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. 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

Svalbard Encompassed

Embark on this incredible 8-day Svalbard Circumnavigation cruise on board a boutique
expedition ship touring Norway’s remote Svalbard archipelago within the Arctic Circle. Feast
your eyes on the alluring icy blue waters of the polar region as we sail past glaciers calving
icebergs to the edge of far-reaching slabs of pack ice that can only be seen in this part of the
world. Experience the unique arctic environment, endless days and the rarely seen wildlife that
populates it. Very few people ever spot polar bears, walrus, reindeer and arctic foxes in their
natural habitat, while thousands of seabirds, beluga whales track our voyage through this
unforgettable icy wilderness.

Arctic Discovery

Experience the wild and fantastic landscapes of Iceland, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen on our luxury boutique ship. Circumnavigate the land of fire and ice, visiting nesting puffin colonies along the way. Discover the phenomena of fjords, spectacular waterfalls and never-ending volcanic scenery. Explore the remote shores of Jan Mayen Island on a nature walk to the island’s only dwelling, the metrological station. Travel through the enchanting sound of Bellsund before exploring the islets and islands of Spitsbergen. Seabirds fill the rocky cliffs and shorelines here. Reindeer, seals and walruses are plentiful. And of course, the mighty polar bear is king in this unforgiving corner of the world.

Iceland

Venture further than most Iceland visitors on this epic voyage to the Land of Fire and Ice. Aboard our boutique, ice-class ship we’ll explore Iceland’s furthest corners in style and comfort. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula National Park is every Icelandic geological feature you’ve ever thought of in one place. Dramatic cliffs, deep silent fjords and volcanic peaks fill this slice of land known as ‘Little Iceland’. In the north, we’ll cross the Arctic Circle via Grímsey Island, home to Iceland’s largest puffin colony. From Höfn we’ll explore Vatnajökull National Park’s thundering waterfalls and floating icebergs. On a visit to Heimay we’ll learn about its dark past and recent volcanic eruption. We’ll conclude our cruise in cosmopolitan Reykjavik with a real feel for what’s under the skin of this remarkable place.

+1 (800) 537 6777

inquiries@swanhellenic.com

Destinations

Experience

About Us

Other

24, Grigoriou Xenopoulou,
office 102
Nicosia
1061
Cyprus

Regional Offices