Enjoy a guided tour of Spitsbergen’s colourful capital of Longyearbyen. Embark Polar Pioneer late in the afternoon, and enjoy a warm welcome from our expert expedition team.
Arctic autumn conditions offer you the opportunity to explore rarely visited northern isles of Svalbard. Pack ice opens up to allow us to attempt landings in some of the farthest reaches of the archipelago, including the outer islands of Nordaustlandet, Storøya and Kvitøya. As we sail past spectacular ice caps and dramatic calving glaciers, we’ll keep watch for walrus haul-outs, flocks of ivory gulls and polar bears hunting on pack ice. We’ll step ashore to explore the orange-coloured tundra and venture even deeper into the Arctic!
Day 1 - Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; Embarkation Day
Enjoy a guided tour of Spitsbergen’s colourful capital of Longyearbyen. Embark Polar Pioneer late in the afternoon, and enjoy a warm welcome from our expert expedition team.
Day 2 - Spitsbergen's northwest coast
Awaken in the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park - the rugged north-west corner of Svalbard’s largest island, Spitsbergen. Alpine peaks and glacier valleys dominate the landscape which is home to reindeer, walrus and Arctic fox. We’ll cruise past spectacular sea-cliffs, watching as the last of the season’s seabirds take flight, and explore the region’s calving glaciers such as Smeerenburg on Amsterdam Island and discover the remains of ancient whaling stations at Ytre Norskøya.
Day 3/4 - Nordaustlandet north coast
Our captain steers Polar Pioneer northeast to reach the coast of Svalbard’s second largest island, Nordaustlandet - a polar desert rich in geological wonders. We’ll traverse the northern coastline, landing ashore for tundra walks amongst the autumn-hues in search of wildlife like reindeer and walruses. If weather and ice permits, we hope to attempt landings or cruises at Sjuøyane (The Seven Isles), the most northerly point of the Svalbard archipelago (and Norway) and home to a large colony of walruses and frequented by roaming polar bears. We also hope to explore the magnificent 40 kilometre fjord at Rijpfjord.
Day 5/6 - East of Nordaustlandet
We continue across the top of Nordauslandet towards Svalbard’s most easterly islands, Kvitøya and Storøya (also the most easternmost part of Norway), and aim to take a spectacular Zodiac cruise around Karl XII Island – Norway’s second-most northern point – on route . Over the next two days weather and ice will dictate our journey as we head further north into the thickening pack ice in search for polar bears and walrus as they hunt and haul-out on the ice and keep watch for the elusive and elegant ivory gull.
Day 7/8 - South of Nordaustlandet
Completing our circumnavigation of Nordaustlandet, we’ll head north through the Hinlopen Strait. Along the way we may take a Zodiac cruise around Austfonna, an impressively large ice cap with one of the longest glacier fronts in the northern hemisphere. We'll also Zodiac cruise under the impressive sheer cliffs of Alkfjellet, the summer nesting ground of thousands of birdlife as well as explore Isisøya by Zodiac, and make a landing at Murchisonfjorden, both of which are steeped in rich history and amazing scenery.
Day 9/10 - Spitsbergen north & west coasts
Returning along the stunning north-western Spitsbergen coast, we keep an eye on ice and weather conditions and make as many landings as possible. Possible landing spots include Woodfjord, Liefdefjord, Krossfjord and Kongsfjord.
Day 11 - Spitsbergen; Disembarkation Day
We cruise down Isfjorden and return to Longyearbyen, where we disembark from our journey.
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.
Kayaking in the far-flung corners of the world is an experience guaranteed to refresh your soul. Paddling in small groups, you'll glide between ice floes, brash ice and icebergs dotted with wildlife.
All of our expeditions and itineraries offer fantastic photography experiences, however on selected expeditions we offer specialised photography workshops with our expert photography guides.
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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.