Svalbard Odyssey
Enjoy the best of Svalbard during this expedition cruise aboard the Greg Mortimer
From: USD 11,095
Svalbard Odyssey
A 12-day long expedition cruise
20 Reviews
A 12-day long Cruise
20 Reviews
The Trip Highlights
Witness iconic Arctic wildlife
Discover the region aboard a Zodiac
Whale and mammal spotting
Enjoy hikes surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful scenery
Your Polartours 'Plus' Experience
Venture close to 80° north to spot polar bears!
Experience the chill of a polar plunge
Your trip is 100% carbon offset
Polar experts to answer all your questions
Take part in a unique Arctic experience that few people get to experience in their lifetime, as we venture around the majestic island of Spitsbergen. The Arctic will enchant you with its breathtaking scenery, snowy peaks and towering icebergs. Hike surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful scenery, experience the chill of a polar plunge and enjoy a trip on your Zodiac to photograph the most beautiful polar wildlife. Search for polar bears and make the most of your cruise experience with a wide range of activities available on your cruise.
Your ship: Greg Mortimer
Welcome aboard the Greg Mortimer, a cruise ship built for expeditions to the most remote places on earth. The first passenger cruise ship to feature the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW®, allowing the ship to cross polar oceans more comfortably and efficiently. A Greg Mortimer polar cruise is designed for rugged remote areas. The ship accommodates roughly 126 passengers per voyage, and with an expansive observation deck, the ship brings you closer to the incredible secluded environment the Arctic and Antarctic have to offer. With unsurpassed environmental credentials and a perfect base camp for far … Read more about Greg Mortimer
Amenities
Fitness Center
Bar
Mudroom
Expedition Parka
Lecture Theater
Zodiac Fleet
Observation Lounge
Hot Tub
Spa
Rubber Boots
Sauna
Medical Services
Library
Food & Drinks
One can argue the most important part of any trip is the food! A Greg Mortimer polar cruise offers hearty delicious cuisine with a variety of options and courses for each meal. Mealtimes are a great way to get to know your fellow travelers in the open-seating dining room. Tea, coffee, and various snacks are available 24 hours a day. Enjoy a wide range of house wines, beers, and soft drinks included with dinner, perfect after a long day of exploration.
Every passenger is also invited to join the cruise ship captain and expedition team for Welcome and Farewell drinks, which include complimentary cocktails and appetizers. The bars and lounges aboard the Greg Mortimer are a tasteful, yet inviting place to gather with new friends. Enjoy the sunset through the floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning views. The friendly bartenders aboard the ship will quench your thirst and entertain you with tales of previous adventures.
All of our seafood onboard is sustainably sourced in accordance with the Marine Stewardship Council guidelines. We also cater to vegetarian and vegan diets (please mention this when booking).
Select Tour Dates
Day 1 • Arrive in Oslo, Norway, and start your adventure!
Upon check-in at Radisson Blu Oslo Airport hotel, reception staff will provide you with cabin tags. Please fill out the luggage tags clearly, showing your name and cabin number to allow us to deliver your luggage to your cabin ahead. At our voyage briefing, enjoy a welcome drink and meet fellow expeditioners, before spending the night in preparation for your flight to Longyearbyen.
Note: Flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen are not included. Please contact your Polartours travel specialist if you would like assistance in booking these flights.
Norway’s capital is a fjord-side city surrounded by gorgeous nature, so there are plenty of places to get some fresh air. Whether it's boating on the Oslo fjord or hiking in the rolling hills that flank the town, there are lots of active options to choose from.
Oslo's small size makes it perfect for walking around: just pick a direction and frolick away. To the west, you will find large houses with green gardens and the Bydgdøy peninsula that is home to several museums like the outdoor museum, Folkemuseet and the Viking ship museum. To the east, the younger population has created a funkier vibe with a large number of vintage shops, cool cafes and restaurants and a distinct retro flair. A subway ride away (slightly north) you find the famous ski jump and the forest. Downtown is home to restaurants, cafés, great shopping areas and an unusual number of sculpture parks, the most famous being the Vigeland Sculpture Park and Ekeberg Park.
Day 2 • Fly to Longyearbyen, and embark you new home
NOTE: Sometimes our ship is unable to dock in Longyearbyen port due to space and capacity. In these instances, we reach the ship by Zodiac. Please ensure that you keep your wet-weather gear in your hand luggage to use in the Zodiacs, if the situation arises. Please ensure your cabin luggage tag is completed, clearly showing your cabin number and name. Our crew will deliver your luggage directly to your cabin.
Isfjorden is the second-largest fjord in Svalbard at 66 miles long. An important anchorage and shelter from the earliest times of human habitation here, most of the largest settlements on Spitsbergen have grown up along its shore. The largest is Longyearbyen, that started as a mining town and is the transport hub for those flying in and out of Svalbard, and the Russian mining town of Barentsburg.
Another key attribute of this fjord is that it very rarely ices up, thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream that is able to enter the fjord from the west. This not only makes it attractive to human settlers, but also for the wildlife that can't feed under fast ice.
Zodiac trips over the calm waters are a highlight, exploring the glacier fronts, and landings to explore the tundra and the chance to visit some spectacular bird cliffs. Do bear in mind that many cruise ships spend less time in the fjord (often sailing out the first evening and doing landings and exploration of the are on the last full day).
Therefore, for those that spend some extra time in Longyearbyen, it is highly recommended to spend more time exploring the area around the town, and activities like dog sledging, and also to visit other parts of Isfjorden fjord system, from day tris to camping. If you did not visit it on the cruise (and quite a few chose not to), a real highlight is to visit to the eerie and disused Russian mining town of Pyramiden. It used to be the biggest settlement in Svalbard and it feels like it belongs in Siberia, having the most northerly bust of Lenin in the World!
Day 3-5 • Explore the North of Spitsbergen
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.
Day 6-7 • Sail to the North East
If you can venture this far north and east, you're very much in the high arctic. Closed to exploration for parts of the season due to the density of the pack ice, that often lingers here, the northern and north east areas of the Svalbard archipelago are some of the least visited.
Here the terrain gives way to the so-called "polar desert" - permanent ice caps cover much of the land, and where it does melt, very little vegetation grows on a landscape that has been hewn by ice over millions of years.
Despite the lack of cover, this part of Svalbard is well-worth exploring if you can, as there is plenty of remarkable wildlife. Arctic ducks and geese nest here, and some of the biggest concentrations of walrus in the arctic gather on the shores. Polar bears and ringed seals are also common sights, as are minke and beluga whales.
The group of islands known as Sjuøyane are the most northerly in Svalbard and always a good location for Polar Bears.
Later in the season ships often head up to the pack ice edge from the north coast of Spitsbergen.
Day 8-9 • Sail south and explore the South East
The southeastern part of the Svalbard archipelago is "warmed" by the gulf stream. Although this doesn't make much difference to the air temperature, it does mean that the area is free of sea ice for much of the season. This region is made up of the south-east coast of Spitsbergen and the islands of Barentsøya ("Barents Island") and Edgeøya ("Edge Island").
A key highlight of this part of the Spitsbergen coast is the astonishing Negribreen Glacier. This has the longest glacial front of any other on Svalbard with over 10 miles (16km) of ice meeting the sea. It's a stunning sight from the water.
Barentsøya and Edgeøya form part of the Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve. Popular with polar bears, innumerable bird species, and grazing reindeer, these islands provide some of the wildlife highlights of your visit to Svalbard. Although now uninhabited, the islands have some fascinating sites of human history, including the remains of huts used by Norwegian polar bear hunters, and sites used by some of the ancient peoples who made visits here.
The SW side of Edgeøya has some very good tundra with numerous pools and lakes that attracts various birds.
Day 10-11 • Explore the South West of Spitsbergen before heading back towards Longyearbyen
Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard Peninsula, and the only one to have a permanent population.
The southwestern part of Spitsbergen benefits from facing the warmer waters that the Gulf Stream carries into this part of the Greenland Sea. This means that the shores and waters here remain ice-free for much of the year except the coldest winter months. The one area that tends to retain 'fast ice' the longest (sea ice attached to the land) happens to be the most southerly fjord, Hornsund.
As well as a warmer arctic climate than many other places on the same latitude, Spitsbergen benefits from long months of the arctic "midnight sun", when the sun doesn't set at all between the 20th of April and the 22nd of August.
The combination of long daylight hours and a warmer climate means that Spitsbergen is a haven for birdlife with the chance to sail into the heart of this part of the island surrounded by glaciers, offering stunning and rugged vistas, with some amazing geology. There is tendency to try for landings in Bellsund, and combine landings and ship cruising and Zodiac cruises in Hornsund, with some impressive glacial fronts.
Day 12 • Your incredible Arctic adventure comes to an end in Longyearbyen
During the early morning we cruise back into Longyearbyen. Farewell your expedition team upon disembarkation and enjoy some free time before transferring to the airport to continue your journey.
At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.
Important note: In the spirit of expedition travel, we encourage exploration and adventure offering flexibility in challenging environments. This itinerary is only a guide and is subject to change due to weather, sea, pack-ice and other conditions beyond our control.
Isfjorden is the second-largest fjord in Svalbard at 66 miles long. An important anchorage and shelter from the earliest times of human habitation here, most of the largest settlements on Spitsbergen have grown up along its shore. The largest is Longyearbyen, that started as a mining town and is the transport hub for those flying in and out of Svalbard, and the Russian mining town of Barentsburg.
Another key attribute of this fjord is that it very rarely ices up, thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream that is able to enter the fjord from the west. This not only makes it attractive to human settlers, but also for the wildlife that can't feed under fast ice.
Zodiac trips over the calm waters are a highlight, exploring the glacier fronts, and landings to explore the tundra and the chance to visit some spectacular bird cliffs. Do bear in mind that many cruise ships spend less time in the fjord (often sailing out the first evening and doing landings and exploration of the are on the last full day).
Therefore, for those that spend some extra time in Longyearbyen, it is highly recommended to spend more time exploring the area around the town, and activities like dog sledging, and also to visit other parts of Isfjorden fjord system, from day tris to camping. If you did not visit it on the cruise (and quite a few chose not to), a real highlight is to visit to the eerie and disused Russian mining town of Pyramiden. It used to be the biggest settlement in Svalbard and it feels like it belongs in Siberia, having the most northerly bust of Lenin in the World!
Reviews
Deanna Rieden
May 2022
This was the trip of a lifetime. Our final continent. Once we arrived in Punta Arenas, we were met at the airport by Paula from Aurora who took us to hotel. My baggage was lost by airline and she gave me a coat to wear immediately. Shout out to Paula and Michael for tracking my Luggage. Once we transferred to Antarctica we were met by ship crew with drinks and smiles. The week was packed with excursions and amazing information presented by scientists in different aspects of expertise. The ship staff was friendly, personable making the trip an amazing adventure. The fly and cruise is the way to go!
Marion K
May 2022
It was an AMAZING journey through one of the most spectacular landscapes I have ever scene (if not the most). The boat was top of the line, the professional crew incredibly professional, knowledgeable and fun to hang out with. The service crew took well care of us during all the journey. The kayak pack is specially recommended and if you are lucky you will also a face to face hunch whale experience you will remember as your top wildlife adventure for life (copied from Trip Advisor)
Doug Beham
May 2022
Couldn't be better! This company checks all the boxes: well-planned expeditions, pristine ship, and skilled & courteous service from all the employees. Best cruise company I have traveled with by far. (Copied from Google)
Cristian Coudeu
May 2022
Impressive trip, a beautiful destination that thanks to A21 becomes unforgettable. The concern for every detail, the professional level of the team, the joy with which they do their work make this experience something unique. Discovering Antarctica with A21 is a dream that we should all have. (copied from Trip Advisor)
Till K
April 2022
We booked the 2.5 week trip incl. Antarctic peninsula and South Georgia. We received good information on clothing, recommended literature, itinerary etc. previously. The one night in Punta Arenas extended due to fog around the antarctic landing strip to three days, with an OK emergency program. The difficulty to get to Antarctica shows that it a somehow adventurous place and not normal tourism. Once arrived on board, we were welcomed nicely and shown the beautiful new vessel, the Magellan Explorer. The expedition staff and the crew are very friendly and professional. The cabins and excellent, all have balconies, mini bars are refilled all the time. Food on boards in really good and varied every day. Wine is OK. The expeditions are what you came for. Protocols are very strict, in order to protect wild life. Whats you see is totally amazing, in Antarctica the icebergs and white sceneries, later on in South Georgia the immense amount of king penguins, seals with puppies, etc. During the days of pure navigation, you can spot whales, albatrosses etc., and get very interesting lectures of Antarctic related topics (history, political situation, animals, etc.). Lecturers are excellent professionals, some are also funny. What could be improved? On our specific trip, the three days lost in the beginning were cut off just from the Antarctic peninsula part of the trip, nothing from South Georgia. Could have been more balanced. And in general, on zodiac tours without landing, people could be grouped by interest (photographers have other needs than the rest, some older people get cold earlier than some younger, etc.). Overall… a trip of the lifetime. I intend to do the pure Antarctic trip with the same company and the same vessel. (Copied from Trip Advisor)