North/Around Spitsbergen - M/V Ortelius
View Trip Notes
50 Degrees North offers unique, small-group expedition voyages to the Arctic that allow you to enjoy the natural wildlife and scenery of some of the world’s most spectacular and pristine shorelines. Voyage around Spitsbergen on an expedition vessel for 100 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces and a very large bridge which is accessible to the passengers.
Highlights of this tour are the zodiac trips to land, the polar bears and the walruses. There is plenty of opportunities to hike, explore and view wildlife.
Embark Longyearbyen
Sail to Ny Ålesund, the world’s most northerly settlement.
Walk on the tundra island of Andøya
Phippsøya, search for Polar Bears
Laagøya, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of Walrus tends to congregate.
Sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears, and Ivory Gulls.
Cruise south to Diskobukta, walk to search for Reindeer and Barncale Geese.
Scenery of towering mountain peaks near Southern Spitsbergen
Search for Belugas
Return to Longyearbyen
Countries visited
Places visited
2000
Transportation
M/V OrteliusThe vessel has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore very suitable to navigate in solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. “Ortelius” is a great expedition vessel for 100 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces and a very large bridge which is accessible to the passengers. The vessel is manned by 34 highly experienced Russian nautical crew, 15 international catering staff, including stewardesses, 6 expedition staff (1 expedition leader and 5 guides/lecturers) and 1 doctor.
”Ortelius” offers a comfortable hotel standard, with two restaurants, a bar/lecture room and a sauna. Our voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 100 on the “Ortelius”, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.
Included In Price
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.
All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
AECO fees and governmental taxes.
Comprehensive pre-departure material.
Meals Included
This tour includes 26 meals; 9 breakfasts 8 lunches 9 dinners
Not Included In Price
Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights; pre- and post land arrangements; transfers to / from the vessel outside Spitsbergen; 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; and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).It is agreed that if world fuel prices will reach or exceed US Dollar 80 per Barrel Brent 90 days prior to departure Oceanwide Expeditions reserves the right to levy a fuel surcharge of EURO 18 per passenger per night, to be paid by the contracting party of Oceanwide Expeditions.
2013: It is agreed that if world fuel prices will reach or exceed US Dollar 120 per Barrel Brent 120 days prior to departure Oceanwide Expeditions reserves the right to levy a fuel surcharge of EURO 25 per passenger per night, to be paid by the contracting party of Oceanwide Expeditions.
Important Information
Family Friendly voyages: On Ortelius we have the possibility to change the Twin porthole and Twin non-private cabins into quadruple cabins. When we have a family of 4 with children under the age of 16 they parents pay $6450 pp and the children $2800 pp for a quadruple private cabin.For a quadruple non-private cabin the parents pay $4700 pp and the children $2000 pp.
| Start | End | Quad pp | Twin Private Porthole | Twin Private Window | Superior | |
| 3 Jul 2012 | 12 Jul 2012 | AU$ 3810 | AU$ 5230 | AU$ 5430 | AU$ 5840 | |
| NOTE: Prices listed are 1AU$ = 1US$. We honor the US$ price. | ||||||
| 12 Jul 2012 | 21 Jul 2012 | AU$ 3810 | AU$ 5230 | AU$ 5430 | AU$ 5840 | |
| NOTE: Prices listed are 1AU$ = 1US$. We honor the US$ price. | ||||||
| 21 Jul 2012 | 30 Jul 2012 | AU$ 3810 | AU$ 5230 | AU$ 5430 | AU$ 5840 | |
| NOTE: Prices listed are 1AU$ = 1US$. We honor the US$ price. | ||||||
| 8 Jul 2013 | 17 Jul 2013 | AU$ 4460 | AU$ 6080 | AU$ 6350 | AU$ 8460 | |
| 17 Jul 2013 | 26 Jul 2013 | AU$ 4020 | AU$ 5480 | AU$ 5720 | AU$ 7620 | |
| 26 Jul 2013 | 4 Aug 2013 | AU$ 4020 | AU$ 5480 | AU$ 5720 | AU$ 7620 | |
| 4 Aug 2013 | 13 Aug 2013 | AU$ 4460 | AU$ 6080 | AU$ 6320 | AU$ 8390 | |
Day 1: Embark Longyearbyen
2000
Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to stroll around this former mining town, whose parish church and Polar Museum are well worth visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x DinnersDay 2: Sail to Ny Ålesund, the world’s most northerly settlement.
Heading north along the west coast, we arrive by morning in Krossfjorden, where we go on the Zodiacs for a cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, a colourful variety of flowers bloom, while large numbers of Kittiwakes and Brünnich’s Guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is also a good chance of spotting Arctic Foxes, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a chick falls from its nest, and Bearded Seals, who cruise this fjord. In the afternoon we sail to Ny Ålesund, the world’s most northerly settlement.
Once a mining village - served by the world’s most northerly railway, which can still be seen - Ny Ålesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Geese and Arctic Terns. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928 before their flights to the North Pole.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 3: Walk on the tundra island of Andøya
Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, we will go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andøya. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest here, and the more rare King Eider may also be seen. Sailing into Liefdefjorden, we will cruise near the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and occasionally polar bears are seen on the glacier.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 4: Phippsøya, search for Polar Bears
Today we will reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. Here we will be at 81 degrees north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, along with ivory gulls. We may sit for several hours in the pack ice, taking in our spectacular surroundings and seeing a Ross gull, before we turn south again.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 5: Laagøya, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of Walrus tends to congregate.
We will visit Laagøya today, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of Walrus tends to congregate. Sabine’s Gulls nest on the island as well. At Sorg Fjord we may find another herd of walruses not far from the graves of 17th century whalers. On a nature walk, we may encounter families of ptarmigans.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 6: Sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears, and Ivory Gulls.
Today we will sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears, and Ivory Gulls. We’ll navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in our zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, we’ll attempt a landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet, home to Reindeer, Pink-footed Geese, breeding Ivory Gulls, and Walruses.
Near Torrelneset, we will explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world’s third largest ice cap, which meets the sea nearby. We will walk along beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. We may encounter walruses along the way.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 7: Cruise south to Diskobukta, walk to search for Reindeer and Barncale Geese.
In Freemansundet we plan to land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsøya to visit an old trapper's hut and then take a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen Reindeer and Barnacle Geese. Later we cruise south to Diskobukta on the west side of Edgeøya. After a Zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, we land on a beach littered with whale bones and tree trunks, which have drifted here from Siberia.
We can also climb to the rim of a narrow gully which is inhabited by thousands of Kitttiwakes, together with Black Guillemots and piratical Glaucous Gulls. During the breeding season, the base of the cliffs is patrolled by Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears, especially females with young cubs, searching for young birds that have fallen from the nesting ledges.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 8: Scenery of towering mountain peaks near Southern Spitsbergen
We start the day quietly cruising the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431m while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name ‘Spitsbergen’ - pointed mountains - to the island. There are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and very good chances of encounters with seals and Polar Bears.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 9: Search for Belugas
1476 Today we land on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of Beluga skeletons (the Beluga is a small white whale), the remains of 19th century slaughter, are yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless exploitation. Fortunately, Belugas were not hunted to the edge of extinction and may still be seen locally. Indeed, there is a good chance that we will come across a pod. Cruising into Recherchefjorden during the afternoon we can explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many Reindeer feed.
Accommodation
M/V OrteliusMeals Included
1 x Breakfasts1 x Lunches1 x DinnersDay 10: Return to Longyearbyen
Return to Longyearbyen and disembark for the transfer to the airport and the flight to Oslo and home.