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Plancius

The Plancius accommodates up to 108 passengers in 53 passenger cabins all with private ammenities. Built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy, she sailed for the Navy until 2004 when she was used as an expedition vessel. Offering a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3, a spacious observation lounge with large windows and a bar on deck 5 and a library on deck 5there is no shortage of places to relax. There are large open deck spaces on the Plancius, especially on Deck 4 with full walk-around possibilities for optimal wildlife spotting and enjoying the scenery. The Plancius carries 10 Mark V zodiacs, with 40 HP 4-stroke outboard engines and 2 gangways on the starboard side, guaranteeing a swift zodiac operation. Whilst the Plancius is comfortable and well equipped, the focus is on spending as much time on shore as possible.

Day 1 Narsarsuaq

We arrive by plane from Copenhagen at Narsarsuaq and board the ship, preparing to start our Greenland adventure. In the evening we visit Bratthalid, where Erik the Red lived about a thousand years ago.

Day 2 Lichtenau

Today we reach Lichtenau, a lovely though nearly deserted Greenlandic village, where the Herrnhuters had a mission in the 18th century and where some of their large German-style buildings still remain. We will then try to get to Uunartoq, where we can bathe in a large hot spring surrounded by icebergs. Across at Vagar, we find the remains of a Norse homestead.

Day 3 Prins Christian Sund

Our eastward passing of Prins Christian Sund is surrounded by mountains of over 1,000 meters and is one of the highlights of the voyage. We will try to make a landing at the small village of Augpilaqtoq, where we can still meet some hunters of the area. As an alternative, we may make a landing at Svaerdfiskens Havn.

Day 4 Fjords and Glacier Fronts

Sailing northward in the East Greenland Current, we aim for Igutsait Fjord or Napassorsuaq Fjord. Both feature glacier fronts and small icebergs, where an isolated population of polar bears was once found hunting seals.

Day 5 Abandoned Settlements

Today we land at Tingmiarmit, seeing an abandoned Greenlandic settlement and remains of Thule houses at the north side of the island. Deep into the Tingmiarmiut Fjord, we are again in the area where polar bears hunt seals among the drifting glacier ice.

Day 6 Skjoldungen

Next we visit Skjoldungen, one of the most spectacular fjords of southeast Greenland. Our aim is to land at Qornoq, where we’ll see houses from the Thule culture, then visit Mariedal and a beautiful valley where Greenlanders used to collect berries in autumn.

Day 7 Umivik

We sail to today’s landing at Umivik, where the explorer Fridtjof Nansen ascended the Greenland ice sheet. Here you may even be able to walk a short distance in his steps.

Days 8 and 9 Sail Denmark Strait

As we sail in Denmark Strait on our way to Iceland, the going can be rough. But be sure to spend some time on deck looking for migrating whales, seabirds, and the magical lightshow of the aurora borealis.

Day 10 Keflavik

We return from our adventure with memories that will last a lifetime, arriving at the Icelandic port town of Keflavik.