Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago located north of mainland Scandinavia and to the east of Northeast Greenland. Positioned between 74 and 81°N, it is about as far north as any ship can reach without the power of an icebreaker. It is a protected area making it one of the best places in the Arctic to find wildlife including polar bears, walrus, arctic fox, reindeer, birds and whales. With ice strengthened hulls, ships will be able to get into the young pack ice on the North and/or East side of Spitsbergen searching for polar bears in their natural habitat. With high chances for seeing wildlife, towering mountains and large glaciers, Svalbard makes an excellent first trip to the Arctic. We offer a variety of Svalbard cruises on ships ranging in size from 12 to 200 guests. 

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Svalbard Cruises FAQ's

Svalbard refers to the whole archipelago of islands where Spitsbergen is the largest island in the archipelago. 

Most voyages begin and/or end in Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen is located on Spitsbergen and is accessible by flights from Oslo, Tromso or charter flights from Helisinki. The scheduled domestic flights between Oslo/Tromso and Longyearbyen are operated on SAS (Scandinavian Airlines). 

While there are excellent chances for seeing wildlife, no specific wildlife sightings can be guaranteed in advance. Polar bears and other arctic wildlife are nomadic and skittish. The expedition staff will do their best to spot the wildlife, but to avoid disappointment, it’s best to go with an open mind and not set specific wildlife expectations in advance. 

Starting January 1, 2025 there will be a requirement to keep a minimum distance from polar bears. The minimum distance is 500 meters from March 1 – June 30 and 300 meters from July 1 – February 28. We recommend traveling with a good pair of binoculars and a telephoto lens.