Imagine a trip with a little mystery. You know the general area you’re going to and where the ride begins and ends, but everything else is happening. Did you put it? If your answer was yes, would you still roll the dice if you knew it would cost you $30,000?
I recently did two different expeditions – one person 10 nights on Landscape eclipse and a 14-night cruise on Seabourn Venture. Both were trips to the Arctic, with the former focusing on the Norwegian island of Svalbard and the latter visiting Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. Outside of the region, what they all have in common is their rates — which start at around $15,000 per person or $1,300 per night — and a range of changing daily plans that keep passengers on their toes.
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So what with the ambiguity?
Expedition’s voyages traveled to remote parts of the world, often places that larger ships could not reach. The sea can be dynamic and the weather often changes at any time, especially in locations like the North Pole and the South Pole. Since many stops in these remote areas do not have piers, ships are forced to Passengers gently disembark with inflatable boats called Zodiacs. When conditions are not safe for Zodiacs to operate, the master may decide to postpone calls, docks and shore excursions, or cancel them altogether.
As the expedition team said on Seabourn Venture, if you’re going to make a reservation, the name of the game is “flexible, flexible, flexible.” Here’s what I went through on my last two travels so you can be better prepared to hit the punches if you’re thinking of setting sail.
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What was planned?
Landscape eclipse
Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, known for its premium river cruises and land tours, joined the expedition in 2019 with the Scenic Eclipse, its first expedition vessel. In its first operation in the Arctic after an industry shutdown in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it relied on feedback from its first year of sailing to offer a less structured and secure itinerary. Make sure it has backup plans for any changes. arise.
For this cruise, there are no pre-registrations for excursions, landings, hiking, or Zodiac cruises, which means less frustration about missed events because of activities. The action had not been announced until the day before, when it was clearer what conditions would look like.
Note the largely indeterminate schedule, allowing for built-in flexibility:
- Day 1: Longyearbyen, Svalbard (starting).
- October 2: Svalbard Islands.
- Day 11: Longyearbyen, Svalbard (boarding).
Seabourn Venture
Seabourn Cruise, which is even newer to the explorer market than Scenic, has attempted to provide a more specific pre-journey itinerary. However, it led to frustration for some of the passengers on my cruise. Many of its repeat loyal customers have chosen to try a cruise on Seabourn Venture, perhaps not realizing that it is more open to last-minute spins than cruises. for which the company is widely known.
Since the area where Seabourn Venture is sailing allows submarines to dive and has actual towns to visit, the ship offers more excursion options than the Scenic Eclipse did, and they can be booked in advance of boarding. . These include hiking, town tours, kayaking, submarine diving, sled dog camp visits, and other activities. Because people can choose what they want to sign up for in advance and get excited about the options they’ve booked, they can understand frustration when plans have to change.
Note the rather specific schedule:
- Day 1: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (starting).
- Day 2: Sisimiut, Greenland.
- Day 3: Ilulissat, Greenland.
- Day 4: Eqi Glacier, Greenland.
- Day 5: Uummannaq, Greenland.
- Day 6: Uppernavik, Greenland.
- Day 7: Pond Inlet, Canada.
- Day 8: Port of Dundas / Croker Bay, Canada.
- Day 9: Beechy Island, Canada.
- Day 10: beach day.
- Day 11: sea day.
- Day 12: Lady Franklin Island / Monumental Island, Canada.
- Day 13: beach day.
- Day 14: sea day.
- Day 15: St. John’s, Canada.
What really happened?
Landscape eclipse
Thankfully, by pure luck, the weather was unusually warm during our trip. Because the ship only revealed where we were going about a day in advance, after the crew got a better idea of what the conditions would be like, there were only a few changes, most of which happened due to animal sightings. local wild. Sometimes we avoid planned stops because polar bears are nearby, and it’s not safe or we don’t want to disturb them. In other cases, we divert to observe some of the whale shells as they feed.
One day, we skipped a planned landing and switched to plans B, C and D before the expedition team finally gave up and called it a day at sea, complete with additional puzzles. Supplements and lectures to keep us busy. I was impressed that the team had a backup plan for the backup plans of the backup plan.
Whenever possible, alternative outdoor activities were scheduled if we had to omit those originally offered. Often, they include Zodiac trips to see river ice, waterfalls, or local animals like seals or polar bears.
Seabourn Venture
My Seabourn expedition was a different story. Most days, it’s cloudy and cold with rough seas, making most submarine dives, kayak excursions, and Zodiac trips impossible. It even affects the availability of some land-based activities like hiking.
For example, in Ilulissat, Greenland – which I was eager to visit after hearing about the amazing glaciers there – a hike I signed up for was cancelled. When I tried to get a Zodiac into town at the end of the day, the plane was only halfway through before the bridge broadcasts radio broadcasts for all the Zodiacs to return due to worsening conditions. For many days, including that day, the ship was forced to leave early to avoid bad weather.
Later in the trip, we skipped three stops altogether because the water was rough and ice formed quickly, increasing the risk of the train getting stuck if we didn’t keep moving. (Although the ship’s hull is rated PC-6, meaning it can break freshman ice during the summer and fall months, my voyage was nearing the end of the season, when the ice was thicker. began to take shape.) Unfortunately, as the canceled calls were interspersed with four scheduled sea days, that meant we unexpectedly spent seven consecutive days – half the journey – confined to the ship.
Seabourn has dropped a little short when it comes to filling the unused period created by cancellations. On scheduled sea days, the expedition team planned downtime with submarine tours and presentations. But on unexpected sea days, the team didn’t do any more activities to fill in the time they would have spent exploring ashore. Passengers must find their own fun with puzzles and board games, watch movies in the cabin, read books, work out in the mini fitness center, or trips to the main lounge for a scoop gelato.
Saving lives was the wildlife we saw along the way, including a herd of musk oxen, three polar bears and several whales. The expedition team made an announcement to warn the passengers, and the captain maneuvered the ship for an ideal view. However, none of Zodiac’s trips brings us closer.
Key point
It is important to note that changes are dependent on conditions; favorable things are often chance and unpredictable. One of my rides had excellent conditions most of the time, while one was much more cloudy, foggy and windy than sunny. The presence or lack of animals can also damage or damage the boat, especially if there is extra time to kill due to a change in schedule.
Because weather in the polar regions can be unpredictable, you should always expect that changes will occur. You might also consider booking mid-season rather than early or late, when your train is more likely to experience inclement or icy weather.
Any expedition cruise ship worthy of its salt will employ an outstanding expedition team of experts in fields ranging from flora and fauna to geology and technology. When plans are cancelled, they are likely to find another place to visit, replacing more complex activities – like submarine diving and kayaking – with less risky activities like boat trips. Go on Zodiac, make extra efforts to spot animals to watch or deliver lectures on their areas of expertise.
Your ship will also have an entertainment staff that can host impromptu quizzes or late-night dance parties, saving time.
If you’re planning on sailing, bring a sense of adventure and some activities like reading, playing cards, or an iPad with preloaded TV shows or movies you want to watch.
If you have your heart set on a particular port, landing or excursion, an expedition to the polar regions may not be for you. But if you can make the changes as they happen and enjoy whatever comes your way, one of these trips could offer an exciting, enriching, and unique travel opportunity. once in your life.
Planning an excursion? Start with the following stories:
