Arctic Cruises FAQs

Yes they are. Shore excursions, or ‘landings’ as they’re typically called, are the backbone of of any Arctic cruise and you can expect to go ashore at least once a day for 1-2 hours to visit a place of historic interest or a local community, enjoy a hike to appreciate the landscape and also to look out for wildlife opportunities.

Discover more on our 'What to expect on an Arctic cruise' page.

Yes, zodiacs – the inflatable rubber boats which carry approx 10-12 guests – play a critical role in every Arctic cruise, by ‘uber-ing’ guests between the ship and shore, and doing ‘zodiac cruises’ where you explore the surrounding area with your driver-guide, looking for photo opportunities and wildlife sightings.

Typically most landings will last approximately 1–2 hours, but there are a number of variables which will influence this, including the nature of the landing site, the weather and each ship’s style of exploring.

For a full listing, please refer to our 'What to wear and what to pack' page. 

Our best advice is to think about ‘dressing like an onion’ - by which we mean to dress in multiple layers, allowing you the flexibility of being able to add and subtract layers to find the right balance for you, as each of us is individual when it comes to our internal radiator.

Many travellers will already have quite a lot of the required kit you need - gloves, hat, thermals - particularly if you ski or live in northern climes, and won’t need to make a significant investment in one-off kit.

Typically you will be provided with a complimentary outer shell parka jacket, and lined rubber boots which are perfect for The Arctic will be loaned to you for the duration of the voyage.

Yes, all of the above are onboard and are part of the Expedition Team. And these experts – each a specialist in their own particular field – are the backbone of the ship’s team, as they are your accompanying guides, interpreters and presenters. Learn more about What to expect on an Arctic cruise.

While each expedition team is different, and the individuals rotate around, you can definitely expect there to be a polar historian, glaciologist, local community guide, ornithologist and cetacean specialist on your voyage.

Expedition teams are each led by an Expedition Leader and there are typically between 13–30 guides in an expedition team, depending on the size of the ship and number of guests.

The typical age demographic is around 55–75.

Arctic cruises also make for a fantastic family adventure, though we recommend kids to be a minimum of 10 years and above.

With a keener price point than Antarctica, Svalbard cruises in particular are also popular with travellers in their 30s and 40s.

Yes there are. Arctic cruises are very popular with solo travellers, and becoming more so with every passing season as more people cotton on to the joys and camaraderie of this type of travel.

While the percentage of solo travellers changes from trip-to-trip, it's typically between 15–25% of the total number of guests. To learn more, visit our dedicated page for Solo Arctic travellers. 

The most obvious attraction of these trips for the solo traveller is that as soon as you embark, you’re immediately part of a wide group of like-minded travellers, and making travel acquaintances and friends through the shared experiences you’ll have together is very easy.

Being in good shape will definitely enable you to get the most out of your cruise. Having said that, it's worth noting with a typical age demographic of around 55-75 on these trips, that the off-ship activities are well paced, and that you’ll be able to pick and choose which align best with what you feel you’re comfortable with. This includes having the choice of walks of varying length, allowing you to self-select. 

For more active travellers, the full kayaking programmes and longer walks provide plenty of opportunity to burn off calories and experience Svalbard through different perspectives.

Yes, Wi-Fi is available on all ships. Internet via satellite uplink has now largely been replaced by Starlink. Wi-Fi is typically complimentary on most ships, with some offering an upgrade package at an additional cost for an enhanced service.

It's important to bear in mind that at such high latitudes, Wi-Fi isn’t the same as it is at home. Sending messages (iMessage & WhatsApp) works really well, and as they compress photos, there’s no problem sharing your adventures with loved ones back at home. Streaming downloaded films also works on some ships, but typically surfing the internet and video calls via the internet aren’t possible.

Yes! As a team here at Swoop Arctic we’re big fans of having a balcony, and here’s why:

• It gives you your very own personal and peaceful outside space where you can relax
• The Arctic in summer is warmer than most people expect, and you will use it if you have one (even if you think you won’t!)
• Balconies are the perfect platform for taking in the ever rolling vistas you’re passing through and wildlife spotting (its universally recognised that smokers typically spot the most wildlife, as they spend the most time outside)
• They're a great place to ‘be outside’ while the warmth of your cabin is only a few steps away if you start to get chilly
• If wildlife is sighted and announced over the ship’s intercom, you’ve got direct and immediate access to see what's going on, without having to scramble onto a public outer deck
• A relaxing sundowner on your balcony – or even breakfast out there, if you’re on a ship which can deliver room service – is a hard one to argue against for most of us

Yes there is. All expedition ships in the Arctic – apart from the small 12-guest micro ships in Svalbard – have a dedicated medical facility and qualified medical practitioner onboard all departures. 

While the medical facilities aren’t sophisticated enough to be able to undertake even minor surgeries, they can administer basic medical care and support.

We strongly recommend booking at least 12–24 months in advance, to ensure you’re able to secure your first choice and a well located cabin. Why risk having to compromise on such an important trip, so book well ahead.

With the very limited number of annual sailings to the North Pole and Northwest Passage, we strongly recommend getting in touch as soon as the dates become available 20–24 months ahead of the actual departure date.

Plus, most ships reward early bookers with a generous early booking discount, which is always appreciated, and may mean that cabin upgrade is more achievable than you had thought.

This is a hard one to answer as there are a lot of variables, including: length of trip, comfort level of the ship and what add-ons are included (charter flights, pre-trip hotel, etc).

Our 'Arctic cruise costs explained' page has indicative prices and helpful information.

From time-to-time, some ships may offer limited, last minute discounts on sub-optimal departure dates or itineraries, but the choice will be limited, and you’ll need to be flexible with your travel dates. Plus, by this stage, flight prices will be high, if they are even still available as with so free flights they do get booked out.

The smarter and less risky tactic is to book as early as possible, when you’ll be able to secure the highest early booking discount.

To learn about our best monthly deals, visit our 'Featured offers' page.