Spitzbergen expedition cruise to the Arctic
| country: | Arctic Cruises |
| location: | Spitsbergen |
| departures: | 2010: 24 Jun, 28 Jun, 4 Jul, 14 Jul, 24 Jul, 3 Aug, 13 Aug |
| price: | From £3299 - £3590 (12 days) excluding flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Sail to 80 degrees north, well beyond the Arctic Circle, around the island of Spitzbergen, where snow-draped mountains rise high above the pack ice. Seen from the ship or on land, it is the wildlife that makes this adventurous expedition so intoxicating: huge 200,000-strong colonies of little auk thronging the cliffs and shores, kittiwakes next to the Monaco Glacier, walrus wallowing in the shallows, arctic foxes, whales and, of course, one of the ultimate wildlife sightings, the mighty polar bear, frequently seen hunting in its frosty backyard on ice floes. With 24 hour daylight, the time is maximised amid this breathtaking glacial scenery, whether by the state-of-the-art Russian ship, Zodiacs or on foot.
Anyone booking a Polar Expedition voyage by 31 December 2009 will receive a magnificent set of the acclaimed Opticron Countryman 8x42 binoculars. They come with a 10-year guarantee and are critical on any wildlife holiday. In the Poles they are as important as your passport! Exclusive Photographic & Polar Bear voyages on 24 June 2010 and 24 July 2010. Led by Paul Goldstein, these two voyages will be a Polar bear pilgrimage. Paul has guided the Svalbard Archipelago many times, and intends to maximise every one of the 24 hours of daylight. He is fascinated by Polar Bears and intends to work every moment to ensure his two departures are extra special in this respect.
Anyone booking a Polar Expedition voyage by 31 December 2009 will receive a magnificent set of the acclaimed Opticron Countryman 8x42 binoculars. They come with a 10-year guarantee and are critical on any wildlife holiday. In the Poles they are as important as your passport! Exclusive Photographic & Polar Bear voyages on 24 June 2010 and 24 July 2010. Led by Paul Goldstein, these two voyages will be a Polar bear pilgrimage. Paul has guided the Svalbard Archipelago many times, and intends to maximise every one of the 24 hours of daylight. He is fascinated by Polar Bears and intends to work every moment to ensure his two departures are extra special in this respect.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Longyearbyen, night in hotel. |
| Day 2: | Board ship and begin exploration. |
| Days 3-11: | Exploring the Spitzbergen Archipelago. |
| Day 12: | Disembark in Longyearbyen, afternoon flight to London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
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We take extremely seriously our responsibility to minimise our impact on these pristine areas. Our ship operators are Full Members of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and have agreed to abide by one of the world's most conscientious codes of conduct for tourism.
During the last Arctic season we started a pilot project, which raised awareness and funds to better understand how polar bears are being effected by the warming climate and loss of habitat (sea ice). The project was incredibly successful and our passengers purchased several satellite tracking collars to follow the bears movements. We also participate in the “Clean up Svalbard” project which resulted in several thousand tons of rubbish being removed from the shores of the archipelago. This interactive program has achieved a positive result that has made a tangible difference to the environment. We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! This operator is an Associate Member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and has agreed to abide by one of the tourism world's most conscientious codes of conduct. Our ship operator is also a member of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), which covers operations in Spitzbergen. We support various conservation initiatives: Polar Bear Study: The polar bear’s migratory patterns have long been a mystery to conservationists. With money raised from expeditions and donations, we have made valuable contributions to the purchase of the expensive tracking collars – critical in monitoring their hunting and mating patterns. Albatross Campaign: Almost half a million US dollars has been raised through staff and passengers towards the ‘Get the Albatross off the Hook’ campaign, aimed at stopping the death of albatrosses by long-line fishing. Scott Polar Research Institute: We support the work of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. The Institute is the oldest international centre for Polar Research within a university. Polar Ambassadors: Polar Ambassadors believe that the preservation and conservation of the polar regions is imperative. There are 10 simple things that you can do now that will make a difference. Our expedition team on each ship takes this very seriously, and look forward to explaining how everyone can become involved. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |