Day 1

Depart from Manchester to Oslo – 1 night stay at the Radisson – I would advise for anyone to stay at the Radisson Blu as this is directly opposite the airport and very easy to access. Rooms and food both amazing in either the Radisson Blu or Radisson Park I.

Day 2

Fly from Oslo to Svalbard – please be aware that some flights touch down in Tromso, you do need to disembark the aircraft, go through customs and only the way back re-check in your luggage. Here we are inside the Arctic circle! Longyearbyen.

Arrival into Longyearbyen went smoothly, and you are taken straight to the Radisson Blu Polar hotel for your 1-night pre cruise stay – please be aware to ask for the main hotel building if anyone has any walking difficulties, as the other annex is set apart from the hotel. There is a lovely restaurant and bar on site, both serving delicious food and for breakfast in the morning. Longyearbyen is a lovely, quirky little town, with reindeer wandering on the tundra. A visit to the church, up on the hill, is a must and a lovely walk, also you must visit the Huskie café, for a coffee and a Huskie cuddle!

Day 3

Boarding day! We had the morning to continue exploring Longyearbyen, and after lunch we boarded the coach and we’re taken on a tour – pre-embarkation, to a traditional settlement, the museum, and a tour of the stunning landscape.

Embarkation, a quick picture beside the Greg Mortimer, meet the 17 strong expedition team and on board to the Elephant Bar for refreshments. The ship is stunning, and I was pleasantly surprised with how spacious my veranda stateroom was, and as it was located on deck 4, the views were outstanding, as you are close to both the sea and the sky. They even put the balcony furniture out, and it was pleasant enough to sit out with a coffee and a cookie. You are given a lovely 3- layer, waterproof jacket (to keep). Along with your own water bottle that you can fill up at the many water stations on board.

Evening meal is A La Carte, delicious and plenty to choose from. We had a talk in the lecture theatre about where we are heading the following day and Polar Bear safety briefing, and then it was time to hit the hay.

Day 4 Yogliabukta – Dickson Fjord

We had sailed slightly North over night and woke up in the most serenely beautiful fjord. Our first encounter with Arctic wildlife treated us to Walruses, Seals and many sea birds. After all of the morning briefings, then lunch we excitedly ventured out for the first time. We boarded the zodiacs, all kitted up, life jackets, waterproof trousers (a must) and muck boots (provided for you) and ventured out into the sea ice. The sea was a stunning azure blue, with the ice melt from the glaciers and like a millpond. The divers headed out on their first dive (these must be pre-booked along with kayaking before travelling, they can’t be booked on board). We sailed out into the ice, taking pictures of icebergs, walruses, glaciers, picturesque mountains, before heading back to the ship for pre-dinner Captains welcome cocktail party. Each evening you have a lecture before your evening meal advising what you will be doing the following day and some interested talks from the expedition team about their specialised subject. After your evening meal, everyone sits round in the very comfortable Elephant bar, chatting and having a drink or there is a bar in the Observation lounge that you can use, so that you can make sure that you don’t miss out on any wildlife. There is no entertainment on board as such, as the scenery, the staff and company are all the entertainment you need. 

Day 5 Gnalodden and Burgerbukta

Our first visit ashore, and it didn’t disappoint. Again, we were met with calm seas, blue skies and it was a balmy 0 degrees, I even had to take some layers off! The area is first scouted by the experienced expedition team, they must stand guard to make sure that any Polar bears don’t get too close, for our safety and theirs. We were treated to birds galore, Atlantic Puffins, Barnacle Geese, Guillemots, Snow Buntings to name but a few. The scenery again was mind blowing, and to stand on the Arctic tundra, admiring the view – I was definitely in my happy place. We visited Wanny Wolstad’s, trappers’ cabin, what a woman she was. The first ever woman trapper, and trust me what a woman she was, living in such a cold and isolated place, and being the only woman!

Day 6 Kapp Lee and Negribreen

Heading South – during the night we sailed round the South Cape of Svalbard, we awoke to the enchanting beauty of Storfjord. Fuelled by a delicious breakfast, we headed out into the ice waters of Kapp Lee. Snow capped mountains and frozen fjords, the scenery was stunning, and the stillness of the water and surroundings made the experience even more cathartic. After a hearty lunch we headed to Negribreen, one of Svalbard’s tidewater glaciers, on another zodiac cruise, you have to be fairly fit as you are on the go quite a bit! This 15 kilometre glacier did not disappoint, we even saw part of the glacier ‘calving’ (falling into the sea). We heard the sound of seals singing and the beautiful Ivory Gull. Another day complete, time for a warmup and a shower, before the pre-dinner canapes and cocktails before another A La Carte 3 course meal.

Day 7

In search of the illusive Polar bear, heading into the sea ice of Freemansundet. Polar bear tracks were to be seen in abundance, we spent the morning sailing through the increasing thick sea ice, what an experience that was. Eventually we had to turn back, and the ship was expertly turned around by Captain Maxim. After a delectable lunch, served by the amazing galley team, we headed out again in the zodiacs, this time to have a lovely walk and learn in more depth about the wildlife and flora. Tonight’s entertainment was a showing of the documentary Frozen Planet, that was filmed in Svalbard.

Day 8

Humpback whales! What a way to wake up, just as we were heading for breakfast, a tanoy announcement that Humpback whales had been spotted up ahead, we all donned warm clothing, and headed up to deck 8 where we were treated to the most amazing spectacle, including a pod of around 40 Harp seals swimming frantically as fast as they could, to join in with the whales, and capitalize on all of the fish. We watched for around an hour, then moved on, to leave the whales in peace and continue on with our journey. This was a sea day, as we were finally heading North. The day was filled with relaxing up on deck, or attending the interesting lectures given by Michael (on photography) and Colby (on the life of a snowflake), fascinating stuff.

Day 9

Today you could pick a zodiac that would suit your mood. There were 3, science zodiacs (for those who wanted to learn), 3, Zen zodiacs (for those who wanted to enjoy the surroundings, and live in the moment), 2, photography zodiacs and then a couple of wildlife zodiacs. Something to suit everyone.
Well today was also Arctic plunge day, not for the faint hearted, but those who participated were glad they’d done it. They were greeted with hot chocolates and a hotter sauna when they got out, and if that wasn’t enough, that night you were allowed to camp out on the top deck, well equipped with sleeping bags etc! 4 brave souls managed to last the full night and were rewarded with a certificate and a t-shirt for their efforts.

Day 10

Walking on sea ice day! If all the above wasn’t already enough. Today after breakfast, our skilful captain managed to dock the ship next to a large chunk of sea ice, and once all safety checks were made, we were allowed down the gang plank, and onto the ice! We were walking on polar sea ice at 80 degrees North. It was like a lunar landscape, so beautiful and serene, we were out there for a good few hours, they even provided hot chocolate on the ice and invited the staff to come down, as they had never experienced this before. It was amazing, the staff even had a bit of a snowball fight, you could tell it meant so much to them.
Another chilled afternoon, as we sailed further into the ice, we were the furthest North we could be. Tonight, another first, a bbq, out on deck at 80 degrees North! Yes, we did all sit outside, ate, listened to music, drank wine – then headed inside as we were cold, but what a night and again couldn’t fault the staff, who stayed out, despite the cold, to make sure that everyone was fed and watered.

Day 11

POLAR BEAR DAY!! – yes today is the day, Christophe, our esteemed expedition leader finally gave us the whispered tanoy announcement that the illusive Polar bear had been spotted! This was at 11.30pm, so many were in bed, but we all dashed out quickly and were greeted with the beautiful sight of a Polar bear walking along the beach, he then headed majestically into the sea, where he swam for a good 30 mins before hauling himself onto a piece of sea ice to dry off. 3am, we were still outside or on our balconies, watching the spectacle as we didn’t want to miss a thing. One of the highlights of the whole trip, nothing is guaranteed, and this just made it all the more perfect.

Day 12

Our last day – today was the last day, we headed to a Russian mining settlement, that is now deserted apart from a few scientists who call is how, quite an eerie place, but interesting to learn about, nevertheless.

Tonight, we put a little effort in for our last Captains dinner, had a delicious final meal, and then the staff treated us to a show. We said our fond farewells to the waiting staff, who have been amazing throughout, and headed to bed, head and hearts happy.

Day 13

We headed into Longyearbyen for a few hours, which was nice to pick up a few souvenirs before heading to the airport. We flew via Tromso again, and had to disembark and re-check in our luggage, so it’s something to be aware of. We had one final night in Oslo before heading back to, surprisingly sunny Manchester.

What a trip – I can’t thank AE Expeditions enough, and would thoroughly recommend them, if this trip sounds like the kind of Arctic experience for you. Give me a call on 0161 513 8200 and I'd be delighted to chat more with you about my Arctic expedition experience.

Plus, download our recent guide all about AE Expeditions by clicking the image below!