• Home
  • >
  • Arctic Ocean – Aberdeen, Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding

Book Incredible Cruises to Antarctica and the Arctic

May 01, 2024 - 
May 08, 2024
This program is designed for experienced ski mountaineers who have mastered techniques both for ascent and descent in challenging snow-covered alpine terrain. A typical day involves climbs on mountaintops averaging heights of 700 - 850 meters (2,300 - 2,800 feet) and downhill skiing fro...
May 08, 2024 - 
May 15, 2024
This program is designed for experienced ski mountaineers who have mastered techniques both for ascent and descent in challenging snow-covered alpine terrain. A typical day involves climbs on mountaintops averaging heights of 700 - 850 meters (2,300 - 2,800 feet) and downhill skiing fro...
May 15, 2024 - 
May 22, 2024
Cruise along the pack-ice of North Spitsbergen for a great chance of spotting Polar Bears. You’ll sail into beautiful fjords found on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a fantastically beautiful fjord crested with spectacular glaciers and home to Ringed and Bearded Seals. The sh...
May 22, 2024 - 
May 29, 2024
Cruise along the pack-ice of North Spitsbergen for a great chance of spotting Polar Bears. You’ll sail into beautiful fjords found on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a fantastically beautiful fjord crested with spectacular glaciers and home to Ringed and Bearded Seals. The sh...
May 26, 2024 - 
Jun 06, 2024
Sailing between our home port of Vlissingen and our most cherished Arctic archipelago, Svalbard, this expedition adventure visits the Scottish port of Aberdeen, the islands of Fair Isle and Jan Mayen, and the amazing Spitsbergen ice edge, giving you the chance to search for whales, and ...
May 01, 2024 - 
May 08, 2024
This program is designed for experienced ski mountaineers who have mastered techniques both for ascent and descent in challenging snow-covered alpine terrain. A typical day involves climbs on mountaintops averaging heights of 700 - 850 meters (2,300 - 2,800 feet) and downhill skiing fro...
May 28, 2024 - 
Jun 06, 2024
Sailing between the Scottish port of Aberdeen and our most cherished Arctic archipelago, Svalbard, this expedition adventure explores the islands of Fair Isle and Jan Mayen as well as the amazing Spitsbergen ice edge, giving you the chance to search for whales, and other animals of the ...
Jun 06, 2024 - 
Jun 13, 2024
Sailing along the pack-ice of North Spitsbergen, will give us the best opportunities to spot the King of the Arctic. We sail to Raudfjord on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a beautiful fjord dominated by spectacular glaciers and favoured by Ringed and Bearded Seal. The cliffs and s...
May 08, 2024 - 
May 15, 2024
This program is designed for experienced ski mountaineers who have mastered techniques both for ascent and descent in challenging snow-covered alpine terrain. A typical day involves climbs on mountaintops averaging heights of 700 - 850 meters (2,300 - 2,800 feet) and downhill skiing fro...
May 15, 2024 - 
May 22, 2024
Cruise along the pack-ice of North Spitsbergen for a great chance of spotting Polar Bears. You’ll sail into beautiful fjords found on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a fantastically beautiful fjord crested with spectacular glaciers and home to Ringed and Bearded Seals. The sh...
Jun 08, 2024 - 
Jun 18, 2024
The North Spitsbergen cruise sails to some of the remotest locations of northern Europe. The expedition gives you the opportunity to spot historic whaling remains, glaciers, a variety of Arctic birds including the Little Auk, and polar bears....
Jun 10, 2024 - 
Jun 17, 2024
Join our adventurous expedition to the north of Svalbard’s largest island, taking in the area’s fantastically beautiful landscapes, thousands of seabirds, and possibly even polar bears. While searching for whales, seals, and other exotic wildlife among the sea ice, we’...

Arctic Ocean – Aberdeen, Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding

Home Trips Destinations (Arctic) Not in footer Jan Mayen Arctic Ocean – Aberdeen, Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding

Sailing between our home port of Vlissingen and our most cherished Arctic archipelago, Svalbard, this expedition adventure visits the Scottish port of Aberdeen, the islands of Fair Isle and Jan Mayen, and the amazing Spitsbergen ice edge, giving you the chance to search for whales, and other animals of the land, sea, and air.

Trip Itinerary

Birding

We will have at least one dedicated expedition guide in our team who will share their expert knowledge about bird species and who will be available to help you identify, photograph on deck and learn more about the birds that we see. In addition to outdoor sessions, our guide will focus on species and related information on the birds of the Arctic in re-caps and lectures onboard.

Day 1

You board the vessel at midday in Vlissingen, headed north. Far north.

Day 2

Crossing the North Sea and sailing by Doggersbank, we hope to be lucky enough to spot such species as white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises, minke whales, and orcas.

Day 3

Passengers who boarded in Vlissingen will be offered an excursion by bus to Fowlsheugh, a seabird cliff south of Aberdeen. Over 100,000 pairs of seabird of different species can be seen here. Alternatively, you can join an excursion to the Ythan Estuary, where the beaches are teeming with harbor seals, grey seals, and birds that keep to the shorelines. Both outings are included in the price of booking.

Day 4

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 5 – 6

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 7

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 8 – 10

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 east 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 11

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 12

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.”

Please Note...

All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with AECO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of our vessel is 10.5 knots.

Cabin Information

Ship name Cabin Name Price Sale Price Departs on Returns on
m/v Plancius Quadruple Porthole $3,000 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Triple Porthole $3,600 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Twin Porthole $4,200 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Twin Window $4,500 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Twin Deluxe $4,800 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Superior $5,400 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Quadruple Porthole $3,000 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Triple Porthole $3,600 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Twin Porthole $4,200 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Twin Window $4,500 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Twin Deluxe $4,800 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Plancius Superior $5,400 NA May 26th, 2024 Jun 6th, 2024
m/v Hondius Quadruple Porthole $3,200 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Triple Porthole $3,800 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Twin Porthole $4,400 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Twin Window $4,790 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Twin Deluxe $5,150 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Superior $5,750 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Junior Suite $6,550 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Grand Suite with private balcony $7,030 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Quadruple Porthole $3,200 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Triple Porthole $3,800 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Twin Porthole $4,400 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Twin Window $4,790 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Twin Deluxe $5,150 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Superior $5,750 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Junior Suite $6,550 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025
m/v Hondius Grand Suite with private balcony $7,030 NA May 29th, 2025 Jun 9th, 2025

Inquire about this trip