Hurtigruten Deploys Extra Ship In Spitsbergen

Captivated by the BBC’s Frozen Planet documentary that everyone is talking about? Fancy a trip to the frozen north next summer to see more of the landscape and wildlife of Spitsbergen? Polar experts Hurtigruten have just announced they will be sending an extra ship to the region next summer to meet the substantial increase in interest it is experiencing following Prince Harry’s Arctic expedition and current Frozen Planet TV programme.

Between June and August 2012, Hurtigruten will send MS Nordstjernen up to Spitsbergen to travel the west coast of the island for a total of 21 five and six-day itineraries. This nostalgic ship is well known in the Svalbard Archipelago having sailed there between 1994 and 2009 and, for many, exploring this frozen landscape and reaching the 80th parallel on a traditional ship is a perfect combination. Hurtigruten’s newest ship MS Fram will continue to sail the summer in Spitsbergen also.

Spitsbergen lies just 1,200km from the North Pole and is home to the King of the Arctic – the Polar Bear. On the journey through the light polar nights in the north of the archipelago, guests visit interesting settlements including the Russian coal mining town of Barentsburg and the Ny Ålesund research station, as well as excursions to fascinating glaciers and landscapes. In favourable weather conditions, the ship reaches the 80th parallel. An encounter with polar bears is one of the highlights of the trip, alongside walruses, arctic sea birds and of course the Midnight Sun.

POLAR ENCOUNTERS VOYAGE – From £1,614pp - A five-night ‘Polar Encounters’ voyage to Spitsbergen on selected dates in June, July and August costs includes four nights full board on the ship, one night’s B&B in a Longyearbyen hotel plus landings, sightseeing in Longyearbyen and accompanied by an expedition team (prices based on two sharing; flights are extra and can be booked via Hurtigruten from £844pp).

For bookings, click this link to visit the UK's leading adventure cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Picture: Nina Bailey

Follow Prince Harry, says Hurtigruten

Prince Harry is currently in Spitsbergen preparing to take part in the first section of a charity hike to the North Pole, accompanying four wounded soldiers on a 200-mile (320km) trek aimed at raising money for British veterans' charity. http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/

Further north than Siberia, Alaska and most of Greenland is the archipelago of Svalbard. Spitsbergen is Svalbard’s largest island. The island is renowned for its magnificent fjords, calving glaciers and impressive mountains.

Follow in Harry’s footsteps with a voyage in Spitsbergen with Hurtigruten and experience a landscape of breathtaking fjords and gigantic glaciers, all set before a magical backdrop of jagged mountain peaks.

A six-day Polar Encounters voyage departs on 27 or 31 July and 7 August on board MS Fram. During the voyage passengers will visit Barentsburg, North West Spitsbergen National Park, Liefdefjorde and the Monaco Glacier, Moffen Island, Ny Alesund (the northernmost permanently inhabited Arctic Research Station on earth) and much more. Landings take place on polar circle boats to get even closer to the nature. Priced from £2,393 per person to include four night’s full board on the ship, one night’s B&B accommodation in Longyearbyen, return flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen and transfers. Flights from Heathrow to Oslo are extra and can be booked by Hurtigruten, with prices from £445pp (includes one night in Oslo hotel).

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