Arctic

Embark on a supreme northbound adventure

Cruises to the Arctic

23 Days Extended Around Spitsbergen & Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis
Up to $4540 OFF

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

Cruise date:

9 Aug - 31 Aug, 2024

Berths start from:

9920 USD

18 days Extended East and Around Spitsbergen
Up to $3660 OFF

18 days Extended East and Around Spitsbergen

OTL05c24 This fantastic combination cruise lets you enjoy not only a circumnavigation of Spitsbergen but also an extended voyage into Svalbard's scenically stunning eastern shores - including Bear Island, where colonies of exotic Arctic birds nest above dazzling...

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

2 Jul - 19 Jul, 2024

Berths start from:

8000 USD

North and East Spitsbergen - Summer Solstice
Up to $3600 OFF

North and East Spitsbergen - Summer Solstice

HDS03d24 Combining our North Spitsbergen voyage (focusing on polar bears, bowhead whales, and pack ice) with our East Spitsbergen cruise (also emphasizing bears as well as the summer solstice), this program turns two equally amazing trips into one amazing Arctic...

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

10 Jun - 24 Jun, 2024

Berths start from:

6400 USD

16 Days Extended North & East Spitsbergen & Bear Island
Up to $3120 OFF

16 Days Extended North & East Spitsbergen & Bear Island

OTL04d24 Why take just one polar voyage when you can combine two into an activity-filled, wildlife-focused adventure? We’ve joined our East Spitsbergen cruise (emphasizing polar bears and pack ice) with our North Spitsbergen Basecamp cruise (multiple free activities)...

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

25 Jun - 10 Jul, 2024

Berths start from:

6880 USD

15 Days Extended North & East Spitsbergen - Summer Solstice
Up to $2920 OFF

15 Days Extended North & East Spitsbergen - Summer Solstice

PLA03d24 We’ve linked two of our most exploratory Spitsbergen trips, one of which cruises the island’s northern shores for pack ice and polar bears, and the other that ventures into the scenic eastern shorelines during the summer solstice. The result is this...

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

13 Jun - 27 Jun, 2024

Berths start from:

6400 USD

Arctic cruise video

Arctic story

Around Spitsbergen, in the Realm of the Polar Bear & Ice

There are journeys and there are journeys. This trip is one that falls in the latter category. I look back on a fantasti

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Arctic blog

Svalbard vs. the Canadian Arctic

Svalbard and the Canadian Arctic vary in terms of what they offer expedition travelers. They offer similar scenery, but

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Arctic experiences

Arctic wildlife

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Arctic cruise reviews

Overall rating based on 455 votes

Chiara Mellina
a wonderful journey
by Chiara Mellina

I want to leave again

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Unbelievable and magical trip
by lynne parsons

Fantastic trip aboard the Hondius, made so special by the knowledgeable guides who were at our beck and call to answer all our questions, look out for our safety and with a great sense of humour.. i enjoyed the

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What an amazing trip
by Juliette Chabrol

It was my first polar trip and it was amazing. I come from France. The ship team and the expedition trip were perfect. The organization of this trip was perfect. Everyone was very approachable and professional.

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Brigitta Wegmann
A journey into another world
by Brigitta Wegmann

Landscape, wildlife, guides, board service, food, ship and everything I haven't listed - I was totally thrilled. Maybe this trip was my childhood dream and now it has become a lifelong dream come true. My great

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Svalbard
by Elias Arce Fernandez

Un viaje maravilloso!!!!!

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Scoresbysund fjord
by C. Moorman

Fantastic trip to a remote West Greenland area with beautiful colors and exiting wild life. Impressive icebergs and glaciers. My first expeditiontrip on a fantastic (silent) ship. All the staff was like a war

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Arctic FAQ

What should I take into account when travelling to the Arctic?

Avoid unnecessary damage to the ground surface and vegetarian cover, as regeneration rates are extremely slow. Do not take specimens from plants. Do not pick flowers. Avoid disturbing or feeding the wildlife. Be aware of your activities and whethe

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What checks should I undertake before going to the Arctic?

Ensure that the footwear you intend to take has been scrubbed clean and all soil and seeds removed. Check all of your clothing for soil, seeds and insects, especially cuffs, pockets, hoods and all Velcro. Check that any equipment and luggage you

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Which ships travels to the Arctic?

All of our motor vessels and our sailing vessel make Arctic trips.

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When does Oceanwide Expeditions travel to the Arctic?

Our Arctic trips take place during the Northern Hemisphere summer.

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Where is the Arctic?

The north Pole is the top point of earth. At the North Pole, night and day occurs continuously half the year. This depends on whether the pole is facing the sun or not.The North Pole is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean and is surrounded by Alaska, C

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Who lives in the Arctic?

The Arctic is inhabited by different groups of people with mostly an European background. People from the surrounding countries live at the North Pole. 

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About

Arctic Expedition Cruises

The first explorers who set foot in the Arctic must have almost thought they’d wandered onto a different planet. But though they were certainly astonished by the dramatic scenery and rich wildlife, their main concern was surviving until they could find a northern trade route to the Indies.

Instead they discovered Spitsbergen, or “New Land of the Pointed Mountains.” Dutch captain Willem Barentsz named the island in 1596, and over four centuries later it still bears his handle. But though the Dutch didn’t succeed in finding their route, they did manage to return to Amsterdam a year later still wearing the fur clothes and white fox hats gotten in their expeditions ― but without their captain, who died during the journey.

Unlike the explorers, our motivation is purely for experience. We lead cruises to the Arctic and North Atlantic islands so our passengers can enjoy one of the last truly wild places on Earth. Remote and occasionally hostile, these areas are home to countless eye-popping sights: fiery sunsets glowing over the jagged glaciers, peaks and snowdrifts reflected up from water clear as glass, and white-winged birds streaking the bright blue sky. But nothing can prepare polar travelers for their first sight of the undisputed sovereign of the Arctic: the polar bear.



Today we visit these locations during the summer season, taking advantage of the long hours of daylight when temperatures are not so severe. Yet still this harsh and beautiful landscape echoes the history of those first brave voyages of discovery that happened so many centuries ago.

Facts About The Arctic

  • Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic is not a continent but a region ― extending into Canada, the US, Russia, Finland, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland
  • Almost 4,000,000 people live in the Arctic despite its severe conditions
  • The name “Arctic” comes from the Greek word ἀρκτικός (pronounced “arktikos”), which means “near the bear.” This name refers to one or both of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Ursa Minor contains the star Polaris, also known as the North Star
  • The Arctic Ocean is about 8,690,450 km2, larger than the surface area of Europe
  • Until recently it was unknown whether the Arctic’s massive sheet of ice was on top of land or water. The answer was revealed in 1958 when the submarine USS Nautilus navigated under the ice, proving it was indeed over water
  • The coldest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic was around -68°C in Siberia
  • The Arctic glacier holds about 7% of the world’s fresh water

 

Travel to the Arctic

Oceanwide Expedition’s Arctic cruises take you on a voyage through a region of the Earth that, despite one of the harshest environments, offers many of the planet’s once-in-a-lifetime sights. The lands of the midnight sun and polar night both fall within the Arctic’s borders.

Join us aboard our ice strengthened cruise ships m/v Plancius and m/v Ortelius and explore the northern territories of the polar regions. There you’ll enjoy hikingbird watchingwhale spotting, snow shoeing, and firsthand contact with awe-inspiring wildlife and history. Depending on which trip you take, you may also be able to zip up next to a whale in a Zodiac, take a hike around Greenlanddive under the Arctic waters, or if your love of the Arctic runs even deeper than that, help us clean up the shores of Spitsbergen.

But if you’d prefer to take a cruise on a ship that’s a little smaller ― though definitely not small in terms of adventure ― take a look at the Arctic voyages offered aboard our sailing ships s/v Rembrandt van Rijn and s/v Noorderlicht

Whatever your choice, climbing aboard one of Oceanwide’s Arctic cruises gives you the chance to investigate one of the last surviving wildernesses on the planet.

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