Cruises to the Arctic
Central Spitsbergen, Aurora borealis
Arctic autumn
NOO28-17. The central Spitsbergen cruise offers the chance to explore both the beautiful fjord region as well as the history of the people who have lived and worked here. The expedition is also a wonderful way to enjoy the wildlife in its natural habitat and one of the great attractions in the Arctic: The Nor...
North Iceland - Arctic Circle & whales, Aurora borealis
Aurora Borealis, Arctic Circle & whales
RVR32-17. Visit the island of Grimsey and take a guided walk across the Arctic Circle. At night we might see Aurora borealis (Northern Lights), While sailing across Skjafandi Bay we hope to see Humpback whales, Minke whales, White-beaked dolphins and Harbour porpoise.
North Norway-Whale Safari, Aurora Borealis
Follow the herring and the whales North of the Polar Circle
NOO29-17. The North Norway cruise follows the path of more than one kind of whale as it travels amongst the fjords of Troms. The long Norway nights offer travellers on this expedition an excellent chance to take in the beauty and wonder of the Northern Lights.
North Norway-Whale Safari, Aurora Borealis
Follow the herring and the whales North of the Polar Circle
NOO33-17. The North Norway cruise follows the path of more than one kind of whale as it travels amongst the fjords of Troms. The long Norway nights offer travellers on this expedition an excellent chance to take in the beauty and wonder of the Northern Lights.
North Norway-Whale Safari, Aurora Borealis
Follow the herring and the whales North of the Polar Circle
NOO34-17. The North Norway cruise follows the path of more than one kind of whale as it travels amongst the fjords of Troms. The long Norway nights offer travellers on this expedition an excellent chance to take in the beauty and wonder of the Northern Lights.
Arctic cruise video
Arctic photo
Arctic story
Following the tracks of Viking Explorer Fridtjof Nansen
In late August of 2016, I went on a week-long tour of East Greenland on the Rembrandt Van Rijn. The ship was originally built in the 1920's but...
Arctic blog
A Guide’s Guide: Trekking the Tundra with Expedition Leader Michael Ginzburg
For adventure lovers, a common reaction to meeting polar expedition guides is that they have one of the coolest jobs on the planet. They spend...
Arctic experiences
See the highlights you may experience::
Arctic wildlife
See the impressive array of wildlife you may encounter::
Map of Arctic
Arctic cruise reviews
Overall rating based on 95 votes
很高兴能在奥特留斯号上遇到很多好玩的朋友，和遇到那么多幽默的探险队员，当然还有度过了那么完美的一段北极时光。“脚印会消失，但记忆永远会留下。” 我觉得自己以后还会继续选择“船客”（新私享）旅游，更希望以后会再次遇到奥特留斯号的船员和队员。 短短的9天，在我的记忆里留下的全部是笑声和难忘的记忆。谢谢你们！
It was an amazing experience. I will travel with Oceanwide next time because they have a fantastic human staff.
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Reise sehr empfehlenswert, Optimale Betreuung durch ein sehr verantwortungsbewusstes Team, das alle Möglichkeiten entsprechend der Wetterlage ergreift um eine unvergessliche Reise zu erleben. Ausgezeichnet...
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This trip exeeded my expectations. What I wanted was a smaller ship with an accent to seeing wildlife. Here I got all I wanted. The crew and the guides were all dedicated to getting us to see as much wildlife...
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Die Reise hat unvergessliche Eindrücke hinterlassen. Die lehrreichen und leicht nachvollziehenden Vorträge von den sehr kompetenten Guides haben mich gefesselt. Das Schiff ist komfortabel, die Küche...
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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 whether...
Read more >>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...
Read more >>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, Canada,...
Read more >>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.
Read more >>What is the time in the Arctic?
The time zone in the Arctic is GMT +1.0 hour.on Svalbard trips is CET. East Greenland trips switch time zones mid-trip to fit Iceland time (GMT), West Greenland trips stays at GMT -2.
Read more >>What would be the longest delay for medical attention during a trip to the Arctic?
In Svalbard and West Greenland we are generally within helicopter reach and a medevac is usually not more than some hours away if we have a serious problem. In East Greenland there are only limited aerial medevac possibilities and an evacuation via a...
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About Arctic
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 hiking, bird watching, whale 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 Greenland, dive 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 out 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.
