Hi, I'm Alison, Managing Director at SixStarCruises. Over the years of working in travel, I've been fortunate enough to travel to some spectacular destinations, notably embarking upon my Expedition cruise with Seabourn to Norway, exploring the Arctic Circle.
Favourite Destinations:
Our voyage started in Tromso, North Norway, a lovely town focused on its gateway to the Arctic location with lots to offer for a few nights pre-cruise, including the Tromso Polar Museum, Cathedral of the Arctic, local boat tours, souvenir shopping and an amazing range of traditional yet modern bars and restaurants in a stunning Fjord setting. Hornvika and ‘The North Cape’ – our first zodiac outing on a moody and misty morning brought home our first experience of a dramatically unique environment and fuelled anticipation of what was to come. We were surrounded by hundreds of Atlantic puffins and also spotted a few white-tailed eagles flying overhead. The afternoon brought our first landing and we made the historic hike up the northernmost cliff on mainland Europe to Nordkapp / the North Cape, for amazing views, history and reindeer. On Bear Island – originally (and rather more appropriately!) named Bird Island, we explored the shoreline and its’ caves by zodiac, viewing thousands of guillemots, black-legged kittiwakes, northern fulmars and gulls amongst the cliffs, and once again felt fully immersed in rare and fascinating nature. Venturing further north and further into Svalbard, the landscape changes again, feeling more and more remote, with more snow patches on land and the odd small iceberg appearing in the waters. Gnalodden was our next landing, where we explored the shore with its old trapper’s hut, spectacular cliffs, pebble beach and stunning views. Alkhornet on day 6 was our opportunity to kayak up to and around the shoreline, a unique and highly recommended way of seeing the local landscape and wildlife – you don’t need to be a kayaking expert and are allocated a full drysuit for the experience. The afternoon in Poolepynten provided another wildlife highlight with a strip of beach favoured by walrus. In small groups we quietly approached these impressive mammals to the permitted, policed distance, so as not to disturb them or affect their environment. We were also lucky enough to see one of the group swimming in the ocean nearby. Glorious sunshine on day 7 of our expedition coincided with our first glacier visit – A truly breathtaking moment. We also had a landing at Julibukta, with its towering bird cliffs, hanging gardens and sheltered rock site, where one step takes you into a natural phenomenon of all sound being lost in a cliff side crevice – dramatic around such noisy seabirds! Here we also had the unexpected delight of a gregarious Arctic fox catching and eating its prey in unusually close proximity to us. The next day saw us sail ‘Above 80 Degrees North’ and being surrounded by Pack Ice was possibly one of the most ‘other-worldly’ experiences of the expedition and my life! The ice formed from freezing seawater provides an essential platform for numerous Artic mammals and seabirds and truly highlights the scale of our world. The vastness of the polar region environment acts as a stark reminder of what we must protect. Our remaining days included more once-in-a-lifetime hiking and zodiac sailing experiences amongst some of the world’s most rugged and remote scenery and held two more expedition highlights: A Seabourn Moment at Texas Bar – named after a hunter from the 1930s, the trappers hut provided the historic backdrop for an impromptu Seabourn Bar ashore serving glühwein, whisky and hot chocolate! Expedition team member, Laura, wowed us with a spontaneous guitar and singing set – what a moment in such a setting. And the best was saved until last – a mother polar bear and her 2 cubs were sighted ashore and then began swimming together in front of our ship for a reasonably lengthy period. The whole ship watched thoroughly mesmerised (and a touch emotional) until it was time to leave them unwatched in their own environment. Words or photographs really cannot describe this, the sight is one which will be forever engrained in my memory. A privilege to see and experience.
My favourite memory was saved until the end of our voyage – a mother polar bear and her two cubs were sighted ashore, before swimming together in front of our ship for a reasonably lengthy period. The whole ship watched, thoroughly mesmerised (and a touch emotional), until it was time to leave them unwatched in their own environment. Words or photographs really cannot describe this, the sight is one which will be forever engrained in my memory. A privilege to see and experience. If you are a regular cruiser, the first thing that will strike you is how much of an expedition itinerary is ‘open’ and rather non-specific. In our case, out of an 11 night voyage, only 2 ‘ports’ were outlined – Storsappen Island (for the North Cape) and Bear Island. The rest of the days were tantalisingly described as either ‘At Sea’ or ‘Svalbard Experience’. That is part of the joy and excitement of an expedition, not quite knowing what you’ll encounter! It is also where the daily Recap/Briefing sessions on-board come in – the exceptionally experienced expedition leader and expedition team provide daily information of where you will sail the following day with timings for zodiac trips and/or landings, as well as fascinating history, potential experiences and wildlife or environment sightings in the location. Naturally the whole emphasis of a Luxury Expedition Cruise is seeing, experiencing and learning about the wonders of the environment, its history and inhabitants. Aside from the daily briefings, all activities are hosted by the Expedition team experts for real time explanations and education. For more in-depth sessions Seabourn Conversations with the Expedition team are scheduled throughout the voyage where you can learn more from various specialists within the team on topics like environmental research in the area, whale and bird species and Svalbard’s history, as well as the fascinating personal stories and experiences of the team. There are 4 hot tubs, a small infinity pool, shop gym and wellness spa facilities onboard, as well as several bars and lounges. Entertainment consists of a singer and a singing duo who rotate around the bars each evening performing themed sets, daily quizzes and a cinema showing in the Expedition lounge. My trip was everything I expected and more. Whether you have cruised before or not, if you have an interest in our planet’s nature and history or simply are looking for an experience like no other, a polar expedition is something I can’t recommend enough!
Invest in gloves – this is pretty much the only outdoor item not supplied Pack layers – it wasn’t as cold as I expected most of the time so flexibility is key Take a good eye-mask – this is the land of the Midnight Sun, it never goes dark! Take a spare pair of binoculars if you are travelling as a couple – a set are provided in your suite for use on your voyage but 2 people can’t use them at the same time!
-large_thumb.jpg)
-large_thumb.jpg)
