Arctic cruise spitsbergen greenland iceland

Viking Journey through the North Atlantic

  • Overview
    Explore Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland for an adventure that cannot be compared to anything else in this hemisphere. As we reach the least-visited national park in the world we might sail for days without seeing another vessel. The chances of meeting a polar wolf or a polar bear are far greater than meeting another human being. See the Arctic Crown of Norway - Svalbard After an overnight stop in Longyearbyen, the expedition starts by taking you through the magnificent North West Spitsbergen National Park. The area is home to big inland glaciers and an alpine landscape, full of spectacular contrasts; lush areas, naked moraines, rocky ridges and glaciers that plunge into the sea. Kongsfjorden and Magdalenefjorden impress with their dramatic landscapes and interesting history. At 78º 55' N you visit Ny Ålesund, one of the world’s northernmost year-round communities and an advanced High Arctic research station. Sailing for days without seeing other people or vessels As we start sailing along the coast of Greenland, the splendid isolation of the journey begins to take hold. Once in the fjords of North East Greenland, your sense of distance, size and shape of landscapes will be challenged. These are the largest fjords in the world. The surrounding alpine landscape, with hanging glaciers and dramatic vertical granite walls, stretches as far as the eye can see. All along our route, we will go ashore to explore the wilderness. You can also participate in activities and excursions such as kayaking and hikes. Our last call in North East Greenland is the most isolated town in Greenland; Ittoqqortoormiit. For up to nine months of the year, the town is cut off from the outside world. Our local guide will show you the sights, including a visit to the museum and the church as you discover this unique settlement on foot. "The Saga land" We explore the west region of Iceland, often called “The Saga land”. The Snæfellsnes peninsula is sometimes referred to as Iceland in a nutshell. Dotted with towns and villages, mountains, bird cliffs, saga sites and hiking trails – it is truly a world of unique experiences.
    Duration: 14 days
    Passengers: 330 passengers
    Embarkation Point: Oslo, Norway
    Disembarkation Point: Reykjavik, Iceland
    Physical rating: Soft Adventure
    Fly/Cruise: Mandatory extra flight
    Single Supplement: 0.0x twin rate or share options
  • Itinerary
    • Day 1 - Oslo/Longyearbyen

      Departs Oslo for Longyearbyen.

      Norway's capital Oslo is often referred to as "the blue, the green and the city in between". Forests, lakes, hills and a fjord surrounds this city. Downtown you will find unique architecture, a thriving cafe and bar culture, top-notch restaurants, endless shopping possibilities, and a large and visible immigrant community who add their own colourful touch to the city. You leave Oslo in the evening, heading for the High Arctic - Svalbard.

    • Day 2 - Next to the North Pole: Embarkation Day

      Location: Longyearbyen

      The Svalbard Islands are located in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between Norway and the North Pole. In the midst of this mighty wilderness, is the Norwegian settlement of Longyearbyen. After an overnight stay in one of our hotels, you join an excursion to learn more about this remote area before embarking the MS Spitsbergen.

    • Day 3 - Fjords and glaciers

      Location: North West Spitsbergen National Park

      The first national park we visit covers the northwest corner of Svalbard. The area is characterised by enormous inland glaciers and a landscape of contrasts, both lush pastures and barren moraines. We continue into Kongsfjord and Magdalenefjord, offering spectacular scenery and interesting history. At 78º 55’ N, we visit Ny-Ålesund, the starting point for numerous expeditions towards the North Pole in the old Days. Today it is home to an advanced High Arctic research station.

    • Day 4 - Looking for wildlife from deck

      Location: At sea

      Within the Svalbard Archipelago, there are about 3,000 polar bears – far more than the human population and probably one of the largest polar bear concentrations on Earth. That said; polar bears are solitary animals with no set colony or living area. They roam to wherever they can expect to find food. While there are no guarantees of sighting these top predators, the more eyes scouting through binoculars, the better chance we have of spotting the King of the Arctic. The polar bear is a marine mammal, so we are most likely to observe one close to or even in the water. Whenever close to drift ice, we will look carefully, because there is a chance that a polar bear uses this ice floe as a platform when at sea.

    • Day 5/10 - The least-visited national park in the world

      Location: North East Greenland National Park

      As we arrive in the largest national park in the world, the splendid isolation of this journey begins to take hold. Apart from some abandoned trapping stations, a weather station and the traditional Sirius sled patrol, there are no traces of humans here. Within the borders of North East Greenland National Park there are only about 30 souls that overwinter. In the very short summer season, when the waters around are not frozen, only 500 expedition guests visit the park.

      Once inside the fjords of North East Greenland, your sense of distance, size and shape of landscapes will be challenged. These are the largest fjords in the world and the alpine landscape, with hanging glaciers and vertical granite faces reach as far as the eye can see.

      As well as wildlife like musk oxen, arctic fox, hare and wolf, we may see a variety of sea birds. And remember, where there is ice, there might be polar bears! We will call on the very isolated research station, Danmarkshavn. Sailing into fjords like Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord or Alpefjord is an unforgettable experience. The majority of our landings are performed as pure wilderness expeditions. We might meet the Sirius Patrol (The Danish Navy) that supervises the park using traditional methods, like mushing dogs. Before the Danes acquired sovereignty of this area, the Norwegians claimed it. A natural place to attempt a landing is Myggbukta (Mosquito bay), where the legendary Governor of North East Greenland had his base. Our expert guides and lecturers will safely lead you on hikes and small boat trips in addition to giving briefings and lectures about the places we explore.

    • Day 11 - The most isolated settlement in Greenland

      Location: Ittoqqortoormiit

      In Ittoqqortoormiit you can visit the museum, church and a photo exhibition, or explore on your own. The trappers living in this town are the only people that are allowed to hunt within the North East Greenland National Park. You will probably see that they are drying animal skins and storing their dog sleds outside their houses.

    • Day 12 - Lectures and wildlife spotting

      Location: At sea

      As we leave Greenland, we sail towards the western coast of Iceland. This is an excellent Day to attend to lectures and prepare for our return to “civilisation”.

    • Day 13 - Iceland in a Nutshell

      Location: Stykkíshólmur

      As we reach the west region of Iceland, you will understand why this area is dubbed “The Sagaland”. Take your time to explore Stykkishólmur’s diversity with lava and rock formations, glaciers, volcanic activity, and hot and cold springs. Participate in a range of exciting excursions such as kayaking, hiking and horse riding.

    • Day 14 - The world’s northernmost capital: Disembarkation

      Location: Reykjavik

      Iceland's capital offers visitors a rich urban life. Relatively close to Reykjavik you will find glaciers, waterfalls, geysers and mountains. Reykjavik itself hosts fine restaurants, museums and shops. We will arrive in the morning hours, and this is where our voyage ends.

    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

    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.

    Dance Under the Aurora Borealis

    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.

  • Inclusions

    Expedition Cabin

    Expedition with cabin grade of your choice on a full board basis.

    Charter Flight (Oslo-Longyearbyen)

    Your voyage includes 1 x economy flight between Oslo and Longyearbyen to arrive at the ship.

    Hotel in Longyearbyen

    One hotel night in Longyearbyen before the voyage, including breakfast and lunch and time to explore this quaint city.

    Hotel to ship transfer

    Transfer from hotel to ship including an excursion in Longyearbyen.

    Inclusions / Exclusions

    Included in your Expedition

    Not included in your Expedition

    - Travel insurance (mandatory)
    - Gratuities
    - Optional excursions and activities.
    - Luggage handling
    - International airfare
  • Map
    Screen shot 2017 07 05 at 2.02.21 pm
  • Gallery
  • Vessel

    MS SPITSBERGEN

    MS Spitsbergen is named after the crown jewel of Arctic Norway – the Spitsbergen archipelago. Hurtigruten has a long history of travelling to Spitsbergen, beginning in 1896 with the `Sports Route´. MS Spitsbergen cruises along the Norwegian coast from September to May, and becomes part of our global Explorer sailings during the rest of the year. The ship features high technical standards as well as comfortable, modern public areas and cabins. The vessel´s fresh Scandinavian design reflects a colour palette derived from the sea. She is modern and environmentally progressive, and we plan further improvements that will reduce emissions and fuel consumption even more. The new ship’s maneuverability and optimal size make her quite suitable for exploring polar waters.

    Features & Facilities
    • Explorer bar
    • Panoramic lounge – Explorer lounge
    • Compass Service Centre
    • Brygga bistro Shop
    • Torget main dining
    • Wi-Fi
    • Sauna
    • Fitness room
    • Lift
    • Jacuzzi
    • Guest launderette
    • Panoramic deck 8
    • Outside bar for events on decks 7 & 8
    Key Facts
    Luxury star rating: 4
    Guests #: 335
    Crew #:
    Ice Class: 1C
    Speed: 14
    Refurbished:
    Technical Specs
    Year built:
    Length: 100m
    Width:
    Draft:
    Tonnage: 7
    Registry:
    Elec Outlets: 220V / 2 Round 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.
ms spitsbergen polar outside cabin

Polar Outside

05 Aug 2018 - 18 Aug 2018
Our Polar outside cabins are situated mostly on the middle or lower deck and all have bathrooms with shower/WC. Most have double beds, while others offer separate beds (one of which is a sofa bed) or upper and lower berths. All the cabins have individual specifications. Note; this cabin category has sub-cabin categories available. Please check at the time of enquiry for the exact cabin category and pricing.
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ms spitsbergen polar inside cabin

Polar Inside

05 Aug 2018 - 18 Aug 2018
Our cosy Polar Inside cabins can be found on all decks. All cabins include bathrooms with shower/WC. Most of the cabins have double beds, while some are equipped with separate beds where one doubles as a sofa or upper and lower berths. All the cabins have individual specifications. Note; this cabin category has sub-cabin categories available. Please check at the time of enquiry for the exact cabin category and pricing.
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ms spitsbergen expedition suite cabin

Expedition Suite

05 Aug 2018 - 18 Aug 2018
Our Expedition suites are the most luxurious cabins on the ship. Situated on the upper deck of the ship, the cabins feature seating areas with TV, bathrooms with shower/WC, and all with double beds. The suites also provide complimentary cabin kits, with bathrobe, slippers and other toiletries and beauty articles. Some of the suites have more facilities than others. Note; this cabin category has sub-cabin categories available. Please check at the time of enquiry for the exact cabin category and pricing.
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ms spitsbergen arctic superior cabin

Arctic Superior

05 Aug 2018 - 18 Aug 2018
Relaxation and comfort are the hallmarks of our Arctic superior cabins. Situated on both the upper and middle decks, the cabins all have double beds, bathrooms with shower and WC. They are also equipped with tea and coffee-making facilities. All the cabins have individual specifications. Note; this cabin category has sub-cabin categories available. Please check at the time of enquiry for the exact cabin category and pricing.
USD$ $POA
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