Svalbard Adventure with M/S Quest 2024

• Day 1 - Longyearbyen, Svalbard

  We arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to our hotel.

• Day 2/8 - Expedition cruising

  Explore Longyearbyen on your own before meeting up your fellow travellers and guides for lunch. In the afternoon we embark the expedition ship and sail out through Isfjorden - the Arctic expedition has started! We are now in a part of the world where we are totally dependent on the ice and weather conditions. Our exact itinerary depends on these factors and on the wildlife we encounter. Our ambition is to head out on Zodiacs cruises every day and also go ashore when the opportunity arises. Here are some examples of places we may visit:

  Prins Karls Forland
  This narrow strip of land is covered by a magnificent and snow-covered mountain chain. The island is also home to many seabirds and harbour seals.

  Virgohamna, Danskøya
  Two of the most courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started on the island of Danskøya. Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon and American journalist Wellman started with an airship. There are still interesting remnants from these expeditions left on this site.

  Fantastic fjords
  Svalbard offers the visitor countless spectacular fjords. During our journey we will explore a few of them such as: Liefdefjorden, meaning “The fjord of love”, is lined with snow-covered mountain peaks and here we hope to cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pinkfooted geese nest in the area and if lucky we could see the rare king eider. In Krossfjorden we revel in the beautifully sculptured front of the 14th of July Glacier to the raucous greeting of the large number of kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots nesting on the nearby cliffs. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty – dominated by beautiful glaciers. It is also a favourite spot for seals and the bird cliffs are bursting with activity. The scientific village of Ny-Ålesund is situated in Kongsfjorden. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole.

  North of Spitsbergen
  North of Spitsbergen we might meet the edge of the pack ice. Not many ships venture here and we can marvel at the silence and grandeur of this icy landscape. We keep a lookout for the iconic wildlife.

  Southwest Spitsbergen
  The grand fjords of Hornsund offer spectacular glaciers and a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain peaks, often reaching above the clouds. On a clear day we can see the summit of the highest mountain Hornsundtind, measuring 1431 meters. Hornsund is a favourite haunt for some of Svalbard’s polar bears and bearded seals are often seen resting on the fjord ice.

• Day 9 - Longyearbyen

  In the morning we leave the ship in Longyearbyen and begin our journey home.

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.