Expedition cruising around the stunning Svalbard archipelago is a trip of a lifetime to an untouched Arctic wilderness. Sail along sculpted glacier fronts, through breathtakingly scenic fjords and amongst sparkling ice caps lit by the midnight sun. The wildlife watching around Spitsbergen is exceptional with Arctic foxes, bearded seals, walrus, beluga whales and the ultimate wildlife encounter – with the mighty polar bear.

There is no better or more accessible place in the world to see polar bears in the wild than in the spectacular scenery of Spitsbergen's coastal mountains, massive glaciers and ever-shifting pack ice.

The name Svalbard, mentioned in Viking sagas and meaning ‘island of the cold shores’ and refers to all the islands in this archipelago: Spitsbergen, Prins Karl Forland, Nordaustlandet, Barentsoya and Edgeya. During the period of the midnight sun, especially in June and July, the sun remains above the horizon at midnight and the temperature drops only slightly at night.