Top reasons to go on a Svalbard expedition cruise
- Venture into the lair of the polar bear – they outnumber humans up here
- Hold your breath as you get thrillingly close to walrus, reindeer, arctic fox, seals and whales
- Gaze up at soaring cliffs teeming with millions of nesting birds
- Sail among the sea ice through magnificent fjords past creaking glaciers
- Experience the wonders of the midnight sun as day blends into night
- Daily scheduled flights via Oslo make Svalbard easier and cheaper to reach than almost any other Arctic region.
Choosing your expedition cruise to Svalbard
Few places in the Arctic offer such a wide range of ships to choose from: tiny yachts, small ships with between twelve and sixty passengers, Russian vessels and some of the most luxurious expedition ships in the world. Cruises start in April when sailing ships start to navigate the ice. The expedition vessels arrive at the end of May, making the most of the summer months until early September.
Sea ice can be a fantastic opportunity to spot wildlife but can block narrow channels such as the Hinlopen Strait, so trips aiming to sail here leave later in the season. It is always best to be in a ship with a high ice-class rating allowing it to navigate through the channels.
Choosing a vessel with large amounts of deck space, or even your own balcony makes a huge difference to your experience. The best cabins are in high demand and booking 12 to 18 months in advance is recommended.
Introductory Svalbard cruises
As the name suggests these shorter trips (6-10 days) offer an excellent introduction to Svalbard, with daily off-ship excursions and good opportunities for wildlife sightings.
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Svalbard in depth
These longer trips (11-13 days) not only improve your chances of wildlife sightings, but the later departures also offer the opportunity to do a full circumnavigation of Spitsbergen.
Trips to Svalbard & other regions
While Svalbard has more than enough appeal to hold most people's attention, there are also some spectacular longer trips (13-24 days) which combine Svalbard with its near neighbours.
About Svalbard
Spitsbergen or Svalbard?
Head due north from Norway and equidistant between there and the North Pole itself you’ll reach this ice girdled collection of islands. The Svalbard Archipelago is composed of four main islands, of which Spitsbergen is far and away the largest; there are few more northerly habitable places on each. With its easy access, rich history, more bears than people and a vast array of marine mammals plus a myriad of birdlife, it’s a perfect introduction to the Arctic.
Wildlife on Svalbard
Few other parts of the Arctic offer such good chances of experiencing the Arctic’s wildlife as Svalbard. There are more polar bears here than there are people and while we can’t guarantee sightings you would be unlucky to not see a bear, especially on the longer trips. Walrus regularly haul out at sites such as Poolepynten, and Brunnich's guillemots nest in their thousands on the vertiginous cliffs at Akerfeldt. Nesting sites attract arctic foxes and the open tundra, despite being in permafrost, is perfect for reindeer. From the ship you are likely to spot king eider, fulmars and puffin too. Under the waves there is an ever present chance of beluga, humpback, minke and even blue whales while orca are also regular visitors.
Svalbard ships
Nowhere else in the polar regions offers such a broad spectrum of expedition ships. While small yachts can be chartered there are regular expeditions on twin-mast schooners for between 16 and 32 passengers. There are small expedition ships too with cabins for just 12 passengers.
Larger, ice-strengthened ships fall roughly into three size categories: small (up to 70 passengers), medium (90 to 150 passengers) and large (200+ passengers). It is vital that the style of expedition be taken into account too: expedition teams operate in different ways on each ship with adventure options like kayaking or snowshoeing only available on specific journeys. Getting the right balance of all this is the key to getting the best out of your time in the archipelago.
Landing sites on Svalbard
Getting off your ship and exploring key places of interest on foot and by zodiac are the real highlights of any Svalbard cruise. You can typically expect two landings per day, always accompanied by your onboard expedition team whose first job it will be to sweep every site for polar bears.
Traveling by zodiac you might cruise across the snout of the 14th July glacier in Krossfjorden, explore the bird cliffs off Fugelsongen or delve into hidden coves. Some of the best wildlife experiences come while on board these versatile little boats. For the more adventurous it is also possible to paddle in kayaks at many of these sites or to get even closer to the water it is also possible to snorkel and dive.
On shore you will be able to explore the arctic tundra keeping watch for arctic fox, hare and reindeer. On selected voyages you may be able to don snowshoes or ski’s to travel across the snow.
The scenery of Svalbard is spectacular and dotted around the archipelago there are Russian mining towns, abandoned whaling stations and trappers huts dating back over the centuries. All of these make for fascinating landings when explored with expert guides.
Swoop Says
What are the main places of interest on Svalbard?
Plan your trip to Svalbard
Getting to Svalbard
One of the world's most northerly inhabited places, geographically closer to the North Pole than to Norway its nearest neighbour 1,000 km away, getting to Svalbard may seem …
Svalbard Ships
In the absence of hotels and infrastructure once you depart Longyearbyen, an expedition ship offers the best means to explore Svalbard's ragged coastline, while acting as both your…
Svalbard Landing Sites
Expedition cruising is all about active exploration - trekking the arctic tundra, watching for wildlife, studying Svalbard’s history or sailing through sea ice, and accompanied …
When to visit Svalbard
While Svalbard may be an almost year round destination, the changing weather, number of daylight hours, amount of ice and snow conditions through the year all have a marked effect …
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