prins Karls Forland, one of the best places in Svalbard to observe herds of walrus hauled out on land. Also along the route is North Isforden National Park, where you’ll have the chance to observe endemic Svalbard reindeer grazing and Arctic fox romping in lush tundra meadows.

Human habitation along the route can be found at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town and airship base that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world’s most northerly settlements where you can find a museum, gift shop and post office.

Your crew will also make a special effort to reach the edge of the polar pack ice. At this dynamic boundary between solid sea ice and open ocean, you will have an unparalleled opportunity to witness the dramatic interplay between polar bears and seals. The ship will be taken as close as is safely possible to the jumbled and constantly shifting ice floes in the hope of observing polar bears hunting in their preferred habitat.

Day 12 Longyearbyen

After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on board, disembark in Longyearbyen. Transfer to the airport or to the town center in case you plan to stay longer in Svalbard.