Cruises to Svalbard
North Spitsbergen, Polar Bear Special
PLA08-17
Start your North Spitsbergen cruise with a trek around historic Longyearben, then join our expedition to the north of the island to take in the fantastically beautiful landscapes, the thousands of seabirds, and of course the star of the show, the polar bear.
Around Spitsbergen
PLA11-17
Take a cruise around Spitsbergen and explore the icy waters of the North Atlantic. This special expedition offers you the chance to catch site of whales, reindeer, Arctic foxes, walruses, seals, and the star attraction, the polar bear.
Around Spitsbergen
NOO20-17
Sail around Spitsbergen taking in the wildlife, whaling history, and stunning landscapes. Visit historic whaling stations and search for walruses and reindeer. Head to Hornsund to explore the glaciers and the hunting grounds of the Polar Bear.
Around Spitsbergen
OTL12-17
Take a cruise around Spitsbergen and explore the icy waters of the North Atlantic. This special expedition offers you the chance to catch site of whales, reindeer, Arctic foxes, walruses, seals, and the star attraction, the polar bear.
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland
RVR25-17
The Spitsbergen and Northeast Greenland cruise sails waters filled with breath-taking scenery. The expedition passes through areas that are home to seals, seabirds, whales, and polar bears.
Svalbard cruise video
Svalbard photo
Svalbard story
A true Polar Bear Special
When I look out of the window I see only ice. Floes as far as the eye can see. It is Saturday, but not your typical Saturday. This morning I...
Svalbard blog
10 Profound Polar Bear Facts
They’re cute, they’re cuddly, they’ll eat your face off – polar bears are the undisputed kings and queens of the north. As one of the major draws...
Svalbard experiences
See the highlights you may experience::
Svalbard wildlife
See the impressive array of wildlife you may encounter::
Map of Svalbard
Svalbard cruise reviews
Overall rating based on 64 votes
Es war ein grandioses Erlebnis die Arktis zu erleben, Tiere in einer fantastischen Landschaft beobachten zu dürfen, begleitet von einer Crew, die man sich nur wünschen kann. Herzlichen Dank an Alle...
Fantastic expedition, wonderful wildlife sighting, very well organised, cabin comfortable, food tremendous and guides & crew outstanding.
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Die fabelhafte Crew hat die Reise unvergesslich gemacht! ich werde von den Erlebnissen in dieser grossartigen Natur noch lange zehren
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A trip on an expedition ship? The Ortelius isn't a luxury cruiser, but she's a comfortable vessel, our cabin (a superior twin) was excellent, with lovely touches like Mars Bars and wine in the fridge....
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We had an excellent trip on Plancius! Due to unexpected amounts of ice for the season in the north of Svalbard we could not do the routing that was originally foreseen for the Polar Bear Special. However, the...
Read full review >>Svalbard FAQ
What is the best time to travel to Spitsbergen?
This depends on what you want to experience at Spitsbergen. In case you want to experience the Polar night or the Aurora Borealis, November to February is the best time to travel to Spitsbergen. Do you want to see the midnight sun and enjoy boat trips,...
Read more >>When is the winter season in Spitsbergen?
The sun sets for the last time in Spitsbergen in mid-September and rises above the horizon again in mid-February. The winter landscape and temperatures prevail until May.
Read more >>What is the temperature and weather like in Svalbard?
The weather in Spitsbergen differs per area and location. Although snow can occur throughout the year in Svalbard, the North Atlantic Current helps provide Svalbard with warmer temperatures than many other areas within similar latitudes. However,...
Read more >>Where can I see Polar bears during the Spitsbergen voyage?
As Polar bears are animals which can travel many kilometres in a day, it is impossible to say where and when you can spot Polar bears. Your best chance to observe Polar bears are found in the areas around sea ice. The chance to see Polar bears in Svalbard...
Read more >>What wildlife can I see in Spitsbergen?
Your cruise to Spitsbergen will come with an enormous amount of opportunity to spot wildlife. Polar bears are obviously the main attraction regarding wildlife. There are six national parks throughout Spitsbergen, and Svalbard alone is known to contain,...
Read more >>What is the time in Svalbard?
Spitsbergen uses CET/Greenwich Mean Time +1 (GMT +1). This means that if it is 22:00 GMT (10 p.m.) during your cruise to Spitsbergen, it would be 16:00 (4 p.m.) in New York City, USA, 21:00 (9 p.m.) in London, U.K. and 09:00 (9 a.m.) the next morning...
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About Svalbard
Svalbard weather
Svalbard is located located in the high Arctic and shares the Arctic’s designation as a technical desert when it comes to annual precipitation (or lack thereof). Particularly the eastern part of Svalbard sees relatively little precipitation annually. The west coast sees more precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Depending on when you take your Svalbard cruise you can expect temperatures to average anywhere from -14°C in the winter to 6°C in the summer.
Facts about Svalbard
- The name “Svalbard” is an old name (going back to at least the 1100s) meaning “cold coasts.”
- Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s only true town, was founded by an American in 1906. It has a little over 2000 inhabitants.
- Almost 65% of Svalbard is a protected nature reserve or a national park.
- Svalbard is the archipelago (chain of islands) off the north coast of Norway.
- Svalbard has the world’s third biggest ice sheet, coming behind only Antarctica and Greenland.
- Svalbard is made up of 4 main islands, and almost 150 smaller islands.
- Nobody gets buried on Svalbard. Because of the cold in the ground bodies generally fail to decompose, meaning that the graveyards would quickly get overrun. Therefore bodies are shipped to mainland Norway and buried there.
Travel to Svalbard
Travel to Svalbard and experience one of the Earth’s northernmost human inhabitations. Your Svalbard expedition cruise will take you to a beautifully stark landscape of glaciers and rugged snow-capped mountains. During your Svalbard holiday you’ll explore the preserved and protected history of the region, watch high Arctic wildlife on both land and at sea. Come during the late autumn/early winter months and your Svalbard cruise will be capped off by the great wonder of the Polar skies, the Northern Lights. For the polar bear enthusiasts special polar bear itineraries are arranged to offer the best polar bear experiences.
Polar bear video by Vedat Mihmat
