North Spitsbergen, In search of Polar Bear & Pack Ice

The best opportunity to spot the King of the Arctic

Cruise route
Title: North Spitsbergen, In search of Polar Bear & Pack Ice
Dates:
Tripcode: PLA03-23
Duration: 7 nights
Ship: m/v Plancius
Embarkation: Longyearbyen
Disembarkation: Longyearbyen
Language: German language assistance, English speaking voyage
Important: Kayaking is an optional activity
More about:
 
Itinerary
PLEASE NOTE:

All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with AECO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of our vessel is 10.5 knots.

Start your North Spitsbergen cruise with a trek around historic Longyearbyen, then join our expedition to the north of the island to take in the fantastically beautiful landscapes, the thousands of seabirds, and of course the star of the show, the polar bear.

Day 1: Largest town, biggest island

You touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plant have been recorded in it. In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

Sailing to Raudfjorden, on the north coast of Spitsbergen, you take in an expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline of this fjord also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears.

Depending on the weather, you could sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of the precipitous Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent sailing here early in the season, an alternate route along the west coast of Spitsbergen can be implemented.

Today you sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, and polar bears. At the entrance there is even the possibility to spot blue whales. After cruising among the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in the Zodiacs, you can view the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with their thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopen Strait, you may attempt a landing on Nordaustlandet. Here reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses are likely sights. You can take an alternate route if ice prevents entry into Hinlopen.

The northernmost point of your voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, in the Seven Islands. Here you reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, so the ship may park for several hours among the pack ice before wheeling around west again.

While retracing your route west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, you sail the edge of the continental shelf. Here fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones (where cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below the sea’s surface) that run along the Spitsbergen banks. At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, you have a good chance of sighting minke whales.

Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet, your next stop. Alternatively, you might sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation. You arrive in Longyearbyen later at night.

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You disembark in Longyearbyen, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

m/v Plancius

The ice-strengthened vessel Plancius is an ideal vessel for polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic. Full ship info »

ACTIVITIES YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN

Kayaking

Cabins & Prices

Quadruple Porthole

  • 1 porthole
  • 2 upper & lower berths
  • Private shower & toilet
  • Desk & chair
  • Flatscreen TV
  • Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
  • Hair dryer
  • Ample storage space
  • Safe deposit box
  • This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin

Complete cabin

12000 USD

Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.

16000 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Sharing berth

3000 USD

Share your cabin with others for the best price

4000 USD

Sorry, berth is not available

Triple Porthole

  • 1 porthole
  • 1 upper berth & 2 lower berths
  • Private shower & toilet
  • Desk & chair
  • Flatscreen TV
  • Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
  • Hair dryer
  • Safe deposit box
  • Ample storage space
  • This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin

Complete cabin

12600 USD

Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.

16800 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Sharing berth

4200 USD

Share your cabin with others for the best price

5600 USD

Sorry, berth is not available

Twin Porthole

  • 1 porthole
  • 2 lower berths
  • Private shower & toilet
  • Desk & chair
  • Flatscreen TV
  • Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
  • Hair dryer
  • Safe deposit box
  • Ample storage space

Complete cabin

8400 USD

Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.

11200 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Single cabin

7140 USD

Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).

9520 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Sharing berth

4200 USD

Share your cabin with others for the best price

5600 USD

Sorry, berth is not available

Twin Window

  • 1 window
  • 2 lower berths
  • Private shower & toilet
  • Desk & chair
  • Flatscreen TV
  • Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
  • Hair dryer
  • Safe deposit box
  • Ample storage space

Complete cabin

9100 USD

Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.

12100 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Single cabin

7735 USD

Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).

10285 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Sharing berth

4550 USD

Share your cabin with others for the best price

6050 USD

Sorry, berth is not available

Twin Deluxe

  • 2 windows
  • 2 lower berths
  • Private shower & toilet
  • Desk & chair
  • Flatscreen TV
  • Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
  • Hair dryer
  • Ample storage space
  • Safe deposit box
  • These cabins are corner cabins and are slightly more spacious than the normal twin porthole/window cabins

Complete cabin

9600 USD

Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.

12800 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Single cabin

8160 USD

Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).

10880 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Sharing berth

4800 USD

Share your cabin with others for the best price

6400 USD

Sorry, berth is not available

Superior

  • 2 windows
  • 1 double bed
  • 1 sofa bed
  • Private shower & toilet
  • Desk & chair
  • Flatscreen TV
  • Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
  • Refrigerator
  • Coffee & tea maker
  • Hair dryer
  • Safe deposit box
  • Ample storage space

Complete cabin

10900 USD

Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.

14600 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available

Single cabin

9265 USD

Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).

12410 USD

Sorry, cabin is not available
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