Your adventure begins in the town of Tromsø, nicknamed “The Paris of the North.” Here the hundred-year-old two-mast schooner, Noorderlicht, is waiting in the harbor. You have time to explore the town that evening.
Day 1 - Paris of the North
Your adventure begins in the town of Tromsø, nicknamed “The Paris of the North.” Here the hundred-year-old two-mast schooner, Noorderlicht, is waiting in the harbor. You have time to explore the town that evening.
Day 2 - In Search of Whales
Early in the morning, you depart from Tromsø. The itinerary depends largely on the weather conditions, the amount of daylight during the voyage, and the expected location of the whales. Therefor you might sail clockwise or counter clockwise around the island of Senja.
Day 3/6 - Whales of the Shelf
You spend the next several days along the north coasts of Senja and Andfjorden, areas where many whales have been spotted in recent years. Orca, humpback, and sperm whales are all possibilities here. Near Andenes, along the edge of the continental shelf, whales dive particularly deep to feed on giant squid. You may also see white-tailed eagles, one of the largest birds of prey in Europe, vying for their share of the herring. In the afternoon you find a place for the night in one of the scenic fishing villages nearby, such as Skrolsvik, Andenes, Gryllefjorden, or Sommarøy. Once the sun has set, you can make small hikes along the coast – and maybe even catch sight of the aurora.
Day 7/8 - Under the Northern Lights
Continuing your circumnavigation of Senja, you sail to the small island of Sommarøy. Here there are good opportunities to see the northern lights as well as embark on pleasant hikes. You spend the last morning of the cruise exploring the island’s small bays and white beaches. You can even climb the 211-meter-high (692 feet) Mount Hillesøya, the summit of which affords panoramic views of the rugged coastline. That afternoon you sail back to Tromsø. After spending the night on board, you disembark the following day with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
Please consider that our voyages are expeditionary in nature. This means, that there are no concrete itineraries, your captain and expedition leader will utilise their vast experience to chart the best course for your expedition depending on the climatic and environmental conditions. Mentioned highlights and wildlife cannot be guaranteed.
On board our Arctic expedition voyages there is always someone on board with eyes peeled for whales. The experience ship crew will always position the ship in the most respectful manner to achieve the best whale sightings.
Unlike the Antarctic, not all the whales species in the Arctic migrate, some indeed call the Arctic home. Sightings are possible during the early season voyages right through until the end of the season. There is a great opportunity in the Arctic to see Blue, Fin, Orca, Minke, Humpback and potentially the elusive Greenland whale.
The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere.
Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN
S/V ‘Rembrandt Van Rijn’ was built as a herring lugger early last century. The vessel was rebuilt as a three-mast passenger sailing schooner in he Netherlands in 1994 and sailed in Spitsbergen (1994 – 1996) and in Galápagos (1998 - 2001). The vessel underwent a complete rebuilding and refurbishment program until 2011. The communication and navigation equipment has been completely renewed according to the latest SOLAS regulations. The ship is well suited for expedition cruising among small islands and offer good open deck viewing areas, also when under sail. The 2 inflatable rubber crafts (zodiacs) enable landing and wildlife viewing opportunities in otherwise inaccessible areas. The Rembrandt van Rijn measures 56 meters in length (168 ft.), 7 meters in width and has a draft of 2,5 meters. The maximum speed on engines is 9 knots. It has an experienced crew of 12 persons on board including 2 tour guides. The ship can accommodate a maximum of 33 passengers in 16 cabins. 1 Triple Private cabin (with shower and toilet and porthole), 6 Twin Private Inside cabins (with shower and toilet, no porthole), 9 Twin Private cabins (with shower and toilet and porthole).
Luxury star rating: | 3 |
Guests #: | 33 |
Crew #: | 12 |
Ice Class: | |
Speed: | 9 |
Refurbished: | 2011 |
Year built: | 1924 |
Length: | 56m |
Width: | 7 |
Draft: | 2 |
Tonnage: | 435 |
Registry: | Vanuatu |
Elec Outlets: | 220V / 2 Round Pin |
We understand that the trip of a lifetime takes planning, so we make the financial commitments easy to manage.