HIGHLIGHTS
Birding
Enjoy
birding together with fellow birders and visit remote places with rare
bird-species.
Walk
on Fair Isle
Zodiac
Cruising & Shore Program
Shore-Based
Walking
Explore
the last true wilderness of our planet on foot, and absorb the beauty
of the polar regions at your own pace
Birds
of Fair Isle
See
some of Britain’s rarest winged wildlife
Weather
station on Jan Mayen
The
Birds of Jan Mayen
A
stark volcanic island beloved of seabirds, Jan Mayen is home to
glaucous gulls, northern fulmars, kittiwakes, little auks, Atlantic
puffins, and much more
Sailing
under the midnight sun & along the ice edge
Experience
the Arctic’s 24-hour days as you sail some of the far
north’s most active areas for viewing both marine mammals and
seabirds
Harp
Seal
These
"saddlebacks" are historically known as true ice enthusiasts, visiting
the land mainly for breeding and spending the bulk of their lives at sea
Atlantic
puffin
These
horn-beaked auklets have nicknames both jocular and solemn: "sea
clowns" for their facial hues, "little brothers of the north" for the
monk-like tones of their plumage
Fulmar
The
Norse used to call them "foul ghouls" for their pungent-smelling
stomach oil, but this evolutionary trait is both a defensive tactice
and mid-flight energy source
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
| Start Date | End Date | QUAD | TRIPLE PORTHOLE | TWIN PORTHOLE | TWIN WINDOW | TWIN DELUXE | SUPERIOR |
|---|
| May 28, 2024 | Jun 06, 2024 | 2,750 | 3,300 | 3,900 | 4,200 | 4,500 | 5,000 |
| May 25, 2025 | Jun 03, 2025 | 2,900 | 3,500 | 4,100 | 4,450 | 4,750 | 5,350 |
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
QUAD | (Mid-range)
TWIN WINDOW | (High-end)
SUPERIOR |
|---|
| May 28, 2024 | Jun 06, 2024 | 2,750 | 4,200 | 5,000 |
| May 25, 2025 | Jun 03, 2025 | 2,900 | 4,450 | 5,350 |
ITINERARY
Day 1: Sights of the Granite City
You
arrive in Aberdeen, the Granite City, frequent winner of the Britain in
Bloom competition. This is the true start of your trip. Several
cetaceans, including orcas (killer whales), are native to these seas.
To the south you see the lighthouse on Girdle Ness that was designed by
the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, the famed Scottish writer
who gave us such classics as Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde. More passengers join you in Aberdeen.
Day 2: Birds, seals, and world-famous knits
We
plan to stay the day on Fair Isle, an island in the Shetlands whose
seventy-odd inhabitants are known for their beautiful knitwear. This is
a fantastic location with accessible seabird breeding grounds, and you
may even spot grey seals.
Day 3 – 4: Jan Mayen marine life
You
sail north to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, 300 nautical miles
northeast of Iceland. Your two days at sea do not pass idly, however.
Keep a close lookout for any spouts of water from the surrounding seas,
heralding the arrival of a minke, fin, orca, or blue whale.
Day 5: Snow-capped seaside volcano
Jan
Mayen is a stark volcanic island crowned by the snow-capped summit of
Mt. Beerenberg. From the slopes of this imposing 2,300-meter-high
(7,545 feet) volcano, broken glaciers grasp out into the frigid sea.
With permission from the Norwegian authorities, you can now visit the
weather station. You can also walk to the remains of a 17th-century
Dutch whaling station amid the thick moss beds of this stark volcanic
landscape.
Day 6 – 8: Under the midnight sun & along the ice edge
Basking
in the midnight sun, you sail north along the edge of the sea ice in
search of bowhead whales, harp seals, polar bears, and a variety of
seabirds. You then change direction after about 79° north,
cutting west to the rocky edges of the continental shelf of west
Spitsbergen. Here you have a good chance of seeing fin whales and
– near the glacial mouths of the gaping Spitsbergen fjords
– surfacing minke whales.
Day 9: The Arctic island of Spitsbergen
Forlandsundet,
between the main island of Spitsbergen and the narrow Prins Karls
Forland, is a place of great beauty and fascinating wildlife. Walruses
sometimes haul out here. Alternatively, you might sail into
St. Johns Fjord or head south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at
Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for
fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.
Day 10: Journey’s end in Longyearbyen
Every
adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You
disembark in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen,
taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next
adventure lies. But if you’re still craving additional
chances to spot the Arctic’s most iconic apex predator, stay
on board for our seven-night north Spitsbergen voyage, “in
search of polar bears & pack ice.”
Plancius (Expedition, 108-guests)
MV Plancius offers a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3 and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) on deck 5 with large windows, offering full panorama view. The vessel has large open deck spaces (with full walk-around possibilities on deck 4), giving excellent opportunities to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. She is furthermore equipped with 10 Mark V zodiacs.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the
itinerary
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including
snacks, coffee and tea.
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage
by Zodiac.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by
experienced expedition staff.
- Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
- Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels
and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from
Longyearbyen.
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout
the programme.
- AECO fees and governmental taxes.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material.
Excluded from this voyage
- Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights
- Pre- and post- land arrangements.
- Passport and visa expenses.
- Government arrival and departure taxes.
- Meals ashore.
- Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is
strongly recommended).
- Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature
such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
- The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for
stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be
provided).
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Birding
- Shore-based Walking
- Zodiac
Cruising and Shore Programs
