Voyage to the Arctic & Spitsbergen
| Resort: | Voyage to the Arctic & Spitsbergen |
| Operator: | Riviera Travel |
| Destination: | Sweden |
| Price From: | £7148.00 |
OverviewImagine gazing out over an empty landscape of vast creaking glaciers surrounded by snow-capped peaks, the sea around you dotted with small icebergs. Look out for the huge black tailfins of humpback whales as they dive, whilst on land the low tundra vegetation is dotted with bright flowers taking advantage of the short summer warmth. Look a little more carefully and youll spot an Arctic fox or some Svalbard reindeer, and along the beaches maybe get close to a colony of walruses. As our ship skirts the pack ice, we may be lucky enough to spot a polar bear and her cub on their constant hunt for seals. A true Arctic adventure awaits you on our Spitsbergen seven-night cruise on board the four-star MV Ocean Atlantic! After its first successful season in the Antarctic in 2019, the Ocean Atlantic will be sailing around the Svalbard archipelago, including its largest island of Spitsbergen, for summer 2020. Starting in the small Norwegian town of Longyearbyen, our ship will explore these magnificent inshore waters and fjords, and visit spectacular cliffs inhabited by thousands of seabirds. Svalbard is larger than you may think, three times the size of Wales, but with fewer than 3,000 permanent inhabitants in fact, polar bears outnumber the humans! June is the perfect time to spot the amazing wildlife of one of the worlds most fascinating and remote polar regions. Located well inside the Arctic Circle, youll experience the midnight sun whilst navigating through the narrow channels and fjords of this incredible Arctic wilderness. Well also aim to go around 80 degrees north to meet the edge of the pack ice and spot polar bears in their preferred habitat. On our way back home, youll have a night in Norways capital Oslo a charming small city, with its futuristic waterside opera house and pedestrianised main street just a short stroll from our hotel. Full Itinerary:Exclusive departure | 27th June 2020 DAY 1 – DEPARTUREArrive at the airport for your flights via Oslo with SAS to Longyearbyen. On arrival, transfer to the three-star Svalbard Hotel the Vault for one night with breakfast. DAY 2 – LONGYEARBYEN & EMBARKATIONMorning Enjoy a relaxing morning exploring the small town on Longyearbyen, learning about its history and seeing the entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a vast repository for up to 2.25 billion seeds from all over the world, kept here at a constant temperature of -18 degrees Celsius so that should a species become extinct, it can be revived. Afternoon After some free time for lunch, we board the MV Ocean Atlantic and begin our exciting Arctic voyage. DAY 3 TO 8 – ARCTIC CRUISINGFor the next six days, your voyage of exploration will take you to some of Svalbards innumerable bays and islands. Of course, its all weather-dependent, but normally our stops will include Ny- lesund, the worlds northernmost permanent settlement, as well as former whaling stations and walrus colonies. Well also sail north along the rim of the pack ice to spot polar bears in their natural environment. During the short summer, the local wildlife, such as reindeer and arctic foxes, are busy feeding their young for the polar winter to come. The birdlife is truly magnificent watch out for Arctic terns, fulmars, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots, amongst the 80 recorded species found here. The Ocean Atlantics fleet of sturdy Zodiac dinghies will allow us frequent shore landings and mini-cruises in the fjords to marvel at the vast glacial landscapes. At all times, the aim of the captain and expedition leader is to include as many shore landings and Zodiac excursions as possible to get the best views of the wildlife at close quarters. In the evenings, you can look forward to informative lectures and presentations on all aspects of Arctic geography, wildlife and history, led by the various expedition leaders on board. After a nightcap at the bar, why not step outside again and enjoy the incredible light of the midnight sun as it skims the horizon a wonderful time of day! DAY 9 – DISEMBARKATIONThis morning we disembark at Longyearbyen. Our flight to Oslo via Troms is in the afternoon, so this morning youll enjoy a visit to one of the towns husky dog yards, where we meet some of their very friendly inhabitants and learn about their lives. On arrival in Oslo, we transfer to the centrally located four-star Scandic Byporten, with breakfast for one night. DAY 10 – OSLO & RETURN FLIGHTYou have the morning at leisure to explore the sights of Oslo, the charming capital, before we catch our return flights to the UK this afternoon. What is included in the price?The price of this holiday is per person, based on two people sharing a twin room/cabin and includes:
Cruise itinerary is subject to change depending on weather conditions. On-board currency is the US dollar. |
