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Rembrandt van Rijn _ North Norway

Around Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer

Full Spitsbergen Circumnavigation: Sail to some of the most remote locations in Northern Europe aboard the Rembrandt van Rijn

Length

15 Days

Ship category

Classic

Ship type

Micro-Cruise

Capacity

33 Passengers

Around Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer

6 Reviews

Trip highlights

Witness iconic Arctic wildlife

Observe breathtaking icebergs and glaciers

Explore Spitsbergen like few travelers do

Spot seals and whales in their natural habitats

The Polartours experience

Venture to one of the most remote locations of northern Europe

Observe a polar bear!

Your booking contributes to our Conservation Project

Full Spitsbergen Circumnavigation

Sail around Spitsbergen taking in the wildlife, whaling history, and stunning landscapes. Visit historic whaling stations and search for walruses and reindeer. Head to Hornsund to explore the glaciers and the hunting grounds of the Polar Bear.

Your ship: Rembrandt van Rijn

Polartours
Polartours
Rembrandt van rijn deck plan

Sailing vessel Rembrandt Van Rijn has a wonderful history. She was originally built as a herring lugger in 1947. In 1994 she was rebuilt as a three-masted passenger sailing schooner in the Netherlands. She then sailed in Spitsbergen between 1994 and 1996 and in the Galápagos from 1998 to 2001. She then underwent another complete rebuild and interior refurbishment before her relaunch in 2011. Her communication and navigation equipment has always been updated according to the latest SOLAS regulations. She is a well-traveled and beautiful intimate arctic cruise vessel.

An arctic cruise aboard … Read more about Rembrandt van Rijn

Cabins

Image without description
Triple Private Porthole Cabin

Type:

Triple

Max. occupancy:

3

More about this cabin

Image without description
Twin Private Porthole Cabin

Type:

Twins

Max. occupancy:

2

More about this cabin

Image without description
Twin Private Inside Cabin

Type:

Twins

Max. occupancy:

2

More about this cabin

Map

Itinerary

Keep in mind this is an expedition cruise, so your itinerary will depend greatly on the weather, amount of ice and wildlife breeding behavior.

Svalbard
Before and After Svalbard
Svalbard – Store norske leksikon

Skansbukta

Poolepynten

Disembark in Longyearbyen

Pyramiden

Nordfjorden

Cruising Isfjorden

Arrival at Longyearbyen

Brucebyen

Barentsburg

Festningen and Russekeila

In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage. In the evening you sail for Trygghamna, where you see the remains of a 17th-century English whaling station and 18th-century Pomor hunting station, both of which you can visit the next morning.

Svalbard
Before and After Svalbard
Svalbard – Store norske leksikon

Skansbukta

Pyramiden

Disembark in Longyearbyen

Cruising Isfjorden

Nordfjorden

Brucebyen

Arrival at Longyearbyen

Festningen and Russekeila

Barentsburg

Alkhornet and Trygghamna

Poolepynten

From Trygghamna you walk to Alkhornet, a large seabird cliff where the birds are scouting out breeding places. Below the cliffs is a common place to spot Arctic foxes, and you may also see reindeer grazing on the lush vegetation if there’s not too much snow.

Svalbard
Before and After Svalbard
Svalbard – Store norske leksikon

Skansbukta

Poolepynten

Disembark in Longyearbyen

Pyramiden

Nordfjorden

Cruising Isfjorden

Arrival at Longyearbyen

Brucebyen

Barentsburg

Festningen and Russekeila

You sail into Fuglefjorden amid views of Svitjodbreen and Birgerbukta, both breeding areas for great skuas as well as likely spots to see a polar bear. On Birgerbukta you can see 17th-century Basque ovens once used for cooking whale blubber. The aim next is to visit Ytre Norskøya, a small island that served for many years as a Dutch whaling lookout.

Svalbard
Before and After Svalbard
Northern Spitsbergen

Raudfjorden

Magdalenefjorden

Smeerenburgfjorden

Woodfjorden

Kongsvegen and Kongsbreen

Krossfjorden

Fjortende Julibukta

Ny London

Ny Alesund

Fuglesongen

Over the following days, you may visit the following sites:

Lomfjord – This is a beautiful fjord fringed by towering mountains offering a great opportunities for a hike.

Wilhelmøya – A tundra landscape in which polar bears can possibly be seen, Wilhelmøya is also a good area for shoreline, inland, and altitude-gaining hikes.

Svartknausflya – You may take an excursion to this stark polar desert, which is almost devoid of vegetation but rich with invertebrate fossils and whale skeletons along its raised beaches.

Heleysundet – A narrow but picturesque waterway between Spitsbergen and Barents withthis route can only be made against the current.

Freemansundet – Depending on conditions, you may also sail through this waterway. A walk at Kapp Lee may introduce you to a few new reindeer and walruses, and you might also visit a large colony of kittiwakes nesting in a canyon in Diskobukta. Arctic foxes and polar bears with their young often roam this canyon, scavenging for birds that fall from the ledges. Sub-fossilized whale bones are scattered across the raised beaches.

Hornsund – You continue your Spitsbergen voyage by sailing into the labyrinth of side fjords around Hornsund. At Brepollen rests a large glacial deposit at the head of the fjord. Sailing along the glacier front will afford you good chances of spotting bearded seals and polar bears. The geological formations in this area are vibrant and mesmerizing.

Bellsund – En route to Longyearbyen, you may reach Ahlstrandhalvøya. More fascinating geological formations can be seen here, as well as the remains of 20th-century beluga hunting. (This is still a good area to see beluga.)

Svalbard
Before and After Svalbard
Northern Spitsbergen

Raudfjorden

Magdalenefjorden

Smeerenburgfjorden

Woodfjorden

Kongsvegen and Kongsbreen

Krossfjorden

Fjortende Julibukta

Ny London

Ny Alesund

Fuglesongen

A trip along the northwestern coast of Svalbard is always worth with the wildlife, the scenery, and the history. As far back as the 1600s his part of Svalbard was a huge center for whaling, including "Blubber Town" - with the main target being the oil-rich bowhead whale, the Arctic's only full-time resident baleen whale species.

The "town" of New Ålesund is on the shore of King's Bay ("Kongsfjorden") and well worth a visit. With a summer population of 120 and a hardy winter population of about 35, this is the most northerly permanent civilian settlement in the world. Originally the coal mining town of King's Bay, it played a key role in the history of arctic exploitation and exploration, especially flight.

Today it is at the center of Arctic and atmospheric research, and is one of the most northerly communities in the World. Don't miss the chance to send a postcard from the world's most northerly Post Office.

Svalbard
Before and After Svalbard
Svalbard – Store norske leksikon

Skansbukta

Poolepynten

Disembark in Longyearbyen

Pyramiden

Nordfjorden

Cruising Isfjorden

Arrival at Longyearbyen

Brucebyen

Barentsburg

Festningen and Russekeila

You disembark in Longyearbyen, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies .

Info

Single Cabin Supplement

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.

What's included

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.

Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen.

All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.

AECO fees and governmental taxes.

Comprehensive pre-departure material.

What's not included

Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights

Pre- and post- land arrangements.

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.

The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).

Reviews

Rembrandt van Rijn _ North Norway

Hans Peter Ulrich

Rembrandt van Rijn Arctic Cruises

Classic

20 days full of adventures - skilled crew and good company with fellow travellers. Pics says mor then 1000 words: see my selected fotos on https://hpulrich.ch/arktis/spitzbergen-groenland/ Thanks to everybody who makes this happen! (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

Rembrandt van Rijn _ North Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer

Angela Wyse

Rembrandt van Rijn Arctic Cruises

Classic

My husband and I were on the Rembrandt Van Rijn cruise that left Longyearbyen on June 16, 2022. We wanted to send you a quick note to tell you what an incredible experience we had. In particular, we wanted to tell you how much we appreciated our guides Jordy and Fritz. They truly made our trip into something special that will remain with us for a long time. Fritz was incredibly knowledgeable about birds and even sparked in us a new interest in birding. Jordy had a great sense of humor and we learned so much from his almost uncanny knowledge of the geography, geology, and wildlife of Svalbard. He was also generous enough with his photography skills to make a trip log for us that we will treasure. We left the ship hoping that we will be able to have another polar adventure with Jordy and Fritz sometime soon! (copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

Rembrandt van Rijn _ North Norway

Andrea Dehn

Rembrandt van Rijn Arctic Cruises

Classic

Thank you Oceanwide Expedition for this amazing tour on the Rembrandt van Rijn. A very welcoming captain (Joachim) and crew and experienced guides (Jan and Chloé) ensured us a great week. Our main wish was to meet Orca’s and Humpback Whales, searching and feeding the herring in the fjords of Troms and this has been fulfilled. We really recommend a tour like this because it is such a privilege to see these majestic animals in their natural habitat and to leave them likely undisturbed thanks to the considerate manoeuvres by the captain. We had everything the weather can provide in January, frozen rain, snow storm, heavy winds, and sun! Yes, we were the lucky folk who could say hello to the sunlight after a long wintertime period without daylight. But we had not really cleary nights, so The Northern Lights were easily visible in 2 nights. So we will come back! (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)

FAQ

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:

  • Land excursions (including hiking trails, visitor centers, time relaxing on beaches, observing animals, etc.)
  • Bird Watching
  • Snorkeling (from ship or beaches)
  • Dinghy rides
  • Kayaking
  • Diving (on ships with diving itineraries)
  • Naturalist presentations. These usually take place every evening - on board the bigger ships also with help of projectors, microscopes etc.

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:

  • Determine your budget and desired level of comfort: Are you looking for luxury or more budget-friendly options? On our website you can set the price range.
  • Consider ship size: Large ships offer more amenities and facilities, but they can also feel crowded and impersonal. Smaller ships offer a more personal experience, but may not have as many amenities.
  • Look at the cabins: Although you probably won’t spend much time in your cabin, look at the photos and read the descriptions to make sure you're happy with the one you choose.
  • Consider the activities on board: Are you interested in kayaking, camping, diving or a photography workshop? Or maybe you want to take part in a Citizen Science Program? These activities can enhance your overall experience. See what our ships have to offer.
  • Read customer reviews: Learn about other travelers' experiences by reading reviews.
  • Ask your Polar Specialist: Feel free to contact your Polar Specialist. They are happy to share their knowledge and are always ready to help.

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.

If you are prone to motion sickness then here are a few hints to help you.

Firstly, book a cabin in the middle of the ship. The middle of the ship will move less, both in roll and in pitch. Secondly, chose a larger ship. Bigger vessels typically are more stable, and some of them are even equipped with "stabilizers", fins under water that remove the rolling in the swells. Thirdly, take medical advice on anti-seasickness medication. Some traditional remedies are said to be very effective, such as taking ginger or using commercially-available acupressure wristbands.

Watch this informative video about life onboard an expedition ship and seasickness from our expert guide and Polartours Brand Ambassador, Kevin.

Life Onboard & Seasickness

A Polar expedition is one of the most singular travel experiences you could ever have. Its isolated location comes with a unique set of health-and-safety-related requirements. Besides it being mandatory to be reasonably fit, here is what you must know about insurances for your trip:

  • Mandatory for all Polar Trips: Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance. Polar regions are remote and challenging to access in case of a medical emergency. For this reason, all Polar tour operators require travel insurance that covers emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. Without this coverage, you will not be allowed to board.

  • For Antarctica, most operators require coverage between $100,000 and $500,000.

  • In the Arctic, the required coverage ranges from $100,000 to $200,000.

To confirm the exact requirements for your specific cruise, please reach out to one of our Polar specialists. They’ll be happy to assist and ensure you’re fully prepared for your expedition.

If you are an EU resident, please inquire about insurance packages from our partner HanseMerkur by clicking here. If you are not an EU resident, then we must ask you to get an insurance on your own terms. Our customers have made good experiences with World Nomads Rescue and Allianz Care as insurers, both offer such packages that cover Polar Expedition Cruises.

  • Not mandatory, but recommended: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance. Polar expedition cruises can be quite expensive. Travel insurance can protect your investment by covering the costs if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip due to unforeseen circumstances like illness, family emergencies, or other covered reasons.
  • Not mandatory and optional: Gear and Equipment Coverage. Polar expeditions often require specialized clothing and gear. Some insurance policies offer coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged equipment.

Please note that policies change over time and from ship to ship, so it's important to check both the booking documents we send you when you book your expedition and your insurance policy carefully. Some ships may already have some insurance included, some other operators may have specific insurance requirements. The insurers we list above are recommendations only and it's your responsibility to check that the insurance you buy really does cover everything you need for your trip.

Around Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer

5.0

(6)

Classic

Price

Upon Request



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