JUNE 15 - Welcome to Longyearbyen

Your Arctic adventure begins in Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard. It’s an easy flight from Oslo with morning and afternoon arrival options.

Longyearbyen is the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. This former mining town, now a hub for Arctic exploration, offers a unique blend of history and natural beauty. 

Check into the Svalbard Hotel Vault on your own and spend the rest of your day exploring.  Don't miss a stroll along the waterfront, where you can watch boats bobbing in the harbor and catch glimpses of the mountains rising in the distance.  Town highlights include the wood paneled parish church and the Svalbard Museum, which showcases the region's rich history. 

Overnight: Svaldbard Hotel Vault (I night)

JUNE 16 – Expedition Cruise Begins, Embark from Longyearbyen        B/D

After breakfast, we’ll transfer our bags to the pier where our cruise staff can tag it to be taken to our ship. It will be placed in your cabin prior to your arrival. We should have some free time to explore the wonderful harbor area before group can board our vessel. We’ll need to be aboard well before 4pm before the spectacular MS Hondius sets sail.

You’ll have a hearty welcome by the crew with introductions followed by a full briefing of your 8-day program. You’ll want to be on deck as the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage. In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

Overnight: Hondius

JUNE 17 – 22:   SPITSBERGEN'S  NATURAL BEAUTY, WILDLIFE, AND PACK ICE                     

This voyage will take you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen. Places we might visit include the following:

Raudfjord – On the north coast of Spitsbergen, you can enjoy this expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears.

Monaco Glacier – Depending on the weather and sea ice, we could sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this precipitous 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 us from sailing here early in the season, we may sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen.

Highlights of Hinlopen – We aim to 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 Lomfjord 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, we may attempt a landing on Nordaustlandet. Here we may see reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses. We can take an alternate route if ice prevents entry into Hinlopen.

The Seven Islands – The northernmost point of the voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet at Chermsideøya or Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands. Here we may 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.

Sailing the continental shelf – While retracing our route west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, we 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.

Forlandsundet, St. Johns Fjord, or Alkhornet – Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet at Sarstangen or Poolepynten. Alternatively, we 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.

Overnight: Hondius

JUNE 23:  There and back again                    B

All good things must come to an end. We say goodbye to the Hondius in the morning and disembark in Longyearbyen. Spend your final hours in this unique town, perhaps visiting the Svalbard Museum again or exploring the local shops and cafés. In the evening, bid farewell to your ship and companions, carrying with you memories of a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the heart of the Arctic wilderness.

Transfers to the Longyearbyen airport will be arranged through the Hondius.

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