Prior to departure:

From registration to departure, you’ll be invited to participate in regular bridge calls and gatherings between participants to meet, share interests and get you well prepared with all relevant information and gear.

After departure:

If, like most of our group, you’ll be flying from Australia, you can go via either Bangkok or Qatar, on to Longyearbyen via Oslo. We recommend spending a couple of days on the way over or back at each of these places and we will provide you with a recommended itinerary for your stop overs should you choose to do this.

After Arrival in Longyearbyen

Day 1: Largest town, biggest island

You touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plant have been recorded in it. In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage. In the evening you sail for Trygghamna, where you see the remains of a 17th-century English whaling station and 18th-century Pomor hunting station, both of which you can visit the next morning.

Day 2 – 5: Glacial fjords, historic finds

Leaving Trygghamna early in the morning, you sail to the north side of Bellsund. Here you find a fjord system with two major branches: Van Mijenfjord and Van Keulenfjord – and one smaller side bay, Recherchefjord. The geology has created particularly unique landscapes here, such as the long and narrow island of Akseløya, which blocks Van Mijenfjord almost completely. In Fridtjovhamna, the calving glacier Fridtjovbreen is surrounded by picturesque mountains.

The rich wildlife of this area has attracted hunters throughout the centuries. At Ahlstrandhalvøya you can walk in the hunters’ footsteps, examining the remains of their huts. Recherchefjord has one of the highest concentration of historical sites in all of Spitsbergen, ranging from 17th century whaling culture to the mining period of the early 20th century. The glacier Recherchebreen ends at a lagoon, likely to be frozen in October, and several smaller icebergs. Polar bears are commonly sighted all over Bellsund, so keep your eyes open for them and for the belugas that frequent this area.

Day 6: Russian waypoints

You next pay a visit to Barentsburg, the only inhabited Russian settlement in Spitsbergen. An alternative is Colesbukta, an abandoned Russian coal mining settlement.

Day 7: Chasing the Arctic chill

Sailing into the inner reaches of the Isfjord system, you can see the new ice that is forming on the heads of the fjords. You may also experience temperatures as low as -10° C (14° F), depending on how clear the sky is.

Day 8: There and back again

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You disembark in Longyearbyen, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

Gallery

This gives you an idea of what you might be likely to see.

Our vessel:

Noorderlicht

The ‘Noorderlicht’ was originally built in 1910 in Flensburg, Germany as a three-masted schooner. For most of her existence she served as a light-vessel on the Baltic. In 1991 the present owners purchased the hull and re-rigged and refitted her thoroughly, under the rules of “Register Holland”.

Passengers: 18 in 9 cabins

Staff & crew: 7

Length: 46 meters (153 feet)

Breadth: 6,5 meters (22 feet)

Draft: 3,2 meters (11 feet)

Ice class: Strengthened bow

Displacement: 300 tonnes

Propulsion: 360 hp diesel

Speed: 6 knots average cruising

Booking

Currently 4 of the 10 cabins have already been booked. To enquire further or to secure your place please contact us now.