Day 1: Start the Cruise in the Largest Town & Biggest Island
You touch down in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Stroll around this former mining town, with its fascinating attractions. In the early evening we will set sail out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.
Day 2: Route to Raudfjorden
Sailing to Raudfjorden, on the north coast of Spitsbergen, you take in an expansive fjord spilling with glaciers - and maybe even seals. The cliffs and shoreline of this fjord provides the possibility of seeing polar bears.
Day 3: The Massive Monaco Glacier
Depending on the weather, you could sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long face of the amazing 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.
Day 4: Highlights of Hinlopen
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 Lomfjordshalvoya in the Zodiacs, you can view the cliffs of Alkefjellet with their thousands of Brunnich'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.
Day 5: Stop at the Seven Islands
The northernmost point of your voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, in the Seven Islands. Here you reach 80 deg 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.
Day 6: Sailing the Continental Shelf
While we head west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales.West of Spitsbergen, you sail the edge of the continental shelf. At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, you have a good chance of sighting minke whales.
Day 7: Reindeer, Foxes, and So Many Seabirds
Walruses can be seen in Forlandsundet, your next stop. Alternatively, you might sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. This is a chance to see seabirds, arctic foxes, and reindeer. You arrive in Longyearbyen later at night.
Day 8: Departure Day
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.
