Spitzbergen expedition cruise to the Arctic
| country: | Arctic Circle |
| location: | Spitsbergen |
| departures: | 2009: 11 Jun, 21 Jun, 21 Jul |
| price: | From £3948 (12 days) including flights from the UK. From £3290 excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Explore the Svalbard Archipelago from the intimate surroundings of a small 50-berth ship, the Shokalskiy.
With a smart new refit, the MV Akademik Shokalskiy is now firmly in the Polar fleet. Her smaller size - only 48 berths - makes her a little more expensive, but there are advantages. The smaller group size makes for a more intimate experience, and the ship has excellent vantage points for photography and wildlife viewing. The Shokalskiy has the added advantage that passengers can be in the zodiacs in the water at a few minutes notice.
Polar bear photography special
Paul Goldstein is very excited about leading an exclusive charter on the Shokalskiy in July 2009. The same flexible itinerary that is the Vavilov's signature is also apparent on he Shokalskiy. This will be a very special journey concentrating on bears and walruses - be prepared for some long days, as we maximise use of our time in this unique wilderness.
With a smart new refit, the MV Akademik Shokalskiy is now firmly in the Polar fleet. Her smaller size - only 48 berths - makes her a little more expensive, but there are advantages. The smaller group size makes for a more intimate experience, and the ship has excellent vantage points for photography and wildlife viewing. The Shokalskiy has the added advantage that passengers can be in the zodiacs in the water at a few minutes notice.
Polar bear photography special
Paul Goldstein is very excited about leading an exclusive charter on the Shokalskiy in July 2009. The same flexible itinerary that is the Vavilov's signature is also apparent on he Shokalskiy. This will be a very special journey concentrating on bears and walruses - be prepared for some long days, as we maximise use of our time in this unique wilderness.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Longyearbyen, night in hotel. |
| Day 2: | Board ship and begin exploration. |
| Day 3-11: | Exploring the Spitzbergen Archipelago. |
| Day 12: | Disembark in Lonyearbyen, afternoon flight to London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
|
We take extremely seriously our responsibility to minimise our impact on these pristine areas. Our ship operators are Full Members of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and have agreed to abide by one of the world's most conscientious codes of conduct for tourism.
During the last Arctic season we started a pilot project, which raised awareness and funds to better understand how polar bears are being effected by the warming climate and loss of habitat (sea ice). The project was incredibly successful and our passengers purchased several satellite tracking collars to follow the bears movements. We also participate in the “Clean up Svalbard” project which resulted in several thousand tons of rubbish being removed from the shores of the archipelago. This interactive program has achieved a positive result that has made a tangible difference to the environment. We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |