NASA Predicts Bumper Winter For Northern Lights

Is seeing the Northern Lights high on your must-do list? Well, this winter could be the year to maximise the chance of seeing them, as NASA predicts that the winter months will see the strongest Northern Lights activity in 50 years.

And what better place to see them than from a Hurtigruten ship, where they are set against the dark night sky, away from artificial light? The Aurora Borealis have increased in intensity since 2007 and will be at their peak in 2012 as the Solar Maximum - the period with the greatest solar activity - peaks around every 11 to 12 years. NASA are also predicting the Solar Maximum will be stronger than at any time in the last 50 years.

The Northern Lights are at their most active in the late autumn and occur most frequently and at their brightest in a belt some 2,500km from the magnetic pole. Much of the Norwegian coast lies in an area with the greatest activity, especially the high Arctic above the Arctic Circle.

Hurtigruten's six-day Voyage North departs daily between November 1 and December 31, sailing from Bergen to Kirkenes, with the chance to add a range of excursions such as a visit to the North Cape, snowmobiling or dog-sledding. Prices start from £625 per person, including six nights half-board on the ship and no single supplements. Flight packages including transfers are available from £495 based on London departures.

For more info, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or the UK's adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Arizona In The High Arctic!

(Continuing my day-by-day Arctic tour with Hurtigruten)



Our final day with Hurtigruten in Spitsbergen. The afternoon saw us landing on Skanssebukin with its huge cliffs that look as if they have been plucked from Arizona and dropped here in the high Arctic.



Dunlin and Purple sandpiper foraged in the rocks whilst Little Auks and Puffins were flying back with bills full of fish. At one point, I witnessed an Arctic Skua chasing a puffin low across the water with the latter finally resorting to splashing into the water, still keeping its fish whilst the Skua shot overhead and flew off.



A fabulous week of contrasts, breathtaking scenery and amazing wildlife. Do go. you'll never regret it.





For more info, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or the adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

The World's Most Northerly Train

(Continuing my day-by-day look at my epic Arctic voyage with Hurtigruten)



Welcome to the world's most northerly settlement at Ny Alesund, with what must be the world's most northerly train. Now just a museum piece, she rusts away quietly after pulling wagons of coal to the port for some thirty years.



Another day of fabulous scenery and fantastic history and wildlife, too. Reindeer, brent goose and ivory gull were all spotted today, with us cruising close to some incredible glaciers.



I wish had more time and space to tell you about this wonderful place but I guess you'll have to wait for it to appear in World of Cruising next month!

This place is surrounded by signs warning you not to go outside the settlement as polar bears are around. All the houses have shovels and skis by the doors, with 4x4s parked outside.



You can find out more at www.hurtigruten.co.uk or, to book, visit the adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

All This Ice And It's Too Early For a Gin & Tonic!

(Continuing my day-by-day look at my epic Arctic voyage with Hurtigruten)



Welcome to another day in the high Arctic. The scenery up here is incredible. Even on an overcast day like this morning, it takes your breath away. If you can't get all the way to the Antarctica, then do try and get up here as it's really, seriously wonderful.



On sunny days, the whole character of the place changes and you get a totally different type of beauty.



Tomorrow we are going to see some of the relics from the early polar explorers and visiting the world's most northerly settlement.



For more info on the cruise, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or contact the UK's adventure-cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Blogging from the Arctic

From Steve Newman in Longyearbyen



Well hello! Here we are in Spitsbergen deep inside the Arctic Circle. We board Hurtigruten's MV Fram in about two hours so I'm writing this in the hotel. It's snowing! But the scenery is fantastic - wild reindeer are grazing outside our hotel but we can't go out to the end of the road as there are polar bears about!



Amazing last night sitting in the bar at 1am with the locals in broad daylight. Well, we have a meeting with the expedition staff now so I'll write again tomorrow (Internet connection permitting) and hopefully have some pictures for you.



(NB: Pic added from Hurtigruten via World of Cruising editor)

Gap's Late Season Arctic Expeditions

July may be the most popular month to cruise to the Arctic, but Gap Adventures is advising travellers to think again and consider journeying later in the season to see some stunning sights.

The leading adventure tour operator advises that while the daylight hours may be shorter, the sunsets and sunrises more than compensate for this, with lengthy displays overflowing with golds, pinks and purples – all reflected in the ice fields and the alpine mountain tops.

Meanwhile, the sight of the stars in the long clear nights is a magnificent display, only enhanced by the chance to see the Aurora Borealis. - a truly unforgettable experience that can only be witnessed towards the end of the Arctic cruise season.

With Gap Adventures’ industry-first 100% bear-guarantee, travellers at the end of the season can also be confident the wildlife will live up to mid-season voyages. The company has such confidence in its Expedition Team’s ability to locate polar bears that it now guarantees at least one of our planet’s largest land predators will be spotted during each of its Arctic adventures.

Realm of the Polar Bear

Now: £2,730pp for a category 3 twin cabin (was £3,639; save 25% on this departure;Trip Code: XVRPNX)
Departs: August 7; Highlights: Spot whales and polar bears, explore incredible scenery, brave the Arctic waters swimming, encounter Ny-Ålesund birdlife and glaciers, discover breathtaking ice-covered fjords and glimpse herds of Svalbard’s many species of reindeer.

Price includes seven nights onboard the M/S Expedition, all meals, Zodiac excursions with expert expedition team, lecture and educational programmes, Longyearbyen airport transfers depending on passenger flight details, live evening entertainment, waterproof boots and Arctic destination guide.

For more info, visit www.gapadventures.com or contact the UKL's leading adventure-cruise experts, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Voyaging To World's Last Frontier

Aurora Expeditions is once again pushing the boundaries of expedition travel with voyages to the Russian Arctic and Russian Far East; a land of complex history, unique cultures, inspiring landscapes and astounding wildlife.

Aurora Expeditions' ‘Voyage to the End of the Earth’ is a 14-day adventure to the Russian Arctic departing Murmansk, with prices starting from $8,080 per person.

Discover a region so remote and wild that few have ever been. The 191 pristine islands that make up Franz Josef Land were the planet's last major landmass to be discovered. Uninhabited, minus a few Russian border guards, this is the realm of the polar bear, walrus, seals and the elusive beluga whale.

Only accessible by sea, the region has been open to foreigners only since 1991. This geological wonder really is the world’s last frontier, virtually untouched and waiting to be explored.

Last Minute offer: Receive 15% off 'Voyage to the End of the Earth'

Aurora's ‘The Ring Of Fire’ voyage will then unlock the mysteries of the Kurils, taking you deep into a wildlife and geological wonderland. Departing Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, this 13-day voyage will showcase the lush valleys, lakes and rivers, and snow-capped volcanoes of Kamchatka’s east coast, where brown bears feast on berries and salmon. The ship's fleet of Zodiacs will take visitors to intimate viewings of spectacular seabirds, Stellar sea lions, whales, otters and seal colonies. Prices start from $7,250 per person.

Special offer: Receive 10% off 'Ring Of Fire – Kuril Islands'

Both voyages will set sail on Aurora Expeditions' brand new ship, Akademik Shokalskiy. This ice-strengthened research ship was built in Finland in 1982. Fully refurbished in 2008, it provides accommodation for a maximum of 54 passengers as well as two dining rooms, lounge bar, lecture theatre, sauna and an ‘Open Bridge’ policy.

For more info, see www.auroraexpeditions.com.au or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE - CHARITY ON THE POLAR SEAS

Guests on board Hurtigruten voyages in Spitsbergen, Greenland and Antarctica this season will be offered the opportunity to raise money in support of the areas of the Arctic and Antarctic they have just sailed through. At the end of every expedition voyage a charity auction will now takes place with all funds raised being donated to local preservation organisations.

Trialed last year, these auctions have now become a permanent fixture on MS Fram expedition voyages. The usual beneficiaries are institutions that look after the preservation and further development of areas visited such as the Antarctica South Georgia Heritage Trust, Birdlife International or the Ocean Foundation. However, the auctions can also help local people such as Greenland’s children who also receive support from the money raised.

“We want to give something back to the regions we have visited.” Said Expedition Team Leader Karin Strand. “Our guests respond very positively to the auctions. They too recognise the privilege of being able to travel to these remote areas and they like to say thank you by giving something back.”

Items coming under the hammer include the sea chart for the voyage in question, expedition team jackets and donated items from the research stations and localities visited during the voyage. On one voyage alone last year, the operator raised 6000 euro.

For more information visit Hurtigruten http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or The Cruise Line.

This Summer's Arctic Scramble

Hurtigruten's Arctic Cruises on board the MV Fram this summer are seeing a massive surge in bookings due to the Arctic Exploration vessel MV Polar Star's owner Karlsen Shipping co. of Halifax, Nova Scotia, being placed into receivership. Polar Star had recently undergone repairs, in the Canary Islands, after a grounding in the Antarctic on January.

The Karlsen vessel would have been sailing in the Arctic until September. However, with her being unable to sail, anyone considering a cruise in this region this summer is advised to contact Arctic expedition companies such as Hurtigruten (www.hurtigruten.co.uk) or, for a more detailed list of operators with vacancies, adventure-cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Hurtigruten Celebrate Amundsen and Nansen

This year marks the centenary of Roald Amundsen’s trek to the South Pole and the 150^th Anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen. The original slides taken on their journeys were seen on a helioscopic projector at the Royal Geographical Society in April in an evening organised by polar specialsists Hurtigruten, the first time since they were shown by the explorers themselves nearly 100 years ago.

Sadly, the slides and artifacts are not available for public viewing but there are still plenty of ways to follow in their footsteps today. You can take part in adventure cruising and actually walk where these men walked or sip a gin and tonic from the observation lounge as the icebergs and snow capped mountains slip slowly by.

Like the old explorers, you will have to cross the Drake Passage, the unpredictable stretch of water from Tierra del Fuego to the White Continent and, like them, you can marvel at the albatrosses as they soar around the ship with majestic ease.

Both Amundsen and Nansen were Norwegian and, indeed, the company’s polar cruise ship holding around 200 people on an average trip is named the Fram, the same as the original ship that was used by both men between 1893 and 1912 (Nansen had originally planned to get her stuck in the ice and drift across the North Pole).

Hurtigruten visit both the Arctic and Antarctic plus Greenland, Spitsbergen and operate their famous Norwegian coastal cruise, the Hurtigruten itself.

Our picture shows, from left to right, Alasdair McLeod, Head of Enterprises and Resources at the Royal Geographical Society; Ian Nash and Kathryn Beadle, Hurtigruten UK; Amja Erdmann Antarctic and Arctic Expedition leader onboard Fram; and Olav Fjell, Chief Executive of Hurtigruten.

For more info, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or The Cruise Line Ltd.

Spotlight On The European Arctic

This year, adventure cruise company Aurora Expeditions celebrates its 15th season of exploring the European Arctic. This exciting kingdom of the polar bear is best discovered on board Aurora's Polar Pioneer, a small ice-strengthened ship that takes a maximum of 54 passengers and has the flexibility to reach places larger ships can’t.

On an expedition to the Arctic with Aurora, passengers can stretch their legs on mountain walks and tundra whilst searching for reindeer, musk ox or an Arctic fox. Zodiac cruises will bring passengers up close to walrus, whales, seals and polar bears. For the more daring, they also offer an exciting range of adventure activities, including sea kayaking and polar scuba-diving.

Jewels of the Arctic - August 10 and September 2 (14 days, from AU$7,655 including ship accommodation, all meals onboard, all shore excursions, lectures, medical services, port charges and taxes)

This adventure combines the best of Spitsbergen and Greenland, with a taste of Iceland. Cross from Spitsbergen’s rugged north-west coast over the Greenland Sea to fantastic icebergs and the fairytale landscape of granite spires rising 2,000m above the fjords. Be welcomed by local Inuits and learn some of the trade secrets of their culture.

Spitsbergen Odyssey – July 11, 21 and 31 (11 days, from AU$6,080, including ship accommodation, all meals onboard, all shore excursions, lectures, medical services, port charges and taxes)

Explore the home of the polar bear. There are no open-sea crossings on this discovery voyage where you’ll find deep fjords, mysterious desert mountains and seals and whales in the Arctic pack ice. This voyage offers the best chance for finding polar bears and features wildflower walks, trapper camps and historical remains of whaling stations. Avid divers will love the inaugural Arctic scuba dives, which begin on this voyage on July 31

For more information, visit http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/ or the UK's leading expedition cruising specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.