Spitsbergen expedition cruises with added comfort

Planet

With a maximum of only 199 passengers, our Arctic ships are smaller, less imposing on the Arctic landscape than the bigger 'cruise' ships. Group landings by zodiacs are more easily managed and a personalised ratio of leaders to passengers provides an added value experience. Your onboard natural history experts, through guided walks and evening talks, reveal the wonders of Arctic scenery and wildlife and introduces some of the local and global conservation issues which this fragile habitat faces.

We work hard to protect and conserve the destinations we visit around the world and the fragile Arctic ecosystem is no exception. In protecting the Arctic and instilling a sense of environmental stewardship in our clients, we employ a range of successful methods and initiatives.

All of our Arctic trips operate under the policies of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and we endeavour to deliver ‘respectable, environmentally-friendly and safe expeditions in the Arctic’. In working with AECO, we help ensure that our trips are carried out with the utmost consideration for the vulnerable natural environment, all local cultures and the valuable cultural sites.

In a global context our company has its origin and heritage in marine and environmental science, research and rainforest conservation. Our team consists of marine and environmental scientists, conservation experts, professional wilderness guides, diving instructors and yachtmasters.

People

Some voyages we offer are so remote that there is no indigenous village / community, such as Spitsbergen.

However, before embarking on their expedition cruises in Longyearbyen, we encourage clients to stay at locally run boutique hotels rather than chain hotels, eat in local restaurants, buy souvenirs in the local shops and partake in organised day trips, which are run by local guides. We also organise multi-day trips within Spitsbergen, where clients can extend their travel by booking one of our land based Summer Adventure Expeditions.

There are further opportunities during some shore landings to purchase souvenirs from shops, such as Ny-Ålesund, which is a scientific research community.

Our office based travel team have more than 70 years combined polar travel planning knowledge and experience. We work closely with our business and charity partners throughout the World.

Our overall commitment to the environment is also reflected within our office environment. We source office supplies from local retailers, use recycled/FSC stationary where possible and recycle office waste. We are also mindful of the amount of documents printed in the office and utilise digital documents and literature when possible. This also includes company filing.