Ship: MV Plancius
Itinerary: St. Kilda - Faroes - Jan Mayen - Spitsbergen
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Polar bear enjoying the warm sun
cabins & deck plans | additional itineraries | cancellation policy | Testimonials
| Day 1 : | Embark at Oban |
|---|---|
| Day 2 : | St. Kilda |
| Day 3 : | Thorshavn and Saksun |
| Days 4-5 : | At Sea |
| Day 6 : | Jan Mayen |
| Days 7-8 : | At Sea |
| Day 9 : | Raudfjord |
| Day 10 : | Fuglehuken |
| Day 11 : | Disembark at Longyearbyen |
| Click for full itinerary |
| Days | Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||
| Triple Private | Twin Private | Superior | ||
| 11 | Jun 4, 2010 | $3,500 | $4,450 | $4,950 |
| Bilingual services available in English and German. | ||||
| Destinations : Arctic, Faroes, Jan Mayen, Scotland, Svalbard |
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- 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 cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
- Standard twin cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.8 times the shared price. Superior cabins and suites available for single occupancy at 2 times the shared price.
The Northern Atlantic Islands are full of untouched wildlife. Join us on this exciting cruise into the hidden lives of polar bears, albatross, walrusses, and several different bird species. This terrain is a birder's dream. Relax and enjoy nature at your doorstep on this exciting adventure through St. Kilda, Faroes, Jan Mayen, and Spitsbergen.
Day 1 : Embark at Oban
We embark at Oban, a small and cosy harbour town in west Scotland. From Glasgow it is a good option to take the train, a marvellous journey through one of the most scenic parts of Scotland.
The channels between the Scottish islands offer excellent possibilities to spot Minke Whales (a small baleen whale), White-beaked Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises. Several other cetaceans, including Orcas (Killer Whales), are also native to these waters.
Day 2 : St. Kilda
To the west of North Uist lie the St Kilda group of islands, built of volcanic rock and with cliffs rising to over 400m, the highest in Britain and home to the largest seabird colony in the country. St Kilda has its own sub-species of birds and mice, and of sheep, the Soay, probably brought here by Stone Age man over 5,000 years ago. Until 1930 St. Kilda was inhabited, but then the last of the islanders left leaving a handful of windswept ruins, though there is also a military base which may be visited.
Day 3 : Thorshavn and Saksun
Today we arrive at Thorshavn, the capital and cultural centre of the Faroes. Here we are free to shop, to visit the museum or just wander at will. In the harbour the small Faroese boats are a reminder of the Viking origins of the islanders. The walkers among us can make an exciting two hours walk across the hills to Kirkjubøer where they will find a medieval cathedral. In the early evening we will try to land at Saksun, tucked away at the head of a fjord which was once a superb natural harbour. Today the bay is full of sand and we can only enter by zodiac at high tide. At Saksun is a Natural Heritage Museum. Continuing along the north side of Streymoy we pass huge seabird colonies.
Days 4-5 : At Sea
We sail north to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, situated 300 nautical miles north-east of Iceland. During our two days at sea there will be plenty of time to watch for the blow of a Minke, Fin or Blue Whale, which could herald a rewarding encounter with these gentle giants. Perhaps we might run into a pod of Orcas, who can often be quite curious about boats such as ours.
Day 6 : Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island of breathtaking beauty and mystique, dominated by Mt Beerenberg. From the slopes of the 2300m volcano, impressive glaciers spill into the sea. Until recently, the island was off-limits as it is a military base, and was rarely visited by tourists, but with permission from the Norwegian authorities we hope to visit the weather station. We will also walk across the island to Kvalrossbukta to look at the remains of a 17th century Dutch whaling station and a substantial colony of Fulmars. We also plan to sail by Koksletta where thousands of Little Auks and Brünnich's Guillemots breed close to a glacier, watched over by piratical Glaucous Gulls.
Days 7-8 : At Sea
In the midnight sun we sail north along the edge of the sea-ice, looking out for different species of whales, dolphins, seals and a variety of seabirds, until the sea-ice will stop us and we will sail to North Spitsbergen.
Day 9 : Raudfjord
Depending on the position of the sea-ice, we sail into Raudfjord or one of the other fjords in Northwest Spitsbergen, where we have chances of seeing Polar Bears at the heads of the fjords, where seals are sunbathing on the fjord-ice. At Fuglesangen we have an opportunity to see thousands of Little Auks on their breeding places.
Day 10 : Fuglehuken
Fuglehuken the northern tip of Prince Karls Forland is probably the place where Willem Barentsz made the first landing in Spitsbergen. It is an area with beautiful sabird-colonies and many remains of the Polar Bear hunting period of a century ago. Later we will look for Walrusses at Sarstangen, Engelskmansbukta or Poole-pynten. In the evening we could land at Alkhornet another seabird colony with at the slopes Reindeer and Arctic Foxes.
Day 11 : Disembark at Longyearbyen
We disembark at Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of Spitsbergen, for flights south to Norway and onward to home.
Ship Description: MV Plancius
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MV Plancius
M/V “Plancius” started her life in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy and was named “Hr. Ms. Tydeman”. In June 2004, the vessel was taken out of active service for rebuilding.
Still under construction, but available for Polar expeditions in June 2009, the vessel shall be completely rebuilt as a 112-passenger vessel and shall comply with the latest SOLAS-regulations (Safety Of Life At Sea), is classed by Lloyd’s Register in London and will fly the Dutch flag.
The vessel will be comfortable and nicely decorated, but is not a luxurious vessel. Our voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic regions are and will still be primarily defined by an exploratory educational travel program, spending as much time ashore as possible. This vessel will fully meet our demands to achieve this.
M/V “Plancius” can accommodate 112 passengers in 54 passenger cabins with private toilet and shower in 4 triple private cabins, 40 twin private cabins (ca. 15 square meters) and 10 twin superior cabins (ca. 21 square meters).
The vessel is manned by 30 international crew members (inc. 10 stewardesses/cabin cleaners), 6 hotel staff (4 chefs, 1 purser and 1 steward-barman), 6 expedition staff (1 expedition leader and 5 guides-lecturers) and 1 doctor.
Triple Private4 cabins with private facilities, bunk bed and 1 lower twin bed. |
Twin Private40 cabins with private facilities and two lower twin beds. |
Superior10 cabins with private facilities and two lower twin beds or one queen bed. |
