sea spirit three arctic islands cruise

Three Pearls of the Arctic

  • Overview

    This unique voyage departs from Reykjavík, Iceland and finishes in Longyearbyen, an Arctic settlement on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. First we explore the scenic Vestfirðir (Westfjords) of Iceland and call at the historic port of Ísafjörður. We then cross the Arctic Circle on our way to the rarely visited island of Jan Mayen. After stopping at Jan Mayen we continue to Spitsbergen in the renowned High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. We explore the fjords on the west side of the island in search of polar bears and other iconic wildlife. We complete the Arctic experience by enjoying stunning scenery and visiting places rich with polar history.

    Duration: 12 days
    Passengers: 114 passengers
    Embarkation Point: Reykjavik, Iceland
    Disembarkation Point: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
    Physical rating: Soft Adventure
    Fly/Cruise: Cruise only
    Single Supplement: 1.7x - 2.0x twin rate or share options
  • Itinerary
    • Day 1 - Reykjavík, Iceland

      Welcome to Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland and starting point of our expedition. After arriving via scheduled commercial flight service, you are free to explore this fascinating city. Reykjavík is home to a wealth of cultural institutions including 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. Your hotel for the night has been arranged by us and is included in the price of the voyage.

    • Day 2 - Reykjavík, Iceland; Embarkation Day

      In the afternoon, we welcome you aboard the luxury expedition ship M/V Sea Spirit. Explore the ship and get comfortable in your home away from home for the extraordinary adventure to come. Savor the anticipation of your Arctic dreams coming true as we slip our moorings and sail out of the harbor.

    • Day 3 - Westfjords, Iceland

      Our expedition day in the Westfjords area reveals the rare beauty of the part of Iceland where mass tourism disappears – only about 10% of Iceland's visitors ever see the region. Taking advantage of every weather favorable condition, we choose the best places to discover breathtaking coastal fjords, jagged bird cliffs, and tiny fishing villages embracing traditional ways of life.

    • Day 4 - Grimsey Island, Iceland

      The tiny island of Grimsey lies exactly on the Arctic Circle. Grimsey is remarkable for majestic basalt rocks and bird colonies where one can see the Atlantic puffins, known also as the "clowns of the sea".

    • Day 5 - Jan Mayen Island

      Jan Mayen hosts the landscapes of breathtaking beauty and northernmost subaerial active volcano on the planet – the Beerenberg. The island is wild and uninhabited not including members of Norwegian weather station. The signboard at the entrance door says (translated from the Norwegian): “Theory is when you understand everything but nothing works. Practice is when everything works but nobody understands why. On this station, we combine theory and practice in a way that nothing works and nobody understands why”. Northern fulmars, Kittiwakes, and Brünich’s guillemots breeding on steep cliffs and slopes represent the birdlife of Jan Mayen.

    • Day 6 - At sea

      The lectures of our invited speakers prepare us for meeting with the unique Arctic wildlife and awesome landscapes of Spitsbergen.

    • Day 7/12 - Exploring Spitsbergen

      This is a real expedition in a true High Arctic wilderness. As such, our route and exploration opportunities here are heavily dependent on the weather and sea ice conditions we encounter. Our 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 will be taken of the circumstances presented to us by Nature in this wild and remote corner of the Arctic.

      Polar bears and other quintessential Arctic wildlife can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and around Svalbard. We exploit every opportunity to experience excellent wildlife viewing, to discover incredible scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of the historic polar expeditions that came before us.

      We anticipate exploring the spectacular fjords, coasts, and islands in the western part of Svalbard. 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 walrus and a wide variety of whales. The whole area is alive with migratory birds, including numerous rare species, taking advantage of summer’s fecundity in 24-hour daylight.

      To complete the Arctic experience we also explore places rich with history. Our area of exploration contains the historical remnants of whaling camps, coal mining operations, trappers’ cabins, staging areas for historic attempts to discover the North Pole, and even an abandoned polar research station.

      Human habitation in this area can be found only at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world’s most northerly settlements, complete with museum, gift shop, and post office.

      The days are filled with memorable excursions, sumptuous meals, presentations by our experts, and enough stunning scenery and wildlife to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions.

    • Day 13 - Disembarkation in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen

      After breakfast we say farewell in the town of Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Norwegian territory of Svalbard. We provide a transfer to the airport or to the town center if you wish to spend more time here. In this case, be sure to see the excellent Svalbard Museum and take advantage of quality shopping and dining opportunities in this fascinating Arctic settlement.

    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.

  • Adventure Activities

    Photography

    The Polar Regions are perhaps the most photogenic on earth, with countless beautiful scenes presenting themselves every day. Endless expanses of ice, beaches crowded with seals or penguins, sunsets over unbroken horizons, starlit skies, and even the majestic northern lights – they all present fantastic photographic opportunities – and in order to make sure that you come home with some spectacular images we offer you the chance to learn and practice your photography alongside an experienced professional.

    Included

    Kayaking

    The islands and fjords of the High Arctic closely guard some of the world’s most unique and magical sea kayaking opportunities. Experience calving glaciers in Svalbard, cathedral-like icebergs in Greenland, or labyrinthine expanses of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, all from our sturdy and stealthy sea kayaks. Join us for an unscripted kayaking adventure as we explore rugged coastlines and remote waters that very few people have ever paddled.

    Sea Kayak Club is typically offered on voyages that include High Arctic destinations such as Greenland, Svalbard (Spitsbergen), Franz Josef Land, or a combination of these thrilling places.

    USD$ 445 per person

    Endless Arctic nights

    Svalbard is the Arctic North as you always dreamed it existed. This wondrous archipelago is a land of dramatic snow-drowned peaks and glaciers, of vast icefields and forbidding icebergs, an elemental place where the seemingly endless Arctic night and the perpetual sunlight of summer carry a deeper kind of magic. One of Europe's last great wildernesses, this is also the domain of more polar bears than people, a terrain rich in epic legends of polar exploration.

    The Polar Bear

    To many people, the polar bear is the Arctic. The sight of such an impressive silky white bear wandering the frozen Arctic seas in search of seals symbolizes the cold, isolated nature of the Arctic so well. Polar bears are marine mammals because they spend so much of their lives away from land. In the high Arctic where there is always some sea ice to travel on, polar bears range over ice floes in the pack ice hunting seals all summer. In some areas (e.g. southern Hudson Bay, southern Svalbard) they are simply forced to come ashore. Polar bears rarely venture inland.

  • Inclusions

    Expedition Gear

    Expedition boots and a custom designed polar expedition jacket are provide on your voyage.

    Transfers & Accommodation

    Transfers to the ship on the day of your embarkation are included to your pre-cruise hotel. Transfers at the end of your voyage are provided to a central location.

    Inclusions / Exclusions

    Included in your Expedition

    - All accommodation and meals on board
    - Hot beverages
    - All excursions and lectures (subject to weather conditions)
    - Welcome and farewell cocktails
    - Port fees
    - Comprehensive pre-departure information
    - Digital voyage log
    - Emergency evacuation insurance to a maximum of USD$150
    - 000 per person

    Not included in your Expedition

    - Internet / Wifi & Phone
    - Beverages
    - Visa & Passport fees
    - Gratuities
    - Laundry
    - Mandatory waterproof gear not provided
    - Baggage / cancellation / interruption and medical travel insurance
    - International airfare
  • Map
    Screen shot 2017 07 05 at 2.01.21 pm
  • Gallery
  • Vessel

    SEA SPIRIT

    Like some of the birds we see in the Arctic and Antarctica, our m/v Sea Spirit is migratory and follows the sun, northbound in the summer and southbound in the winter, always ready for spontaneous discoveries – a pod of whales, a family of polar bears or a glaciated mountain vista. She is highly maneuverable and capable of navigating the narrow fjords of East Greenland and entering the small bays of Spitsbergen. Onboard, we create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for all our guests. They are united by one goal – to have a memorable wilderness experience and to become real polar adventurers. We believe that first-hand travel to such places makes one an ambassador for conservation, and helps strengthen our resolve to protect these natural environments for future generations. Providing spacious suite accommodation of 114 passengers the Sea Spirit at the same time features maneuverability and friendly atmosphere of small ships. The vessel has an ice-strengthened hull, a fleet of Zodiacs, and a set of retractable fin stabilizers for smoother sailing.

    Features & Facilities
    • Luxury accommodation
    • Bar
    • Lounge
    • Presentation Lounge
    • Open Bridge Policy
    • Gym.
    Key Facts
    Luxury star rating: 4
    Guests #: 114
    Crew #: 72
    Ice Class: 1D
    Speed: 15
    Refurbished: 2017
    Technical Specs
    Year built: 1991
    Length: 90m
    Width: 15
    Draft: 4
    Tonnage: 4200
    Registry: Bahamas
    Elec Outlets: 110V / 2 Flat Pin
Check Voyage Dates, Pricing and Availability
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Ready to book your expedition?

We understand that the trip of a lifetime takes planning, so we make the financial commitments easy to manage.

  • Confirm your booking today with just USD$ 1,000 per passenger.
  • Pay your 25% deposit 5 day later.
  • Final payment due 120 days prior to departure.

Triple Suite

16 Jun 2023 - 27 Jun 2023
A genorous Suite with 3 x lower berths and private facilities
USD$ 5,572pp
USD$ 5,572pp

Main Deck Suite

16 Jun 2023 - 27 Jun 2023
A genorous Suite with twin or king bedding and private facilties
USD$ 7,748pp
USD$ 7,748pp

Classic Suite

16 Jun 2023 - 27 Jun 2023
A genorous Suite with twin or king bedding and private facilties
USD$ 8,292pp
USD$ 8,292pp

Superior Suite

16 Jun 2023 - 27 Jun 2023
A genorous Suite with twin or king bedding and private facilties
USD$ 8,428pp
USD$ 8,428pp

Deluxe Suite with Balcony

16 Jun 2023 - 27 Jun 2023
An extremely comfortable Suite with twin or king bedding, private facilities and a balcony
USD$ 9,448pp
USD$ 9,448pp

Premium Suite with Balcony

16 Jun 2023 - 27 Jun 2023
An extremely comfortable Suite with twin or king bedding, private facilities and a balcony
USD$ 10,332pp
USD$ 10,332pp

Owner's Suite with Balcony

16 Jun 2023 - 27 Jun 2023
Among the most sough after Owner's Suites.
USD$ 13,324pp
USD$ 13,324pp