Luxury Expedition
SHVega - Guests
Arctic Islands & Fjords
Eastern Greenland, Jan Mayen & Svalbard

Discovering the Arctic on an expedition vessel is one of the world's last great adventures. Board our 13-night Arctic Discovery cruise in the land of fire and ice and explore regions in the northernmost part of the world, from Iceland to East Greenland, the rarely visited Jan Mayen island and Svalbard inside the Arctic Circle. By venturing to Greenland, you experience some of the most interesting indigenous cultures and ways of life in sparsely populated regions, as well as national parks, protected areas for wildlife - such as arctic hare and muskoxen - and the world's largest fjord system. Our journey continues via Jan Mayen Island on to the northern archipelago of Svalbard where the midnight sun throws shadows on the icy landscape in our pursuit of polar bears, walrus, seals and whales, and millions of seabirds. Join us on our boutique expedition ship and make your arctic cruise an unforgettable trip of a lifetime.


 

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Explore Northeast Greenland, the world's largest national park with polar bears, muskoxen, reindeer, seals and walruses
  • Sail through Greenland's breathtaking ice-filled fjords to remote indigenous settlements
  • Step foot onto the soil of the rarely visited, most northerly volcanic island of Jan Mayen Island
  • Sail past Spitsbergen's most beautiful glacier, Monacobreen, as it calves icebergs
  • Spy on hundreds of polar bears as they roam their natural habitat

DATES / RATES

Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
Start DateEnd DateOceanview D4Oceanview M4Balcony D5Balcony M5Balcony D6SuitePremium Suite
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
Start DateEnd Date(Starting from)
Oceanview D4
(Mid-range)
Balcony M5
(High-end)
Premium Suite


ITINERARY

Reykjavik Day 1
In the centre of Iceland’s sprawling capital city, the modern organ-pipe-shaped Hallgrimskirkja church dominates the top of town. Cosy bars, cafes and shops line the surrounding streets heated by Iceland's geothermal waters. The regenerated harbour is home to a striking modern concert hall. Popular trips include to the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa near the village of Grindavik, and the Golden Circle tour taking in Gullfoss Waterfall and the mighty Strokkur geyser in Thingvellir National Park.

Isafjordur & Vigur Island Day 2
Arrive today in the charming, tiny fishing harbour of Ísafjördur. The village’s touristic highlights include the Westfjord Heritage Museum and The Museum House (Old Hospital). Located at the heart of the Westfjords peninsula, it’s a great jumping-off point for exploration so journey by Zodiac to the island of Vigur – the pearl of the Western Fjords. The second-largest island in the fjord, measuring two kilometres by 400 metres, it’s a significant seabird colony, which is home to arctic terns, puffins, black guillemots and eider ducks. As one of only two inhabited islands in the fjord, Vigur is also the site of a single farm, which has been in the same family for generations. During your time on the island, you might see Iceland’s only windmill, the country’s smallest post office and oldest boat, which was built more than 200 years ago and in regular use until relatively recently.

Grimsey Island Day 3
Grímsey is a remote island located 40km off Iceland’s north coast. Many people travel here for the purpose of setting foot in the Arctic Circle, the only place in Iceland where you can do so. The island is also home to fewer than 100 people, but over one million seabirds. Birdlife thrives here thanks to the lack of egg predation (there are no rats or mice on the island) and the rich, well-stocked surrounding seas. Grímsey has one of Iceland’s largest tern nesting sites and largest puffin colonies.

At Sea Day 4
You can spend your day at sea enjoying the many facilities available. Head to the sauna, get in a workout in the state-of-the-art gym or relax in the jacuzzi whilst taking in incredible views along the way. If you prefer to learn a little more about your surroundings, listen to an informative talk or have a chat with one of our knowledgeable on-board experts.

Jan Mayen Island Day 5
The snow-covered stratovolcano Beerenberg dominates the ice cap and glaciers at the northeast end of Jan Mayen Island. Halfway between Svalbard and Iceland, the only residents on this Norwegian island are members of the Norwegian Armed Forces or working at the meteorological station. During a nature walk to the station, and along the black sandy beach, you can see numerous plant species. Nesting northern fulmars, Brünnich’s and black guillemots and little auks make the island an important birding area.

At Sea Day 6
You can spend your day at sea enjoying the many facilities available. Head to the sauna, get in a workout in the state-of-the-art gym or relax in the jacuzzi whilst taking in incredible views along the way. If you prefer to learn a little more about your surroundings, listen to an informative talk or have a chat with one of our knowledgeable on-board experts.

Svalbard Days 7-12
Located deep inside the Arctic Circle, approaching the Svalbard archipelago feels a lot like sailing towards the edge of the world. Known as the kingdom of the polar bears, we’ll be hoping to spot some of its subjects as we explore some of the most varied polar landscapes in the Arctic. Down in our Zodiac boats, we’ll get close to the gargantuan glaciers, rapidly retreating from the oceans that they feed. In the north of the archipelago, past the magnificent fjords, the remaining sea ice offers the perfect hunting ground for polar bears. Closer to Longyearbyen, the landscape is punctuated with large areas devoid of snow and ice alongside vast tundra and exposed beaches. Alongside Svalbard’s 3,000 polar bears, this Arctic wildlife hotspot is also home to walrus, Svalbard reindeer, ringed seal, the arctic fox and many species of marine mammals and seabirds.

Longyearbyen Days 13-14
Longyearbyen is the world’s most northerly town and with it comes the world’s most northerly high street and pub. On Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s largest island, Longyearbyen is home to The North Pole Expeditions Museum which chronicles early efforts to reach the pole by air. The nearby Svalbard Global Seed Vault preserves duplicates of seeds held in gene banks worldwide. The surrounding Arctic waters are populated by whales including bowheads and narwhals, while walruses are regularly seen hauling.

(Click image to view Ship details)

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • Return regional flights to the port of embarkation and/or disembarkation (where specified)
  • Group return transfers from the airport to the cruise port (via our included accommodation where applicable)
  • One night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel or onboard
  • All meals onboard
  • Onboard accommodation in a stateroom selected category
  • 24-hour room service
  • Coffee, tea, soft drinks and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day
  • Lecture programmes by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
  • One selected shore excursion/expedition activities per port of call
  • Branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka and use of rubber boots in Polar Regions
  • Standard WiFi
  • Onboard gratuities & port taxes

 

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DISCLAIMER: Rates are per person and subject to change.