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

Iceland & Eastern Greenland

Experience the wild and fantastic landscapes of Iceland and East Greenland on our 13-day Iceland and Eastern Greenland cruise. Circumnavigate Iceland, the land of fire and ice, accompanied by breaching whales, and discover the phenomena of fjords, spectacular waterfalls and neverending volcanic scenery. From northern Iceland, we head to Eastern Greenland, to explore regions in the northernmost part of the world. Encounter some of the most interesting indigenous cultures and ways of life in sparsely populated regions, as well as national parks, protected areas for wildlife - such as arctic hare and muskoxen - and the world’s largest fjord system. On our return to Iceland, you can duck under the spray of spouting hot geysers and spot Atlantic puffins. Join us on board our boutique expedition ship for a tour of Iceland and a fascinating and varied part of Greenland.

Greenland Discovery

Break away to a remote and remarkable region of the world on our 11-day Greenland Discovery: West Greenland tour aboard our boutique ship. Traditional ways of life can still be seen against a backdrop of stunning arctic scenery and immense mountains. We navigate through an intricate fjord system that teems with floating icebergs, river valleys and hillsides that keep the secrets of Norse people and settlements more than 4,500 years old. Discover UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites, Viking ruins, the pathways of Inuit migrations along unspoilt. Join us on our tour of a fascinating and varied part of Greenland.

Canadian Arctic Discovery: Greenland & Canadian Arctic

Voyage on this unforgettable 17-day High Canadian Arctic Discovery cruise that circles around Baffin Bay among mountainous icebergs and some of the most active glaciers in the world. We visit UNESCO World Heritage sites, Inuit communities and Viking ruins in a history lesson like no other. Witness polar bears roam and be enchanted by a blessing of narwhal dive before you, then glimpse long white tusks break the icy arctic waters. This region has been visited by some of history’s greatest explorers such as Norwegian Roald Amundsen and we will navigate from colourful harbour houses and charming fjords to beguiling landscapes covered in arctic willow and purple saxifrage.

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