Norway Spitsbergen Polar Bears & Pack Ice Adventure Cruising Tour

Your Guides

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The best people to immerse you in a destination are the ones who live there, which is why we feature local Adventure Guides on our trips. Here are a few that you might meet on this adventure.

Rinie van Meurs

After a formal education in Forestry and Nature Conservation, Rinie traveled the world in search of wildlife. Early on in his career, he became hooked on the Arctic when found a job as a potato peeler aboard the "old" Plancius in Spitsbergen. Rinie has since become leading guide in the Polar region, logging more than 300 expedition cruises, from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands. Having spent so much time exploring the Arctic, he has encountered many Polar Bears and has published four books to share his passion about them. Give him a ship with the right ice class and Rinie will take you to see Polar Bears!

Birgit Lutz

Birgit changed her life from award-winning journalist to Arctic addicted adventurer in 2007, after a first voyage to the North Pole aboard the Russian icebreaker Yamal. She took up 'Circumpolar Studies' at the Canadian University of the Arctic and since then combines arctic voyages with writing. She has skied to the North Pole, across Greenland and spent several months living in the region of Ammassalik to learn from natives. These experiences inspired Birgit to initiate a project for the German Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, for which she collects data about marine anthropogenic pollution. She loves sharing her enthusiasm for the Arctic and is currently writing her fourth book on the region.

Laurence Dyke

Laurence grew up on the coast in Cornwall, UK, and was never far from the water and boats. His background is in geography with a special focus in glaciology, a choice inspired by seeing a glacier up close for the first time in the Austrian Alps. For the last 10 years he has worked in science, both in the UK and Denmark, seeking to understand how and why huge glacier systems change. Laurence first visited the Arctic in 2010 whilst undertaking research for his PhD and was immediately captivated by the wild landscapes of the high latitudes. His subsequent research has taken him on numerous expeditions to remote areas of Greenland, Svalbard, and Arctic Canada. 

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                    [Headline] => Arrive Longyearbyen
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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 plants 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.
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                    [Latitude] => 78.22 N
                    [Longitude] => 15.65 E
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                    [Headline] => Sail to Raudfjorden
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Embark for Raudfjorden, on the north coast of Spitsbergen. Take in the spectacular expanse of the fjord, bordered with glaciers and frequented by ringed and bearded seals. Hike the cliffs and shoreline, home to thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and polar bears.
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                    [Latitude] => 79.40 N
                    [Longitude] => 12.00 E
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                    [Headline] => Discover the Monaco Glacier
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Weather permitting, sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) face of the precipitous Monaco Glacier, a favorite feeding spot for kittiwakes, and hunting ground for polar bears. If weather is uncooperative, sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen as an alternate route.
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                    [Latitude] => 79.2354 N
                    [Longitude] => 12.3624 E
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                    [Headline] => Cruise the Hinlopen Strait
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Enter the Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, polar bears and blue whales. Cruise among the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in the Zodiacs, and view the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with their thousands of Brünnich\'s guillemots. If conditions permit, make a landing on Nordaustlanden on the east side of the Strait, to look for reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses.
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                    [Latitude] => 79.37 N
                    [Longitude] => 18.47 E
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                    [Headline] => Stop at the Seven Islands
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Get close to the North Pole at Nordaustlandet in the Seven Islands. Reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Park for several hours among the pack ice, watching for polar bears, before turning west again.
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                    [Latitude] => 79.48 N
                    [Longitude] => 22.24 E
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                    [Headline] => Sail on the Continental Shelf
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Retrace the route west, keeping watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland bowhead whales. Sail the edge of the continental shelf about 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, where fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones that run along the Spitsbergen banks. Scan the waters at the mouth of Kongsfjorden, for sightings of playful minke whales.
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                    [Latitude] => 79.00 N
                    [Longitude] => 11.40 E
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                    [Headline] => Voyage Back to Longyearbyen
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Watch for walruses in the approach to Forlandsundet, or sail into St. Johns Fjord or the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at the cliffs of Alkhornet, home of nesting seabirds. Enjoy views of Arctic foxes, searching for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer, grazing on the sparse vegetation. Arrive in Longyearbyen by evening.
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The trip comes to and end upon disembarkation in Longyearbyen, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
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    [ActivityHighlight] => You can expect 1 or 2 half-day shore excursions for each day depending on weather conditions. The guided excursions will vary from 1-3 hours walking, snowshoeing or zodiac. No previous experience is necessary for any of the offered activities.
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Accommodations

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Ice-strengthened and well-appointed polar expedition ships offer a comfortable and safe way to explore the Arctic. Enjoy healthy cuisine and wellness services onboard.

m/v Plancius

m/v "Plancius" was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy and sailed for the Dutch Navy until June 2004. The vessel was completely rebuilt as a comfortable passenger vessel in 2009. m/v Plancius accommodates 108 passengers. The vessel offers a restaurant/lecture room and spacious observation lounge with large windows, offering a full panoramic view. Its large open deck spaces (with full walk-around possibilities on deck 4), provide excellent opportunities to enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius is the first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel in the world, meeting the latest and highest Lloyd's Register standards for ice-strengthened cruise ships. The vessel offers high-quality accommodation for 170 passengers with one deck consisting of a large observation lounge and separate lecture room. Though elegantly designed in stylish décor, this vessel holds true to Oceanwide's distinctive cozy and informal atmosphere. The vessel employs a tough fleet of rigid-hull inflatable Zodiac boats that enable efficient access to shore and near-shore activities. Kayaks are also available.

m/v Janssonius

Janssonius is the sister vessel of Hondius, world's first-registered Polar Class 6 passenger vessel, making her among the most structurally fortified and technologically advanced polar cruise ships on the seas. Janssonius offers comfortable accommodation for 170 passengers and carries a powerful fleet of Zodiac boats to guarantee swift and safe transit from ship to shore. She also boasts an indoor Zodiac boarding area that can also be used for special outdoor activities such as kayaking.

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