High Arctic of Svalbard

The Arctic gateway, Tromso at 69 degrees north, is renowned for the midnight sun in summer and the Northern Lights in winter. The Arctic Cathedral, with stained-glass windows, hosts midnight concerts. The Fjellheisen cable car offers panoramic views from Mount Storstei­nen, while the historic centre features old wooden houses. The Polar Museum chronicles early polar explorations, and the thriving Alpine Botanic Garden adds to Tromso’s charm.

The greatest bird cliff in the Barents Sea is on Bear Island, or Bjørnøya, Svalbard’s southernmost island. Atlantic puffins, northern gannets, glaucous gulls, great skuas, black-legged kittiwakes, little auks, common guillemots, and Brünnich’s guillemots, nest on the steep cliffs near Kapp Kolthoff, south of Sørhamna. The ocean has sculpted sea stack rock columns, sea caves and tunnels, with a notable tunnel at Perleporten.

Located deep inside the Arctic Circle, approaching the Svalbard archipelago feels a lot like sailing towards the edge of the world. Known as the kingdom of the polar bears, we’ll be hoping to spot some of its subjects as we explore some of the most varied polar landscapes in the Arctic. Down in our Zodiac boats, we’ll get close to the gargantuan glaciers, rapidly retreating from the oceans that they feed. In the north of the archipelago, past the magnificent fjords, the remaining sea ice offers the perfect hunting ground for polar bears. Closer to Longyearbyen, the landscape is punctuated with large areas devoid of snow and ice alongside vast tundra and exposed beaches. Alongside Svalbard’s 3,000 polar bears, this Arctic wildlife hotspot is also home to walrus, Svalbard reindeer, ringed seal, the arctic fox and many species of marine mammals and seabirds.

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

Skarsvåg, Europe’s northernmost fishing village on Magerøya Island, is a short journey from Nordkapp (North Cape)—Europe’s northernmost point above the Arctic Circle, marked by a striking globe monument. Only Svalbard stands between here and the North Pole. Along the coast, Atlantic puffin colonies and over a million seabirds nest, including arctic skuas, razorbills, northern gannets, white-tailed eagles, common eider ducks and great cormorants.

North Cape (Nordkapp), the northernmost tip of Europe in Norway, where the Arctic Ocean meets the rugged coast, is a majestic headland that has fascinated explorers for centuries. Cruising to North Cape promises an awe-inspiring encounter with nature’s grandeur and a glimpse into the Arctic’s captivating allure. In summer, North Cape basks in the ethereal glow of the midnight sun, a surreal phenomenon where the sun never fully sets.

The Arctic gateway, Tromso at 69 degrees north, is renowned for the midnight sun in summer and the Northern Lights in winter. The Arctic Cathedral, with stained-glass windows, hosts midnight concerts. The Fjellheisen cable car offers panoramic views from Mount Storstei­nen, while the historic centre features old wooden houses. The Polar Museum chronicles early polar explorations, and the thriving Alpine Botanic Garden adds to Tromso’s charm.