ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS SAIL THROUGH A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD
A few columns ago, I wrote about expedition cruises to Antarctica. Today, I want to introduce you to its more northerly friend: the Arctic.
You might be surprised to learn that there are plenty of cruises that sail to the barren reaches of the Arctic; a rather generic term that encompasses an area that stretches from Alaska to Russia. Some of these voyages concentrate on the Canadian Arctic, including the Northwest Passage. Others focus on the upper reaches of Greenland, or the most remote parts of Alaska and Russia’s Far East.
My own Arctic expedition experience took me to the remote archipelago of Svalbard — or better known by its former name, Spitsbergen. Technically part of Norway, it lies roughly halfway between Norway and the North Pole, smack dab in the Arctic Ocean. Effectively, it’s in the middle of nowhere.
In the port city of Tromso on the Norwegian mainland, I boarded Silversea’s (silversea. com) rugged Silver Explorer: a nimble 132-guest expedition ship that is luxuriously decked out with everything you could possibly want, and then some.
One of the line’s three luxury expedition ships, Silver Explorer features an all-suite configuration, complete with butler service, pillow menus, and even a choice of three toiletries (Bulgari, Ferragamo or a hypo-allergenic brand). You’re left wanting for little, with a gorgeous wood-panelled main dining room, several bars and lounges, an observation lounge overlooking the bow, a well-stocked library with books on nearly every aspect of polar exploration, and Relais & Châteaux-inspired cuisine.
My 10-day itinerary took me from Tromso to the remote city of Longyearbyen. With just 2,000 inhabitants, the town is the largest settlement on Svalbard. Nestled in a valley bookended by rocky cliffs and abandoned mining equipment, it contains a rather fantastic museum on polar exploration in Svalbard, and an unexpectedly great museum dedicated to the local history of the town.
But it’s immediately apparent that you’re in a very different world. Walking outside the town’s borders — not a hard thing to do — is prohibited without a loaded rifle to guard against polar bear attacks. Wi-Fi is hard to come by, as is a decent cell signal. Expectant mothers are flown to the mainland to give birth, and the deceased can’t be buried in Longyearbyen due to the permafrost. It’s the strangest place I’ve ever been to, but in a good way.
Throughout our 10-day itinerary — which is left open and loose to allow for the best possible expedition experience — the issue of polar bears was a serious subject. To that end, Silversea carries a team of dedicated, armed “bear guards” that establish a perimeter for each landing ashore. If a bear is sighted, guests are quickly and safely returned to the Zodiac rafts, and the Silver Explorer. Ditto for fog, or anything else that might compromise our safety.
During my 10 days in the Arctic, we only saw a single polar bear, which we trailed from a safe distance in the ship’s inflatable Zodiac rafts. But we also saw countless reindeer and other forms of life. Even in the oppressiveness of these harsh climates, small plant life manages to exist, poking through the rocks and rising to no more than a few millimetres in height.
The sheer amount of diversity on this itinerary is amazing. Led by Silversea’s experienced expedition team of geologists, botanists, scientists and explorers, we saw abandoned trapper’s huts, forgotten mining settlements, icebergs, and even the polar ice cap, which Silver Explorer wedged her ice-strengthened bow into for one day.
After a day of exploration (be it hiking to a glacier or scenic cruising with the Zodiac rafts), nothing compares to being welcomed back on board with a glass of champagne and a friendly smile. Silversea even provides guests with complimentary parkas, backpacks, a reusable water bottle (all to keep) and rubber boots to use while on board. The line practises the strictest environmental policies on its expeditions, taking only photographs, and leaving only footprints.
Silver Explorer returns to Arctic Svalbard next summer, kicking off her season with a 12-day voyage between Reykjavik, Iceland and Longyearbyen. That’s followed with a weeklong voyage sailing round-trip Longyearbyen, and two 10-night sailings from Longyearbyen to Tromso and reverse.
Happy cruising.