Arctic Cruises

Explore the northernmost part of Earth on an epic voyage

to the beguiling Arctic region, following in the footsteps of the few intrepid hearts who have reached the top of the world - pioneers, polar scientists and those with insatiable wanderlust. Your once-in-a-lifetime journey on board our powerful polar-class icebreaker towards the Polestar and the midnight sun will be an adventure to join an elite group of people who have traversed these magical, remote frozen waters and ice-covered lands, similar but also different to Antarctica. This is a life goal that you will never forget with extraordinary landscapes from serrated mountain peaks, rich river valleys and narrow fjords to beautiful wildlife including walruses, polar bears and majestic whales.

Destinations

Nome

Join our luxury expedition ship in Nome, a remote frontier town on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. Located on the Bering Sea this is the departure point for your cruise across the Northeast Passage. The mostly ice-free journey crosses the Bering Strait (51 miles across at its narrowest) between Russia and North America. Nome is the most famous gold rush town in Alaska (the town’s welcome sign is marked on the state’s largest gold pan). Visitors still come to celebrate the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, held each March. At the turn of the last century ‘mushing’ was the only form of transport. Nome has been inhabited by eskimo communities for thousands of years, and is also known for some of the best Eskimo dancing in Alaska. Excursions include mushing, panning for gold on the beaches and trips to the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, which protects a remnant of the Bering Land Bridge that once connected Asia with North America. This wind-swept tundra landscape on America’s western tip is also a haven for wildflowers. Hardy muskoxen and reindeer forage, bear and caribou roam, and the mountain streams provide a freshwater habitat for spawning Wild Alaskan salmon.

This unforgettable polar cruise tracking

the firmament to the Polestar will leave memories that will last a lifetime. A birdwatcher’s paradise, keen-eyed naturalists will see black-legged kittiwakes, black guillemots, ivory and glaucous gulls, and tundra shorebirds including snow bunting, purple sandpiper and Brent goose. Watch closely also for wolves, arctic hare and reindeer that track their prey across the frozen terrain. And while the silvery luminosity of this region can be bewitching, you will see lush tundra with colourful buttercups, yellow poppies and rockfoil. In the cerulean waters, grey, bowhead, white, humpback and minke whales plus ringed, spotted and bearded seals, sea lions and lumbering long-tusked walrus swim. While high above, peregrine falcons, Arctic tern and skuas circle, beak to heel. From hardy muskoxen foraging and bears roaming to Wild Alaskan salmon leaping, this sometimes harsh landscape is a celebration of some of the most enchanting wildlife on earth.

An expedition trip to the spectacular Arctic

is very much a moving adventure in an emotional and real sense. This is an extraordinary encounter with a region of intertwining elements from Northern Canada and Greenland to Alaska and its constantly shifting parts in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. The one constant in the Arctic is change. You will witness a wilderness where preserved mammoth remains have been found in the boggy tundra permafrost, pacific walruses bellow, snowy owls swoop and Arctic foxes jump through wildflowers. Your adventure will be enriched by our wildlife experts with fascinating presentations to bring your magical environment to life.

As you enter the Arctic Circle and the most northern of the five major circles

of latitude on our ice-strengthened expedition vessel, designed both for speed, comfort and manoeuvrability, a region of dramatic scenery unfolds. Snow-capped mountains and unique landforms from fjords to monumental cirques come into view; a destination of raw beauty that was only recently fully-charted by navigators from the last century. The Midnight Sun, Polar Night and Northern Lights of yellow, red and violet that fill the sky are only matched by the audio fireworks on a cruise where you’ll hear the sound of a thousand seabirds, seals bark and walruses growl, whistle and produce bell-like rings below water. However you choose to experience the Arctic, this is a miraculous and ever-changing destination that will leave you changed forever, too

Our Cruise Itineraries

Southern Greenland Discovery

Embark on a captivating voyage through spectacular North Atlantic landscapes. Starting in Canada's maritime region, you’ll sail from vibrant Halifax to Saint John's and historic L'Anse-aux-Meadows. Then, discover Greenland's traditions and striking scenery, visiting the towns of Qaqortoq, Narsarsuaq, and Aappilattoq. Finally, relax at sea before experiencing Iceland’s beautiful and historical Westfjords region, and sleek, modern Reykjavik.

Iceland in Depth

Experience the wild and fantastic landscapes of Iceland. Circumnavigate the geologically active island and see the puffin capital of the world! Discover fjords, spectacular waterfalls and never-ending volcanic scenery. Visit Iceland’s oldest houses and meet locals who are proud of their traditional heritage. Hike to thundering waterfalls, duck under the spray of spouting hot geysers, and trek across remote locations where only arctic foxes live.

North Atlantic Odyssey

Explore Iceland's volcanic landscapes and the breathtaking Lofoten Islands on this unforgettable cruise. Set sail from Reykjavik to circumnavigate the land of fire and ice, and witness Arctic phenomena, such as the midnight sun, breathtaking fjords, and volcanic scenery teeming with seabirds. Then discover the remote Lofoten Islands, an archipelago just above the Arctic Circle known for breathtaking scenery, before your cruise ends in Tromsø.

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