Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth

Get a first glimpse of the midnight sun in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen's capital. Transfer from the town to the Expedition for a late afternoon embarkation. Please make sure you drop your checked luggage off at the meeting point between 9am - 12pm. A local representative will be in the luggage storage room. They can provide general information about the town or the embarkation process. All passengers will be transferred to the ship as a group for embarkation at 4pm. Please ensure that for embarkation you have your passport accessible (not in your luggage which is being transferred separately to the ship).

Please ensure your flight arrives by 2pm at the latest in order to be on time for today's 4pm embarkation.

Included Experiences

• Embarkation of the Expedition: In the afternoon, join your fellow passengers to take your group transfer and begin your journey on the Expedition. Please refer to your welcome letter or the joining instructions posted in the lobby of the start hotel. Make sure you have your passport handy as you are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
• Arrival Day: Begin your adventure today. There are no planned activities so feel free to explore or rest up for the excitement ahead.
• Arrival Transfer: Transfer by bus from the airport to the meeting point in town, and then from the meeting point to the port.

Each day is planned to take advantage of local ice and weather conditions. Svalbard is one of the few places on the planet to offer such a plethora of natural and historical extravaganzas. Spend the next nine days exploring the remote polar regions. Visit ice-sculpted fjords with breathtaking mountain scenery, and glaciers crashing into the sea. Spend time exploring pack ice edges in search of polar bears hunting seals. At one or more of the stops, it's possible to encounter Svalbard's Arctic fox and the region's unique reindeer. Our goal is to give travellers the best possible opportunity to see wildlife in and around the Svalbard archipelago. Early season voyages often provide the greatest opportunity to see large ice floes in the Arctic pack ice, which usually means excellent wildlife viewing. Later in the season, the group will cover more territory, which may allow the chance to explore the entire archipelago. This can lead into the less explored regions of Nordaustlandet and Kvitøya, or the continental edges where large whales are attracted by nutrient rich upwellings.

Included Experiences

• Svalbard Exploration: Svalbard is one of the few places on the planet that offers such a wealth and diversity of natural and cultural history sites. During these nine days, visit ice covered seas, fjords with breathtaking mountain scenery, and glaciers flowing into the sea. Spend time moving through the ice in search of polar bears hunting seals. Ivory gulls will be a highlight for the birders. Keep a constant lookout for walrus hauled out on ice floes or on sandy beaches. Ice permitting, visit spectacular bird cliffs filled with thousands of murres (guillemots), as well as kittiwakes and glaucous gulls. Shore stops will be highlighted with tiny tundra flowers. The Expedition team will be on hand to answer any questions about this spectacular wilderness.
• Arctic Lectures and Educational Programs: Attend lectures hosted throughout the day on anything from local wildlife to the history and exploration of the Arctic.
• Expedition: Not too big, not too little, our 128-passenger polar expedition ship is just right.

Optional Experiences

• Arctic Polar Plunge: You remembered to pack your bathing suit, right? Depending on weather conditions, opt to do the polar plunge and jump into the frigid waters of the Arctic. Convince some of your fellow passengers to join and you’ll be left with an amazing group experience no one will ever forget!

On departure day, transfers to the Longyearbyen airport will be offered to all passengers with flights scheduled.

General disembarkation from the vessel is at approximately 8:00am. You will be transferred to the airport depending on the time of your flight. Transfer times will be confirmed and communicated onboard prior to departure. Luggage storage at the port will be available until time of departure. Due to restrictive airline schedules for flights departing from Longyearbyen, we are pleased to offer an early morning disembarkation and transfer to the airport for those passengers with flights departing Longyearbyen around 7:40am (dependent on airline schedules).

Included Experiences

• Shuttle Transfer: Enjoy an included transfer to the airport.