Science of the Arctic expedition cruise: Svalbard, Norway
Contact our booking partner Polar Routes to reserve your cabin or ask a question
18 June 2024 - 13 days from £9,995 (see price grid for all cabin options)
Join our marine expedition exploring the northernmost region of Earth, the realm of the polar bear and the midnight sun. Gain extensive knowledge of marine and polar nature while deepening your connection to this remote and rugged archipelago.
Witness polar bears on ice flows (June is one of the best months to spot them), beluga whales and a plethora of species on land, sea and in the air. Plus, you will explore the Arctic town of Longyearbyen.
Aboard a new state-of-the-art polar expedition vessel, the Greg Mortimer, you will experience the majesty of Norway’s Svalbard with its ancient glaciers, glass-still fjords, imposing pack ice and distinct landscape where wildlife thrives at nearly 80° north.
With a full programme of talks, shore visits and Zodiac boat safaris. Accompanied by New Scientist's Rowan Hooper along with highly knowledgeable and supportive expedition team, experts in exploration, science and wildlife.
With only 130 guests, amazing viewing space and a ship build designed to minimise negative environmental impacts, the Greg Mortimer guarantees a far more enjoyable guest experience than the other older and larger expedition ships.
This style of cruising tends to attract like-minded people, who love to connect with the natural world, so an ideal environment for couples, friends and solo travellers to relax.
Let us help make your Arctic visit a trip of a lifetime.
In partnership with Polar Routes and AE Expeditions
LIFE ON BOARD YOUR ARCTIC EXPEDITION CRUISE
Your expedition is a carefully curated mixture of daytime activity designed to immerse you in your polar surroundings and evening talks. During the day the itinerary remains flexible as the captain will look at prevailing conditions and sightings, to give you the best opportunity for wildlife encounters.
New Scientist editor, podcast presenter and author Rowan Hooper will accompany you on the activities and also give a series of private talks and fireside chats covering a broad range of polar science such as:
- Climate change and how to refreeze the Arctic.
- Geology of Svalbard – ancient history, fossils and coal.
- Physics and folktales of the Northern Lights.
- Extremophiles – organisms that survive extreme conditions.
- The largest land predator on Earth – the polar bear.
- Polar whales and Arctic ecosystem engineering.
- Arctic black smokers and the origin of life.
The onboard expedition team (at least one for every eight passengers) will help you experience a range of activities centered around daytime exploration via Zodiac boat safaris (investigating coves, glaciers and wildlife), guided hikes (exploring pristine beaches and stunning wilderness) and photography (helping you to improve your skills with a camera). They will aim to deliver two shore excursions every day. In the evening and whilst transferring between sites, the team will give informative lectures on board covering wildlife, marine biology, exploration, history, photography and research
In addition, there will be unique and engaging encounters the ships operational crew, based on getting behind the scenes of polar exploration.
- How to navigate in the polar environment.
- Reading the weather patterns, the ice and the currents.
If operational circumstances allow, we will take you in small groups for informative tours around the bridge and the engine room.
You will have the opportunity to participate in AE’s unique Citizen Science Program. It’s designed to be a hands-on, immersive and transformative experience that helps you to protect the beauty of our planet. Various sampling and data collection projects will be conducted on your voyage and a Citizen Science Coordinator will be on hand to introduce and assist you.
Your expedition can be as active or as leisurely as you want it, and no activity or talk is mandatory.
DAY 1: ARRIVE IN TO OSLO
After touching down at Oslo airport, the Radisson Blu Airport Hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from the terminal. The hotel is also just minutes from the train station, which can whisk you to the vibrant city centre in 20 minutes.
If you have time, we recommend the trip into the thriving capital city of Oslo. With innovative architecture, captivating landmarks and an inspired food scene. This very green city is covered with parks and forests, but it’s the fjord piercing into the city centre that sets this capital apart. Explore the Botanical Gardens, go island hopping or visit the new Munch Museum, dedicated to the life and works of artist Edvard Munch.
In the evening, our partner Polar Routes will hold a drinks reception where you will be briefed on the expedition ahead and you will also enjoy an introductory talk from the New Scientist accompanying expert Rowan Hooper. Throughout the expedition, Rowan will be on hand to provide insight, accompany your polar excursions and give private talks on a wide range of topics.
DAY 2: FLY TO SVALBARD AND EXPLORE LONGYEARBYEN
After a leisurely breakfast, you will take a flight to Longyearbyen on Svalbard’s largest island, Spitsbergen. Upon arrival, you will transfer to the four-star Radisson Blu Polar Hotel for a night where you can enjoy views over the Isfjorden inlet, where whales are regularly spotted.
Longyearbyen is the world’s northernmost settlement (with a population of over 1,000) and only 1,316 kilometres from the North Pole. Due to the large amount of scientific research undertaken, the town has residents from 53 different countries.
In the evening, you will join a pre-embarkation briefing from AE Expeditions, upon whose boat you will be sailing in the morning.
DAY 3: CAMP BARENTZ, THE SVALBARD MUSEUM THEN EMBARK ON THE GREG MORTIMER
Before embarking on your voyage, you will visit Camp Barentz, a traditional ‘lavvo’ structure where you will hear about Longyearbyen’s fascinating history, meet the huskies and enjoy lunch. Whilst journeying out to Camp Barentz, you will get a sense of the steep mountains and glaciers that have inspired many including Philip Pullman’s depiction of Svalbard’s armoured bears in the His Dark Materials trilogy.
A visit to the Svalbard Museum is included back in town before embarking on the vessel in the late afternoon. The museum presents four hundred years of Svalbard’s history and reveals the close relationship between the land, sea and nation here.
Whilst exploring the island, your luggage will be transferred to the ship and your cabin ahead of your arrival on board.
After completing the final pre-embarkation health screening and COVID testing, you will transfer to the Greg Mortimer, to settle into your cabin, attend the safety briefings and enjoy the thrill of departure as the crew ‘throw the lines’ and set sail through the beautiful Isfjorden, escorted by gliding fulmars and perhaps the occasional puffin. Find a spot in one of the observation areas to watch seabirds, including graceful ivory gulls, kittiwakes and guillemots.
In the evening, you will get to know your fellow guests and the friendly Expedition Team at the Captain’s Welcome Dinner.
DAYS 4 TO 12: EXPLORING THE SVALBARD ARCHIPELAGO
You will spend your next nine days exploring the Arctic wilderness at its best.
Every day will include a mixture of activities including zodiac boat safaris (robust inflatable boats), walks and informal photography tuition. You will visit deep fjords, mountain ranges and a polar desert rich in fossils. You can even participate in a polar plunge. Not mandatory but such cold-water body immersion is proven to release a cocktail of invigorating chemicals.
The onboard expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your day-to-day itinerary, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions and wildlife encounters.
You may see walruses hauled out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, stretch your legs on walks across tundra coming out in brightly coloured wildflowers. You will visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies. Most memorable are encounters with the majestic polar bear on pack ice. Your expedition team is just as keen as you to find them— they will be on constant watch to spot these inspiring creatures.
You can also choose purchase one of the optional extras such as kayaking and scuba diving.
This expedition operates in remote and challenging environments, and in the spirit of expedition travel, we encourage you to adopt a flexible and adventurous attitude when joining this voyage. Plans will change daily but the expedition team are there to ensure you have the most immersive experience possible.
On the final evening aboard, the captain will host a Farewell Reception with a four-course dinner and cocktails.
DAY 13: DISEMBARK AND RETURN TO OSLO
After disembarking back at Longyearbyen, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Oslo, from where you can return home or continue your adventure.
If you wish to see more of Oslo, our partner Polar Routes can arrange additional nights.
Rowan Hooper is podcast editor of New Scientist and previously features editor, where he has spent more than 10 years writing about all aspects of science. He has a PhD in evolutionary biology and worked as a biologist in Japan for five years, before joining The Japan Times in Tokyo as science editor. Two collections of his long-running column for the paper have been published in Japan, and his work has also appeared in The Economist, The Guardian, Wired and The Washington Post. His first book, Superhuman: Life at the extremes of mental and physical ability, was named in 2018 as a Sunday Times Book Of The Year. He has recently published his second book How to Spend a Trillion Dollars.
