North or Around Spitsbergen

North or Around Spitsbergen– Spitsbergen –10 days / 9 nights, Longyearbyen - Krossfjorden - Ny Ålesund - Andoya - Phippsøya - Laagøya - Hinlopen Strait - Barentsøya - Hornsund - Recherchefjorden.Towards the very top of the Northern Hemisphere lies the Svalbard Archipelago, the most accessible high Arctic area in the world. Large parts of Svalbard are national parks and nature preserves outside the few human settlements, a true wilderness area. Svalbard provides a wealth of wildlife, and our expedition cruises will reward you with views of colonies of nesting sea birds, mammals, reindeer, arctic fox, and the king of Svalbard, the polar bear.

Twin Inside	Twin Porthole	Twin Deluxe	Superior
$5,600	$6,450	$7,200	$8,000

M/V Antarctic Dream, per person, prices in USD


Operation	June 29 - August 9, 2012
Departure	ATD07 July 1 - July 10, 2012
Price	Antarctic Dream From $5,600 per person, Twin private inside
Included	Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes on Plancius On Spitsbergen voyages: Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen AECO fees and governmental taxes Comprehensive pre-departure material
Not Included	Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights Pre- and post land arrangements Transfers to / from the vessel outside Spitsbergen passport and visa expenses Government arrival and departure taxes Meals ashore Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended) Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges Customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided) $25 Service fee
Please Note	The ice conditions will determine the sailing plan, either the North or around Spitsbergen itinerary. All rates are quoted per person in US Dollar, based on twin occupancy. US Dollar rates apply for all sales within Europe. 5% Discount will be granted for bookings for one or more consecutive voyages. Please note that all dates & rates are subject to change. All voyages will operate subject to a minimum of 50 participants on the Antarctic Dream, 70 participants on the Plancius and 14 participants on the Noorderlicht. Twin non private and Twin private cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.7 times the share price. It is agreed that if world fuel prices will reach or exceed US Dollar 80 per Barrel Brent 90 days prior to departure Oceanwide Expeditions reserves the right to levy a fuel surcharge of US Dollar 25 per passenger per night, to be paid by the contracting party of Oceanwide Expeditions.
Tour Options
More Information	North and Around Spitsbergen map Norwegian Polar Institute: Polar Bears in Svalbard brochure World Travel Award 2009

Day 1 ARRIVAL LONGYEARBYEN Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to stroll around this former mining town, whose parish church and Polar Museum are well worth visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.

Onboard

Day 2 KROSSFJORDEN - NY ÅLESUND Heading north along the west coast, we arrive by morning in Krossfjorden, where we go on the Zodiacs for a cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, a colourful variety of flowers bloom, while large numbers of Kittiwakes and Brünnich's Guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is also a good chance of spotting Arctic Foxes, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a chick falls from its nest, and Bearded Seals, who cruise this fjord. In the afternoon we sail to Ny Ålesund, the world's most northerly settlement.

Once a mining village - served by the world's most northerly railway, which can still be seen - Ny Ålesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Geese and Arctic Terns. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928 before their flights to the North Pole.

Onboard

Day 3 LIEFDEFJORDEN - ANDØYA - MONACO GLACIER Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, we will go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andøya. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest here, and the more rare king eider may also be seen. Sailing into Liefdefjorden, we will cruise near the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and occasionally polar bears are seen on the glacier.

Onboard

Day 4 PHIPPSØYA Today we will reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. Here we will be at 81 degrees north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, along with ivory gulls. We may sit for several hours in the pack ice, taking in our spectacular surroundings and seeing a Ross gull, before we turn south again.

Onboard

Day 5 LAAGØYA We will visit Laagøya today, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of Walrus tends to congregate. Sabine's Gulls nest on the island as well. At Sorg Fjord we may find another herd of walruses not far from the graves of 17th century whalers. On a nature walk, we may encounter families of ptarmigans.

Onboard

Day 6 HINLOPEN STRAIT - AUGUSTABUKTA Today we will sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears, and Ivory Gulls. We'll navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in our zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brünnich's guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, we'll attempt a landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet, home to Reindeer, Pink-footed Geese, breeding Ivory Gulls, and Walruses. Near Torrelneset, we will explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world's third largest ice cap, which meets the sea nearby. We will walk along beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. We may encounter walruses along the way.

Onboard

Day 7 BARENTSØYA - DISKOBUKTA In Freemansundet we plan to land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsøya to visit an old trapper's hut and then take a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen Reindeer and Barnacle Geese. Later we cruise south to Diskobukta on the west side of Edgeøya. After a Zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, we land on a beach littered with whale bones and tree trunks, which have drifted here from Siberia. We can also climb to the rim of a narrow gully which is inhabited by thousands of Kitttiwakes, together with Black Guillemots and piratical Glaucous Gulls. During the breeding season, the base of the cliffs is patrolled by Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears, especially females with young cubs, searching for young birds that have fallen from the nesting ledges.

Onboard

Day 8 HORNSUND We start the day quietly cruising the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431m while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name 'Spitsbergen' - pointed mountains - to the island. There are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and very good chances of encounters with seals and Polar Bears.

Onboard

Day 9 VAN KEULENFJORD - RECHERCHEFJORD Today we land on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of Beluga skeletons (the Beluga is a small white whale), the remains of 19th century slaughter, are yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless exploitation. Fortunately, Belugas were not hunted to the edge of extinction and may still be seen locally. Indeed, there is a good chance that we will come across a pod. Cruising into Recherchefjorden during the afternoon we can explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many Reindeer feed.

Onboard

Day 10 LONGYEARBYEN - DISEMBARKATION Return to Longyearbyen and disembark for the transfer to the airport and the flight to Oslo and home.

The chances that we can complete a full Spitsbergen Circumnavigation (based on our experiences from 1992 until 2010) are about, 30 % in the first half of July, 60 % in the second half of July, 90% in the first half of August, 95% in the second half of August. In case we cannot complete a full circumnavigation we will mostly resort to a program in Northeast or Southeast Spitsbergen.