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10 days - Circumnavigate the Spitsbergen archipelago on board M/V Ortelius, M/V Plancius or M/V Hondius.
Sail to the North of Spitsbergen with zodiac visits to the shore and opportunities to witness arctic wildlife at its best. 50 Degrees North offers unique, small-group expedition voyages to the Arctic that allow you to enjoy the natural wildlife and scenery of some of the world's most spectacular and pristine shorelines.
There are numerous departures during the summer on both ships, M/V Ortelius, M/V Plancius and M/V Hondius.
Highlights include
- NEW POLAR SHIP, M/V HONDIUS
- Visit Ny Ålesund, the world’s most northerly settlement
- Sail to Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet, known for Polar Bear habitation
- Zodiac close up to a low island (Laagøya), where walrus can haul out
- Sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears, and Ivory Gulls
- Day 1
- Embark in Longyearbyen
- Day 2
- Krossfjorden and Ny Ålesund
- Day 3
- Liefdefjorden and Andøya
- Day 4
- Reach northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands
- Day 5
- Look for Walrus at Laagøya and Sorgfjord
- Day 6
- Hinlopen Strait, landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet
- Day 7
- Land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsøya
- Day 8
- Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen
- Day 9
- Land on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden
- Day 10
- Disembark at Longyearbyen
- Start/End Place
- Longyearbyen, Svalbard tours
- Destinations Visited
- Svalbard tours
- Norway tours
- Duration
- 10 Days
- Group Size
- 114
- Type
- Cruising
- Suitability
- Easy
- Code
- ASPO01
Details
Transportation
M/V Plancius was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy, and sailed for the Navy until 2004. She was completely rebuilt as a passenger vessel in 2009. M/V Plancius accommodates 108 passengers in 53 passenger cabins with private toilet and shower. All cabins offer comfortable lower berths (except for the 4 quadruple cabins). The vessel has a restaurant/lecture room, a spacious observation lounge (with bar), large open deck space (with full walk-around possibilities), and is equipped with 10 zodiacs for off ship and shore excursions. M/V Plancius was built for ice conditions, and has a strengthened bow and stern.
M/V Ortelius has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore very suitable to navigate in solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. M/V Ortelius is a great expedition vessel for 100 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces and a very large bridge which is accessible to the passengers. The vessel is manned by 34 highly experienced Russian nautical crew, 15 international catering staff, including stewardesses, 6 expedition staff (1 expedition leader and 5 guides/lecturers) and 1 doctor.
M/V Ortelius offers a comfortable hotel standard, with two restaurants, a bar/lecture room and a sauna. Our voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 100 on the M/V Ortelius, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.
M/V Hondius has been engineered for flexibility above all else, optimized for maximum engagement with nature, wildlife, and outdoor activities – because a dynamic environment demands a dynamic vessel, and there is no environment more dynamic than the polar regions. It has Polar Class 6 notation, the most advanced category of polar cruise ship to date. It is newly built, launching in 2019 for 176 passengers in 83 cabins with 72 crew and staff.
Read more about travelling to Spitsbergen and what to expect on your Arctic voyage here.
Deckplan
Click here to view deck plan for the Plancius
Deckplan
Click here to view deck plan for the Ortelius
Deckplan
Click here to view deck plan for the Hondius
Included
- Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary.
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
- Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes on MV Plancius, MV Hondius and MV Ortelius.
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
- AECO fees and governmental taxes.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material.
Not Included
Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights; pre- and post land arrangements; transfers to / from the vessel outside Spitsbergen; passport and visa expenses; Government arrival and departure taxes; meals ashore; baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended); excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges; and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
PLEASE NOTE: The chances that we can complete a full Spitsbergen circumnavigation (based on our experiences from 1992 – 2018) are about 30% in the first half of July, 70% in the second half, 90% in the first half of August, and 95% in the second half. In case we cannot complete a full circumnavigation, we may devise a program in northeast or southeast Spitsbergen. All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. The onboard expedition leader determines the final itinerary. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed for m/v Hondius is 10.5 knots.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Embark in Longyearbyen
Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to stroll around 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.
Meals
1 DinnerAccommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 2 - Krossfjorden and Ny Ålesund
Heading north along the west coast, we arrive by morning in Krossfjorden, where we go on the Zodiacs for a cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, a colourful variety of flowers bloom, while large numbers of Kittiwakes and Brünnich’s Guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is also a good chance of spotting Arctic Foxes, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a chick falls from its nest, and Bearded Seals, who cruise this fjord. In the afternoon we sail to Ny Ålesund, the world’s most northerly settlement. Once a mining village - served by the world’s most northerly railway, which can still be seen - Ny Ålesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Geese and Arctic Terns. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928 before their flights to the North Pole.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 3 - Liefdefjorden and Andøya
Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, we will go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andøya. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest here, and the more rare King Eider may also be seen. Sailing into Liefdefjorden, we will cruise near the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and occasionally polar bears are seen on the glacier.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 4 - Reach northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands
Today we will reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. Here we will be at 81 degrees north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, along with ivory gulls. We may sit for several hours in the pack ice, taking in our spectacular surroundings and seeing a Ross's Gull, before we turn south again.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 5 - Look for Walrus at Laagøya and Sorgfjord
We will visit Laagøya today, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of Walrus tends to congregate. Sabine’s Gulls nest on the island as well. At Sorg Fjord we may find another herd of walruses not far from the graves of 17th century whalers. On a nature walk, we may encounter families of Ptarmigans.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 6 - Hinlopen Strait, landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet
Today we will sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears, and Ivory Gulls. We’ll navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in our zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, we’ll attempt a landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet, home to Reindeer, Pink-footed Geese, breeding Ivory Gulls, and Walruses.
Near Torrelneset, we will explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world’s third largest ice cap, which meets the sea nearby. We will walk along beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. We may encounter walruses along the way.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 7 - Land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsøya
In Freemansundet we plan to land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsøya to visit an old trapper's hut and then take a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen Reindeer and Barnacle Geese. Later we cruise south to Diskobukta on the west side of Edgeøya. After a Zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, we land on a beach littered with whale bones and tree trunks, which have drifted here from Siberia.
We can also climb to the rim of a narrow gully which is inhabited by thousands of Kittiwakes, together with Black Guillemots and piratical Glaucous Gulls. During the breeding season, the base of the cliffs is patrolled by Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears, especially females with young cubs, searching for young birds that have fallen from the nesting ledges.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 8 - Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen
We start the day quietly cruising the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431m while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name ‘Spitsbergen’ - pointed mountains - to the island. There are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and very good chances of encounters with seals and Polar Bears.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 9 - Land on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden
Today we land on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of Beluga skeletons (the Beluga is a small white whale), the remains of 19th century slaughter, are yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless exploitation. Fortunately, Belugas were not hunted to the edge of extinction and may still be seen locally. Indeed, there is a good chance that we will come across a pod. Cruising into Recherchefjorden during the afternoon we can explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many Reindeer feed.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
M/V Plancius / M/V Ortelius / M/V HondiusDay 10 - Disembark at Longyearbyen
Have your final breakfast on board and then head to the airport for your return to Oslo.
Meals
1 BreakfastPrices are per person, twin share. 04 JULY 2022 is a birding special voyage on m/v Ortelius.
13 Jul 2022
13 Jul 2022
13 Jul 2022
15 Jul 2022
15 Jun 2022
15 Jun 2022
24 Jul 2022
24 Jul 2022
24 Jul 2022
2 Aug 2022
9 Aug 2022
20 Aug 2022
20 Aug 2022
20 Aug 2022
Important Information
Single Travellers can chose between 'single occupancy' at a supplement of 1.7 x the Twin or Superior cabin rate, or 'sharing basis' in Twin, Trip or Quadruple category at no additional cost.
Children on the Arctic Voyage:
Upon request (some voyages may be excluded), children under 16 with parents may receive 40% discount in Superior, Triple (sharing with 2 parents / adults) and Quadruple Cabins (sharing with 3 parents / adults).
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Interactive Tour Map
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Fitness Requirement and Preparation - Small Ship Expeditions
Refer to our comprehensive Expedition Manual, which you will receive upon confirmation of your booking.
Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. Please ensure that you have this organised as we will need to see proof of this upon issuing your tour documentation. Please contact us for a quote or visit http://www.suresave.net.au/
Your Expedition Voyage to the Arctic
Practical information about your Arctic Voyage
Itinerary for the Arctic Voyages
All promoted itineraries are for general guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and ad hoc decisions by the Expedition Leader to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. Landings are always subject to weather, local site availabilities and environmental regulations (AECO). Official sailing plans and landing slots will be scheduled with AECO prior to the start of the season. The final sailing plan will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board. The implementation of the sailing plan is subject to the capability of the vessel and the discretion of the Master. Taking the high fuel prices into account, it is agreed that Oceanwide Expeditions has the right to reduce the speed of the engines (incl. sailing on one engine) wherever possible, unless this affects the character of the intended voyage substantially and jeopardizes the safety of the vessel, its crew, staff and passengers.
Rubber Boots and Expedition Jackets
Onboard Plancius all passengers are entitled to use a pair of sturdy rubber boots for free. Sizes need to be pre ordered 8 weeks prior to departure at the latest. A voucher will be sent with final travel documents approximately 4 weeks prior to departure. Laying claims on equipment items without pre-order and voucher cannot be accepted when boarding the vessel. Boots will need to be returned to the expedition team at the end of the voyage. Rubber boots are of high quality, which keep your feet dry, warm and comfortable for all landings. Expedition jackets can also be pre-ordered for a special price. Terms and conditions can be found on the pre order form.
Shore Excursions and Zodiac Cruising
Guided shore excursions, walks and wildlife spotting and zodiac cruises are included in the fare and will be offered to all passengers during the voyages. We put our emphasis on active wildlife and nature experience.
Basecamp Plancius - Our activity base
The ship becomes our base camp on selected dates. 'Base camp' is by definition a temporary storing and starting place, from which an activity starts, in this instance a 'coast to mountain' expedition. During designated 'Basecamp Plancius' voyages the ship will be taken to carefully chosen places in the Arctic . The vessel will stay for two or three days at specific locations to serve our active passengers as a comfortable hub to allow more time than usual for wide ranging activities: mountaineers and hikers to climb mountain ranges, campers to enjoy life at shore base camps, kayakers and zodiac passengers to explore near shores where the ship cannot go. Passengers who do not wish to become physically active will enjoy our zodiac excursions and follow the normal shore Program and land excursions (easy to moderate walks and hikes with focus on wildlife). We also offer photo workshops. All adventure activities are free of charge.
Bilingual voyages (B)
English is the ship's language. Some German speaking expedition staff will be onboard for bilingual voyages (English & German). Welcome and safety briefings, announcements, daily briefings, and recaps will be provided in English and German. English and German lectures may vary in content. Simultaneous translations of lectures will not occur but a summary in the second language may be given at the end of a lecture. Guidance during activities ashore will depend on the group each passenger chooses according to their own physical ability. In the Arctic we aim to split into three groups: a hiking group on a strenuous walk, a medium-paced group with more time for photography etc., and a leisurely group. A German speaking staff member will not necessarily be available for each group. During Zodiac cruises, each boat's driver/guide will not necessarily be bilingual.
Camping (C)
We offer an exciting 'open air' camping option, which gives an intensive experience of Arctic wilderness. Special gear and field equipment will be provided: tents, wind and waterproof bivouac bags (lightweight alternative to tent system). This shelter will protect you from the elements during the night in the open air of the Arctic. Mattresses and polar sleeping bags provide comfort during the night. The maximum number of participants for this camping option is 30 participants per night. Two expedition guides will conduct the activity ashore. Camping is always subject to weather, local site and environmental regulations. 1 night has to be booked prior to trip, any extra nights that can be arranged onboard, will be charged by the hotel manager. For prices please refer to our Dates & Rates and more details please refer to the activity manual.
Polar Diving (D)
Polar divers must be advanced and experienced in dry suit and cold water diving. We hope for 1-2 different dives per day parallel to all other activities. Diving depends on local ice and weather conditions. Dive masters and dive guides are responsible for safety during operation. Basic equipment is onboard (scuba tanks, compressors, weights and diving essentials. Divers bring their personal gear. For prices please refer to our Dates & Rates and more details please refer to the activity manual.
German Speaking (G)
Voyages marked with G are German speaking voyages
Hiking (H)
During hiking voyages we exceed our normal shore excursion walking Program. In general we plan to offer 3 possibilities to become active ashore. There will be easy, moderate and more demanding walks on offer in the vicinity of the landing sites. There are walks on offer which suit everyone's capability. In the Arctic we aim at two hikes per day, each 2 - 3 hours long during morning and / or afternoon landings. Also we offer several full day walks (5 - 7 hrs) with packed lunch. The final decision on those hiking options will be met by the Expedition Leader on the day of the excursion. We recommend bringing a proper pair of hiking boots and gaiters. Hiking is free of charge, more details can be found in the activity manual and the day by day Programs.
Kayaking (K)
In general we plan to offer 4 kayak days at least. Basic kayak experience is required and physical fitness essential. Parallel to all other activities we are aiming at kayak excursions during morning and / or afternoon landings. The final decision on those excursions will be met by the Expedition Leader. Oceanwide will provide kayaks and neoprene wet suits. Kayakers will bring their personal gear. Kayaking is subject to weather and prevailing ice conditions. For prices please refer to our Dates & Rates and more details please refer to the activity manual.
Snowshoeing/hiking (S)
Especially on early departures at the beginning of the season there are still snow covered hills and mountains further afield. On North Spitsbergen voyages we are aiming at offering hiking excursions with snowshoes, which are easy to use and which don't require any technical skills. With the use of snowshoes it is easy and safer to walk on snow surfaces. Snowshoes will be provided for everybody on board which fit all boot sizes and can be used in combination with Oceanwide rubber boots. Snowshoe hiking is free of charge, more details in the activity manual and day by day Programs.