North Spitsbergen Arctic Wildlife Cruise

Before boarding your vessel and setting sail there will be an opportunity to explore this former mining town, whose parish church and polar museum are well worth visiting.

In the early evening, the ship will sail out of Isfjorden, where, in the mouth of the fjord, you may be lucky enough to see your first Minke whale.

The cliffs and shoreline of the fjord also support thriving seabird colonies and a surprisingly rich vegetation, which flourishes in sheltered spots. Polar Bear are sometimes seen here

Highlights of day 2: Stunning Arctic wildlife, including potential polar bear sightings and ringed and bearded seals.

Setting sail once more, you continue to cruise through Liefdefjorden and alongside the 5km-long face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for Kittiwake, which occur in their thousands. Polar Bears, too, are sometimes seen on the glacier.

Highlights of day 3: Monaco Glacier, Andøya and its enormous geese colonies

On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, you may attempt a landing at Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet, a nesting ground for Ivory Gulls, and where Reindeer and Walruses are also often sighted.

Highlights of day 4: Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears and Ivory Gulls

Polar Bears inhabit this region. The ship may sit for several hours in the pack ice in the hope of a good Polar Bear sighting, before turning west again.

Highlights of day 5: Proximity to the geographic North Pole, and its stunning landscape of pack ice and thin ice sheets

About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen you sail along the edge of the continental shelf, where Fin Whale forage in summer in the upwellings along the Spitsbergen banks. West of the mouth of the Kongsfjord you have a good chance of seeing the great Humpback Whale.

Highlights of day 6: Whale-watching (with luck!); peacefully sailing along the edge of the continental shelf.

Here on Forlandsundet, seabirds nest on the cliffs, and along the coast you will almost certainly be able to see harbour seal (the only population of them found in Spitsbergen). Forlandsundet is also a haul-out place for a large walrus colony.

Alternatively, if the weather dictates you may instead sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden and land at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on its cliffs and Arctic Fox search the cliff base for fallen eggs and chicks, while Spitsbergen Reindeer graze the relatively luxuriant vegetation.

At night-time, you arrive back in Longyearbyen.

Highlights of day 7: Physical reminders of the era of polar bear hunting, and remarkable wildlife

A bus transfer will be arranged from the pier to the airport on the day of disembarkation.