• Home
  • Blogs
  • A Travel Pro’s Take on the Arctic Cruise Experience: Interview with Mariola Burejko

A Travel Pro’s Take on the Arctic Cruise Experience: Interview with Mariola Burejko

by Oceanwide Expeditions Blogs

We’ve heard what it’s like to cruise the polar regions from the perspective of the passengers, the guides, the captains. But what about the folks we don’t so often hear about, the intermediary professionals responsible for finding, recommending, and booking us Arctic or Antarctic trips in the first place? Surely the mavens of the travel industry, who love seeing new corners of the world so much they’ve chosen as a career what for most people is merely a beloved hobby, have much to say about what sets polar expedition cruises apart from the standard travel fare. To find out, we sat down with Mariola Burejko, business development director for LiveAboard.com, and asked a few questions about her recent Arctic cruise around the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

Regio's: Arctis

Bestemmingen: Spitsbergen

Arctic cruising from the travel industry perspective

We’ve heard what it’s like to cruise the polar regions from the perspective of the passengers, the guides, the captains. But what about the professionals responsible for finding, researching, or booking these voyages in the first place?

Surely these mavens of the travel industry, who love seeing new corners of the world so much they’ve adopted as a career what for many people is merely a beloved hobby, have much to say about what sets polar voyages apart from the standard travel fare.

To find out, we sat down with Mariola Burejko, business development director for LiveAboard.com, and asked a few questions about her recent Arctic cruise around the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

What led to your decision to embark on an Arctic cruise?

I had the pleasure of closing a deal with Oceanwide Expedition last April to sell available spaces on their vessels, so I was invited to join one of their trips as an observer on Plancius.

Did you have any definite expectations before you set out?

I’d visited Plancius a few weeks before my trip started, while the vessel was drydocked in the Netherlands. So I knew what to expect regarding the onboard comforts. But I like to go with the flow and not do too much homework before my voyages, so I didn’t set any real expectations. I was just looking forward to seeing what the experience had to offer.

A number of highlights, surely.

Many! We saw lots of wildlife, which was amazing. I just loved the peaceful fjord we went to, such a gorgeous place. We had a particularly wonderful sunny day once, which for me was the best day of my whole Svalbard trip. I had hoped to see a polar bear up close – well, reasonably close – but there’s no controlling that. Nature is nature, after all. We did see a bear from far away, and that was an amazing experience. I feel very grateful for the opportunity.

As a travel professional, you’d already done a fair share of traveling. How did your Arctic cruise stack up?

It was a different type of travel than I’m used to. I usually don’t plan my trips too thoroughly. I’m more of a backpacker type. This trip was different for me, then, because aboard the ship you have a pretty set schedule as far as daily meals and excursions. You also get to know the other passengers pretty well, since you see them during outings, dinners, at the bar…

Rumor has it, polar cruise bars can be pretty happening places.

Depends on what you mean by "happening." 

"What happens in the Arctic stays in the Arctic" sort of thing?

Again, we need to agree on a definition of "happen." (laughing) But, yes. Something like that.

Maybe a story for the next article. Aside from your polar bear sighting, any favorite wildlife moments?

One day we took the Zodiacs to shore and walked up the beach to a herd of walruses. We stopped far enough away so as not to disturb them, of course, but we still had a great view and were able to take a lot of memorable pictures from different angles.

You mentioned getting to know people on board. Was there anyone with whom you particularly connected?

Leticia, this wonderful Argentinian woman who was traveling with her husband and two kids. We spent lots of time together. She used to work on the cruise ship in Antarctica and had seen a lot of wildlife during her time there.

Did the two of you see any Arctic wildlife together?

We actually had a blue whale sighting during our cruise, one of my other favorite Svalbard moments. After that, Leticia and I were constantly referring back to the sighting in our conversations and comparing our photos with the photos other passengers had taken. It was a spectacular, breathtaking moment. 

So, in a nutshell, the Arctic cruise experience is…?

The silence of the snowy landscape. The crackling of sea ice under your vessel. The incredibly beautiful wildlife all around you. The delicious meals with wonderful people from all over the world. What else can I say? It was just perfect.

Gerelateerde reizen

Rond Spitsbergen - In het gebied van de ijsbeer en ijs

Een complete Circumnavigatie van Spitsbergen

OTL08-24 Ga mee op poolexpeditie tijdens een expeditiecruise rond Spitsbergen. Deze bijzondere expeditie biedt de kans om het unieke poollandschap te aanschouwen en om pooldieren in hun natuurlijke habitat te zien: walvissen, Walrussen, zeehonden, Poolvossen,...

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Reisdatum:

28 jul. - 6 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

7700 USD

Rond Spitsbergen - Kvitøya, In het gebied van de ijsbeer en ijs

Een complete Circumnavigatie van Spitsbergen, met een bezoek aan Kvitøya

HDS10-24 Ga mee op poolexpeditie tijdens een expeditiecruise rond Spitsbergen. Deze bijzondere expeditie biedt de kans om het unieke hoog-Arctische Poollandschap te aanschouwen en het afgelegen eiland Kvitøya te bezoeken, een eiland van historische betekenis....

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Reisdatum:

8 aug. - 17 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

op aanvraag

23 Days Extended Around Spitsbergen & Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis
Tot US$4540 korting

23 Days Extended Around Spitsbergen & Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis

PLA10d24 When you join two outstanding Arctic cruises into one, you get powerhouse polar adventures like this. After edging the pack ice of the planet’s most stunning polar bear habitat, you head to scenically surreal northeast Greenland for views of the magical...

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

9 aug. - 31 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

9920 USD

Rond Spitsbergen - Kvitøya, In het gebied van de ijsbeer en ijs

Een complete Circumnavigatie van Spitsbergen, met een bezoek aan Kvitøya

PLA10-24 Ga mee op poolexpeditie tijdens een expeditiecruise rond Spitsbergen. Deze bijzondere expeditie biedt de kans om het unieke hoog-Arctische Poollandschap te aanschouwen en het afgelegen eiland Kvitøya te bezoeken, een eiland van historische betekenis....

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

9 aug. - 18 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

op aanvraag

Spitsbergen - Noordoost Groenland, Aurora Borealis, Inclusief Lange Wandelingen

Een poolreis naar drie Arctische eilanden: IJs, Inuït en Isolement

PLA11-24 Deze Spitsbergen - Noordoost Groenland expeditie is een avontuur voor echte pool liefhebbers. Vaar mee vanaf Spitsbergen naar het pakijs en uiteindelijk Scoresby Sund. Aanschouw het ongerepte poollandschap, waaronder het bijzondere pakijs en ga mee...

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

18 aug. - 31 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

10800 USD

Loading