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Day 1 - Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; Embarkation Day
We board Polar Pioneer in the late afternoon and sail down magnificent Isfjorde.
IMPORTANT: The voyages departing 19 AUG 2018 & 17 AUG 2019 travels in reverse and will embark in Reykjavik, Iceland and disembark in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.
Day 2/3 - Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen’s northwest coast features calving icebergs, historic whaling stations and trappers’ camps. Brunnich’s guillemots, little auks and kittiwakes nest in their thousands. Reindeer roam tundra dotted with wildflowers like saxifrage, moss campion and bell-heather. Zodiac to gain fantastic views of ice cliffs, including Monacobreen, one of Spitsbergen’s largest glaciers. In the north, we look for walrus and possibly polar bears.
Day 4/5 - Greenland Sea
Crossing the Greenland Sea, our expert naturalists and guest lecturers entertain us with fascinating talks on plants, animals and early explorers like Nansen, Andrée and Scoresby. We keep an eye out for fin whales, encroaching sea ice and seabirds. Relax and prepare for a landing, if conditions permit, on Greenland’s northeast coast, home to polar bear, Arctic hare and musk oxen.
Day 6/8 - Exploring Greenland
An ice cap covers 81 per cent of Greenland and pack ice, even in summer, may fill northern bays. Ashore, cosy trappers’ huts beckon from across the tundra, where musk ox, Arctic hare and eider ducks roam in Kejser Franz Josef Fjord. Lively cascades at Kap Humboldt provide a microclimate for spectacular hanging gardens. Kong Oskar Fjord offers spectacular glacier-carved mountains.
Day 9/11 - Scoresby Sund
In Scoresby Sound, the world's biggest fjord system, massive glaciers calve explosively, creating giant icebergs. Near Rode Island, our Zodiacs weave through a maze of grounded icebergs, some more than 30 metres high, sculpted with deep green tunnels and aquamarine lakes. Enjoy a warm Ittoqqortoormiit welcome from Inuit happy to share their culture.Our kayakers find ideal paddling conditions, winding their way through interconnected waterways, watching for polar bears and narwhals.
Day 12 - Greenland Coast
Sail south along the Blosseville Coast, search for musk ox and narwhals and marvel at the mountain scenery that dominates the skyline. If weather permits, we head for Rømer Fjord, a deep waterway with stunning mountain views.
Day 13 - Denmark Strait
We sail across Denmark Strait, reflecting on our rich experiences and enjoying the antics of northern fulmars, black-backed gulls, dolphins, orcas and other whales.
Day 14 - Iceland; Disembarkation
Arrive early morning in Keflavik. After breakfast, bid farewell to Polar Pioneer crew before your coach transfer to Reykjavik.
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.
The experience of sea kayaking in the humbling wilderness of Antarctica or the European Arctic is guaranteed to stir your soul. Paddle between brash ice and icebergs of all shapes and sizes, skim past penguin rookeries or under soaring bird cliffs, or drift quietly as you watch wildlife unobtrusively, absorbing the majestic scenery.
All of our expeditions and itineraries offer fantastic photography experiences, however on selected expeditions we offer specialised photography programs and workshops. Whether it be sitting quietly in the middle of a penguin rookery, visiting quaint historic sites or enjoying the thrill of a breaching whale or a polar bear on pack ice, there is an overwhelming number of opportunities to snap to your heart’s content!
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.
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.
Sailing deep into Scoresby Sund, towering mountains and unforgettable landscape make for a dramatic couple of days. However, it is icebergs on a grand scale that are sure to impress us the most. Scoresby Sund icebergs are often some of the most dramatic and intricately shaped, set against Greenland’s incredible mountains, there are few landscapes like this!
Complimentary custom-designed polar expedition jacket and use of gumboots during voyage
POLAR PIONEER
The legendary MV Polar Pioneer is a strong, capable veteran expedition ship loved by guests and expedition leaders for her capability in ice and her small size with a proven track record exploring the remote polar regions over the last 19 seasons.
Her new Scandinavian owners are currently doing an extensive refit upgrading her to today’s standards and she will be ready for the 2022 Arctic season.
She benefits from taking just 48 guests on an authentic expedition adventure free from the crowds of larger vessels. All guests can fit in the Zodiacs at the same time ensuring there is no waiting to go ashore and all guests can explore at the same time.
The MV Polar Pioneer was built in Finland in 1982, and the ship was originally an ice-strengthened research vessel with ice class 1A Super, which is perfect for navigation in polar regions with heavy sea ice.
She can transit open water crossings with ease and comfort due to the integrated dynamic water ballast system, which guarantees a great reduction of rolling in heavy seas. Her ingenious stability system works marvellously also during the zodiac’s loading/unloading operations or while sitting at anchor. As a result, the Polar Pioneer is one of the most stable vessels currently in operations in the Polar regions.
| Luxury star rating: | 3 |
| Guests #: | 52 |
| Crew #: | 20 |
| Ice Class: | 1A |
| Speed: | 14 |
| Refurbished: | 2000 |
| Year built: | 1982 |
| Length: | 71m |
| Width: | 13 |
| Draft: | 4 |
| Tonnage: | 1753 |
| Registry: | Cyprus |
| 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.
