Arctic Svalbard Cruise

Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik, is the starting point of the climate pilgrimage. The route for this particular voyage is an inaugural homage to the journey the Vikings pioneered more than 800 years ago. Set sail for one of the most diverse and isolated islands on Earth, Jan Mayen.

Heading north, you cross the open sea and follow the ocean currents that form part of the Thermohaline Circulation (more commonly known as the global conveyor belt). You have an opportunity to enjoy a series of lectures on a wide range of climatic and natural themes. As you follow the warmer waters of the equatorial Atlantic as they head north towards the cooler polar regions, you are party to a phenomenon that is of immense importance to the global climate and the worldwide changes in temperature.

The closest land mass to Jan Mayen Island is Iceland, located some 372 miles to the southwest. Without doubt Norway’s most secluded piece of real estate, Jan Mayen rarely sees visitors of any kind, making today’s visit a real experience of a lifetime. The crew of the MS Fram and your resident expedition team will endeavor to do their utmost to facilitate a landing on this remote outpost.

A day at sea affords an opportunity to reflect on yesterday’s incredible experiences and anticipate the highlights that await you in Spitsbergen. A series of lectures and discussions on seabirds and marine mammals will help to highlight the rich diversity of these waters. A chance to learn a little more about Spitsbergen itself will illustrate why the region has become such a strong global thermometer in the ongoing debate about climate change.

An Arctic outpost that has embraced some of the modern comforts of the outside world, Longyearbyen is at the center of the struggle to find a compatible balance between man and nature. The University Center is the northernmost institute of higher education anywhere on Earth, with its core research focusing on the natural sciences. One of the university’s most prestigious projects is an attempt to find a viable method of storing CO2 in the geological layers that lie beneath the permafrost, a far reaching vision that will ultimately make Longyearbyen climate neutral.

Situated at 78º 55’ N, Ny Ålesund is one of the world’s most northerly permanently-occupied communities and an important field station for climatologists. Weather and ice conditions permitting, you will attempt to cross the 80th parallel today, so keep your eyes open for walrus, whales and polar bears.

Isfjorden is the largest fjord complex in Spitsbergen, almost slicing the island in half. Sailing into the fjord, you are presented with the spectacular site of towering cliffs that lie beneath a moving blanket of seabirds. This afternoon there is a fitting finale for your incredible journey, a final expedition landing and onboard festivities on the deck of the MS Fram.

The voyage has come to an end and you bid farewell to one of the last large European wildernesses as you return home.