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Best Price Guarantee
Best Price Guarantee
Length
8 Days
Ship category
Premium
Ship type
Large Ship
Capacity
189 Passengers
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Welcome aboard the brand new Ocean Albatros. This stunning, purpose-built polar cruise ship will be deployed to a large selection of expedition cruise destinations, Antarctica, the Arctic, and a variety of exciting new destinations in between.
Ocean Albatros offers a total of 95 comfortable staterooms and suites, all with unobstructed sea view, and most with their own balcony. Like her sistership, the Ocean Victory, her amenities include two restaurants, a wellness area, the “Albatros Nordic Bar”, an open deck dining facility, a modern lecture lounge, and other state-of-the-art amenitie … Read more about Ocean Albatros
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Fitness Center
Bar
Mudroom
Lecture Theater
Observation Deck
Pool
Observation Lounge
Hot Tub
Spa
Medical Services
Food on Ocean Albatros follows the rhythm of an expedition day. Breakfast and lunch are normally served buffet-style in the main restaurant, with dinner becoming a more leisurely sit-down meal; the smaller Bistro offers a casual alternative, while the 24-hour tea, coffee and Grab & Go stations are useful when a wildlife announcement or landing schedule shifts the day. Beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks are included with dinner on the operator's current programme.
Our travellers often praise the variety and the ease of finding something after a cold outing, although feedback on individual dishes is not completely uniform. That is why we describe the dining honestly: it is a well-organised, sociable part of the expedition rather than the sole reason to choose the ship. Shared tables can be part of the atmosphere, and expedition-team members may join guests at meals, making dinner a natural time to compare sightings and ask questions. Tell us about dietary requirements before booking so we can confirm the arrangements for your specific departure.
When booking online, you can choose the option to "Upgrade to single occupancy". This will guarantee you the whole cabin to yourself, for an additional fee. If you don't select this option, then another traveler of the same sex might be placed into the same cabin with you. Exceptions may apply.
Accommodation in the selected en-suite cabin or suite.
All meals aboard, plus snacks and tea and coffee.
Welcome and farewell events aboard.
All scheduled Zodiac cruises, shore landings, walks and hikes led by the expedition team, subject to conditions.
Lectures, briefings and citizen-science activities led in English by the expedition team.
An expedition jacket to keep and rubber boots on loan for the voyage.
Selected beverages with dinner as confirmed for your departure.
Port charges, landing fees and expedition permits.
One gigabyte of complimentary Wi-Fi data.
A digital voyage memento after the expedition.
Your trip helps protect 36 hectares of rainforest in Ecuador through Forest Guardians
International and domestic flights unless expressly listed for your departure.
Any mandatory flight package applying to the selected departure; this will be confirmed with your quote.
Airport, hotel and port transfers unless expressly listed.
Travel insurance, including the required emergency medical and evacuation cover.
Passport and visa costs.
Optional paid activities such as Discover Kayaking.
Beverages and meals not listed as included.
Laundry, additional internet and other personal expenses.
Medical treatment or evacuation.
Gratuities for the expedition team and crew.
This is a true expedition itinerary. Weather, sea ice, wildlife, permits and safety determine the exact landing sites and the order of visits.
Wildlife is wild and sightings cannot be guaranteed. The expedition team continually adjusts the plan to make the most of current conditions.
Reaching the pack-ice edge depends on its position and navigable conditions during your voyage.
Discover Kayaking is a paid optional activity that must be requested in advance and remains subject to availability and conditions.
Comprehensive travel insurance with emergency medical and evacuation cover is mandatory. Some departures also require a flight package, which will be confirmed before booking.
After completing your booking, you will receive an invoice from your travel specialist by email. A deposit of 30% of the trip price is required to secure your booking. Payment can be made through bank transfer or by credit card through a secure payment link.
Full payment is expected 30 days before your trip. Payment can be made in installments.
This trip generates 2.4 t CO₂e. Polartours regularly measures and monitors the carbon footprint of its journeys and actively reduces emissions through sustainable travel design: no unnecessary flights, fewer feeder flights, integration of rail and public transport, and promoting longer stays for a more balanced relationship between travel distance and impact.
From 2018 to 2024, we supported carbon reduction projects equivalent to the emissions generated. Recognizing the limits of traditional offsetting, we now focus on active environmental protection through our own rainforest project, Forest Guardians.
More information on our climate and environmental responsibility: https://www.venturatravel.org/impact
All cruises in the polar regions operate to itineraries that are more-or-less fixed. We say "more or less", because wildlife (breeding, seasonality) and weather always play an important role in routing. Most cruises will offer a range of land-based and water-based activities that you will enjoy at various points in your cruise, including:
All boats carry English speaking, scientifically trained guides. They will lead you on your excursions, allowing you to learn as much as possible about the unique wildlife and habitats of the Polar Regions.
Choosing the right ship for a cruise to Antarctica or the Arctic seems difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Our fleet is over 30 vessels, we are sure that there is the perfect one for you. Please, follow these simple steps, and you will be able to find your ideal ship:
In addition: We work with responsible partners who provide a great experience for their passengers. All of our providers are committed to sustainability and to preserving the beauty of the polar regions. You don’t need to worry about the impact of your cruise, because we’ve already taken care of it.
We love to help people find their dream vacation to the Arctic and Antarctic. Whether you give us a call, contact us via email, or use our website inquiry form, one of our Polar travel experts will be more than happy to answer any questions, recommend ships and itineraries, and walk you through the whole process!
Step 1: Find your perfect trip. If you have already started looking for Polar Cruises, you will have quickly noticed that the sheer amount of options can be quite overwhelming. To help you navigate the countless departures and itineraries that our fleet offers, we have put together a great filter page for Antarctic and Arctic Expedition Cruises. Use this page to filter all trips by price, date, ship category, and even destinations you wish to visit. We update all dates, prices, and availabilities daily, and are proud to host what is doubtlessly the world's most complete collection of information.
Step 2: Found something you love? We'll hold your spaces, free of charge! If you find a cruise you like, you can either inquire directly with us or make an unbinding booking online. We will then reach out to the shipowners to put a hold on your spaces for a limited time, free of charge. Once we have confirmed your block with the ship, we will send you a written confirmation of your reservation and include full payment details in an invoice. Typically, we are able to hold unpaid reservations for up to 1 week*. This gives us time to clarify all your remaining questions, and also ensures that no other passengers can book your spaces, while we continue our conversation.
Step 3: Confirm your booking. In order to confirm your booking, we ask for a deposit payment. You can pay via bank transfer or credit card. Keep in mind, that we can only hold your spaces for a limited amount of time. If we don't receive your payment after this time, we can no longer guarantee that the places will be available or that the price won't increase. To prevent disappointment, we will automatically cancel your reservation if we don't receive your deposit by the due date stated on your booking reservation.
Step 4: Booking confirmation & Payment. As soon as we have received your deposit and a completed passenger information form, we will be pleased to send your booking confirmation and updated invoice, along with your trip itinerary, important information, and other great tips for your cruise.
Step 5: Final payment. In your initial invoice, we will define a final payment date by when you need to pay us the remaining amount of your trip. Once we have received your final payment we'll send you your cruise documents and voucher. As your trip approaches, we make sure to pass along all necessary information, so you feel super prepared and stress-free.
*For last-minute bookings, we might not be able to hold your spaces for so long. We will also require the full payment of your cruise upon booking.
An expedition cruise to Antarctica or the Arctic is a big deal! Most people plan for this type of trip at least 8 months in advance. This means the earlier you book, the better chance you'll have to reserve your prefered cabins. Early bird discounts are also popular and a great way to get 10-30% off your cruise.
Most expedition cruises offer optional activities like camping and kayaking, but the spaces are limited. A cruise with 120 passengers can have only 10-15 spaces for kayaking. These are reserved on a first come first served basis. The earlier you book, the higher your chance of grabbing a spot.
Even though last minute deals do occur, keep in mind that the airline prices will be much higher if you purchase them last minute. You may save a few hundred on your cruise, but you may end up paying the most for airfare.
4.9
(11)
Price
Upon Request
11 Reviews
Glacier-lined fjords, bird cliffs and historic landing sites in northwestern Svalbard.
Walrus, seals, whales and seabirds encountered in their Arctic habitat.
The shifting pack-ice edge, with the possibility of searching for polar bears.
Kongsfjorden and the remote research settlement of Ny-Ålesund.
Best Price Guarantee: Find a better price elsewhere, and we’ll match it.
Polar Expedition Specialists: We focus exclusively on polar voyages, with advice rooted in real, firsthand expertise.
Travel that gives back: Every booking directly funds our mission to protect and restore global rainforests.
Follow Svalbard north beneath a sun that never sets. From Longyearbyen, Ocean Albatros enters the glacier-cut fjords and historic shores of northwestern Spitsbergen before pushing into the stark polar desert of the far north. Each day is shaped around time outside: Zodiac cruises below bird cliffs, walks across tundra, walrus haul-outs, traces of early polar expeditions and long hours scanning the water and ice for Arctic wildlife.
The great draw lies beyond the islands. Ocean Albatros heads toward the edge of the pack ice, where the horizon becomes a shifting world of blue leads and sculpted floes. Polar bears may be encountered here, while seals, whales and seabirds add their own possibilities. Nothing is staged and sightings are never guaranteed; the excitement comes from searching in the place where these animals truly live.
The route then turns south through Kongsfjorden, one of Svalbard's grandest fjord systems, with a visit to the former mining and research settlement of Ny-Ålesund when conditions allow. With 24-hour daylight, an ice-strengthened expedition ship and a team free to respond to weather and wildlife, this is a compact journey with a remarkable sense of distance travelled.
Keep in mind this is an expedition cruise, so your itinerary will depend greatly on the weather, amount of ice and wildlife breeding behavior.
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Board Ocean Albatros in Longyearbyen and meet the expedition team as Svalbard's mountains rise behind the harbor. After the safety briefing, head outside for the first view along Isfjorden: broad water, glaciated valleys and the soft light of the midnight sun. The route turns north this evening, beginning the journey toward the wildest shores of the archipelago.
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A second day in the northwest allows the expedition team to follow the best local opportunity rather than rush onward. You may approach a glacier front by Zodiac, walk among summer flowers and birdlife, or visit a beach used by walrus. Historic whaling sites add another layer to a landscape that can feel empty at first glance yet rewards attentive exploration.
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Continue into northeastern Svalbard, where vegetation thins and the landscape opens into a high-Arctic polar desert. Zodiac cruises and landings reveal broad valleys, ancient rocks and coastlines visited by walrus, seals and migratory birds. The guides interpret the geology and wildlife while the bridge team watches the ice and chooses the strongest route north.
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Reach the far northern islands of the Svalbard archipelago, where small outposts of rock and ice sit beneath the midnight sun. Weather permitting, land for a guided walk or approach a walrus haul-out quietly by Zodiac. This is also a rewarding area for seabirds and seals, with every outing shaped by what the expedition team finds on the day.
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Ocean Albatros pushes toward the pack-ice edge, its exact position determined by winds and currents. Spend time on deck watching the white horizon for seals, whales and polar bears, while the expedition team explains how life depends on this moving habitat. Wildlife is never guaranteed, but the shared search among floes and blue leads is one of the voyage's most powerful experiences.
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Turn south into Kongsfjorden, framed by glaciers and some of western Svalbard's most dramatic mountains. When local conditions allow, visit Ny-Ålesund, a former mining settlement that now supports international Arctic research. Walk among its colorful buildings, learn about its role in polar aviation and science, and enjoy a final expedition outing before the ship returns toward Isfjorden.
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Sail back into Isfjorden and disembark in Longyearbyen after breakfast. The expedition ends where it began, but with a very different sense of Svalbard: glacier bays, walrus beaches, polar desert and pack ice now form one connected landscape. Continue with your onward arrangements, allowing sensible time for port and weather-related changes.