Unrivalled Exploration

Discover Svalbard

Halfway between Norway and the North Pole lies an enchanting archipelago swept by warm Gulf Stream waters along its west coast; frigid pack ice from the north, polar desert winds from the east and lush sea breezes from the south.

Svalbard is so remote not even Paleo-Eskimos reached there and despite later periods of shorebased whaling, hunting, trapping, mining and scientific expeditions much remains a pristine wilderness. It’s ours to explore in ultra-luxury from our Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse. Mountainous Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago, dominates Svalbard’s northwest corner. At its heart is Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s largest, and the world’s most northerly settlement. As perpetual summer daylight bathes surrounding mountainsides, admire Longyearbyen’s colourful houses and fascinating museums before setting sail down Isfjorden. Due to the extraordinary nature of Svalbard, especially fast-changing weather and ice conditions, our Expedition Voyage itinerary is flexible, with the Captain and Discovery Leader working together to give you experiences that exceed your expectations. Here are some of the highlights that await you. Enjoy breathtaking scenery from your suite’s private verandah as Scenic Eclipse navigates spectacular waterways like Magdalena Fjord, and join Discovery Team specialists on Zodiac cruises along calving ice fronts of the Waggonway or 14th July glaciers. As you slowly move amongst the brash ice and bergy bits, watch for polar bears on shore and reindeer grazing on tundra hills. In Kingsfjorden, we may visit Ny Ålesund, a mining town turned polar research centre, or farther north, Amsterdamoya, where our Discovery Team historian leads us to Smeerenburg (literally Blubber Town) the remains of a 17th Century Dutch whaling settlement, where walrus often haulout. Just across the channel are the ruins from the Swedish balloon expedition base camp, where Andrée and his two co-pilots launched, never to be seen alive again. Today delightful harbour seals remain to entertain. North of Spitsbergen, Scenic Eclipse aims for the Arctic pack ice, an ethereal world where walrus bob on ice floes, polar bears hunt seals and beluga whales rise in open leads. Scenic Eclipse, is built to Polar Class 6 standards and its state-of-theart design allows us to push deeper into the pack

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A Polar bear and cubs, Svalbard B Magdalena Fjord C Beluga whales, Spitsbergen D Reindeer grazing on tundra hills

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D thus improving our chance to see more and reach places other ships can’t, including beyond 80 degrees latitude to Seven Islands, Svalbard’s northernmost island group. If ice conditions allow, thrill to a passage down Hinlopen Strait, which separates Spitsbergen from Nordaustlandet, an ice-capped polar desert where female polar bears and cubs prowl. Vegetation is sparse, but fossils are many and walrus frequently sleep on its cobbled beaches. Across the way are soaring birdcliffs that literally buzz with some 200,000 nests of Brünichs guillemots, kittiwakes and gulls. Carry binoculars to spy Arctic foxes scavenging for fallen eggs and chicks along the base. On Svalbard’s south side, visit Sundneset, a fertile plain covered in green mosses and delicate flowers including the yellow marsh saxifrage, moss campion, bell-heather and elegant sunburst lichen. Round South Cape, the most southerly point of Spitsbergen, to explore the deep fjords of Hornsund and Bellsund, where reindeer graze on tundra near preserved trappers huts, puffins join guillemots on bird cliffs, and beluga whales rise like ghosts beneath ice fronts. Focus on the wonders of Svalbard in our Arctic in Depth voyage or combine it with explorations of other destinations like the Norwegian Fjords, Greenland’s stunning east coast, and the thermal wonders of Iceland. No matter which Arctic cruise you choose, travelling in 6-star ultra-luxury on the World’s First Discovery Yacht, accompanied by up to 20 Discovery Team specialists keen to share their expertise and enthusiasm for special places, will leave you with indelible memories to treasure. BACK TO CONTENTS

Discover Greenland

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Enter a world of breathtaking grandeur, where smooth rock walls rise two kilometres to monolithic spires, colossal glaciers calve aquamarine icebergs 100 metres high, vast tundra feeds musk oxen and reindeer, and waterways abound with whales and seals.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is draped in the planet’s second largest ice sheet and cut by the greatest fjords on Earth. From Northeast Greenland National Park (the world’s largest) situated south along the east coast, fjord systems wind up to 350 magical, often ice-laden kilometres from the coast. Scenic Eclipse ultra-luxury Discovery Yacht is designed and built to Polar Class 6 standards, making it easy to explore these remote regions. Scenic Eclipse operates in places other ships can’t reach, like Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord early in the season. This red-rock wonderland of wind and wave sculpted icebergs offers a secret passage to Kong Oskar Fjord, where your expert Discovery Team will lead you on walks across blossoming tundra to encounter musk oxen families and pure white Arctic hare. Learn what life was like for nomadic PaleoEskimos who inhabited the region for more than 4000 years, visit Inuit hunting camps abandoned two centuries ago, but remain so well-preserved that circular stone tent rings, winter houses, bear-proof meat caches and grave sites can still be seen. Listen as your Discovery Team historian regales you with tales of polar exploration, from Fridtjof Nansen and Otto Sverdrup’s ski crossing of the Greenland Ice Sheet in 1888, to their drift across the Arctic Ocean on board the specially designed Fram. Sverdrup’s Fram II scientific expedition, which spent four years exploring north Greenland, is an epic tale. Delight in a warm welcome to communities like remote Ittoqqortoormiit, where Inuit hunters, trappers and fishermen keep traditions alive; Narsaq, on Tunulliarfik Fjord, where Norseman Erik the Red first settled and Qaqortoq, a town of 18th-century colonial buildings and a museum featuring Greenlandic culture that is set on a bay often dotted with icebergs and lively whales. Spend time on deck relishing the flight of fulmars as they accompany our passage.

E A Musk oxen, Kong Oskar Fjord B Sermeq Kujalleq glacier C Prins Christianssund D Observation Deck, Scenic Eclipse E Ittoqqortoormiit

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Watch for the beautifully patterned great northern diver, the oldest bird species in the world, or its moreshowy relative, the red-throated diver. Greenland is host to more than 60 species of birds, so ‘twitchers’ will be well-rewarded. Transit Prins Christianssund, a narrow channel between Cape Farewell and the mainland more than 100 km long and discover why Scenic Eclipse, is truly where luxury meets discovery. Relax on your private verandah with in-suite binoculars, admiring magnificent granite walls and exquisite icebergs passing by. Or visit the Observation Lounge where precise Swarovski telescopes offer close views of minke whales, or ringed and bearded seals hauled out on floating ice. Greenland’s west coast is swept by warm Gulf Stream currents, offering a more temperate climate and more populous towns including the capital, Nuuk. Join our Discovery Team on a guided tour through picturesque Old Harbour, find mummies and Inuit skin boats in the Greenland National Museum and local art in the Nuuk Art Museum and Katuaq cultural centre. From Ilulissat, a small village on Disko Bay, listen to the growl and thunder of massive icebergs calved from Sermeq Kujalleq, the world’s fastest and most active glacier, to fill Ilulissat Icefjord with grinding ice castles. Or gain a close-up view of the Greenland Ice Sheet itself on an excursion from Kangerlussuaq, where the U.S. established one of several airbases during World War II. Your Discovery Team historian tells how the two countries forged stronger ties during the Cold War that continue today. Whether approaching Greenland from Svalbard or Iceland on an Arctic Islands or Exploring the High Arctic voyage, joining a Northwest Passage voyage in Greenland, with memories of wild Greenland will remain with you forever. BACK TO CONTENTS