E-mail a friendShip: Akademik Shokalskiy
Itinerary: Spitsbergen, East Greenland & Iceland
cabins & deck plans | additional itineraries | cancellation policy
| Day 1 : | Longyearbyen |
|---|---|
| Days 2-4 : | Spitsbergen Exploration |
| Days 5-6 : | Greenland Sea |
| Days 7-10 : | East Greenland Coast |
| Days 11-12 : | Denmark Strait |
| Day 13 : | Westmann Islands / Iceland |
| Day 14 : | Reykjavik / Disembark |
| Click for full itinerary |
| Days | Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||||
| Triple Shared Bath | Twin Shared | Twin Private | Superior | Suite | ||
| 14 | Aug 31, 2009 | $6,490 | $7,690 | $8,990 | $10,390 | $11,790 |
| Optional Kayaking: $495 per person | ||||||
| Destinations : Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard Activities : Ancient Ruins, Cultural Activities, Modern History, Nature Viewing, Photography, Sea Kayaking, Whale Watching |
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High above the Arctic Circle lies the remarkable archipelago of islands known as Svalbard. Far to the north of Norway’s mainland, these Norwegian islands span an area of about 62,000 square kilometres, about the same size as Ireland or Tasmania. Our voyage aboard the comfortable Akademik Sergey Vavilov begins at the largest of all the Svalbard islands. Known as Spitsbergen, the west side of the island feels the comparative warmth of the North Atlantic current and spends half of the year, including the time of our visit, clear of ice. The fjords along the west and north coasts are often teeming with extraordinary wildlife from the walrus to the great polar bear, and promise dazzling Arctic scenery.
Our journey continues across the Greenland Sea to Greenland itself, another of the world’s most pristine destinations. We explore the stunning landscape of fjords on the eastern coast and visit ancient Greenlandic settlements and an isolated Inuit community that reveal this country’s rich cultural heritage.
Finally, our exploration takes us southeast, to the volcanic Westmann Islands of Iceland. Here in one of the world’s youngest archipelagos, just south of the mainland, we’ll find evidence of very recent geological activity before our unforgettable journey concludes in the capital city of Reykjavik.
Day 1 : Longyearbyen
Your flight will take you into the High Arctic, to Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen Island, the main settlement of Svalbard. You may have time before the official trip begins to explore this quaint town of just over a thousand people. You’ll be met at Longyearbyen Airport and be transferred to the pier for embarkation in the late afternoon. Once aboard the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, we’ll introduce our expedition team and provide an overview of our adventures to come. We’ll set sail in the evening, en-route to Kongsfjorden on the western coast of Spitsbergen, arriving by the time breakfast is served.
Days 2-4 : Spitsbergen Exploration
We have two days to explore parts of Svalbard. Our experienced guides will present a variety of fascinating excursions from which to choose. Whether your interests are hiking, flora and fauna, stunning natural scenery or history, there will be excursions to meet your tastes. Below are samples of the excursions you may wish to undertake. All excursions are subject to change depending on weather, ice and wildlife conditions.
We drop anchor before breakfast by the 14th of July Glacier (a bit of a mouthful, we admit). We begin the day with a discussion on safety procedures should we encounter any polar bear while on shore. We’ll then board Zodiacs and spend some time cruising past the ice-cliff face of the glacier, before making our first Svalbard landing.
After lunch, we’ll visit the settlement of Ny Ålesund, the most northern permanent community in the world. It serves as a base station for international Arctic research. We’ll have a chance to visit the station shop where we can send mail from the most northerly mailbox in the world. This area will also be a highlight for bird-watchers who may expect to see a profusion of species including Arctic terns, Arctic skuas, long-tailed ducks, kittiwakes, glaucous gulls, divers, geese and many more. We’ll also be on the lookout for reindeer that are often seen on the outskirts of town.
Later, we’ll get a taste of some Arctic history as we stand near the mast of the famous airships Norge and Italia. The Norge, operated by Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen in 1926, was used to fly over the North Pole. A few days earlier, an American named Richard Byrd had also made the journey and claimed to have reached the pole before Amundsen. Next, it was the Italians’ turn with Umberto Nobile deciding to mount a quest of his own in 1928. This journey however, ended in disaster when the airship crashed on the pack-ice north of Spitsbergen. Many rescue missions were sent out to find Nobile and his crew, including Amundsen who disappeared during the search.
We’ll sail over the most northerly point of Spitsbergen and go ashore at Worsleynesset. This is a magnificent area for tundra walks, offered with various levels of difficulty and length. It is also a good spot for wildflowers (one of the few places to find the spider plant), lots of bones, lagoons with various birds and an old trappers cabin. In the afternoon we’ll move the ship a few miles but recommend everybody is on deck as we approach the Monaco Glacier. We’ll offer Zodiac cruising to get within a safe distance of the monstrous glacier and possibly witness a large calving from this active wall of ice. There are often thousands of kittiwakes and glaucous gulls around and we’ll always be on the lookout for an ivory gull. The glacier is the main attraction, but the guides will also be scanning the shore for bears, which have often been seen in the area.
Back on board, we’ll all gather together again on the bow of the ship after supper, in broad daylight. Following our extraordinary excursions in Spitsbergen, it’s time to celebrate. We’ll raise a glass and make a toast as we cross 80° north, just 600 miles from the North Pole. We end the day with a visit to Moffen Island, a small atoll-like landmass further to the northeast. Not more than a few metres above sea level, this island is a protected walrus sanctuary. Often we’ll see many walrus hauled up on shore, or swimming around the ship. We’ll also hope to spot polar bear here and perhaps a few Sabine gulls.
Days 5-6 : Greenland Sea
After such dramatic experiences, we’ll now have the chance to unwind as we head west crossing the Greenland Sea. Relaxing on board, we’ll have ample time to enjoy the spectacular ocean vistas from the ship’s deck. As always, our naturalists will be manning the bridge looking for interesting wildlife sightings. Our educational program offers fascinating sessions to prepare us for what we’ll find in Southern Greenland. Talks on such topics as seals and the modern Inuit create enormous anticipation.
Finally, by the end of Day 5 we should begin to see the mountains of Southern Greenland as the air of expectation grows. This is the land of majestic fjords that will be ours to explore in the days to come.
Days 7-10 : East Greenland Coast
These next few days will be expedition cruising at its best. We’ll sail southwards along the Greenland coast, looking for possible landing sites and places for Zodiac cruises. Of course, our schedule will remain flexible depending on conditions. We plan to sail deep within Scoresbysund, the largest fjord complex in the world. This remarkable place is the birthplace of many giant icebergs that calve from massive glaciers. We’ll take walks through musk ox habitat and visit fascinating Ancient Thule settlements. We’ll also learn about life in a remote Greenlandic settlement that is the most northerly community on the island’s east coast. Towards the end of Day 9, we head back out to sea as our voyage continues.
Days 11-12 : Denmark Strait
For the next two days, we’ll cross the Denmark Strait heading towards Iceland. Our expedition staff will provide information about this extraordinary geological destination. Of course, there’ll be plenty of time to relax on board and enjoy the ocean views, keeping a lookout for whales that are usually in abundance along this leg of the journey. When conditions are favourable we often see several varieties of whales here.
Day 13 : Westmann Islands / Iceland
We begin exploring volcanic Vestmannaeyjar, one of the world’s youngest archipelagos. We’ll make our first stop in the brightly-coloured, charming town of Heimaey for a walking tour just after breakfast. Not to be missed is a visit to the local cinema showing a documentary about the Eldfell eruption of 1973. Hundreds of thousands of tons of volcanic ash slowly buried the town, while lava flows threatened to block the harbour. Sheer determination on the part of the islanders was the only thing that saved this community from total destruction.
After that cinematic introduction, we’ll visit Eldfell itself. A hike up the still-warm sides will give us a much closer perspective of its power. Also a \'must\' in Heimaey is a visit to the excellent natural history museum, down the street from the cinema. Don\'t be fooled by its apparent small size. Inside is perhaps the best display of Icelandic bird, mammal and fish life to be found anywhere.
Day 14 : Reykjavik / Disembark
In the morning we arrive at Reykjavik, the main port and capital city of Iceland. From here we transfer either to hotels in Reykjavik or to Keflavik International airport for flights back home. Iceland is a country well worth exploring. You may wish to consider spending time here on your own before flying out.
-Additional fuel surcharge of $22/night on ship, per person, for Arctic departures between Jun - Sep 2008.
- Additional fuel surcharge of $58/night on ship, per person, for Antarctic departures between Oct 2008 - Mar 2009.
- Sea Kayaking Option: US$695 per person (2008-2009 season) and US$795 per person (2009-2010 season)
- Camping Option: There is no supplementary charge for this option for 2008-2009 season. $195 per person for 2009-2010. Participation will be confirmed at booking on a first come, first served basis.
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double or triple occupancy. Request the Twin or Triple Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabinmate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
- Single costs are 1.7 times the twin rate for all cabins except suites.
- Emergency medical evacuation coverage for a minimum of US$100,000 per person required. Contact us for details on arranging travel insurance.
Prices are based on a 3% cash discount.
Ship Description: Akademik Shokalskiy
click to enlarge
Cruising around icebergs in the Arctic
Akademik Shokalskiy is a terrific expedition ship, sister ship to the Polar Pioneer. Built in Finland in 1983, she is ice-strengthened and has stabilizers for more comfortable travel. In 1998 she was refurbished to provide comfortable accommodation for 46 passengers, an ideal number for expedition cruising. On board are a combined bar/lounge and a dedicated lecture room/library (stocked with a good collection of reference books and videos). All cabins have outside portholes, plus ample storage space. The spacious bridge (always open to us) and the decks are ideal for viewing during your Antarctica travel.
The Russian captain and crew are among the most experienced navigators in the world and their enthusiasm for exploration is legendary. Akademik Shokalskiy is not a luxury vessel. Accommodation is simple yet comfortable and the meals, prepared by European chefs and served by Russian stewardesses, are wholesome and uncomplicated. A small fleet of inflatable Naiads with outboard motors enables us to make landings and explore magnificent places where few others have ever been.
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Triple Shared Bath 2 cabins with 2 lower and 1 upper berth, shared facilities, sink in the cabin and porthole window |
Twin Shared 8 cabins with shared baths (106-124 sq. ft.) Cabins have two lower berths (except for 315 which has 2 lower, 1 upper), sofa, writing desk, bookshelf, 2 wardrobes, cabinets, and 1 square window/ porthole |
Twin Private12 cabins with private bath with shower (100-125 sq. ft.) Cabins have one lower and one upper berth (Some cabins have 2 lower berths), sofa, drawers, refrigerator, writing desk,bookshelf, 2 wardrobes, and 1 square window/ porthole |
Superior1 cabin (171 sq.ft) with one double bed, 1 sofa bed, private facilities, and 3 opening windows |
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Suite 1 cabin (250 sq.ft) with one double bed, 1 sofa bed, private facilities, and 5 opening windows |
